Many soccer fans were quick to write CF Montreal’s epitaph. Then, the team proved that it was never too late to come back from the dead.
About 10%. Those were the odds the Bleu-blanc-noir had of making the Eastern Conference playoffs a little less than two weeks ago. But three wins later, things have completely changed.
Laurent Courtois’ men ended a very long drought on Wednesday evening. Thanks to two goals from Josef Martinez, they beat Atlanta United 2-1 to claim their first away victory since March 10.
More importantly, Montreal moved closer to a playoff spot by opening up a three-point lead over the Philadelphia Union and eighth-place Toronto FC in the East. A scenario that seemed unlikely until recently suddenly became a real possibility.
What has changed in the CF Montreal locker room (10-12-10) since the two defeats it suffered before the international break in September?
“We didn’t change anything,” Courtois insisted. “There are things we were already doing, but we added more calm and less panic in key moments. We did almost nothing different. We kept the things we thought we were successful at. We know this group has the quality to cause problems for any team.”
If nothing has really changed on the tactical level, there has certainly been a change in the players’ minds.
The comeback in Foxborough, to earn a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution , is a good example. The seven goals scored in the last three games is another. The chemistry is palpable on the field, in the way attacks are created, but the trigger is even more innocuous.
“We’ve rediscovered the joy of playing for each other,” said captain Samuel Piette. “I think that before, everyone wanted to do their best individually and we were a little more concerned about that in training. Right now, we feel more united. All the players have raised their game and we are consistent in our performances.”
In some cases, it is true that the important thing is to have fun. But when fun is accompanied by victories, it is difficult to ask for more. Recent successes have solidified the group and, conversely, this team spirit has brought results.
“We’ve had some tough times this season, but I think when you start winning, everything changes,” said Martinez, who has five goals in his last three games. “Guys are fighting like brothers and we want to be in the playoffs. That’s the way we’ve been playing the last few games.”
The arrivals of midfielder Caden Clark and right-back Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty have breathed new life into the starting XI, but the impact of the substitutes is also to be considered.
For the past month or so, Courtois has regularly rolled over the same group of starters from game to game. When he has decided to make changes in the second half, he has been rewarded with a similar level of play, or even offensive contributions.
On Wednesday night, it was Tom Pearce and Kwadwo Opoku who set up Martinez’s winner, having come on less than two minutes earlier. That’s the mentality the head coach wants to see in the final two games of the season.
“The substitutes maintained or raised the level of play. At this point in the season, your job is to think about the team. It’s not about what you want or what you think you deserve. It’s about what you can bring to contribute to the success of the club,” Courtois said.
The Bleu-blanc-noir will face Charlotte FC on Saturday night. A victory, combined with a little help elsewhere in MLS, could allow them to participate in the playoffs for a second time in three years.
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