Hernán Losada speaks French very well. But to avoid this response being misunderstood, he preferred to address the media – and supporters – in the language of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Monday morning, at the Nutrilait Center, on a glorious day in early October. CF Montreal, which has not won in six games, is preparing to play its season with two home games. Two clashes which will prove crucial in the race for the playoffs.
Brother Jérémy Filosa, from 98.5 FM and the IMFC Radio podcast, asks the CF Montreal head coach if he considers that his players still listen attentively to his advice, in the middle of this difficult sequence .
Losada launched into a long response of 3 minutes 30 seconds, during which he wanted to put his club’s recent failures into perspective in terms of the successes of the season.
“We weren’t good enough on the road,” he explains. That’s a fact. But we have nine wins at home. This year, we broke the record for shutouts, with 11. We reached the final of the Canadian Championship. And with three games left in the season, with a very young squad, 11 new players, a year full of changes, we are on track to qualify for the playoffs. I don’t know if you would have believed it at the start of the year, especially with the bad start to the season we had. »
The technician goes on to assume that this type of question suggests “much higher expectations” for his club.
“[Last Thursday] I said the pressure is on the teams [who spend more], and immediately they said I wasn’t ambitious enough. I am very ambitious. The club is very ambitious. We just have a different mentality from the other teams. »
He explains that this “mentality” involves giving academy players and youngsters the chance to develop. “I think that’s something we achieved this year. » Losada cites Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, Mathieu Choinière, Nathan Saliba, Jonathan Sirois, the “evolution” of Gabriele Corbo, without however mentioning Sean Rea.
Yes, Losada regrets not getting more points at home against the Fire and FC Cincinnati in mid-September. But he points out that his team is in an advantageous position compared to New York City FC (8th, 38 points) and D.C. United (10th, 37 points), two teams that have only two games to play, against the three of the CFM (9th, 37 points).
“That’s what we wanted at the start of the year: to fight for a playoff spot. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we are where we are. »
And Hernán Losada concludes: “It depends on how you see things. Do you want to see the glass half empty or half full? I choose to see the glass half full. There have been a lot of positives, and the season is not over yet. The icing on the cake will be qualifying for the playoffs. »
The winless streak began on August 30, a 2-0 loss to NYCFC. But it was really during the last two matches abroad that the noose tightened around CF Montreal. The performances were as bad as the results. Just before, the club had dominated the Fire without scoring, then had barely conceded a draw against Cincinnati, the best team in MLS in 2023.
Despite everything, George Campbell says the group is still united in the locker room.
“We are tight-knit [we’re strong together],” assures the American defender. We don’t have any bad apples. We trust each other. I don’t think the last few matches will affect us that much. »
The Houston Dynamo won the US Open Cup against a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami last week, then drew against FC Dallas in the Texas derby this weekend. It’s a dangerous team coming to Montreal on Wednesday. And Hernán Losada knows her well.
“I watched the finals, I watched several Houston games. It is a very organized, compact, solid team, which makes many quick transitions forward. »
Losada points out that several Houston players, such as Hector Herrera of Mexico and Adalberto Carrasquilla of Panama, have important roles on the national team. He also says he “respects” coach Ben Olsen, “who has a lot of experience in MLS.”
But his game plan won’t change, he says.
“We always prepare for matches at home in the same way, no matter who the opponent is. »
It remains to be seen whether the glass will empty or fill itself.
