No respite for CF Montreal which, after its elimination in the Champions League on Wednesday, must face Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
• Read also: The benefits of the Champions League
It is a particularly hostile environment where the crowd is imposing and where Atlanta does not lose much. In fact, the team have suffered just 14 home defeats in the last five seasons and won their first two local fixtures in 2022.
“It changes everything to play in front of 60,000 spectators, it pushes us even more even if they are not our supporters. We will have to be mentally strong, ”recognized Rudy Camacho.
Moreover, Atlanta presents an average of just over 55,000 spectators during these first two local games, a sign that the madness of the first years has not calmed down.
Good team
Atlanta has been one of the best teams in the MLS Eastern Conference since joining the league in 2016. Except for the 2016 season, when Josef Martinez suffered a serious injury in the first meeting of the year, the Georgia team has always made the playoffs.
So what’s in Atlanta’s water to keep the team consistently dominant year after year, and especially at home?
“There is the crowd, but there is the quality of an attacking team,” said Wilfried Nancy. The land is also large. They force the opponent to defend rather than attack. These are always tough games in Atlanta for all teams. Last year, we were close to doing something. »
His game
CF Montreal arrive in Atlanta a bit on their knees after playing seven games in the past month, winning just one (1-5-1).
Faith of Wilfried Nancy, there is no question of adjusting his game plan to be more conservative against an aggressive team at home. He has no intention of emphasizing defensive play to save his men a little.
“I will never go into a match thinking that we are going to minimize the way we play. We will try to play our game. We have a team that loves and wants to score goals and that’s what we will try to do, ”adds the coach.
Gasoline
After Friday’s game, the team will finally be able to breathe a little thanks to the international break which will ensure that its next meeting will be April 2 in Cincinnati.
In the meantime, we can savor Canada’s last three qualifying games, which should secure its place at the Qatar World Cup in the first meeting in Costa Rica or in the second against Jamaica in Toronto.
What is certain, however, is that this break will do everyone a lot of good and that its arrival will perhaps give a little more fuel to all those who are starting to run out of it.
“Everyone is a little tired so we’re going to give Atlanta one last push,” insisted Camacho. During this truce, I will work to be ready to continue for the rest of the season. »
Meanwhile, it’s been nearly two months since Mason Toye suffered an adductor injury as he prepared to return to action after a season-ending shoulder injury last summer.
Since then, the American striker has been training solo and there is no indication at the moment that he will be able to rejoin the group soon. Wilfried Nancy let it be known that, from the start, he did not expect to see him again before the end of March or the beginning of April.
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The adversary in 5 points
Accurate at home
As we know, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a bit like a Gaulish village that is impossible to take. That’s still the case this year with two wins for Atlanta, which has scored each of its five goals there in 2022.
The constancy
The least we can say is that Atlanta is consistent at home, with games of 12 and 14 shots attempted this season. In the first, six shots were on target and eight were in the second game.
Conversely
What’s odd about watching Atlanta’s two home games is possession of the ball. Against Kansas City, Atlanta had just 43.9 percent possession, a rare thing for the home team. Against Charlotte, it was just over 61%.
five different
What’s amazing when you look at Atlanta’s offensive record is that all five goals come from five different players, including Josef Martinez who also has two assists. Watch out, it seems to be back on top.
Sans Araujo
Acquired from Lille last summer for an US$11 million transfer, Brazilian nugget Luiz Araujo will not be in the game due to a hamstring injury suffered in the first meeting of the season, in which he had time to score a goal.
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