Sport has the power to thrill. He has this ability to raise, with action, a human as a national hero and to create moments of general euphoria. However, on Wednesday evening, he showed what was poles apart: all his cruelty.
In the first half, CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois played one of the best halves by a goalkeeper in a Montreal uniform. He made six saves, most of them very complex, including one with the toe after a deflection. A little caviar.
If the teams retired to the locker room on a clean score, it is thanks to the doorman.
Then in the second half, on a trivial game, everything collapsed. Sirois came forward in his area to clear a distant center with his foot, but a Vancouver Whitecaps player came between the Quebecer and the leather. This same player, Brian White, therefore spun with the ball while Sirois got up and scored the easiest goal of his career.
The jailer then let himself fall, took his head and could well wonder if there is justice in sport. Although he admitted after the final knowing that “football is a sport where justice does not always exist”.
Nevertheless, that was what the Impact cared about: its brilliance. Once the dam gave way, the locals no longer looked back. Despite a glimmer of hope from Sunusi Ibrahim late in the game, the Montrealers lost their flag 2-1 in the Canadian Championship final.
“It’s kinda hard to digest I would say. I am very, very disappointed. It was a final and an opportunity to win a trophy. This is not an opportunity that comes along every year. So for sure I was very emotionally invested,” the 21-year-old goalkeeper dropped after the duel.
This is Sirois’ first season with Montreal and what’s more, as a starter. Some even saw him in the national team for the matches played in June, but he was not selected. It was precisely under the eyes of the maple leaf instructor, John Herdman, that he experienced this heartbreaking performance.
That said, his performance earned praise. If Losada tempered a little about the game of his goalkeeper by saying that he would have been one of the men of the match if the duel had gone to the penalty shootout, the head coach of the Whitecaps, him , did not hesitate to praise Sirois.
A finding that seems fair enough.
According to Losada, the CFM came very close to going to the penalty shootout. “Without an exceptional save, we had a draw,” he explained.
Admittedly, Ariel Lassiter missed an opportunity at the end of the first half and Yohei Takaoka made two key saves late in the game, but the Montrealers cannot claim to have had anything stolen. Still, it was a “no regrets” performance according to Losada.
“We gave it our all in the end. Afterwards, with the result, it’s easy to talk about. It’s like that in soccer. Why we did this, why we didn’t do that. We started with the team we thought was the best and we made the changes to force something and we stayed in the game until the end,” noted the Argentine.
Losada’s favorite takeaway from the encounter was “the incredible experience” the youngsters had of competing in a final. Undoubtedly, yes, experience, but we must not cling to this oddity, says Sirois.
“It’s a big game, I think all the guys were aware of that,” he said. On the other hand, collectively, we have to quickly turn the page, we also have a season to play and games that are approaching quickly. So I think we’re going to have to take the next step.
“On the other hand, one thing that is certain is that I will want to take my revenge and return to the final, that’s for sure. »
In the event that he can offer such performances, it will only be a postponement.
The man of the moment on the side of CF Montreal. The Nigerian striker scored again and finished top scorer in the Canadian Championship for the second year in a row. His half-volley put the Montrealers back in the game. What’s more, a header from the end of the match almost leveled the score.
After a very successful performance against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Losada decided to hand the Egyptian the starting number 10 role for the final. However, he was not thanked. Hamdi was unable to create chances for his teammates and gave away the penalty which led to the Whitecaps second goal. This attacking midfield position is starting to create headaches for Losada as no one really seizes their chance.
Quest for the 17th Canadian title, the Bleu-blanc-noir was unable to lift the Voyageurs Cup again. His number of triumphs therefore remains at 16. It is therefore the Whitecaps who return, for a second consecutive year, the place for the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2024.
