Here is my take on CF Montreal’s game against the Vancouver Whitecaps last night:
Another tie that feels like a loss and another game where we have a game of two halves with no significant changes at the half. The team. The team simply came out with more energy and desire to win. As I watched the replay of the game, I tried to pinpoint what was the factor the factor that made our come out so flat. As I’m observing the players, you can see the talent, you can see that they are in the right place of their scheme, so why can’t we win? I noticed (as coach Laurent Courtois has said in several press conferences), that there is a lack of intent with their actions. The players seemed forced to do certain motions, as if they don’t fully grasp what their role is in the scheme. And based on what we’ve seen in the previous months, when one piece falls apart in this scheme, the rest follow shortly. In the post-game press conference George Campbell stated that players need to press better collectively, and the disconnect was obvious. For example, in Vancouver’s sole goal of the match, a lot of people were quick to blame Joaquin Sosa for poor defending, but if you look before that with the cross from Fafa Picault to the center, who’s defending him? Victor Wanyama gets beat in the original dribble and the softly pressures him leading to a surprised Sosa and Brian White as to how quickly the cross mas made to the center. I want to make it clear that I’m not saying this because it Wanyama, and I have been very critical of him this season, but it is a prime example of what we have grown accustomed to see from this team. Moments of loss of focus, of lack of intensity, and a lack of desire to engage the opponents. The last players I saw show that desire and grit to regain possession or defend was…. Samuel Piette and Joel Waterman and they’re busy riding the bench for the Canada Men’s National Team.
1) Let’s talk about out forwards. This is the first game of the season that we got to see a full 90 minutes of Josef Martinez and he didn’t disappoint. If you observe him throughout the game, you can see the runs he chooses to do and how he reads the game quickly to position himself to score. However, he isn’t getting any help from the rest of the ten men on the field in giving him an opportunity to score. He did the best he could with what he was given, ending the game with 1 shot on target and the other off target, 15 touches, 1 key pass, 0 for 1 in aerial duels, and a + 0.29 xG. Then we have our two other support roles in Dominik Yankov and Ariel Lassiter, they both disappointed and their substitutions we well deserved. I have to say, as the game progressed, we saw Lassiter improve his game and start giving better opportunities to his teammates and attempted a couple of shots himself. Having just come back from international duty with Costa Rica, one of my biggest questions about Lassiter is: given the cluster of players that we have in the attack and the resurgence of Sunusi Ibrahim, what is his place in this squad? At this point if I’m Courtois, I am giving Ariel minutes and only to show other teams in the world his value. He came as a package deal with Bryce Duke last year and has failed to live up to expectations last season and this season. Is it the scheme? Should he be playing in USL or in another league? Last night Lassiter showed that he has flashes of brilliance but at other times can be a very frustrating player to watch lose the ball. The only opportunity that he has of getting minutes in Montreal is if Yankov continues playing as poorly as he has the past few games. Ill be very honest here, I think Laurent Courtois needs to bench Yankov until he gets it, the number of times that the play gets broken up when it goes through him, or he slows down the play is infuriating. At this point, I don’t think we are helping him by giving him more match experience because it seems like he is losing confidence in himself with the ball in his feet. I don’t want to label him as bust because I think its too soon, but would a loan move help his development to adapt to the MLS? Lassiter finished the game with 2 shots off target, 35 touches, 86% accurate passes, 0-2 in crosses, 1-1 long balls, 0-5 in ground duels, 0-1 aerial duels, 12 possessions lost, and 0-2 in dribble attempts in 61 minutes. Meanwhile, Yankov finished the game with 23 touches, 90% accurate passes, 1 key pass, 1-6 ground duels, 9 possessions lost, 1-1 crosses, 1-1 long ball, 0-1 dribble attempts.
2) Let’s talk about the midfield combination of Victor Wanyama and Nathan Saliba. Last game, I was critical of Saliba’s performance even though the stats said otherwise, but I’m happy to say that I saw a much more improved Saliba this time around as he spread the ball side to side freely and was comfortable. Because of Wanyama’s selection Saliba was forced to play higher up the pitch, but its clear his role was to change the sides of attack. How did we like this combination? I have to say that even though I have been the first to be very critical of Wanyama’s play and effort since the start of the year, but for some reason I saw a different Wanyama, one that fought for the ball and made the runs necessary to cover the spaces behind Saliba. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, and I hope we can see even more of this in the coming weeks. I’m serious! I still believe he is very talented! However, I don’t know if Wanyama is the best combination with Saliba, I believe he would thrive more with a style of play of Choiniere. A faster midfielder, not a Bryce Duke, but a midfielder that likes to do the runs that Wanyama won’t do. I believe that Wanyama can be a defensive Stallworth and a force in the midfield to stop attacks, but the scheme must work that he can play freely down low and not be forced to run back for the ball, because he won’t do it. Nathan Saliba plays better with a Bryce Duke because they both have qualities that complement each other. Not one of them runs faster than other but they both have a hustle that allows the other to play freely in their role. Wanyama finished the game with 48 touches, 93% accurate passes, 1 key pass, 2-3 long balls, 1-2 dribble attempts, 4-6 ground duels, 1-1 aerial duels, 5 lost possessions, 1 clearance, 1 tackle in 61 minutes. Saliba finished with 80 touches, 82% accurate passes, 2 key passes, 0-1 crosses, 6-9 long balls, 1 shot off target, 1 shot blocked, 2-2 dribble attempts, 3-6 ground duels, 2-3 aerial duels, 1 clearance, 2 blocked shots, 1 tackle in 90 minutes.
3) How about our defensive line? Ill be honest, it was kind of difficult to fully analyze them because they shifted to a back four at the 75th minute, however after the shift was done, the whole game changed, and our back line seemed a lot more compact and secure with the ball then when Vancouver seemed to be running circles around them in the first half. I was pleasantly surprised with George Campbells performance this time around. Last game, he seemed to be the weakest link in the game and was subbed off due to his poor performance. This time around though he seemed more at ease in his position and was imposing as a defender on the right side. I don’t believe his substitution this time around had to do with his performance, because he was having a decent game. However, due to the change of back four, we can assume that Laurent Courtois preferred to keep Fernando Alvarez in the middle because of his recent performances and his ability to communicate. Joaquin Sosa hasn’t show much to impress If we are going based on performances, I would have preferred we subbed out Joaquin Sosa who seemed confused and out of focus on the left side and brought in Gabriele Corbo to that center role with Alvarez on the left and Campbell on the right, but based on Corbo’s recent performances at center he has not given us a reason to believe he is ready for that role. Fernando Alvarez had another outstanding performance as defender, and this time as the general of the back line. I remember when I fist saw him back in July last year, he seemed like a fragile kid, and I wasn’t sure what he could bring to the team. He didn’t seem to have an imposing figure and almost seemed like a young Bambi, but he really has flourished under Laurent Courtois staff’s tutelage. He had an amazing save at the line and at the post-game presser he said he would rather “get the win instead of saving goal.” What a guy! You can also see he is getting much more comfortable communicating and organizing his line as well as communicating with the rest of the players up to. I don’t believe hell replace Joel Waterman, but I can see why other teams are interested in seeing how he develops. It feels like we are still unsure what our backline should look like and who are definite starters, and we can’t really blame injuries in that position. It’s a roller coaster of performances and no one to really set the standard of performances since Joel Waterman has been away. I can safely blame a lot of these games that we are tying or losing to this lack of chemistry or leadership. Laurent Courtois game starts from the goalkeeper up and if that’s not working well, then the game wont work. George Campbell finished the game with 85 touches, 4 clearances, 1 blocked shot, 1 interception, 1 tackle, 85% accurate passes, 0-1 crosses, 1-4 long balls, 2-4 ground duels, 4-4 aerial duels, 12 possessions lost in 75 minutes.
Fernando Alvarez stats include: 95 touches, 1 clearance off the line, 2 blocked shots, 2 interceptions, 95% accurate passes, 5-9 aerial duels, and 4 lost possessions in 90 minutes.
Joaquin Sosa had ended the day with 95 touches, 2 clearances, 91% accurate passes, 1 key pass,0-1 ground duels, 3-4 aerial duels, 9 possessions lost, 1 shot off target in 90 minutes.
4) The wingback combination we saw this time around was very interesting because observing Lassi Lappalainen and Raheem Edwards as they both attempted to create an attack was an odd combination. But its also one that I could see being used for the remainder of the season if both manage to stay healthy for the rest of the season. As I stated in Wednesday’s game against NYCFC, Edwards brings a very physical presence to the wingback position and can also make long crosses. You can tell he’s a player that likes to create offensive opportunities without having to do all the running that Ruan does on the other side. He prefers to either cross it or pass it long. Throughout the game we saw Edwards take the time with the ball in his feet and really see where his opportunity to attack would be. I did notice that in this game they had him playing very wide and low as well, and it was a relief to see that because he struggled a lot in the NYCFC game returning to his defensive spot when New York was on a breakaway, exposing the left side. Lassi Lappalainen also brings a very interesting profile on the right wing back; he is a player that chooses when to use his tools and does a good job of remaining unpredictable to opponents. I believe that with a return to full fitness, Lassi will be a started in this team and might play a full 90 minutes more often. He was a constant threat on the right side and his crosses give you a lot more hope than that of Ruan’s. The only thing that remains a concern is that his passing accuracy makes him lose the ball all too often on top and a lot of Vancouver’s attacks came from breakaways starting from that side. You can tell he likes using his physical presence and speed to dribble past opponents but last night we saw him take a step back and focus on making quicker passes that were easily intercepted.
Lassi Lappalainen: 42 touches, 80% accurate passes, 1 key pass, 0-3 crosses, 1-1 long balls, 1 shot off target, 1 shot hit woodwork, 2-2 dribble attempts, 3-4 ground duels, 1-2 aerial duels, 9 possessions lost, and 1 clearance in 55 minutes
Raheem Edwards: 91 touches, 91% accurate passes, 2 key passes, 1-4 crosses, 5-7 long balls, 1 shot blocked, 1-1 dribble attempts, 1-4 ground duels, 0-1 aerial duels, 12 possessions lost, and 1 blocked shot in 90 mins.
5) Let’s finish it with our super subs of the game. On the attack we had Sunusi Ibrahim that came in for the second half, Matias Coccaro on the 61st and finally Jules-Anthony Vilsaint on the 75th. Even though it was for a limited time, I found that once again Vilsaint disappeared when he went into the game and had very little to no impact in his short time. However, I am ready to see him get more minute instead of Yankov, I believe that at this point his potential ceiling is higher. In his 15 minutes he managed to have 5 lost possessions with 73% of accurate passes on 19 touches. You can see the effort on his runs but is it enough? I don’t want to give him excuses, but has his battle through injuries impeded his progress? Similar to Mason Toye, his runs sometime seem forced or like he’s scared to take a bad step, it’s almost like he’s overthinking his next move.
Matias Coccaro came into the game and was heavily involved right away making runs and putting Vancouver on their heels. This is what CF Montreal fans have grown accustomed to see from him, a high energy player that makes his presence felt up top, but with that comes also the bad parts of his performance including 6 possessions lost, He was an impressive 2-3 in aerial duels and finished with 1 shot on goal and 1 off target and his first goal at Saputo Stadium. The more we talk coach Courtois about the Coccaro situation, it seems that the coach wants to see that high energy he brings in every phase of the game and not to just get and and give up on plays. Even though he did do a lot of complaining throughout the game, he was quick to get up and make himself available for the play again. As the more matches are played with him, it seems he is getter a better understanding of what is expected of him and how the league works.
Sunusi Ibrahim is the true definition of a super-sub. A player that comes into the game and changes the momentum right away with his energy and intensity with every duel. He also did a great job at spreading the ball to the forwards. There were only a few times that I saw him force shots when he had better options pass the ball in the box. I think this is understandable because he is still fighting for a spot in this team and will probably grasp any chance to capitalize on his opportunities. With his 3 key passes, he encompassed the perfect support our forwards need to threaten opponents. I think the fact that whether CF Montreal are playing away or at home, he always seems to bring the same energy and desire to score. He had 1 big chance created but had 6 possessions lost and was 0-2 in ground duels and 75% accurate passes on 22 touches.
Ruan provided the assist to Coccaro for the score but before and after we saw what we’ve grown to see from Ruan this season, which is a lot of running followed by debatable decisions with the ball. I believe Ruan’s perfect role in this team is that of a super-sub once an opponent’s defense is tired, and he can exploit the spaces left by these defenders. He ended with 1 assist in 34 touches, 3 possessions lost, and 1 shot off target, 96% accurate passes. 2 key passes, 2-4 in crosses
Bryce Duke continues his ascension as a midfielder for CF Montreal with his recent performances, and even though there was a lot of good, there was also a lot of missed opportunities. There was one clear example late in the game where he was wide open on the right and instead of continuing his run to receive a Raheem Edwards’ cross, he took a step back and ran to the middle and the ball went out of bounds. Edwards was visibly upset at Duke’s choice and they both bickered back and forth after the playa t their decision making, but with a bird’s eye view of things you could tell Edward’s choice was the correct one as it would have given Vancouver more trouble. Beside that, there were some poor passes done forward that also ened up in turnovers or dead play, however he did not have a bad day he continues to control the rhythm of the midfield when he is paired up with Saliba and to give our forwards the best chances. He is giving this staff a lot to think about for the remainder of the season as Mathieu Choiniere and Samuel Piette make their way back form internation duty. I believe his performances deserve serious consideration, and with the Choiniere trade request looming over the team, it might just be his spot to take. Duke finished the day with 41 touches, 89% accurate passes, 1-2 dribble attempts, 1 shot off target, 2-4 on ground duels, 0-1 crosses, 2-2 long balls, 7 possessions lost.
6) Okay seriously last point, it looks like Laurent Courtois finally made the leap to change the formation after the 75th minute to a back four and wingers and it really flipped the game upside down for Vancouver. The team played with a lot more tenacity and was a real threat going forward and the forwards seemed to really take advantage of being so up high. With both Martinez and Coccaro up top and Ibrahim under them to support they seem to move Vancouver’s defense and give more space to the fullbacks to cross the ball. CF Montreal also deployed Vilsaint to play as a right winger and Coccaro to shift from left to center, and it opened the game a lot more. How crazy would it be if this team to a four-back formation for the rest of the season? Could it be a solution to our spotty defense? Will this give our forwards a better opportunity to attack without having to play so low? The stats from one half to the other are ridiculously different and that’s not right. This team needs to find a balance in adjusting their game plan quicker before this season really gets out of hand. I don’t know if a new signing is what this team needs, they need to figure out what each of them wants and how they can make it happen together as one unit for 90 minutes.
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