On Sunday, CF Montreal will know in which position it finishes and it will also know the identity of its opponent in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
• Read also: Finish first or second?
• Read also: Place in the Leagues Cup
Wilfried Nancy’s team has already been assured of its place for a few weeks, but it could well finish first in the Eastern Association, which would be unprecedented.
But regardless, whether it’s first or second place, it will be the team’s highest finish since rising to the top tier of American soccer in 2012.
And it will be especially a fourth presence in the playoffs in eleven seasons. We are far from the regularity model of the Seattle Sounders which, moreover, ends this year.
Breathless
After a first season where the team missed the playoffs despite a good push at the end of the course, it was in 2013, under Marco Schällibaum, that it participated for the first time. It should be remembered that the Swiss coach had signed a one-year contract and that the rest of things for him depended on a place in the playoffs.
He therefore overused his players, who were out of breath at the end of the season.
The team arrived in Houston for its first round game in less than ideal conditions.
After a day of deluge, Saturday night of Halloween 2013 turned into a nightmare for the Montrealers against Dynamo, who won 3-0. The team ended the game with eight players after the expulsions of Nelson Rivas, Marco Di Vaio and Andres Romero. A real disaster.
One more step
In 2015, it was the arrival of Didier Drogba and the team ended the season strong and finished third in the East. The first game against Toronto is without appeal, a victory of 3 to 0.
In the next round, the team faces the Columbus Crew in a home and away series and it starts well with a 2 to 1 victory at Stade Saputo.
During the return match in Ohio, a certain Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the 4th minute for the Crew, but Dilly Duka made it 1-1 before the end of the first half. The Crew therefore need at least one goal to cause extra time.
We were already thinking about the next round when Ethan Finlay made it 2-1 in the 77th to force overtime. And Kamara gave the victory to the Crew by scoring in the 111th. A month later, the Crew lifted the MLS Cup.
So close
The following year, the team finished fifth in the East and, with Nacho Piatti and Matteo Mancosu in the lead, rather than Didier Drogba, had a surprising run in the playoffs.
It starts with a 4-2 first-round win over DC United and continues with 1-0 and 2-1 wins over the New York Red Bulls in the Conference Semi-Finals.
A dream confrontation in the Association final against Toronto FC, which aspires to great honours. After an error in the marking of the goal lines, the match can start at the Olympic Stadium.
Montreal takes a 3-0 lead, but is surprised by two goals in the last half hour, which will be crucial.
In Toronto the following week, the team took the lead twice to lead 2-1 with less than 25 minutes to play, but Nick Hagglund tied the game in the 68th. Toronto will score twice in overtime to save themselves with the victory and the place in the final. And that’s where the two Toronto goals in Montreal hurt.
The team also made the playoffs in 2020, but in a season altered by COVID-19 more playoff berths were granted. It was a 2-1 loss to New England in the first game.
