Victory is always the big goal in soccer, so the three points taken by CF Montreal against Charlotte, last Saturday at Stade Saputo, come at an important moment as it was the last game before leaving for the West , where the team will play two of the toughest fixtures on their 2022 calendar.

Historically, the Seattle Sounders (two MLS Cups, one Champions League title) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (five MLS Cups) are two elite teams in MLS.

Nothing is impossible, but it will be one of the most complicated tasks for coach Wilfried Nancy's men.

The match against Charlotte was not one of the most pleasant to watch in terms of performance, but Montreal was efficient enough to achieve its primary objective, which was to get the three points and to maintain itself as well. high as possible in the standings in the East. Moreover, the club ranks third at this stage.

Charlotte was, let's say, the perfect opponent to come to Montreal at this time, fresh off a loss to Austin in the last game in MLS and to Toronto in the Canadian Championship. Charlotte is not among the best teams in the league. A dozen players were reportedly missing due to COVID rule issues. It made it a little easier for CF Montreal.

Slow and heavy

As for the match itself, it was slow and a little heavy, the first reason being obviously the great heat. There were several small fouls and injuries in the first half which affected the pace of the game, in addition to the stoppage for the hydration break. The second half was not necessarily better, but the "Impact" started the half well with a fine goal from Mathieu -Choinière and, quietly, Montreal began to impose itself in the match, which no of both teams had done in the first 45 minutes.

One part of the match that is unfortunately not often enough is the defensive side: three goals were scored in this encounter, with well-executed offensive actions. But the poor defensive reaction remains the main cause of these three goals.

Details

The importance of detail in defense is lacking quite often, not just with Montreal, but quite a bit across the league.

It is hoped that, in this difficult journey ahead, the team will be able to improve their performance in general, to give themselves a good chance of a positive result.

These games will also show where Montreal is compared to the teams in the West.