While CF Montreal is winless to start the season, there is a light at the end of the tunnel with Saturday’s visit to the unbeaten Columbus Crew.
No matter how the match turns out for Montreal (0-4-2, 2 points), it will be done with its stretch of seven straight road trips to start the season.
The Crew (3-0-3, 12 points) await a Montreal side hoping to build off the momentum of last Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Chicago, which marked Marco Donadel’s debut as interim coach after the firing of Laurent Courtois five days earlier.
“We are satisfied with the performance, but we are not satisfied with the result,” Donadel said. “I immediately saw in the eyes of the guys that they were, of course, happy and relieved. But at the same time, they weren’t really satisfied and that’s a very good thing, in my opinion.”
For the Crew, Montreal’s coaching change presents a challenge.
“It is the second game for Montreal with a new coach and to analyze the game is difficult because everything is fresh, everything is new,” said Crew coach Wilfried Nancy. “But we’re going to focus on us.”
Donadel will be tasked with solidifying the defense. Montreal has allowed the sixth-most shots (80) in MLS and Jonathan Sirois ranks second among goalkeepers with 27 saves.
He must keep an eye on Diego Rossi, who is coming off a brace vs. D.C. United and has scored half of the Crew’s eight goals. There are positives and negatives to that, as far as Nancy is concerned.
“Everybody needs to score, not only the forwards,” Nancy said. “So, yes, it’s good to have one player who can score 20 goals or 30 goals. If I have all my other players who can score two goals, it’s not bad.”
Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe, seventh all-time in MLS regular-season matches (416), is questionable with a knee injury sustained against D.C. United.
The Crew have a chance to go unbeaten in the first seven matches for the second time in franchise history (2010, 5-0-2).
–Field Level Media
