Several soccer fans rushed to write the epitaph of CF Montreal. Then, the team proved that it’s never too late to come back from the dead.
About 10%. These are the odds that the Bleu-blanc-noir held to participate in the Eastern Conference series a little less than two weeks ago. But three victories later, things have completely changed.
Laurent Courtois’ men ended a very long drought on Wednesday evening. Thanks to two goals from Josef Martinez, they got the better of Atlanta United 2-1 to sign a first triumph abroad since March 10.
Even more important, Montreal moved closer to a playoff spot by building a three-point lead ahead of the Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC, in eighth place in the East. The scenario that seemed unlikely until recently has suddenly become a real possibility.
What has changed in the CF Montreal locker room (10-12-10) since the two thaws it suffered before the international break in September?
“We haven’t changed anything,” Courtois insisted. There are things we were already doing, but we added more calm and less panic in key moments. We hardly did anything different. We maintained the things we thought we would be successful at. We know this group has the quality to cause problems for any team. »
If nothing has really changed on a tactical level, something has certainly clicked in the heads of the players.
The comeback at Foxborough, to extract a 2-2 draw from the New England Revolution, is a good example. The seven goals scored in the last three games are another. The chemistry is noticeable on the pitch, in the way attacks are created, but the trigger is even more innocuous.
“We rediscovered the joy of playing for each other,” said captain Samuel Piette. I find that before, everyone wanted to do their best individually and we were a little more concerned about that in training. Right now we feel more united. All the players have raised their game and we are consistent in our performances. »
In some cases, it is true that the important thing is to have fun. But when pleasure is accompanied by victories, you can hardly ask for more. Recent successes have solidified the group and, conversely, this esprit de corps has brought results.
“We’ve had some difficult times this season, but I think when you start winning, everything changes,” explained Martinez, who has scored five goals in his last three games. The guys fight like they’re brothers and we want to make the playoffs. This is how we played in the last few games. »
The arrivals of midfielder Caden Clark and right back Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty have breathed a breath of fresh air into the starting lineup, but the impact of the replacements must also be considered.
For about a month, Courtois has regularly carried over the same group of starters from one match to the next. When he decided to make changes in the second half, he was rewarded with a similar level of play, or even offensive contributions.
On Wednesday evening, it was Tom Pearce and Kwadwo Opoku who set the table for Martinez’s winning goal, even though they entered less than two minutes earlier. This is the mentality the head coach wants to see for the last two games of the season.
“The substitutes maintained or raised the level of play. At this time of the season, your job is to think about the team. It’s not about thinking about what you want or what you think you deserve. It’s about thinking about what you can bring to contribute to the success of the club,” said Courtois.
The Bleu-blanc-noir will face Charlotte FC on Saturday evening. A win, combined with some help elsewhere in MLS, could put them in the playoffs for a second time in three years.