(Montreal) CF Montreal began the most decisive week of its season with the playoffs within reach. He hopes to finish it having solidified his place above the red line.
Thanks to brilliant performances in recent matches, the Bleu-blanc-noir has established itself in a good position in the playoff race in the Eastern Association. Montrealers are currently at 10e rank, but they have the same number of points as Toronto FC and the Philadelphia Union, who are ahead of them due to tiebreakers.
The fluctuations in the rankings are enough to keep players on the edge of their seats, but Laurent Courtois’ squad has no intention of changing its approach despite the growing pressure.
“It’s human nature to look at the rankings. We want to know where we are, but we don’t pay too much attention to that. It’s an important stretch of our season, with two matches away. We have to live in the present and take it one game at a time. We are very focused on that at the moment,” said defender Joel Waterman on Tuesday before training at the Nutrilait Center.
The first of these two games leaves very little room for maneuver, while the Montreal team will cross swords with Atlanta United (8-13-10) Wednesday evening, in Georgia.
The two teams are currently only separated by three points and the congestion would become even heavier if CF Montreal (9-12-10) were to lose.
History does not favor the Bleu-blanc-noir, who have still not won in six games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (0-5-1). Additionally, Montreal has not been able to find its rhythm on opposing fields this season, showing a poor record of 2-8-5.
“I found that we brought intensity abroad several times. I remember a few sequences during which we showed very beautiful things. But there were also times when we conceded a goal too quickly and we collapsed a bit mentally. We just have to keep our cool so as not to expose ourselves or force things,” Courtois analyzed.
The good news for his men is that they have been playing inspired soccer for three weeks. CF Montreal has not lost in its last four outings (3-0-1) and is coming back from two shutouts at home.
The club enters the final games of the season with better momentum than last year, when it was in a similar playoff race.
In 2023, Montreal had only obtained one victory in their last nine games. They were eliminated on the final day of the MLS season, following a penalty converted to 94e minute in the duel between Nashville SC and the New York Red Bulls.
” THE momentumit is very important, especially in the world of sport. We have it right now. During our good performances, we enjoyed our style of football and we were on the same page. We focused on details and simple things. I am very proud of my teammates, who stayed on task to put us in a better position,” said Waterman.
The chemistry between Josef Martinez, Caden Clark and Bryce Duke also brought a breath of fresh air to the attack, contributing to this great run of success. The trio has scored seven of the Bleu-blanc-noir’s nine goals in the last four games.
“The cohesion between them is extraordinary. They approach the game the same way and they use each other well,” said Waterman.
Courtois would happily accept further attacking prowess from his three overseas players, but he is looking to establish some caution despite desires to go forward with the ball.
“I am convinced that it is through the threat of playing forward, through running and numbers, that you defend less. That doesn’t mean attacking anyhow. It’s this notion of always moving forward to avoid being in a too passive situation. We know the context in Atlanta and we don’t need to force the game. We will try to find a happy medium,” expressed the French head coach.
The match against Atlanta United will take place on artificial turf, as will the next match against Charlotte FC on Saturday evening. Courtois does not see a big impact on the style of play, but he is aware that there could be a headache to manage with his squad.
According to him, all the players will be at his disposal except Lassi Lappalainen, who will remain in Montreal due to a thigh injury.