CF Montréal continues to avoid losses despite uneven performances
CF Montréal might be playing its best soccer of the season, but that doesn't mean the club hasn't been skirting with danger.
While winning three consecutive matches — part of a six-game undefeated streak — the side struggled to score in a 1-0 triumph against Inter Miami CF on July 3, and looked sluggish in a comefrom-behind 2-1 victory over New York City FC four days later.
Last Saturday, in its return to Saputo Stadium for the first time since last September due to border restrictions created by COVID -19, CFM outscored FC Cincinnati 5-4 in an improbable and crazy match, twice overcoming two-goal deficits.
On Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690, 91.9 Sports) CF Montréal hopes to defeat a struggling NYCFC side at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. While a win or draw would establish a team record of seven games without a loss, manager Wilfried Nancy knows his club must have a more energetic start.
Two weeks ago, it struggled with NYCFC'S attack and pressure, while displaying a lack of urgency and creativity. CFM conceded the first goal and appeared headed for defeat until Mason Toye's equalizer, via a penalty, late in the opening half. Last Saturday, meanwhile, the home team was faced with a two-goal deficit before the match reached the quarter-hour.
“In my way of seeing football, I've always thought you have to score one more goal than the opponent,” Nancy said Tuesday during a video conference. "That's why the 5-4 score doesn't bother me. The goals we allowed came from individual mistakes that we're not used to doing.
“I'm assuming the players know what they need to improve on this game. We just have to improve the decision-making with the ball, because that's part of the problem we had.”
Defensively, the team remains without Kamal Miller, representing Canada at the Gold Cup, and Kiki Struna whom, according to 98.5 FM, is in quarantine. That leaves French veteran Rudy Camacho as the only regular defender. He was between Joel Waterman and Zorhan Bassong last Saturday.
While there's no doubt CF Montréal must tighten its defensive play, midfielder Victor Wanyama said the comeback against Cincinnati was a character-defining moment.
“I think that game taught us a lot of things,” he said. "It shows we have unity on the team. We fight for each other. We go to battle for each other. It's also like that in life. You try to do something, you don't make it. You try again. You don't quit. You keep going until you get it right.
“We never gave up and kept on fighting until the end. This game showed we have a good bunch of players who can fight during bad and good times. It was a good victory — one we'll remember.”
CFM sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 6-3-4, but is about to embark on a difficult stretch of three road games over the next 11 days. NYCFC (5-5-2) is seventh in the conference and is on a two-game losing skid, but remains an offensively-talented side.
Taty Castellanos, its 22-year-old Argentinian forward, scored a goal in each of his first four games as the team jumped to a 2-1-1 mark. But Castellanos, signed to a five-year contract extension two months ago, hasn't scored since May 8, the team going 3-4-1 during his dry spell.
Nancy's expected to stick with goalkeeper James Pantemis although the Kirkland native — replacing the injured Clément Diop — continues making mistakes handling the ball.