(Montreal) The Heat may have played a nasty trick on CF Montreal in their last game, but what’s coming Saturday night could cause even more trouble.
As he had done in his previous four games, the Bleu-blanc-noir showed great intensity on Wednesday evening against the New York Red Bulls. In front of a packed Saputo Stadium, he took a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes of play.
Upon returning from the locker room, however, the energy was no longer the same. The thirty degrees Celsius probably didn’t help, but the visitors also increased the pace to extract a 2-2 draw from Montreal.
“We made several adjustments and that maybe took the guys out of rhythm a bit. I wanted to raise the level and it was instead lowered, mentioned head coach Laurent Courtois on Friday before his team’s training in Colorado. We have looked into the situation and hope to correct it. »
Courtois will likely have to make further adjustments when his men face the Colorado Rapids (8-7-4) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.
Players are often able to handle the weather elements they encounter well, but high altitude is a whole different battlefield. Especially for a visiting team which is not used to struggling for breath in these conditions.
We can understand why CF Montreal (4-7-7) made the decision to land in Colorado on Thursday, rather than Friday.
“Getting here two days before the game helps us with our preparation. It gives us an extra day of practice in these conditions. Our staff is working on a game plan to help us acclimate to the altitude. The best thing for us is to focus on our game plan and everything will work out,” said midfielder Bryce Duke.
Some players from the Montreal team have to expend a lot of energy on the field during a match, including Ruan, who is the conductor of the majority of his team’s attacks on the right flank. The Brazilian has no intention of changing his style despite the high altitude.
“I’ve already played a few games here. It doesn’t change anything in my game and I’m going to give my all once again,” he said. “That said, we’ll have to be patient to find the right openings and the right opportunities.”
To be patient, the Bleu-blanc-noir had been patient in the first half against the Red Bulls, with good results. However, against the Rapids, who are in the top third of MLS for goals scored (34) and goals conceded (31), the duel could quickly spiral out of control.
CF Montreal witnessed this during a preparatory match won 6-2 by the Colorado team on February 10. Courtois has prepared his players for this eventuality, with the hope that they can dictate the pace a little more this time.
“I hope it will be a good match, but on our terms. In the sense that we know what we agree to concede, but also what we want to avoid giving to our opponent. We had a sample of it in preseason, explained the head coach. We saw how we could put them in difficulty thanks to our play with the ball. It will be a great opposition in terms of style. »
With the absence of Quebec midfielders Samuel Piette and Mathieu Choinière, who represent Canada at the Copa America, Courtois used Duke in a position a little lower on the pitch against the Red Bulls, alongside Nathan Saliba.
The 23-year-old American has done quite well with increased responsibilities, although there are still things to improve.
“I was a little nervous because it’s a new position. I’ve played it a few times before, but it’s been a long time. The most important thing for me is to play with confidence to help the team,” Duke said.
“The idea is to be able to use your volume of play and your ability to be comfortable in small spaces to create the difference,” added Courtois. He learns. There are good things and also less good things, especially in ball management. We can’t afford turnovers on quick touches of the ball. But Bryce remains an interesting option for us. »
CF Montreal will be without defender Joaquin Sosa, who is suspended for one game for an accumulation of yellow cards, but will welcome back defender George Campbell. Forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint (hamstring) will also be back in a group that has seen Matías Cóccaro, Josef Martínez, Mason Toye and Kwadwo Opoku return to the front of the field in recent games.