Nathan Saliba was on his knees, eyes closed, in prayer, in the center of the field. Around him, the crowd was standing, eyes wide open, riveted towards the net in front of the 132. CF Montreal’s season was being played out there, right there, between the 11 meters separating the penalty spot. and the goal line.
Updated at 12:30 a.m.
She had just experienced the ecstasy of the equalizer, on a penalty, in the same place, in the 89the minute, from the experienced foot of Josef Martínez. The madness of this MLS Eastern playoff play-off match was confirmed. After trailing by two goals at the end of a messy first half, Martínez scored twice to bring everyone back to square one.
The thrills of the crowd, like the dramatic scenario of this match, were not over. No overtime period, we go straight to penalties.
“We gave them the freedom to know who was going to shoot, and in what order,” explained Laurent Courtois after the match. They talked to each other, they encouraged each other, and I didn’t say anything. »
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Laurent Courtois
Martínez succeeds first. That of Tom Pearce… is blocked by goalkeeper Brad Guzan. When his turn comes, Saliba stands up from midfield. Heads towards the penalty area. This kid from Montreal, at only 20 years old, in front of his audience, scored his goal. After the success of Gabriele Corbo, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, another young Montrealer with impressive composure, thwarted Guzan.
Unfortunately, Jonathan Sirois was unable to stop any of Atlanta’s shots.
And this is how, in the cruelest of ways, CF Montreal saw its season end. And that he missed, at the same time, the chance to welcome Lionel Messi and Inter Miami a second time in 2024, he who could have faced them in the first round of the series starting on Friday.
The silence at Saputo stadium, after what must have been close to a decibel record a few minutes earlier, was deafening.
But at the CFM, the mood was divided between “disappointment” at the elimination and “pride” at what was accomplished this season and, especially, in the last two months.
« Au [moment le] lowest point of the season, and there were two or three, I always spoke to them about the identity we wanted to have, underlined Courtois. And that I believed in series. Under the snow, under the wind, we were there, and we are here today.
“We put in a decent performance. The fans saw us, and supported what the players tried to do, despite the defeat. In the locker room, [j’ai dit que] I was proud to see that the fans received us like that, and that I had learned a lot from my players, my staff, and that I was very grateful. We are already ahead for next year, in two or three aspects. »
A seat
Montreal dominated the first half – we saw it at 70% possession at one point – but Atlanta was lethal on its two chances, in the 29the and the 44e.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Caden Clark is stopped by Stian Gregersen (5) during the match between CF Montreal and Atlanta United at Saputo stadium.
The second period was all Montreal. And the turning point came at the hour mark, when Courtois made his changes. Pearce entered. Vilsaint and Kwadwo Opoku as well. Lacking ideas until then, with a self-effacing and well-covered Martínez, the CFM finally found its inspiration. His siege at Atlanta began, and he virtually never returned to his zone.
At 63ePearce used his weapon of mass destruction – we are talking here about his elegant left foot – and sent a powerful and precise cross. Guzan juggled the ball, Martínez was lurking there, and it made it 2-1.
It wasn’t just the Saputo stadium that woke up at this moment. Matías Cóccaro, dismissed by Courtois in the last two matches, was pacing back and forth in front of the press gallery. He didn’t sit down for the second half. He wanted his teammates on the pitch to transition ever faster towards the goal. He was constantly gesticulating, his eyes wide, sending the official walking here, smiling there, acquiescing in passing to certain requests for photos from supporters.
At the 89eafter a penalty awarded at the end of a VAR check loudly desired by the supporters, Martínez completed the comeback he had started.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Josef Martínez completed the comeback he had started.
“It was a stressful moment,” recalled Piette, who watched the moment from the sidelines arm in arm with Sebastian Breza. “But certainly less than for Josef who took the penalty. »
Piette had been released in the 60eburned like several of his teammates who played in last Saturday’s match, just 72 hours before it. But fatigue was felt on both sides. At the CFM, although we find the hasty organization of this play-off match before a first round which would take place three days later strange, we do not want to see it as an excuse.
“Atlanta to come back from Orlando [samedi]then come here, Courtois recalled. Fatigue is for everyone. »
“Jo can leave with her head held high”
CF Montreal does not have many opportunities, in its season, to compete in shootout sessions. Although they are preparing – and the coach assures that his players have practiced their shots this week – it remains “a game of heads or tails”, according to Piette. And therefore, the fault does not lie with Sirois, according to him.
“Jo can leave with her head held high, that’s for sure,” believes the CFM captain. He can be proud of getting us out of trouble so many times this season. And he had a good game tonight. »
Which brings us back to this shared feeling of pride and disappointment.
“Two months ago, we were losing game after game,” admitted George Campbell. But we woke up in the last seven meetings. We were proud of each other in the end. We did our best, we fought and we came back. »
CF Montreal will be kicking themselves for letting this great opportunity slip away, at home moreover. But this end of the season will have at least had this good thing: we now know with certainty what to build on, and what no longer works.
The questions are numerous, of course. But so do the answers.
