ROCHESTER, NY – FC Montreal faces the Rhinos in Rochester on Wednesday night, at 7:05pm, at Sahlen’s Stadium. The game will be available via streaming at www.impactmontreal.com/fcmontreal.
The Bleu-blanc-noir has had some time off, last playing almost two weeks ago. The team conceded a goal in the final minutes in its loss to the Wilmington Hammerheads FC after dominating most of the game.
“When there’s a break like this, it’s important to find balance between being mentally and physically fresh, while keeping players connected to the season and the upcoming games,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “I think the break was good for us.”
This game is the fourth meeting between the two rivals since the start of the season. Until now, Rochester has gotten the best of FC Montreal, winning the first three games.
“Right now, they are the best team in the league,” said Eullaffroy. “The three times we played them, our play was interesting. They are a disciplined team that doesn’t allow many goals and plays well at home. We know what to expect from them, now it’s our chance to surprise them.”
The game against the Rhinos will mark FC Montreal’s midseason, playing to a record of 1-10-2 thus far. As for Rochester, they are the only unbeaten team in the USL this season. The Rhinos are at the top of the standings with a 9-0-6 record, having conceded only five goals in 15 games.
“I think we are mentally ready,” explained goalkeeper David Paulmin. “We know what to expect. I want to make key saves to keep my team in the game.”
“After this game, we will have played almost 30 per cent of our matches against Rochester in the first half of the season,” said Eullaffroy. “They were good teachers for us. Now, we have to transfer what we’ve learned over the first half of the season to the second half by having better performances, but also better results.”
FC Montreal will be back home for its next USL game on Sunday, July 12, at 4pm, on the synthetic field of Stade Saputo. Admission is free and the game will also be available via streaming on www.impactmontreal.com/fcmontreal.
