(Montreal) CF Montreal took advantage of the international break to heal their wounds and find some of their regular players. And he might need it.
Recovered from their emotions after signing a spectacular victory against the Philadelphia Union in their home opener, the Bleu-blanc-noir will finally resume action on Saturday evening, after two weeks without playing.
The bad news for the Montrealers is that they have to leave their comfort zone to make a whirlwind visit to Vancouver against the Whitecaps.
And since the start of the season, matches abroad have not offered the expected results for Hernan Losada’s men. CF Montreal lost all three of their outings on opposing courts and did not score a goal.
The good news, however, is that the health of Quebec midfielder Samuel Piette and defenders Kamal Miller and Aaron Herrera has improved to the point that they should be in charge on Saturday. Piette and Herrera missed the clash against Union while Miller surprised many by playing for 80 minutes despite feeling uncomfortable.
During a media availability on Wednesday, Losada mentioned that the break came at the right time, but after a victory like the one won on March 18 at Olympic Stadium, a team always wants to get back on the field quickly.
Perhaps he wishes the emotion and energy were still there? Especially when it comes to a grueling trip like this weekend.
The opportunity is great for CF Montreal (1-3-0) as the Whitecaps (0-2-3) have yet to win this season, but it would be a mistake to take their opponents lightly.
The British Columbia squad have not lost in their last three games in MLS and have just drawn a dramatic 1-1 draw at Minnesota United last Saturday. The Whitecaps also find themselves in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Champions League, having defeated Real Espana 7-3 on aggregate goals.
Losada, who will be on his first visit to Vancouver, therefore expects a tough and close match, as is often the custom in MLS.
“All teams are tough to play against and all games are tough. There is a lot of competition in this league. In addition, we play abroad, it’s more than five hours of flight and three hours of time difference. I hope we can have a good result because it’s also important if we’re ambitious this season.”
Acquired from Real Salt Lake during the offseason, Herrera missed his spectacular victory two weeks ago due to injury, but has hinted that he will be in uniform on Saturday.
Since arriving in MLS in 2018, Herrera has made four stops in Vancouver and has emphasized that BC Place is a place like no other.
“It’s not an easy place to play. There’s an interesting vibe there, he said. It is difficult to explain. There’s the dome and even though there aren’t many supporters, it looks like there are a lot. The ground is not very good. It’s a different vibe from elsewhere in the league. »
The Whitecaps may not have triumphed once this season, but they still find a way to score. They have scored a goal in each of their five MLS games in 2023.
One of the main contributors to these five goals is midfielder Julian Gressel, who the Whitecaps acquired in July 2022. The German, who now has American citizenship, has already obtained three assists this season.
Losada knows him well, having managed him in 2022 with DC United, and Herrera is also no stranger to creativity with the ball from Gressel, who has collected 63 assists in 189 career MLS games.
“I don’t think I’ve played the Whitecaps since Gressel has been with the team, but we know he’s a really good cross player,” Herrera said. Whenever he is higher on the pitch, we will have to be vigilant. »
In addition to long-term injured midfielder Matko Miljevic and goalkeeper James Pantemis, CF Montreal will also be without the services of Finnish midfielder Lassi Lappalainen, who will not be traveling with the team. The latter is injured in the left leg, according to the injury report in MLS.
