CF Montreal still has one game to play on Wednesday and will be able to go home afterwards as they will have a break next week.
If some will be able to go to train at the Center Nutrilait, the situation of players who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 is more nebulous.
“The group is not 100% vaccinated and I will not say the names, you will see it later for yourselves,” began head coach Wilfried Nancy.
He does not yet know exactly what it will be possible to do or not in the case of players who have not received doses.
“I’m focusing on Wednesday’s game [d’après demain] and we will then see how it will go with the players who are not vaccinated. How will it work? I have no idea yet.
Absences
The team will have to make do without some important pieces, since Samuel Piette and Kamal Miller have joined the Canadian selection which will participate in the Gold Cup, just like Romell Quioto who will be with Honduras. Sunusi Ibrahim meanwhile left to join the training in Nigeria.
These absences will not go unnoticed, but Djordje Mihailovic believes that the team has been managed to minimize the impacts of situations like this.
“When you look at the way the coaches handled our minutes, it’s very important. A majority of players have had a lot of minutes.
“We will be missing a few key players, but I don’t think it will matter much because we can count on players who have minutes in their legs. “
Good defensive play
Coming back to the 1-0 victory over Inter Miami CF on Saturday night, CF Montreal played a very good defensive game and their goals-against average is now less than one per game with 10 goals allowed in 11 parts.
As far as he is concerned, Mihailovic stood out with a successful performance even if he was modest.
“I had more space in the game against Miami, but I don’t think it was my best game because there are always things that can be improved.
“Collectively, I think it was our best defensive game because we didn’t give them much and our state of mind was excellent especially in our way of protecting the surface. “
Empathy
While things are going pretty well for CF Montreal, who are at the heart of the race for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference in MLS, the other two Canadian clubs are struggling.
The Vancouver Whitecaps (2-6-3) are last in the West and Toronto FC are also last in the East with the worst record on the league (1-8-2).
Toronto showed head coach Chris Armas the door after a scathing 7-1 loss to DC United last weekend.
“It’s never easy to see a colleague being fired or having difficulty,” said Nancy.
But if things are going relatively well with the Quebec team, it is in particular because the coach has done everything to make his troop feel at home in Florida, where they have played the majority of their local games since the start of the season.
“We had prepared the players for that, the group is strong mentally, lives well, and I think that is what makes us manage to overcome the difficulties that we are experiencing at the moment being away from home” , said Nancy.
