A superb shot from the edge of the area after a 180 degree, ball at the foot. A long free kick towards the right corner of the net. A right-footed missile from outside the box. A powerful volley. An arrow from a free kick. An irresistible dribble.
Scoring great goals was Rida Zouhir’s specialty for San Antonio FC, in USL, in 2023.
The CF Montreal midfielder, who left on loan last April to this Texan team in the American second division, has just returned home to Montreal.
“To be honest with you, since I was little, I’ve always had this quality of hitting from a distance,” explains Zouhir during a virtual call with La Presse. Whether at the [CF Montreal] academy or even before, when I was at the Ahuntsic Braves, among the amateurs. »
But this ability, “we have hardly seen it in recent years,” agrees Zouhir.
Since signing his professional contract with CF Montreal in December 2020, the 19-year-old athlete has not had the chance to play much for his hometown club. Still, 640 minutes among the pros, including 350 in MLS, is not nothing at his age.
But in 2023, he felt ripe for a change. The sports management had proposed the idea of a loan to him earlier in the year, but he preferred to wait a little, to see how the start of the season was going.
Under Hernán Losada, Zouhir featured in five of CFM’s first eight matches.
“After a few games I went to the club and asked to go on loan. I wanted to make sure I had a really full and complete season. I told myself that in Montreal, I was not necessarily guaranteed to have 25, even 30 matches. »
In San Antonio, the Quebecer played 25 matches, including 20 as a starter. He scored eight goals and registered four assists. Where did this offensive spark come from?
“The coach just put me a little higher on the pitch,” he explains. And when you’re higher up, you have to do this kind of thing. I’m never going to complain about being put higher or lower. I just want to be on the field, have fun, play and contribute to the success of the team. »
This team has had some success recently. San Antonio FC were crowned champions for the 2022 season. Zouhir landed in Texas as part of a team with “high standards”.
“They know each other and feel good about each other, and they are confident playing against any other team. »
This is a well-chosen context to perform at a high level as soon as you set foot there, according to Zouhir. In fact, in his first match in mid-May, he recorded an assist. He then scored in two games in a row, in his third and fourth games.
He also emphasizes, twice rather than once, the “love” of the supporters.
“As soon as I arrived, I was lucky to be very appreciated by the supporters,” says Zouhir. It’s a city that loves its club. And when we don’t win, things go badly. When we win, they are very happy and you can see it on their face. »
A team that won the previous year means “pressure.”
This is one of the aspects that made him develop as a player in 2023, he says.
“On top of that, we put responsibilities on you. It means: “Rida, when things go bad, your name will come up.” It’s making progress, and I’ve been given a different role from the one I’ve had in recent months or years. »
That’s on the ground. A 19-year-old who leaves the family cocoon to join a completely different environment, on the other side of the continent, what does that mean?
“When you are far from home, when there is no longer your brother or mother at home, you have to fend for yourself and take responsibilities,” he explains. You need to know what’s good for you and what’s not. »
Looking at a list of opponents that includes teams like the El Paso Locomotive or the Rio Grande Valley Toros, we feel that a Texan change of scenery is taking place, right?
“To be honest, I would say that Texas culture is more in cities like Houston. In San Antonio, it’s closer to Mexican culture, because [Mexico] is right next door. »
For those who were wondering, La Presse got to the bottom of it: no, Rida Zouhir did not come back from Texas with a cowboy hat.
