Guardians
- Jonathan Sirois
- Sebastian Breza
No doubt here, Jonathan Sirois is the starting goalkeeper of this CF Montreal team. Voted best defensive player of the year 2023 in his first year in MLS, Sirois allowed the CFM to obtain a record for shutouts in a season, with 12. Barring a surprise in camp, the Quebecer will be in front of the Montreal net for the first match in Orlando.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Jonathan Sirois
Olivier Renard had mentioned that he wanted to have three goalkeepers in his squad for 2024, he settled this matter Monday morning with the acquisition of Quebec goalkeeper Sebastian Breza to assist Sirois. Unfortunately for Logan Ketterer, this third goalkeeper who is always valiant in training, because it is not him who risks getting the position of second goalkeeper. Ketterer is 30 years old and has not played a single minute in MLS since 2021, with the Timbers.
Defenders
Center left
- Gabriele Corbo
- Fernando Alvarez
Center
- Joel Waterman
- Joaquin Sosá
Center-right
- George Campbell
- Ousman Jabang
Assuming that Laurent Courtois deploys a three-way defense as we saw under Thierry Henry, Wilfried Nancy and Hernán Losada, the current squad suggests that Gabriele Corbo, Joel Waterman and George Campbell will constitute the starting trio on the ramparts. Corbo on the left, Waterman in the center, Campbell on the right.
Corbo, a 24-year-old Italian, has only grown since his arrival from Bologna in 2022. Until becoming a pillar of Losada’s defense in 2023. If the Colombian Fernando Álvarez did not look bad when he was used in this position last year, he will have his work cut out to dislodge Corbo.
PHOTO JEAN-YVES AHERN, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Joel Waterman
Joel Waterman has become one of the leaders of CF Montreal over the last two campaigns. He managed to fairly quickly take over the general mandate left vacant by the departure of Rudy Camacho last summer. Behind him, Róbert Thorkelsson has been bothered by non-stop injuries since his arrival in Montreal in 2021. If he can play both on the left and in the center of defense, the sample of minutes played is still too thin to evaluate with rigor the Icelandic’s chances of breaking through the lineup. There is also 22-year-old newcomer Joaquin Sosa, who can play center or left.
While we still don’t know how Laurent Courtois will arrange his defenders and where he will place Sosa on the board, there still seems to be a need for more depth on the right. There is of course the case of George Campbell. It’s not that he was bad in 2023, on the contrary. This is because good George sometimes sorely lacks speed and mobility. Against lively and percussive wingers, he does not follow. Ousman Jabang is not, for the moment, an option of choice in reserve. Short of playing one of the defenders mentioned earlier out of position, this would be another vacancy for sports management.
Laterals
LEFT
- Raheem Edwards
- Ariel Lassiter
RIGHT
Olivier Renard and Vassili Cremanzidis were creative at full-back positions in the off-season. Raheem Edwards was acquired from the Los Angeles Galaxy to roam the left lane, and it appears he has greatly improved since his first Montreal adventure.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Lassi Lappalainen
Ruan was brought in from DC United – in exchange for Aaron Herrera – to fly down the right lane. These two players should therefore theoretically establish themselves on the wings, Edwards ahead of Ariel Lassiter on the left, Ruan ahead of Lassi Lappalainen on the right. So here are four good options for Laurent Courtois, interchangeable depending on form and injuries.
Midfielders
Defensive midfielders
- Samuel Piette
- Victor Wanyama
- Ilias Iliadis
Central midfielders
- Nathan Saliba
- Rida Zouhir
Attacking midfielders
- Mathieu Choinière
- Bryce Duke
The new head coach will have important decisions to make in midfield. Starting with the defensive midfielder, where Samuel Piette, the team captain, will be difficult to dislodge. Will the French technician allow himself to use designated player Victor Wanyama at the same time as Piette, or will he be relegated to the bench again? And what role will young Ilias Iliadis, returning from loan to PLC, have in this portrait?
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Samuel Piette
In front of them, in a slightly more central, even offensive position, Nathan Saliba has every reason to believe in a starting position. The Quebecer, a product of the Academy, has experienced constant rise in 2023. He will, however, be challenged by his compatriot Rida Zouhir, returning from a successful loan in USL and possibly willing to garner minutes in MLS.
In the attacking midfielder position, we placed Mathieu Choinière, CF Montreal’s MVP last year. In truth, Choinière stands out for its Swiss army knife quality. He can play center, left or right, but he has yet to prove that he can be this team’s offensive engine in the long term. In any case, given his last checkered season, it is not Bryce Duke who automatically imposes himself on this position. An acquisition at this position cannot be ruled out at all.
Attackers
LEFT
- To be determined
- Jules-Anthony Vilsaint
Center (not shown on 11-player diagram)
- Chinonso Offor
- Mason Toye
RIGHT
- Kwadwo Opoku
- Sunusi Ibrahim
Everything we write today regarding the CF Montreal attack should be taken with a grain of salt. Because after the departure of Romell Quioto, we still expect Renard to find a replacement for him, an experienced attacker capable of becoming the focal point of Montreal’s attacking third. This is because the young CFM artillery brigade simply did not manage to impose itself last year, during another of the Honduran’s long absences due to injury.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Kwadwo Opoku
For the purposes of conviviality, we have therefore left the left winger position occupied by Quioto vacant. For now, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, Chinonso Offor and Sunusi Ibrahim still have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to finishing.
Kwadwo Opoku has mostly played as a right winger in MLS, although in Quioto’s absence in Montreal, he has also played on the left… with mixed success. Last year, we saw against Portland at the end of the season that he could also play as a relay in the center of two wingers, almost as a number 10. Can the smiling Ghanaian continue in this vein?
The sports management trusts the young Sunusi Ibrahim. She offered the Nigerian a contract extension binding him to the club until 2026, the same day the CFM announced it was letting Quioto leave.
It is not an oversight if we fail to include Mason Toye in this discussion. In addition to his numerous injuries, the 25-year-old American never managed to regain his mid-season form in 2021. An offensive awakening in 2024 would almost be a miracle for him.
Unless there is a clear improvement developed during the off-season, the young talents Vilsaint, Ibrahim, Opoku and Offor still look like a construction site. It’s up to Olivier Renard to find them a foreman.
Let’s not forget the visit!
We basically just discussed established Impact players. But it is not impossible that guests at training camp will come to confuse the issue.
On defense, Academicians Gaël de Montigny and Sergei Kozlovskiy, as well as SuperDraft draftee Grayson Doody, will take part. Of this trio, de Montigny is probably one of the most important names to remember, having participated in the Under-17 World Cup with Canada last fall in Indonesia.
In the middle, it’s hard not to remember – or recognize – the names of Alessandro Biello and Jesse Saputo. Yes, they are Mauro and Joey’s sons. At 17 and 16 respectively, they are still very young to make their MLS debut. But a recent internship in Bologna, a trip which also included hopeful Matteo Schiavoni, could bring them closer to a professional contract. Emrick Fotsing also has his seat on the club’s charter plane this winter.
Just like the attacker Sebastien Joseph, another Academician, who at the age of 17 will try to do battle with the Bleu-blanc-noir gunners.