The road torture is finally over for CF Montreal. For two matches at least. At the dawn of the start of the school year at Stade Saputo, the first six games of the season offer a good exercise in perspective.
No magic formula
Before starting the season, CF Montreal would undoubtedly have signed at the bottom of the sheet if they had been promised 7 points in their pocket. After all, his two wins already match the 2023 total and he is just one point shy of the eight collected overseas under Hernan Losada.
On the other hand, he would have preferred better momentum before meeting his supporters. The first three meetings (we could also include the first 82 minutes in Chicago) confirmed that CF Montreal quickly turned the page on the Losada era.
The last few weeks, for their part, remind us that we do not magically return to the Wilfried Nancy era.
Five years in the bank
Upon his arrival in the Metropolis, much was made of the similarities between Laurent Courtois and Nancy. With reason.
However, we tend to neglect Nancy’s experience as an MLS assistant in our analyses.
Before starting the record-breaking 2022 season, I had the opportunity to ask him what the biggest difference would be in his 2nd campaign at the helm. Without hesitation, he replied, “I need to trust my instincts more.”
At the time, I saw it as an inter-season development. Looking back, this was a much longer thought. A reflection which, in addition to relying on a full season as head coach in 2021, was based on five years spent on an MLS bench as an assistant under four different coaches.
Nancy took notes watching Mauro Biello lead veterans (including Didier Drogba) to the Eastern final. He watched Rémi Garde struggle with a squad that was as unbalanced as it was talented on paper. He also experienced the adversity of the pandemic alongside Thierry Henry.
I am the first to point out the similarities between Nancy and Courtois, but we should not forget that the first had the advantage of a flying start with five years of MLS experience behind the tie.
If it had to be done again, would Courtois make the same choices in Seattle? Knowing that he was already shopping for a second yellow card before half-time, would Nathan Saliba have been on the field after returning from the locker room?
I’m not criticizing either the coach or the player. I am simply emphasizing the importance of accepting a learning curve that we may have lost sight of after three games without defeat to start the year.
From oneself to the other
Joel Waterman is one of the players who has progressed the most in a Montreal jersey over the years. From his openness to coaching to his ability to assert himself in duels, Waterman has made significant progress since arriving from the CPL in 2020.
The Canadian now faces a challenge that may define the rest of his career. At 28, he became the man of confidence in defense after the departure of Rudy Camacho. It remains to be seen whether he can establish himself as an indisputable boss.
After the thaw in Seattle last Saturday, our colleague Amy Walsh asked me about Waterman’s ceiling. In Montreal, we like to identify a General in defense. In peacetime, just about every general looks good. It is in times of war that the best stand out.
Does Waterman have what it takes to belong to this second category?
Until now, his priority was to cement his place. His energies had to be focused first and foremost on his personal performance. In 2024, its responsibilities go much further.
When the storm hits, it’s no longer enough to keep your own head above water. This involves patching the boat’s breaches, rescuing the men who have gone overboard and organizing the crew so that everyone rows together towards calmer waters.
In addition to being technically sound and physically courageous, Waterman will need to have sufficient emotional control to calm his teammates and inspire confidence in times of crisis.
In this sense, the last matches will have been rich in learning.
If Joel Waterman embraces this challenge of being such a reliable general in peace or war, he will not only be invaluable throughout MLS, he will also be invaluable to the national team where this position is at take with both hands.
2024-04-11 20:33:34
#Chronicle #Olivier #Brett
