TORONTO – FC Montreal will face its Canadian rivals, Toronto FC II, Tuesday night at 8pm at the Ontario Soccer Centre. The game will be available via live web stream at www.impactmontreal.com/fcmontreal.
Montreal begins a five-game road trip this week, with its first game against the Reds. It’s a second meeting this season between the two expansion teams. In the first game, Toronto won 2-0 in what was FC Montreal’s season opener.
“We play against a key rival in Toronto,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “They use their USL team the same way we do, with less academy players. We have revenge on our minds. We are humble going to Toronto, but we are also confident.”
The Bleu-blanc-noir is having its best run this season with two wins and nine goals in its last two games. Last Wednesday, forward Charles Joly scored a hat-trick in the first half against Saint Louis FC. It was also the first time this season that the team scored five goals in a game.
“There is a positive vibe around the team at the moment,” added Eullaffroy. “We are on a positive run and we hope to extend it and keep building on recent performances. We are seeing more smiles and the team is in a better mood.”
“It’s the second half of the season and we are seeing improvement,” said midfielder Mastanabal Kacher. “The last two wins are a demonstration of that. For us, every game is a new challenge.”
The last two positive results also mean that Montreal could climb the standings for the first time this season with a win against Toronto.
The Reds have not been able to score in their last three home games, losing every time. They have a 3-8-3 record for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Montreal (3-11-2). Both teams have several players taking part of the Pan-American Games in Toronto who won’t be available.
“We will see the depth, but also the team’s identity”, explained Eullaffroy. “If the identity is strong, it means the players are affected by it. No matter who plays, we are showing the same team spirit. It’s always interesting to evaluate the strength of the team’s identity.”
The next FC Montreal game will be played on Friday July 24 at 7:30pm, against the Charlotte Independence, at Ramblewood Soccer Stadium.
