On March 19, CF Montreal settled for a draw in a match against Atlanta United from which they should have come out with three points. Saturday, against the same team, but in an environment which was more cordial to them, the men of Wilfried Nancy signed a victory which their supporters perhaps did not expect. Especially after the poor quality of their game in the first half.
We must not delude ourselves; CF Montreal did not deliver a great performance on the lawn of the Saputo stadium on Saturday. That didn’t stop him from going for a 2-1 win thanks to a late goal from Joaquin Torres.
This victory allowed CF Montreal to play a sixth game in a row without losing (4-0-2), after starting the calendar with three losses. In the process, he equaled a team record he had achieved on three other occasions since entering MLS, in 2015, 2016 and 2021.
“Everyone was worried at the start of the season. We played in two competitions and we played matches every three days, ”recalled midfielder Djordje Mihailovic.
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“We will have the opportunity, in the coming weeks, to climb to the top of the table in the East. But we have to stay humble, focused and come to training with the right mindset.
Force collective
CF Montreal (4-3-2) has just passed the first quarter of its schedule, and it is probably too early to dwell on the MLS Eastern Conference standings and draw a clear and definitive portrait of the team.
However, it is difficult not to see the beginnings of transformation at this club which, so often in the past, found ways to lose points, or downright games, in heartbreaking fashion.
However, this year, he regularly manages to collect valuable points in the standings when nothing, or very little, is expected of him during the course of a match.
CF Montreal got there recently on the grounds of the New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union. He won games from the back and resisted late game pushes from opposing clubs.
On Saturday, the team added three points to its record by playing loose for at least 45 minutes, and probably a little more.
“It is certain that, if I compare with last year and this year at the start of the season, we have traveled, in the sense that the players have matured. Last year, I don’t know if we would have been able to win this match. Again, these are guesses, but that’s how I feel right now,” Nancy said after Saturday’s encounter.
“I feel that there is a collective strength at the group level, which means that whatever happens, the guys will always try to find the solution. And, therefore, it is a pleasure. It’s a pleasure to be in this dynamic,” added the head coach.
This pleasure that Nancy says he feels, he shares it with a feeling of humility that he never loses sight of. Because he knows how quickly everything can change over the course of an MLS season.
“Again, I’m not surprised because it’s a process. We installed this last year. At times last year, we had those times. There, this year, we are in a moment that is good for us, “said Nancy.
“As I said to the guys, we are limitless. But as I often say, we are limitless to go up, but we are also limitless to go down. So, we stay humble and we work, and for now, it’s working. »
Author of a brilliant performance with a goal and an assist and quality work in his role as defender on Saturday, Kamal Miller admits that the Montreal team has had some luck lately.
But the recent successes of the team are not limited to this factor, he affirms immediately.
“I think there are good feelings in the locker room. You can see the players coming off the bench and having so much impact. Like Sam [Samuel Piette]Joaquin, Zach [Zachary Brault-Guillard]Kei [Kamara], Saturday. I think we are finally believing in ourselves and enjoying this streak of success. »
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