MONTREAL - CF Montreal will be leaning on its impressive home form as it opens its Leagues Cup campaign against Mexican side Pumas U.N.A.M. on Saturday.
Despite a brief dip in quality at Stade Saputo, Montreal still holds one of the best home records in Major League Soccer this season, taking eight wins from 11 games and only conceding five goals in that span. It鈥檚 also in an advantageous position as both its group stage games will be played at home.
鈥淲e take every competition very seriously and the Leagues Cup is no exception,鈥 said Montreal coach Hernan Losada.
鈥淗aving the home field advantage is a very good opportunity for the team and we will tackle this game with the same energy as every other match. Playing in front of our home fans, we鈥檙e going to do everything we can to stay competitive.鈥
While Montreal passed the halfway mark of its MLS season last week, Pumas are only now starting their campaign. The seven-time Liga MX champions currently sit fourth with one win and two draws.
鈥淥ffensively, they get forward very quickly and they鈥檙e very good on the counterattack. We鈥檒l have to manage that very closely and make sure to keep our shape defensively,鈥 said midfielder Mathieu Choini猫re, who participated in his first Major League Soccer all-star game on Wednesday.
鈥淲hen we lose the ball, we need to press them straight away and stamp out and counters. When we have the ball, we need to keep it as much as we can to control the game and adjust if needed.鈥
Playing against teams that concede possession and look to hit back on the counter has been something of a sore spot this season for Montreal. The club has held more than 54 per cent of the ball nine times yet has lost eight of those games. On the other hand, they have a record of 4-3-1 when controlling less than 45 per cent of possession
Those results have highlighted Montreal鈥檚 difficulties trying to create and finish chances against teams with low blocks, which then exposes them to the counterattack.
鈥淚 have to be a bit smarter in the way that I choose to go for and pick my moments to catch the defense off guard,鈥 said wing-back Ariel Lassiter. 鈥淲e have to be the aggressors in the match. We have to be ready for what鈥檚 ahead and stay focused on our game. It鈥檚 about finding the right opportunities and catch the defense sleep and take advantage of that.鈥
Montreal has never played against Pumas before, but that won鈥檛 alter the way the coaching staff approaches the game.
鈥淓ven with only three games played, we can have a good analysis of what we can expect from them, so we approach it the same way we do for any game,鈥 said Losada. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to stay in this group because or else, we鈥檙e stuck for two weeks with no competitive matches, and we need to stay in form for the end of the season.鈥
A win will set either team up nicely for qualification into the next round given that the group stage is only two games. Winning in regulation time is more valuable as well.
Victory within 90 minutes will grant a team three points. Should the match end in a draw after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout will decide the winner who will earn only two points, with a single point going to the loser.
This report by 好色tvwas first published July 21, 2023.
