CF Montreal must finish the job at home to make playoffs

MONTREAL — Just six weeks ago, CF Montreal was on the brink of collapse. Now Montreal has the perfect chance to exorcise its demons on Saturday.

Coined as “Decision Day,” the final match day of the Major League Soccer regular season can bring euphoria or heartbreak for teams still seeking to clinch a playoff berth.

Montreal is well aware of this.

In 2021, at home, Montreal needed a win against Orlando City SC to secure its spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but fell 2-0.

In 2023, Montreal travelled to Columbus with its playoff ticket in hand. But after a 2-1 loss — and a chaotic ending in Nashville — it left Ohio with a tough elimination to digest.

In September, Laurent Courtois' squad didn’t seem to have to worry about facing those types of disappointments because Montreal was just one point from the bottom of the East. Then, a 4-1-1 record in the last six matches suddenly put Montreal in the driver's seat.

Currently in ninth place, Montreal (10-13-10) only needs a draw against New York City FC (14-11-8) at Stade Saputo to secure its spot in the Eastern Conference wild-card game. Even a loss with a bit of help could be enough.

“Obviously, at the beginning of the year you’d hope we’d be even further,” defender George Campbell said. “But, yeah, when you compare it to 10 games ago, it’s a big accomplishment for the group (to be here) and we should all be proud of that.

“But at the end of the day this is the most important game, so if we don’t do it now then obviously it didn’t matter. It all comes down to tomorrow.”

It’s unclear if the players and Courtois are hiding their nerves well, but despite the high stakes they claim that the match against NYCFC is just like any other.

Montreal will play the match in front of a 17th sellout crowd this season, setting a team record.

Courtois now faces the challenge of finding a balance in his game plan, to attack without taking unnecessary risks.

"It will be about managing emotions,” the head coach said. “We have to find the right balance between what we like to do and what we need to do. Will we be able to keep a cool head? You have to attack, but that doesn’t mean forcing things and putting ourselves in a position to concede. We can’t let the atmosphere cloud our judgment.”

New York City FC has only lost two of its last 20 encounters against Montreal (13-2-5).

NYCFC’s last defeat to Montreal dates back to July 7, 2021. It has also won six of the last seven meetings, including the one that eliminated Montreal from the MLS playoffs in 2022.

A win Saturday could also earn New York home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

"It will be different from D.C. United or Philadelphia Union, who play a bit of a trap,” Courtois said. “NYCFC plays freely, and we know we have to be well-positioned on the pitch. It’s a team that starts games very strong and likes to press high.”

Montreal will be without midfielder Nathan Saliba, who’s suspended for the match because of an accumulation of yellow cards.

Courtois didn’t reveal his tactical plans, but he has already used attacking midfielder Bryce Duke in a more defensive role this season. Captain Samuel Piette is expected to support whoever is chosen to fill the gap in central midfield.

"Nathan is an important player for us. He and Sam have done great work in midfield,” goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois said. “I trust our group, we’re close-knit. We just need to be on the same page defensively and our success will start from there. No matter who comes in for Nathan, if they're on the same page, I think we’ll do well.”

Striker Josef Martinez, who spent some time on the sidelines at training this week with minor health issues, is expected to play on Saturday. The Venezuelan is Montreal’s top scorer this season with 10 goals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.