CF Montreal found another way to add a win to their record this season, but this time it was their mental toughness that was called upon.
After dominating the New England Revolution at Saputo Stadium last week, the Montreal team defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 on Saturday night, even though they played the entire second half with one player less.
The Bleu-blanc-noir set the tone by scoring two quick goals against the Fire and he seemed to be heading for another domination, but Ismaël Koné, the author of the first goal, received two yellow cards in about fifteen minutes to change the pace.
Although sometimes jostled in their territory, the Montrealers remained aggressive on the ball carrier and they remained disciplined in their coverage. Above all, they knew how to adapt to the new challenge before them.
After the game, CF Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy was not only proud of his men, but even took the liberty of quoting veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini, who summed up the 4- 1 suffered by Los Angeles FC on Friday.
“Chiellini said yesterday (Friday) that the first mistake LAFC made was that the players weren’t mentally good. Today (Saturday) our group was very strong mentally. That’s why he went for the win, insisted Nancy. We had a very interesting first half in all areas. In the second half, it was about strength, courage and resilience. I was very happy for the guys because it was not an easy game. »
At one time, CF Montreal would have presented a different face than they showed in the second half against the Fire after being confronted with that red card from Koné. A 2-0 lead could have turned into a draw or even a loss.
And to make the task even more difficult, the Montrealers had to overcome this loss of a player on the enemy lawn. Again, things changed this season, as they chased away their demons to tie for first in MLS with eight wins on the road.
“I’m thinking about the maturity of the team tonight. Last year, in such a situation, we might have drawn or lost. This year, nothing changes on our side even if we are one player less. The defense hasn’t changed, nor has our position on the ball carrier. We knew the refereeing was questionable, but we didn’t let that affect us. Last year, maybe it would have affected our mentality, “said defender Joel Waterman.
This demonstration of calm and concentration propelled the Bleu-blanc-noir to an eighth consecutive game without defeat (6-0-2). This record streak for the team had already been achieved earlier this season.
CF Montreal still occupy the second tier of the Eastern Conference and the players as well as the coaches seem to realize more and more that there is something special going on within this group.
“We had a meeting this week and we talked about what we have achieved so far. We talked about the goals for the rest of the season and some of them were to break records, said midfielder Samuel Piette. We are hungry. We want that playoff spot and that playoff game at home, but we also want to write our name in the team’s record books since joining MLS. »
The Montreal troupe will have the opportunity to break their unbeaten record on Wednesday night when they host the New York Red Bulls.