CF Montreal took advantage of its last home game to offer a 1-0 victory over DC United to the 19,619 fans present at Saputo Stadium, another full house.
• Read also: CF Montreal: Nancy is not going too fast
James Pantemis had some big saves to make to get his shutout and Gabriele Corbo made a goal-line save.
The only goal was scored in the 41st minute. Zachary Brault-Guillard’s low cross was deflected into his goal by Donovan Pines in the middle of a slide. An own goal was allowed.
Pines caused a penalty kick late in the game by pushing Ismaël Koné, but David Ochoa blocked the shot from Joaquin Torres.
Even playing with one man less since Pines was sent off following his foul on Koné, DC scared the hosts by scoring with less than five minutes to go.
Fortunately for the Montrealers, there was an offside.
As we’ve mentioned many times, CF Montreal is assured of second place in the Eastern Conference, but this victory combined with a stinging 4-0 loss for the Philadelphia Union against Charlotte keeps things interesting for the last weekend.
Indeed, the Montrealers now have 62 points, two less than the Union.
Another layer of interest, Toronto FC will be the last opponent of the Union next Sunday at home while the Bleu-blanc-noir will visit Miami.
Wilfried Nancy’s men will therefore be playing for something in the last game of the season, but it will be for first place rather than a place in the playoffs. It is refreshing.
Note also that the team has an enviable record of 10-1-3 in its last fourteen games.
Quioto wounded
The club announced before the match that Romell Quioto was out of uniform due to a thigh injury. This leads us to an observation, he often returns injured from his stays with the selection of Honduras.
It will be hoped that this injury is not serious because it is the team’s top scorer this season with 15 goals in 30 games. His presence will be essential in the playoffs.
Another tile, Joel Waterman was injured at the end of the game following a heavy contact with Christian Benteke. He finished the match, but collapsed to the ground at the final whistle and received treatment.
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Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
Ismael Kone
8 / 10 | Ismael Kone
- Very restless in midfield, he sniffed the open spaces between the lines of DC He caused a penalty shot.
7.5 / 10 | James Pantemis
- He wasn’t busy, but he made some big saves. He picked up the shutout.
7.5 / 10 | Gabriele Corbo
- Another very good outing; he was really very interesting, this young man. He saved a goal on the line.
7.5 / 10 | Rudy Camacho
- A calm and serene performance with plenty of control.
7.5 / 10 | Victor Wanyama
- He provided a reassuring presence in midfield and he was very stable.
7.5 / 10 | Joel Waterman
- A match according to his usual quality standard, where he does not make any major mistakes and where he plays fairly.
7.5 / 10 | Mathieu Choiniere
- Very energetic and often in the right place to receive interesting services.
7.5 / 10 | Lassi Lappalainen
- He was combative in his lane, both in the offensive and defensive phases. Since he was back from injury, Nancy saved him and he only played the first half.
7.5 / 10 | Joaquin Torres
- Dynamic, he made good use of his speed to disturb the opponent in the last third. He missed a penalty shot.
7 / 10 | Jojea Kwizera
- He brings speed to his lane and tries to liven up the attack.
7 / 10 | Zachary Brault-Guillard
- A confident game. He made the cross that led to the goal that opened the scoring.
6 / 10 | Mason Toye
- With a lack of confidence, he has lost his bearings and is struggling to make the right decision: his whole game is affected.
6 / 10 | Kei Kamara
- Twice at the very end of the match, he missed golden chances in front of an almost empty goal. The kind of luck he never misses.
Praise of constancy
We had to be patient, very patient even to collect the post-match comments from Wilfried Nancy, who appeared before the media more than thirty minutes after the end of the match.
If he took so long to make his way to the press room, it is because he addressed his men in the locker room.
“I took the time to speak to my group, it was important to speak with my players to tell them what they have been doing since the start. »
“We’re going to make the playoffs, but it’s only four games. The most important thing is what we do over 34 games and our consistency. Nineteen victories in MLS is strong. »
Killer Instinct
Since it’s a matter of consistency, we can point out that the team often ended the matches a little tightly, bending without breaking. This was again the case on Saturday night, as DC put pressure to tie the game, while the locals should have folded the game long before.
“We were able to keep the score, it’s not easy, despite the fact that they were down to ten towards the end, underlined Ismaël Koné. There are elements of the game that need to be better, we need to kill the game much earlier in the second half. »
“The game could have ended 4-0 if we had been sharp. These are aspects on which we will work. »
This victory allows CF Montreal to approach only two points from the Philadelphia Union and first place in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia in the lead
“We’re not focused on Philly, we’re focused on us. Maybe my teammates knew they had lost, but I didn’t, I preferred to focus on my match,” Koné insisted.
Following Koné in front of the media, Rudy Camacho however indicated that he had taken good note of the situation.
“We have a chance so we will play it hard. We gon’ play first place in Miami hoping they [l’Union] perform poorly against Toronto. »
Romell Quioto was out of uniform due to a thigh injury. Crossed near the press box, he seemed at ease. Wilfried Nancy indicated that he did not know more for the moment.
“He was injured in the selection. We are waiting to see a bit. I hope it won’t be too long and that he will be available for the first game of the playoffs. »
As for Joel Waterman, injured at the end of the game, Nancy mentioned that he had received a blow, that he had a bruise, but that he expected it not to be serious.