After the insult, the insult. A week after suffering a humiliating setback against the New England Revolution, CF Montreal was manhandled by Cincinnati FC, who won 4-1.
Seven days ago, CF Montreal allowed five goals. This time, Montreal may have allowed one less, but the defeat is still just as, if not more, humiliating. In particular, because the team attempted few shots, created few opportunities. Kwadwo Opoku managed to score in the 81e minute, but the team’s fate was sealed.
It was the nature of the goals conceded that was particularly humiliating. The third goal tops the list.
At 57e minute, Montreal awarded a free kick behind the halfway line to the opponent. A seemingly harmless free kick. Except that right winger Luca Orellano took everyone by surprise. While the defense was elsewhere, the Cincinnati FC player went for a lob that fooled Jonathan Sirois’ vigilance. The Quebec jailer saw the ball at the last minute, tried to deflect it, but it was too late. Orellano had just scored his second goal of the match.
PHOTO KATIE STRATMAN, USA TODAY SPORTS, PROVIDED BY REUTERS
CF Montreal defender Tom Pearce (46) in the first half.
Throughout the match, Montreal was largely led in terms of possession. Dominated, CF allowed several free kicks in the danger zone, and seven corner kicks, including six in the first half.
These corner kicks allowed Cincinnati to maintain constant pressure. At the 36e minute, the Bleu-Blanc-Noir conceded a sixth. Samuel Piette managed to clear the attempt, which nevertheless remained in the last 30 meters. Center forward Kevin Kelsy went for a shot that ricocheted consecutively off Tom Pearce and Joel Waterman, before landing in the back of the net.
Joel Waterman’s tough day at the office continued early in the second half. The defender held Kelsy off just before he entered the box, forcing a free kick into the danger zone that resulted in Orellano’s second goal.
Josef Martinez and Bryce Duke did not participate in the match, left out. Matías Cóccaro and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint joined the team.
Montrealers have 7 games left to hope to qualify for the playoffs.
CF Montreal scored just one goal during the month of August, a period in which it played three games.