Statistics can sometimes be misleading and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint seems to be proof of that for CF Montreal.
On the face of it, you can’t get much out of no goals and no assists in 131 minutes of play, as indicated by his player profile on the MLS website. However, this does not do justice to the offensive impact that Vilsaint has generated in such a short time.
The 20-year-old striker had already shown good attacking flair and ball skills when coming on as a substitute, but he also made eyes widen with his sharp, precise shot. It was this weapon that led to the Bleu-blanc-noir’s first two goals on Sunday in a 3-2 victory over Toronto FC, Vilsaint’s first career start in MLS.
Dangerous and creative for just 38 minutes of play against TFC, Vilsaint intends to continue firing shots to create scoring opportunities, much to the delight of his coaches.
“There are specific moments when I have to make the decision to shoot. My teammates know that I have a good shot, which is on target most of the time, and that I have a good finish. They always tell me to try my luck. The coaches like the shots and the chances that I bring on the field,” he said Thursday, before training at Center Nutrilait.
His first dream start, however, came to an abrupt end due to a calf injury, which continued to raise concerns over whether he is capable of being effective for 90 minutes.
Vilsaint, who also missed part of training camp due to injury and was loaned to the Academy some time ago to maintain peak match condition, feels physically ready to meet this kind of challenge.
“I felt very good physically on Sunday. The playing time I had in my first matches prepared me for this departure. I’m starting to feel physically ready to get more playing time. It’s always going to be the head coach’s decision, but I’m still ready.”
CF Montreal head coach Hernan Losada was slow to trust Vilsaint for a first start, but the plan always stuck. Although the team’s philosophy encourages young players to quickly establish themselves within the formation, the objective remains despite everything not to rush them too much in their development.
Losada defended his approach, citing Nathan Saliba as an example of a player he used a lot at the start of the season who had to take a step back to improve.
“I have an advantage over a lot of people, I’m at every practice. No one knows more than me and the other coaches about which players are ready to play or not, the Argentine insisted. Jules-Anthony was not ready to start a match. He could come in the second half and we used him. For a young player who is playing for the professionals for the first time, it is good to progress little by little. We quickly tossed Nathan into the lion’s den and took a step or two back with him to move forward. We must not burn a young player and we must remain patient. It’s difficult in 2023 to have patience, but Jules-Anthony had it. »
Vilsaint and Losada’s patience could now serve CF Montreal’s cause heading into the final two months of the season. The sample is small, but Vilsaint has worked well offensively in the company of midfielder Bryce Duke and striker Kwadwo Opoku, two big-money acquisitions for the team this year.
“We get along very well and we know that we have very good offensive and technical qualities. For sure we have a little connection and we try to create more offensive actions for the team because our defense is working exceptionally hard behind. It’s just to get as many as you can on offense and score more often,” Vilsaint said.
The Montreal troupe would be happy to see the trio score more goals. It represents the worst offense of the 18 teams that currently hold a playoff spot with just 25 goals in 24 games. Vilsaint’s teammates have no doubts that he can make a difference by the rest of the season.
“Goals change games and that’s something we’ve needed all year. He was able to create two relatively quickly. It’s huge to have a player who can do that,” said defender Aaron Herrera.
CF Montreal will host the New England Revolution on Saturday at Stade Saputo.
