2023-09-21 01:32:00
Summary
MONTREAL – We often hear about a heartbreaking defeat, but Wednesday evening at Saputo stadium, CF Montreal had to settle for a heartbreaking draw.
A penalty goal late in second-half stoppage time deprived Montreal of two valuable points in a 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati.
While the Bleu-blanc-noir seemed to be heading towards a victory against the best team in MLS, goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois made a risky exit and came into contact with Dominique Badji in the penalty area.
Despite protests from the crowd, referee Jon Freemon awarded a penalty, which Luciano Acosta scored to Sirois’ left.
Even if CF Montreal (11-14-4) can savor a moral victory because it stood up to the best team in MLS, these points lost in the standings could come to haunt them at the end of the season.
“It breaks my heart to see the players fight until the end and not be rewarded for their efforts,” said head coach Hernan Losada. According to the referee, there was no doubt that the foul was in the area so we respect that and we will manage it. I am very happy with our team’s performance, but there is a feeling that rather than getting two points from six, we would have deserved six from six. Or at least four. »
Losada is referring to the other two dropped points last Saturday against the Chicago Fire. Despite 19 shots attempted, his men failed to hit the target and delivered a 0-0 draw. Against FC Cincinnati (17-4-8), only one shot on target was enough to thread the needle, but the final result remained unchanged.
Through a combination of draws, DC United and Charlotte FC, victory, New York City FC, and defeat, the Fire, the Montreal squad still kept its small cushion of three points in eighth place in the league. Eastern Association. The first nine clubs from each association advance to the series.
Dissatisfied with his performance in attack in recent weeks, Kwadwo Opoku propelled CF Montreal forward with a superb strike. The Ghanaian scored his third goal in eight games with his new team and showed why teammate Bryce Duke called his left foot “insane”.
“It feels good to be on the scoresheet, but I want to score more goals. I want to score every match, he said. I want to do my best to help the team and at that moment I told myself that I could give them the lead. When I got the ball, I saw the positioning of the goalkeeper and the defenders were moving back. They gave me an opportunity to shoot and I know I can hit that kind of ball. »
FC Cincinnati (17-4-8) is already assured of participating in the playoffs, but it will not complain about this point, even if it has not won its last three games (0-1-2 ).
Veteran Victor Wanyama and forward Mason Toye were both used as starters for this matchup. It was their first departure since July 12, in Chicago.
“I am a coach who uses all the players when we need them. It’s true that a virus was running through the team and that some players were sick, but the players were ready. When we play three games in a week, I like to rotate,” Losada said.
CF Montreal will now head to Georgia to cross swords with Atlanta United on Saturday evening.
Sad result
The Montrealers made some breakthroughs at the start of the match, but the few crosses into the penalty area found no takers.
The visitors showed they were also capable of threatening when Junior Moreno’s powerful strike in the 14th minute just missed the right corner.
The two teams subsequently seemed to settle for a 0-0 tie as attacks regularly aborted. FC Cincinnati gave two warning shots before the end of the first half.
On two straight corner kicks, Santiago Arias and Nick Hagglund both deflected the ball with their heads inches off the post to Sirois’ left.
Losada decided to make a change early in the second half, replacing Duke with Lassi Lappalainen, and his team responded well.
“We wanted to have more speed and go more forward with the ball. We wanted our defensive block to be higher and we wanted to win the match,” noted the head coach.
In the 53rd minute, Opoku made a long run down the middle with the ball. He escaped a tackle from Obinna Nwobodo and fired a powerful left-footed shot that deceived goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
FC Cincinnati increased the pace to level the score and had it not been for the intervention of Sirois, in the 68th minute, they would have succeeded. Forgotten in front of the net, Yuya Kubo took a quick shot, but the Quebec goalkeeper stuck out his right arm to deflect the ball against the crossbar before his teammates cleared the surface.
The pressure began to cause some problems for the Montreal defense, until Sirois opened the door to this sad result for the Bleu-blanc-noir.
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