With only four games remaining, CF Montreal faces enormous pressure to maintain its playoff spot. At least, that’s what you might think.
We have not yet identified the person who went up the steps of the Saint-Joseph oratory on his knees, but in an almost divine intervention, the Bleu-Blanc-Noir remained in eighth place in the Eastern Association despite a streak of five games without a victory (0-3-2). However, they are tied with New York City FC (ninth) and only one point ahead of DC United (tenth).
At the dawn of a trip to Orlando and another “final”, as head coach Hernán Losada has often said, the young CF Montreal team seems to have all the weight of a province on his shoulders.
“There was pressure from the start of the season to make the playoffs. We want to stay in this portion of the table, between the seventh and ninth rows. It’s in our hands, and we have to get the most points to be comfortable before the last match of the season, in Columbus. We know it will be difficult there,” said midfielder Bryce Duke on Thursday before training at the Nutrilait Center.
Duke knows that the room for maneuver is slim, even if the Montrealers’ current position may seem more favorable than that of the teams behind them.
Unlike his player, Losada believes that his men are not facing any pressure for this final stretch of the season. “Honestly, there is no pressure,” said the Argentinian. Few people saw us in this position and few people believe we can make the playoffs. The pressure is on the teams who invest millions to become champions. It’s up to them to endure it and make the playoffs. »
“We will try to extract the maximum, and at the end of the season, we will be able to say that we gave absolutely everything and that we remained united until the end,” he added.
It’s a speech that may seem defeatist, but unconsciously, Losada may have found a way to take that pressure off his players’ shoulders.
And it’s not like the coach is necessarily wrong. By reviewing the predictions published before the start of the campaign, several journalists and MLS observers were not giving much credit to the Bleu-Blanc-Noir.
CF Montreal probably wouldn’t have refused to be in the chair of teams that have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, but it could take a step in the right direction by picking up at least one point in Orlando. He will then return home for two matches in four days at Saputo stadium, where he enjoys much more success.
“Of course I would have liked our place in the playoffs to be already secure, but with all the changes made, the players who left, the new philosophy, we are still in the middle of the race. There are a lot of things we can be proud of, but there is still more to be found between now and the end of the season,” said Quebecer Samuel Piette earlier this week.
Movement in training?
The Montreal team that will travel to Florida was weakened by illness this week, and it still has to deal with certain injuries.
Forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint (ankle) trained with his teammates, but Losada said he did not know if he would be available on Saturday. Defenders Aaron Herrera (ankle) and Robert Thorkelsson (adductors) will be visibly absent.
Recovering from a hamstring injury for two weeks, striker Romell Quioto could start the duel against Orlando City SC. It was Losada’s intention to use the Honduran against Atlanta United last Saturday, but the match had already slipped through Montreal’s fingers and the head coach preferred to leave him on the bench.
“We will see if it is smart to start the match with Romell. When you play abroad, it’s important to start a game well, but sometimes you can keep a key player for the last half hour, when the match is already over. These are difficult things to predict,” Losada argued.
Defender Joel Waterman will be missing due to a one-match suspension for receiving a red card in Atlanta. Youngster Fernando Álvarez could replace him, having made two 45-minute appearances in September. “I tried to help the team as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s for 5 minutes or 90, I will always give my best and work hard,” said the 20-year-old defender.