Seconds after CF Montreal lost 1-0 to New York City FC, Bonnie Tyler’s song, Holding Out for a Hero, rang out in Saputo Stadium. It was in the theme.
For the 12th time this season, the Impact conceded the first goal. On 10 occasions he lost.
Hernán Losada’s men seemed to run out of solutions on Saturday night when this scenario repeated itself.
“For our team, it’s hard to score goals,” the Argentine driver said after the match. He even assured that his soldiers had tried everything to get a result, but they came up short.
“It’s especially difficult when the opponent scores first on the road,” he noted, before clarifying that the opponent had closed play.
This is one of the Achilles heels of the club. If his defense makes a mistake or, like against NYCFC, they are the victim of a moment of genius – a perfectly executed scissor from Matías Pellegrini – he no longer has as much hope as there are always points on the table to fetch.
Attackers find it difficult to create chances on their own and it is sometimes difficult to finish actions. “I’m not sure,” forward Mason Toye replied, when asked if the offense should create more chances or just finish them better.
With the opening of the transfer window next week, the club will have to consider options to spice up an often too bland offensive.
The Montrealers have proven it, when they score first, they are intractable. However, they will have to learn to correct this shortcoming to hope to surprise a team in the playoffs.
Nothing is eternal, everything is fleeting. The rain, in this case the one that delayed the start of the match by an hour and a half, but also CF Montreal’s unbeaten streak at home.
The Impact had won its last eight games at Stade Saputo and had not suffered a loss on home turf in 797 minutes. But that streak ended with Pellegrini’s spectacular goal.
This first victory in 12 games for NYCFC was not stolen. The compact block, but quite high, forced the Bleu-blanc-noir to settle for long shots. Hernán Losada’s men also tried to surprise the visitors by playing deep, but they weren’t given a golden chance.
Again, these are the same elements that sank the CFM. An offensive that has difficulty creating chances, an inability to come back in the game and a trauma against the Big Apple team.
Montreal has won just 2 of its 18 games against NYCFC and also lost in the home playoffs last year, ending its historic season.
Even if he remains the most erased central defender of the trio, Corbo knew how to do well by going there with a few long balls, while offering stability in defense. Without making too many waves, it positively influences the pace of meetings.
Returning to his so-called base position with the left piston club, Ariel Lassiter was less punchy than usual. The team’s greatest offensive strength this season has been its use of the lanes, and when those aren’t working, the offense rarely follows.
Number of points CF Montreal have scored after conceding the first goal
