Should CF Montreal move into crisis mode?
By Mike Gambill
- This past Saturday, the New England Revolution made a statement on the pitch by finishing off CF Montreal in a lopsided, decisive 4-0 victory at home. The Revolution have 16 points in the first seven matches of the season and already turned around their fortunes from a disastrous 2022 season. As the Revolution’s tide is turning this season, it looks like CF Montreal needs to avert going into crisis mode and look at a complete overheal of their season before it’s too late.
Why is CF Montreal looking at a crisis so early on this season?
If this past weekend’s match was any indication, CF Montreal is in a lot of trouble even though the 2023 season is really just getting underway. With a 1-5-0 record and only three meager points so far, CFM sits rock-bottom in the Eastern Conference (and tied for points with the LA Galaxy and Sporting KC for the weakest teams in MLS.) Yes, CF Montreal had a surprising win against the Philadelphia Union but five collapsing losses easily overshadow a single win in any league and any sport.
The New England loss highlights CF Montreal’s crisis mode mentality.
This past Saturday against the New England Revolution, CF Monreal was outshot 19-9 and quality shots on goal were just as equally lopsided as the Revolution put up nine goals on frame to CFM’s meager fare of three shots. Give credit where credit’s due to CFM’s goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois who had five good saves in the match but you can’t overlook four more goals scored in this debacle of a soccer match. Sad as it may seem, CF Montreal didn’t do as badly as the week before when they dropped a 5-0 match to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Simply put, CF Montreal is out to it’s worst season start since its 2012 inaugural season.
Who gets the blame for CF Montreal’s early season collapse?
It’s easy to point the blame for CFM’s early season slump but not as easy to truly assess exactly what is going on with this franchise so far this season. Of course, head coach Hernan Losada will bear a lot of the blame on his shoulders. After all, that’s part of the job description of a head coach but CF Montreal’s elephant in the room is much more complicated than simply pointing a blamethrower at the coaching staff.
The 2023 MLS season began with CF Montreal losing key players such as Djandje Mihailovic, Kei Kamara and Joaquin Torres. Losing one impact player can affect the chemistry of a team; losing three key players at the same time can affect the very lifeblood of a soccer franchise. However, simply laying the blame for early season losses simply on roster moves doesn’t due justice to explain the horrible statistical disaster known as CF Montreal so far this campaign.
Did CF Montreal forget that defense is a key component of soccer?
One of the major concerns that CF Montreal should have right now is with their back line. A defense that leaks goals like a broken water line can’t help win matches. While it’s very easy to make your goalkeeper a scapegoat for giving up so many goals, the fact that the CF Montreal defense has wrapped up 16 goals in seven matches and given them to their opponents like birthday presents shows that their back line at best is questionable and at worst hangs around like a noose around the team’s collective neck.
The CF Montreal offense can’t escape some of the blame as well.
As the CFM defense has conceeded 16 goals in the 2023 campaign, their offense doesn’t really fare any better as they’ve only scored three goals in seven matches. With 41 shots, 15 shots on goal and only three goals so far, CF Montreal has a conversion rate right now of 7.3%. You can’t win soccer matches if you can’t put the ball somewhere around the big iron rectangle being defended by a player wearing a funny-colored jersey.
Yes, it’s hard to score and win on the road and CF Montreal will finally be back home this week. Maybe, just maybe, being back at home will bring a turnaround of fortunes for CF Montreal. If not, this will be a very long season for this club.