The MLS schedule couldn’t have predicted a better outcome ahead of a month-plus hiatus in its season due to the League Cup.
The CF Montreal-Toronto FC duels are still accompanied by a certain feverishness, even if the players change and the two rivals evolve, but the circumstances surrounding the one on Saturday night, at Saputo Stadium, could promise a few more sparks.
First, a simple glance at the Eastern Conference standings shows the importance of this matchup.
The Bleu-blanc-noir’s effort to get a draw from the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night allowed them to climb to ninth and final place in the Eastern playoffs. After a rain interruption of nearly an hour and 45 minutes, as well as difficult circumstances on the return leg, CF Montréal feels like it still has the energy to play this second game in four days.
“I think we recovered well. What people don’t know is that our flight back to Montreal was delayed. I got home at 5:30 in the morning,” said Quebecer Samuel Piette on Friday before training at the Nutrilait Centre. “You go to bed at slightly different times and that complicates your sleep schedule for the next day. In the end, I think there will be a lot of adrenaline and we will be ready physically.”
Ahead of the Montrealers, but with the same number of points (27), is the Toronto team.
A victory would therefore allow them to take another step towards a place in the playoffs, but also to breathe a little before the resumption of MLS activities on August 24. This is a good first source of motivation.
The second source dates back to May 18. At that time, Toronto FC (8-14-3) had given CF Montreal (6-9-9) a 5-1 thrashing at BMO Field, causing several questions within head coach Laurent Courtois’s squad.
This bitter setback is obviously still in the thoughts of the players and Courtois, but they especially want to use it in the right way.
“We take every game very seriously, but this one has a little something special. Especially after what happened in Toronto. We have to rectify that and never relive that feeling against a rival,” insisted defenseman Joel Waterman. “We use this loss as a source of motivation, while staying within our means and not projecting too far ahead. We have to control our emotions and our temperament, and keep our focus on this upcoming game.”
Courtois also expects his men to be indebted to Montreal fans, some of whom had traveled to Toronto only to see their favourites put on a dismal performance.
“It’s a revenge, but more about us. We saw the reception of our fans at our hotel and we would have liked to give them a better copy than the one we showed,” mentioned the head coach. Now, it’s another scenario and another moment in the season. We must not be blinded by emotion, but yes, there is a feeling that it was not our real version.”
During the absences of Piette, Waterman and Mathieu Choinière, who represented Canada at the Copa America, Courtois juggled his team, particularly in midfield.
In New Jersey, CF Montreal played a rare formation with four backs, which required a bit of an adjustment. Despite dominating possession in the first half, it was the Red Bulls who were more threatening with the ball.
It will be interesting to see if Courtois will use the same formation against Toronto at Saputo Stadium, as his team looks to dictate the offensive pace.
“This is the first time we’ve played with a back four this season. It’s going to take some time to adjust if that’s the formation we’re going to use for the rest of the season. It’s our job to adapt and have that soccer intelligence to execute the plays every game. We’ve done a lot of things well, but there are a few more things we need to work on,” Waterman said.
Courtois said the two newcomers, Tom Pearce and Dawid Bugaj, were not about to play matches because they need to get back into match fitness.
In addition, a television crew followed CF Montreal players this week in preparation for a docuseries on MLS that will cover the 2024 season’s activities across the league.