(Columbus) And their hearts are full of it.
CF Montreal had it, its qualification. Despite the 2-1 defeat against the Crew in Columbus in Saturday’s final match. Despite a catastrophic end to the season with only one victory in nine games.
Then, more than 600 kilometers away, the flapping of a butterfly’s wings. And, in Columbus, the hurricane.
“Honestly, it hurts,” agreed a disappointed Hernán Losada after the events.
“It’s very unfortunate,” he continues. We were in position for the qualifying match for several weeks. And at the last minute, we missed it by two points. »
“It’s up to us to raise our heads,” he said. To be happy to have represented the club with great honor. »
Yes, it’s heartbreaking. The defeat in Columbus was predictable, but the Montrealers’ performance was honorable, especially in the first half.
The Crew dominated the debate. This is how Wilfried Nancy’s team works, especially at home. But against all odds, Montreal struck first.
In the 7th minute, Nathan Saliba sent a long, tasty pass to Zachary Brault-Guillard, who connected with the ball in the box. The Quebecer had free rein to simply pass to Sunusi Ibrahim on his left. He threaded the needle into an open net.
But the Crew responded 10 minutes later, courtesy of a very nice strike from star player Cucho Hernández. Returning from the locker room, Darlington Nagbe gave the locals the lead with a beautiful goal from the edge of the area. The Ohio team’s steamroller then did the rest of the work.
“I think it’s one of the best teams in the league,” said Joel Waterman, lucid in the press conference as well as on the field. On assignment in Columbus, he was his team’s best player on Saturday. Without his blocks and his courage in defense, the score would not have been close.
“They have the ability to keep the ball, to draw you in, to make you question your own tactics to win the ball back. »
“We will continue to work on our identity and the way we play,” he says frankly. Hoping to be able to develop this a little more next year. »
At the CFM, at least for its members who we spoke to after the match, the result of the season is not the consequence of what happened in Columbus on Saturday.
Waterman mentions the club’s very poor performances abroad. The Impact has only won 2 out of 17.
He and Losada talk about the two disappointing draws at home in September, against the Chicago Fire (0-0) and FC Cincinnati (1-1).
The CFM lost points “on the very last action against Cincinnati,” said the defender. In the end, that’s what makes the difference.”
“The season is 34 games,” Losada recalls. […] We had a very good record at home, but very bad abroad. »
Right now, what should the club do to move in the right direction next year?
“We have a very young team,” emphasizes Waterman. It’s been a fantastic year for many of our young players, in terms of experience. We can build on that. […] Emotional maturity will be very important for our team. »
After the departure of Wilfried Nancy and several key players in its success last year, Montreal experienced a season of transition. However, it does not achieve the organization’s stated goal of reaching the playoffs in 2023.
Does Hernán Losada, who has one year left on his contract, believe his position is in danger?
“We are going to do an analysis with the whole club,” he replies. Olivier [Renard], he’s my boss. He is the one who chose me, and who chooses the group of players. […] We are all in the same boat, we have built a lot this season, and we will make more progress next year. »
