It’s Saturday that CF Montreal begins its final sprint towards a place in the playoffs, by hosting the Philadelphia Union at Stade Saputo.
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We can say that the Union is a direct opponent, even if it is in 2nd position in the Eastern Association with 45 points, five more than the Montrealers, who are 7th with 40 points.
The race is extremely tight: Orlando (42 points) follows Philadelphia, and DC United and New York City have the same number of points as CF Montreal. Atlanta is 8th (39) and the New York Red Bulls (37) still have hopes of sneaking up.
“It’s important to take all three points at home. We will do everything to win this match, that would put us in a good position, ”insisted Rudy Camacho.
There are only six games left in the regular season and they will all be played within the next three weeks.
Camacho is used to European championships where there are no playoffs, but where teams fight to avoid relegation or to be promoted.
He admits he has rarely seen a ranking as tight as the East, where only three points separate 4th place from 8th.
“I don’t remember ever seeing this. It’s really going to be played between two or three teams for the last place.
“It’s good, it spices up a little more and it will play until the last day. No team will give up. ”
Some players have experience of playoff races. This is the case of Djordje Mihailovic, who has watched the Chicago Fire finish just below the red line for the past two seasons.
“There are certain failures that I have learned, the important thing is how you respond to them,” admitted the midfielder. It was even more difficult last year with the extended playoff format.
His words are in the same vein as those of the head coach, Wilfried Nancy, who has already experienced such a race as an assistant in recent years.
“Having been through these situations gives me more emotional control. We savor these moments because we remember the work done to get there. ”
According to Nancy, the outcome of this race alone should not define the team’s season.
“If we don’t make the playoffs, are we going to say to ourselves that we didn’t have a good season? And if we do them, are we going to tell ourselves that we had a good season? You have to look a little higher than that. ”
For Rudy Camacho, it is difficult to draw inspiration from the race experienced last year since the context is completely different. Remember that the format of the playoffs was changed in 2020 and that ten teams were participating in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s not comparable, last year it was easier to make the playoffs because there were a lot of places.”
The important thing is to have a good frame of mind and Wilfried Nancy liked what he saw in training this week.
“Excitement and the desire to take up a challenge, that’s what I feel at the group level.”
Rudy Camacho insists on the importance of not being overwhelmed by the situation.
“The important thing is the management of emotions. You have to try to stay confident as much as possible. Even if we lose a game this weekend or another weekend, we must not lose that confidence. “
THE OPPONENT IN 5 POINTS
It’s often said that it’s important for a team to peak at the right time, and that’s what happens to Union, which is undefeated in its last five games (3-0-2). His last loss abroad dates back to August 29.
One of the qualities of the Union attack is that it is well balanced. But special attention should be paid to Kacper Przybylko and Segio Santos who have ten and five goals respectively. Przybylko is very consistent with 33 goals in his last three seasons.
Nothing should be taken for granted in this meeting since the Union has the third best record of the Eastern Association abroad with 15 points in 13 away games. The Union has scored 16 goals and allowed 17 for the opponents.
If the Union finds itself in 3rd place in the East, it is because it showed good consistency throughout the season. The team have lined up two defeats on just two occasions and have never gone more than three games without winning.
CF Montreal must remember Quinn Sullivan’s goal that tied the game 1-1 in the 87th minute last August. The Union is rather good in the last quarter of an hour with ten goals scored in the last 15 minutes against only five allowed.
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