The CF Montreal professional team has 15 Quebecers, ten of whom were trained by the Academy, which is very significant. Many of these players are not yet regulars. There are some on loan in the Canadian Premier League. Others evolve with the training of the under-23s in order to obtain as many minutes as possible. They all have in common to be young and to have great potential. And precisely, the U23 training is likely to provide several other players to the first team in the near future. In a squad whose average age hovers around 18, here are six players whose names you should remember. The director of the Academy, Patrick Leduc, and their trainer, Nicolas Gagnon, explain to us why we must keep an eye on them. Players are presented from defense to attack.
Loic Cloutier
CENTRAL DEFENDER | BORN IN 2004
If we go by Nicolas Gagnon’s description of him, he is a modern defender who is effective in all phases of the game. And his style of play fits well with what the team is advocating at the moment. “He’s quite calm and composed, he has a good boost and he’s very disciplined. He is a fairly complete defender without there being something that stands out and who has a good reading of the offensive and defensive game. He is good at playing from the back, notes Gagnon, who compares him somewhat to Rudy Camacho. They’re not the biggest or the strongest, but they bring a lot, even if they don’t have exactly the same profile. »
As for Patrick Leduc, he underlines the level of involvement of the young defender. “He is on a mission both outside and on the field. He is on his business. I had seen him with the Trois-Lacs club and you could already see at 13 that he had everything he needed to enter the Academy. And he tries to show that he has what it takes to go to the next level. He is a player to watch. »
Jefferson Alphonse
CENTRAL DEFENDER | BORN IN 2003
CF Montreal supporters dream of a giant format central back, Alphonse could be this player. “He’s a physical monster, confirms Nicolas Gagnon. He is very good in duels and he likes to have an impact in the game with the ball. His strength is not the raise, but he is still able to bring into the game. He is a warrior, he always wants to be the first on the ball. His build and his fearless game allowed him to stand out.
“The first time I saw him train with the pros, continues Gagnon, I was with a member of the staff and he told me that he wanted to see him again because he “moves our guys”. It gives an idea of the impact it could have. »
Patrick Leduc speaks of a reckless player, who is fearless. “In his first time with the pros, he went there with a tackle on Romell Quioto. It may not be the wisest decision because you risk injuring an important player for the club, but at the same time you send the message that this is not going to stop you. You just have to know how to dose. »
Mael Henry
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER | BORN IN 2004
Here is a pure playmaker who is capable of setting the table for his teammates. “He organizes the game and hosts it,” begins Nicolas Gagnon. He has great vision and great passing quality. It is among the best I have seen on this aspect in my career at the Academy. He is also capable of scoring goals. He has a very interesting profile. He is more offensive than Mathieu [Choinière], but he can pick up Mathieu’s mentality. On the profile, and not on the level, it is between Mathieu and Djordje [Mihailovic]. Patrick Leduc points out that to be successful, Henry will have to take a step back and learn to better manage his emotions. “He needs to flesh out a bit more. He has to be able to go through traffic, but he mustn’t come out too badly damaged. He is a player with character. There are referees who will remember him, it’s an energy that must be channeled well. »
Jeremiah Omeonga
MILIEU | BORN IN 2002
Third player invited during training camp last winter. This is a player with some fine qualities that will become even more interesting with a bit of polish.
“He is fast and very hard-hitting in his runs. He has a good quality of center, begins Nicolas Gagnon. When he presses, it’s really interesting because when he goes to the duel, he is very solid. “Like many players his age, he has to become consistent and that’s normal.
“For him as for the others, the challenge is to demonstrate the qualities that we know he has, but in a constant manner and with the pros, notes Patrick Leduc, who prefers to emphasize his great speed. If he was a superhero, it would be The Flash because he’s super fast. »
Matteo Schiavoni
MIDFIELDER | BORN IN 2005
Here’s a player who has already started to get noticed by the first-team coaching staff since he attended training camp last winter.
Nicolas Gagnon praises his level of involvement and his pugnacity in his game without the ball.
“He’s a guy who runs all the time, he has a lot of volume and does a lot of races. He is very good at pressing and has a shot. He can recover a lot of balls, he can press, he can score. He’s going to get tougher and I think that’s going to bring a lot to his game.” Patrick Leduc for his part underlined his Energizer rabbit side.
“He is very athletic, he swallows the kilometers. »
Gabriel Antinoro
WINGER | BORN IN 2004
He too was invited to the last training camp and we feel that we love him for his many dynamic qualities. “He’s a good dribbler who is very hard-hitting in his runs,” explains Nicolas Gagnon. He is able to make the decisive pass, to score, to press, he can be very aggressive in his pressing. He’s small, quite fast, he’s explosive and that’s quite surprising, especially in the first fifteen meters. “Patrick Leduc really likes his competitiveness, which he has been dragging since a young age. “He’s a competitor, he’s on a mission to win and he fuels his emotions. Sometimes he is not far from being furious on the field to win, he has a passion that can serve him. He was already like that at 12 when I had the chance to train him. He has a temperament that can make a difference at the end of the match and that is perhaps where we see his qualities stand out. »
