CF Montreal Prepares for Emotional Match Against Columbus Crew: Preview, Players, and More

2023-09-02 03:04:20

CF Montreal had only small moral victories in its luggage when it left New York and it must now prepare for a match that promises to be rich in emotions.

Despite a much better second half, the Bleu-blanc-noir might not do better than a 2-0 loss to New York City FC on Wednesday night.

Circumstances weren’t favorable for Hernan Losada’s men, who looked lost on the smaller, tighter field of Yankee Stadium. Not wanting to use that as an excuse, the head coach of the Montreal team still admitted that the situation was more different than usual.

“For each game, there are things to analyze, to extract and to improve, but it’s true that it was a different game from the others, mentioned Losada, Thursday, following training at Center Nutrilait. We had trained on a smaller field, with less space. It counts for both teams and obviously City have played there more often than us. We will turn the page now because Saturday is a completely different match. »

The page that CF Montreal is regarding to turn brings it to the chapter in which it finds a familiar character.

The Columbus Crew’s visit to Stade Saputo on Saturday night allows head coach Wilfried Nancy to return to where he held several coaching positions for more than a decade and had a record season with the Blue-white-black, in 2022.

Nancy’s move to Columbus in the offseason surprised Montreal fans. The latter can also be nostalgic when they see defender Rudy Camacho, traded to the Crew a few weeks ago, and goalkeeper Evan Bush, who continues to roll his bump in the MLS, in the enemy camp.

Losada has been through a similar situation this season, as CF Montreal have faced their former team, DC United, twice. The Argentinian does not hide that he expects a special match in the eyes of some players, but that for a head coach it is more difficult to change the course of a game on the pitch.

“As a coach, you are on the side, you do not play and you cannot make the difference in moments of play, he noted. When I was a player and I faced coaches I worked with or teams where I played, it’s always special. I’m not going to say it’s more motivation, but it’s going to be special for some players. »

It must also be said that the Montreal troupe is different from the one it presented under Nancy in 2022. Against New York City FC, six of the 11 starting players got a start last season.

Losada also offered the first starts in MLS to some young players, like Nathan Saliba and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, in addition to trusting players acquired during the season, like Ariel Lassiter, Bryce Duke and Kwadwo Opoku.

They know that this confrontation has a special cachet, but the approach is the same as in the other weeks.

“For me, it’s another game that we have to win,” insisted Lassiter. I want to win every game, no matter who we face. I’ve heard things and it will be fun to face Rudy, but besides that, I’m excited to play for the three points. »

One of the players who was overused under Nancy’s tutelage is midfielder Victor Wanyama, but recently he’s been watching his teammates from the back of the bench. Since leaving Chicago on July 12, the Kenyan has only played 32 minutes.

Samuel Piette’s return to play diminished Wanyama’s role in midfield. And when the 32-year-old veteran was injured, Saliba showed a lot of fire and intensity to give Losada an alternative.

The coach expects Wanyama to continue acting as a leader even though he has been receiving less minutes for the past few weeks. “It’s part of his job to be a leader on and off the field. We have chosen to play several games with only one more defensive midfielder and that is Samuel. When Victor was in worse shape, Saliba played very well. There are no other explanations,” he argued.

Forward Romell Quioto, who is injured in a hamstring, did exercises with his teammates on Thursday, but it does not seem close to a return to the game. No timetable has been revealed in his case. On the side of defender Aaron Herrera, injured in an ankle, he should miss a few more games.

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