“We know that a game against Toronto is a lot more than three points,” CF Montreal head coach Hernán Losada said moments after his team won 3-2 at BMO Field on Sunday. evening.
What exactly was that game against Toronto FC?
First, it was the first meeting in more than three weeks for the Montreal team. Due to an elimination from the group stage of the League Cup, she had to wait until then. This return to action can be called a success, at least for the first 45 minutes of play, which were flawless. For the next 45, we’ll come back to it.
Then it was a key game for the playoff race. The Impact has only signed its second victory of the season on the road, and with ten games to go, the Montreal team is virtually registered for the fall dance. She has something to play for in the future and her destiny belongs to her.
We could even add that this duel was the scene of a first career double for Mathieu Choinière. What’s more, in a typically choinièresque performance. A performance illustrated by his great volume of play and where he demonstrated his self-sacrifice by agreeing to fill the position of left piston. His second success, the one that confirmed the victory, was his first career penalty goal. Only good.
And above all, it was the derby. The game against the historic rival, whose geopolitical issues only help its appeal. It’s the one that gets “circled on the calendar,” as Losada mentioned. It was the third and final duel between the two teams from Eastern Canada, and Montreal triumphed on every occasion, not lacking in panache.
Obviously, this sentiment even carried over to the supporters. Given CF Montreal’s outrageous dominance in the first half, the hosts retreated to boos from the crowd. A victory in itself for Montreal.
However, despite all these elements, this gain will have a bitter taste.
The first half for the Bleu-blanc-noir was flawless.
Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, on his first start with the Montreal club, was a real catalyst. He was the offensive engine of Montreal and was the instigator of the first two goals of his team. However, he left the game injured in the 34th minute due to a contact, and the head coach had no update on his condition after the game.
The rest of the first half went as planned. On the other hand, in the second half, the locals took the upper hand. This rise in power crystallized with the entry of Lorenzo Insigne. If he was invisible in the first two meetings against Montreal this season, he certainly gave some headaches to CFM defenders in the third.
And even if the Queen City club played the last moments of the match with one man less, they were dangerous until the final whistle. Admittedly, he scored at the very end of stoppage time, but Montreal will have to learn how to better manage a lead.
The keenest will note that CFM have won all 13 of their matches in all competitions when they scored first. So maybe it was just a little rust on this return to the post. For the club, it will be necessary to ensure that it remains that way.
In just 30 minutes of play, Vilsaint offered more upfront hope in combination with Kwadwo Opoku than anyone so far. He also took advantage of the accuracy of Bryce Duke, in what was starting to look like a promising line. If the injury is not serious and Romell Quioto is not on the sidelines, it is difficult to resist a second date with the Quebec striker.
It was a far cry from a disastrous performance from the keeper, however, it felt like he could do more on Bernardeschi’s two strikes. Both came from outside the box and won’t help his advanced stats.
Number of consecutive games without defeat for Montreal at the Canadian Classic. The Montreal club has also won six games in this sequence and conceded only one draw. A kind of paradigm shift since 2019.
