After three weeks of inactivity due to being eliminated from the group stage of the League Cup, CF Montreal will rejoin their long-time rivals Toronto FC at BMO Field on Sunday.
Montreal didn’t have the success they wanted in the League Cup. Despite beating Mexican club Puma UNAM 4-2 on penalties in their first meeting of the group stage, the Montreal side were unable to continue their momentum. She narrowly lost 1-0 to DC United, preventing her from progressing to the next round.
However, head coach Hernan Losada saw positives in this enforced 20-day break.
“It was a nice break for us. This allowed us to work on many aspects of our game. In a long break that we just had, we were able to organize several meetings with 11 against 11 and play against the U-23 team. […] But it’s not the same competitive game for points and we hope it doesn’t go against us on Sunday. Obviously, Toronto is in the same situation as us,” Losada said during a news conference on Friday.
An opponent in trouble
The Montreal side have a golden opportunity to pick up a win and regain confidence when they face off against Toronto FC, who are having a miserable season. With a record of 3-11-10, they are second to bottom in the Eastern Conference.
On their last visit to Toronto on May 9, the Impact won with a 2-1 triumph over TFC in the quarter-finals of the Canadian Championship. The two teams met four days later, this time at Saputo Stadium, with Montreal beating Queen City Club 2-0.
Bleu Blanc Noir captain Samuel Piette said this type of confrontation could be a “trap game”.
“There’s always a danger against any team, but I think especially against Toronto. For me, games against them are always a separate category. The three-week break allowed them to reflect on a few things and prepare for this game. “On our side, we have a chance to kill their season, but they know we’re in the middle of the playoff race and they want to thwart us,” the Quebecer said on Friday.
The Belle Province club currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the playoffs. They show a record of 9-12-2.
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