Two years ago, such a confrontation would have most likely occupied the front page of the MLS website, so much was everything going well for both teams in question. Saturday night at Saputo Stadium, the duel between the Philadelphia Union and CF Montreal will not have the same marketing appeal, and that was evident Friday morning.
For nearly 30 minutes, head coach Laurent Courtois and two of his players answered questions from journalists about the return of certain forwards, the absence of key players due to the Copa America, anecdotal incidents and the most urgent problems to be resolved within the Montreal team.
But nothing about the match as such.
One of those problems, Courtois acknowledged, is the lack of consistency among his players.
“I had mentioned, when there had been correct, positive performances, that we were not satisfied because, on the one hand, we had not had at the accounting level what we wanted, but that in addition, we are not safe from ourselves, that is to say from being inconsistent,” declared Courtois during a press conference, from the Nutrilait Center.
“It happened in Colorado. By spurts, by moments, by individualities, we fell back a little into our faults,” he continued, briefly returning to the 4-1 defeat against the Rapids last Saturday.
“That’s the situation. It’s about finding a way to make sure we’re not so inconsistent in our performances, and that’s going to be daily work,” added Courtois.
Even though the visit of the Union did not raise any questions, it will be a crucial match for these two clubs in great need of victories.
The two teams will meet for a second time in June, and if this weekend’s meeting is anything like the previous one, it will be full of twists and turns.
1er Last June, in Chester, the two clubs played the last 30 minutes or so of the match 10 against 10 in a 2-2 draw. A goal from Samuel Piette in the 66the minute of play allowed the Montreal team to pick up a precious point in the standings.
Since that match, CF Montreal (4-8-7 – 19 points) has been limited to two draws in front of its fans before last Saturday’s stinging defeat in Colorado.
Things are not much better for the Philadelphia Union (4-7-8 – 20 points) who, since the Montreal team’s visit, have suffered three consecutive defeats, including two at home.
Saturday evening, Piette will not be able to repeat his tour de force from 1er June since at the same time, he will wear the uniform of Canada in a preliminary match of the Copa America against Chile in Orlando. The same will be true of midfielder Mathieu Choinière and defender Joel Wateman.
In addition, Ariel Lassiter was recalled by Costa Rica, which drew 1-1 against Brazil and was scheduled to face Colombia on Friday night.
“Everyone knows the importance and quality of these players. There’s not much to say,” noted Courtois. “Afterwards, my job is always to make sure that the guys who come after are just as efficient and seize their chance on their side. We both have to make our way on this aspect.”
CF Montreal will approach its duel against the Union tied at 12e rank in the Eastern Association with the New England Revolution, which played 17 games, and DC United, which totaled 20, one more than the Montreal team.