Montreal looking to make history
When Montreal takes on New York City FC this Wednesday at 7:30pm at Red Bull Arena, it will have a chance to make history by going seven consecutive games unbeaten.
The Montreal side beat FC Cincinnati 5-4 last Saturday to extend its unbeaten streak to six games, tying a feat it had already achieved twice before, the last time being in 2016.
Montreal has also been able to win its last three games, placing the team fourth in the Eastern Conference and just one point behind second in the conference.
“I hope it will be a different game for us against New York. Yes, we won, but I would like for us to attack the game like we started doing it in the 30th minute,” said head coach Wilfried Nancy. “NYCFC is a good, talented team that likes to hold onto the ball. It’ll be a difficult game for us, but difficult for New York as well.”
After almost a year and 28 consecutive games on the road, Montreal was able to play at Stade Saputo, in front of its own fans, when it hosted FC Cincinnati last Saturday. The Club’s leading goalscorer, Mason Toye, scored twice, bringing his tally to six goals this season, while midfielder Ahmed Hamdi score the tying and winning goals – his two first in MLS – after coming on as a sub.
Joaquin Torres, on his end, made the most of his first ever start for the Club, notching a goal, an assist, and hitting two posts, while being a constant threat.
As the Club gets set to enter one of its busiest stretches of the season, all while missing key pieces like Romell Quioto, Samuel Piette, and Kamal Miller, who are off representing their countries at the Gold Cup, the emergence of players who have had less minutes at the start of the season might be a key factor in the team’s success down the line.
“Everyone is performing well at the moment, but the season is still long,” said Nancy. “It allows me to have many options on the bench depending on what I’m trying to put in place to counter the opposition. It’s good for everyone and we’ll see how we progress.”
After Wednesday’s game, Montreal will travel to Massachusetts on Sunday at 6pm for another key showdown in the Eastern Conference, against the New England Revolution, who currently sits atop the Eastern Conference, five points ahead but having played one more game (TVA Sports, TSN, 91.9 Sports, TSN 690).
