For the second time this season, CF Montreal was able to enjoy a one-man advantage on the field for a significant period. For the second time this season, he was unable to take advantage and collect the maximum possible points.
Maximiliano Urruti hailed his return to Stade Saputo by scoring his fifth goal of the season in the second half and Austin FC inflicted a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to CF Montreal on Saturday night.
Urruti, who wore the Montreal Impact uniform in 2019 and 2020, found the back of the net in the 67th minute, when his team was 10 against 11 since the last minute of the first half.
Then, despite the entry into the field of Ismaël Koné at the start of the second half, and those of Romell Quioto, Ahmed Hamdi and Alistair Johnston in the 72nd minute, CF Montreal (7-6-2 – 23 points) was unable to get the tying net.
This outcome is reminiscent of the March 19 game in Atlanta, where CF Montreal conceded two goals at 11 against 10 to finally have to settle for a 3-3 draw.
“Of course we could have created more chances (at 11 against 10), but I’m always honest with you, it’s not always easy to play against a team that plays with 10 because even if it’s a bit paradoxical what I’m going to say, it’s the fact that she increases her mental strength tenfold,” explained CFM head coach Wilfried Nancy.
“Now, against a team playing with 10, we have to put a little more speed, we have to put a little more madness into the game. We had a little lack of precision, of binding, in the last third “, he also analyzed.
As expected, CF Montreal played this game without midfielders Djordje Mihailovic (left ankle) and Lassi Lappalainen as well as defender Kamal Miller (right leg).
However, after the meeting, Nancy announced that Mihailovic had injured his knee during training on Wednesday.
“It’s nothing serious but it’s delayed. He was supposed to be on the bench today. It won’t be long, but he will still be out for a few weeks.
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“In his misfortune, even he is happy because it could have been much more serious. But eventually, I hope in the next four weeks he will be back with us,” added Nancy.
CF Montreal will switch to Canadian Championship mode on Wednesday as they play the semi-final match against arch-rival Toronto FC at BMO Field. Three days later, the Montreal team will be back in MLS mode, and in front of their supporters, to face Charlotte FC.
Unsolicited guards
Heading into Saturday’s game, CF Montreal and Austin FC shared second place in goals scored (28) in MLS. Result: the players of both teams returned to the locker room after 45 minutes of play with a score of 0-0.
Not only did the two teams not find the back of the net during the first half, they only got six shots (four by CF Montreal) towards the opposing net, and only one on target.
That shot on target came from Kei Kamara in the 28th minute, from the mouth of Brad Stuver’s net, but the Austin FC keeper managed to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.
In fact, the defining moment of the half came in the 44th minute when midfielder Daniel Pereira received his second yellow card of the match, after knocking down Mathieu Choinière in the Montreal zone.
With their numerical superiority to start the second half, CF Montreal gave themselves their first golden chance to open the scoring in the 53rd minute when Zachary Brault-Guillard crossed towards Kamara, who found himself alone in front of Stuver.
But while just about everyone in the stadium thought that the Montreal team had just scored the first goal of the match, the Austin FC goalkeeper instead made a spectacular save by diving to his right.
We don’t really know how much this stoppage of Stuver could have inspired his troops, but the fact remains that Austin FC suddenly released their claws.
In the 58th minute, Diego Fagundez beat Sebastian Breza with a powerful shot which, however, hit the vertical rod on the left.
Then, less than 10 minutes later, Urruti sowed consternation in Saputo Stadium by slightly lobbing the ball over Breza, who had come out a few meters from his net, after a cross from Jon Gallagher.
“I don’t know if it was a turning point, but in any case what happened is that it was a turning point for us in the sense that if we put this opportunity there — Kei le knows, this is the first disappointed. He knows he has to do better on that even if he can be surprised with the ball because the player makes a technical error, but he knows he has to score that goal. »
“What I would have liked to see a little better from my team tonight, continued the head coach, is to create a little more lag, speed, attack the box a little more. On the goal we conceded, we have to do better on the way we defended. »