MONTREAL – FC Montreal will host the Richmond Kickers this Saturday at 3pm at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. It will be the third game in a series of four in 12 days at home.
FC Montreal lost 2-0 on Wednesday against FC Cincinnati. With a reduced roster, players were still able to express themselves with the ball and threaten the opponent, but gave up two goals on counterattacks.
“We immediately focus on the next game,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “Whether the result is positive or negative, it’s always interesting. When it’s positive, it allows us not to rest on what we did well, and when it’s negative, not to dwell too much on what went wrong. We go over these questions really quickly. That’s why it’s interesting to play at such a high frequency. The hardest thing is preparing the team tactically during these times, as the workload must not get too intense.”
“What’s good about this league is that we play games every week,” said defender Aron Mkungilwa. “We always have the chance to bounce back from the last game. That’s what we will do on Saturday. We play a good Richmond team. It will be important to switch quickly to be ready.”
Saturday’s roster should be different as some players are returning from injury and others such as Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère should be available after playing the international game against AS Roma with the first team on Wednesday.
Richmond and Montreal met for the first time this season on May 28 in Richmond. The Bleu-blanc-noir won its first game of the season by a 2-1 score. Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla and Alessandro Riggi were the scorers.
“Richmond is a team that has won its last five games, scores a lot and is well organized,” added Eullaffroy. “We put them in trouble on counterattacks in their home. They might be more careful in our stadium.”
The Kickers have won their last five games, including three on the road. In this series, they have allowed only one goal and scored 11. Japanese midfielder Yudai Imura has scored five goals in the last four games, for a total of eight goals this season.
The fans will enter the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex on the Southwest side of the field starting at 2pm. The cost is $5, with $1 going to the Montreal Impact Foundation. Admission is free for season ticket holders on presentation of their membership card.
FC Montreal will play its next game on Wednesday, August 10, at 7pm against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.