Global Courant
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MONTREAL — CF Montreal hopes to maintain momentum in a two-week break and finish an 11-game streak in just 36 days with a win against visiting Minnesota United on Saturday.
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Montreal (6-9-1) began the stretch stuck in the basement of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, but had won their three previous games in all competitions. The team then extended that streak to six as it booked a spot in the Canadian Championship Finals and made its way back into the East’s playoff picture.
“The start was a bit catastrophic, but the main thing is that we recovered somewhat from it and are doing better now,” defender Rudy Camacho said. “There is a bit of fatigue, but we have one game to go and we want to give the home fans a good show and get three points.”
At the start of the season, Minnesota (5-6-5) had built a reputation as road warriors, scoring three straight wins away from home. Since then, the club have taken points from just one of their last eight away games in all competitions.
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The return of star Emanuel Reynoso could give the Loons a much-needed boost. After establishing himself as an elite attacking midfielder in the MLS last season, tallying 12 goals and six assists, off-season drama saw the Argentine fail to report to camp before the start of the season.
That led to a lengthy unpaid suspension from the league that lasted until last week when he came off the bench against Toronto FC.
“They are a team with a lot of individual quality, especially now that Reynoso is back. He is a game changer,” said Montreal head coach Hernan Losada. “They also don’t have the mental fatigue that we will have. They’ve had a whole week to prepare for this game, so it’s up to us to be ready.”
The mental fatigue was possibly compounded by a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship final on Wednesday. After going down to two avoidable fouls early in the second half, Montreal nearly staged a comeback in the final 10 minutes, only to be denied twice in stoppage time by Whitecaps keeper Yohei Takaoka.
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Losada had not shied away from the importance of the Canadian Championship as it was not only an excellent opportunity to secure the club’s first silverware since 2021, but also their most direct route to a CONCACAF Champions League berth.
“Honestly, it’s not going to be easy, it’s been a long journey with a lot of emotions, so the focus is on recovery and new legs,” said Losada. “But we have to stick together and stay positive, that’s the only way to get a result.”
Following this weekend’s fixtures, the MLS recognizes the two-week global international break, allowing many at the club to finally get some rest. This is also an opportunity for injured players like Samuel Piette and Romell Quioto to progress in their recovery without missing any playing time. The two Montreal stars have suffered significant injuries to the adductor and hamstring muscles respectively and have played little this season.
There are also two Montreal players who will represent their national team during the intermission. Aaron Herrera has been called up to the Guatemalan national team, while Robert Thorkelsson returns to the Iceland Under-21 squad.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 9, 2023.
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