MONTREAL – It’s well known. In MLS, there is no point in leaving early. You just have to be ready to run when it’s time.
The little history of the Garber circuit is full of teams who redeemed a failed start to the season by catching fire at the end of the summer. Often, combustion persists into series. Maps are blurred, hierarchies broken.
The most often cited example is probably that of the 2016 edition of the Seattle Sounders. In distress under coach Sigi Schmid, the Sounders replaced him with Brian Schmetzer and finished that season with an 8-2-3 record. They concluded a few weeks later with the first championship in their history.
In 2021, the Portland Timbers were 7-10-3 heading into their last game in August. They then won ten of their last 14 games and didn’t stop until they reached the grand final, where their dream was shattered by New York City FC.
A more modest story was written last year by Sporting Kansas City. Thanks to a performance of six wins and three defeats after the League Cup, the team had secured eighth place in the West, won its play-off match and surprised St-Louis in the first round of the playoffs.
After rising above a fierce pack of contenders in the lower portion of the Eastern Conference table, propelled by a haul of 16 points from a possible 21, could CF Montreal be the team Cinderella of the post-season tournament?
Already improbable by definition, this scenario remains difficult to envisage. Laurent Courtois’ team has neither the depth nor the talent of the 2016 Sounders. And unlike Kansas City in 2023, it is not expected in the first round by an expansion team that has played above his lead in the regular season.
If it manages to eliminate Atlanta on Tuesday at Stade Saputo, the Impact will find itself in front of the team that has just had the best season in MLS history. And he will have to beat her not once, but twice to continue his journey.
“In the playoffs, whether in soccer or just in general, the underdog teams will do everything to find a way to win,” explained midfielder Caden Clark Monday morning. They must be superior in the small moments, the small things that mean a lot. Execution of basic plays, defensive shape, how to counter-attack, all of this becomes crucial. »
“To defend like we did in our last match, aware that we were going to suffer but determined to endure it, it doesn’t take talent. It takes work and persistence. It’s about making sure everyone understands and accepts it, continued the team’s new young star. Of course, we will want to play, play to win. But sometimes it’s just not realistic. If we play in Miami, for example, we will have to know how to stay focused and scrape together to come out of there with a result. »
In another “mode”
“If you look at the predictions at the start of the season, we were seen in last place, things like that. I think we’ve made several people lie, so why stop now? asks Bryce Duke rhetorically. “The series are here. We believe in ourselves and we focus on what we know how to do. We’ll see where that takes us. »
Optimists will argue that the current version of CF Montreal has nothing to do with the portrait painted by the final ranking in the East.
With the strong return of Josef Martínez, the team has a truly elite striker capable of turning regrets into celebrations near the opposing net. Over the last five matches of the season, neither Christian Benteke, nor Denis Bouanga, nor Cucho Hernández were able to produce at the same pace as the savior of the Bleu-Blanc-Noir. The only other player to have done so is Lionel Messi.
The acquisition of Clark, who has four goals and as many assists since his arrival, also completely changed the situation.
Defensively, the -16 differential that sticks to CF Montreal’s record – by far the worst among the qualified teams in the East – is not a reflection of its current face. Jonathan Sirois has allowed one goal or less in five of his last seven starts. At home, the goalkeeper has not recovered a ball in the back of his goal since the first half of the match against Charlotte on September 14.
“I have the impression that the guys are in another mode,” Courtois feels. I’m not talking about quality or success, I’m talking about attitudes and mindset. You felt that they were in another mode. It’s their ability to execute what they did last game, but in playoffs. »
Montreal can also justify its hopes by its track record against its next two potential opponents. They have beaten Atlanta twice this season and are one of four teams to upset Miami in an MLS match.
“We are really happy to have been able to offer a home series game to our fans. Now we want more, warns Courtois. There is no arrogance, nor is there too much humility. It works. Now we just want to move forward. »
