MONTREAL, Quebec – FC Montreal completed the last phase of preparation before its USL debut with a game against the Ottawa Fury (NASL), Friday, March 20 at the Olympic Stadium.
The Fury took Montreal’s defense by surprise with a quick goal just a few seconds into the game. Andrew Wiedeman found the back of the net after a pass from Oliver Minatel. Not a single player from FC Montreal had the chance to touch the ball.
Despite this quick first minute goal, Montreal fought its way back into the game. The intensity was high and many yellow cards were given. The “friendly” aspect of the game was quickly left behind, as both teams gave everything they had on the field to get ready for the beginning of upcoming season.
FC Montreal got their best chances to score near the end of the game. Jonathan Vallée found Zachary Sukunda in the box, but the latter missed his shot.
The score was not good enough for head coach Philippe Eullaffroy, but he still sees a progression since the last two preparation games.
“Yes, there is progress,” said Eullaffroy. “Are we ready? No. We need to be ready quicker in the games. We still need more games of this level to feel comfortable. ”
FC Montreal tied 1-1 last week against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Victor Omar Ndiaye upset the home team’s defense right at the start of the second half, but the Rowdies came back to equalize.
“Against Tampa Bay, we had a similar confidence problem,” said Eullaffroy. “Players are starting to get out of their shell and are aware of their qualities against strong teams like the ones in NASL, which is positive.”
FC Montreal will play its first ever USL game on March 28 against Toronto FC II at 12:30 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium. It will be a doubleheader, as the ticket for the Impact-Orlando game in MLS at 4 p.m. will give you access to the USL game.
