Jonathan Sirois
Q: There’s a lovely atmosphere this morning of camaraderie, does success come with that camaraderie? Or does that joie de vivre come with success? Is it the chicken or the egg?
JS: A bit of both, I think now it’s fair to say that it’s the success that comes with the camaraderie. I think that we’ve had more difficult moments where the joy wasn’t always there at training. I think that now, when you have a bit of success, you must enjoy it to the max, but above all you must try and keep your feet on the ground and not get carried away. We know we still have a lot of work to do.
Q: You had a week in which you scored seven points out of a possible nine, and you also showed your character with the two points you scored on the road. Laurent has told us that he hasn’t changed his ways or his methods. As for you, beyond the atmosphere, are there any things you see as different from your approach? From what you communicate to how you behave, which explains this better result?
JS: I think from a defensive point of view, we’re more pragmatic. We try to do things less often, because we need to clear the ball, whether it’s from a corner or a throw-in. I don’t think there’s any more hesitation, from a defensive point of view. Having said that, I think that from a general point of view, there’s more cohesion and there’s more communication too. between the forwards, the front three with our two midfielders and our two midfielders with the defenders, and then myself with the defenders, I think we spoke a lot on the pitch. I think the big difference with those three games was that we talked a lot tactically before each game, to get a solid game plan and then apply it. Even in New England, where we were down to two men, we stuck to our game plan. The substitutions came in and energized things a bit, and then we came back to score. We didn’t panic, and I think that’s what made the big difference in our three games last week.
Q: Did the players have to have a brainstorming session to establish this camaraderie and atmosphere?
JS: No, but I know that when I came back from the national selection, the guys went go karting. A little activity like that may seem harmless, but it forges bonds off the pitch that can sometimes be reproduced on it. I think little things like that can help a lot, as I’ve been saying since the start of the year, we’ve got a good locker room in the sense that we’ve got guys who all get on well together. I don’t think anyone has a big ego and even if there are little cliques left and right, everyone’s able to mix and everyone gets along well. That makes it so that in good times, I think everyone can be together.
Q: It’s the pragmatism you refer to in defense, then the cohesion of the different sectors. Is it having simplified things you asked for, or is it just time taking its course, or the automatisms that finally take hold after a year working with a new staff?
JS: It’s hard to give an answer to that. I think one of the biggest things is that, for one of the few times this year, my back three stayed the same. For me, that’s really good, and I think it’s also good for the guys, because it means that from match to match, you can maintain a certain consistency. I’m thinking of Gabriele Corbo, who’s been on and off a bit this year in the games he’s played in the center of defense, for me he’s been super good, and George Campbell complemented him, and Fernando Alvarez on the left also complemented him super well. I think the three of them have a great chemistry and we even saw at the end of the match when I was playing them in the middle. The three of them are still solid because at a certain point, the three of them at the start, and now Joel Waterman, everyone is confident. I think it makes a big difference when you play with confidence.
Q: There are four important matches to play, and Laurent Courtois has told us that he’s in the process of finding his ideal starting eleven. Do you have the feeling that the starting eleven has been set up or is everyone still fighting for a place in the starting line-up?
JS: I think everyone must fight every week. At the end of the day, whether you have a starting eleven or not, you must earn your place on the weekend. I understand that you can have certain players in the squad that have more guarantee in certain positions than others, but at the end of the day, I think there has to be some competition to make sure that during the week, the level is up to standard, that the quality is there from all your players and that you give the best possible chances.
Q: Do you think he’s found his starting eleven?
JS: I hope so, but that’s a question for the coach, not me. I know that the eleven players on the pitch in the last match felt great. You mentioned that there are four finals to play, but for me, I’ve been playing finals for more than four games now. I think that weekend against Chicago was already a final. Even the game against New England, we couldn’t lose. I think our mentality is really to play finals for a few games now until the final.
Q: Laurent answered several questions about that, and I was one of those who thought maybe that’s something that was missing; a stability from week to week in the same group. Is this idea of the starting eleven overrated, or do the players really enjoy it, knowing what to expect during the week, in the week ahead, and then creating a snowball effect on the pitch?
JS: You know, I think there’s always a positive point in having a certain consistency in players who play with a certain regularity. Where you must make the distinction is that it also comes with a good performance. You must perform to keep it. If you’ve got a team of eleven guys who don’t work out, it’s a bit pointless. Then, on the other hand, if you change every time but you keep winning games, having a typical eleven is not much use either. I think you must value it for what it is, there’s no point talking about it too much or not at all. I think the most important thing is to have players on the pitch who perform well, but who are above all confident.
Q: We were talking about the final on Saturday, but it’s a trap match against San José, who are in last place, who are in the process of looking for a coach, and we all know there are a lot of changes to come. Everyone’s expecting you to win, how are you working mentally on a level of concentration that will enable you to approach this match as you need to and not fall into an unconscious form of complacency in relation to the opponent, who’s not doing very well?
JS: I think it’s going to come down to the individual approach of each player. As each player approaches the match, I think that’s going to be the most important thing. As you said, this is a team with nothing to lose. They’re already, I think, mathematically eliminated from the Play-Offs, so sometimes teams like that are the most dangerous. I’ve already had games when I was in the CPL where we had to win. We wanted to show a mentality that we’d already been eliminated, and then that makes for big games. So, from a personal point of view, I know a bit about how to approach this match and I’m going to try and pass that on to the others too. I think some of the team’s leaders are going to have to do the same. Then, on match day, it’s a question of making sure that, individually, we arrive with the right mentality, then that collectively it’s transmitted onto the pitch, that the effort is there and that it’s us who dictates the tempo of the match and not the other way round. I think that if we arrive on Saturday and set the tempo of the match, if we show that we’re aggressive, that we want to win, that we want to score goals, I think we’ll be in the best possible frame of mind.
Q: What’s the key to success playing finals in as many seasons? What’s the mindset you need to attack that compared to an eighth game of the regular season, is it something different?
JS: When you play finals or decisive matches like that, I think it’s very different. It’s also easier to get into a match like that, where you know you have to give it your all. You can’t come out of it saying I left a little something here, I didn’t give it my all. You can’t go into the final matches like that with regrets or come out with regrets later. It’s easy to arrive and prepare for a game like Saturday, saying you need to win it because you know where you are in the standings right now. We know that we’re not far from a playoff spot, but we also know that there are teams behind us who aren’t far behind, so I think it’s pretty easy to get into these things.
Q: Team Canada announced that there will be a training camp in Montreal and I was excited to find out that you could potentially be on the list to train in Montreal, can I talk a little about what it’s been like for you, working alongside Maxime Crepeau or training with other coaches using other methods? What do you get out of being at training camp?
JS: If I can be selected to do a camp in Montreal, that would be wonderful. I think I can say that I’m confident, but the last camp gave me a lot of confidence. I was coming out of a period that was perhaps a little more difficult after two big defeats. From a mental point of view, it was more complicated to get into a camp like that than to be with top-level players and to give 100% every day, to learn a little from here and there, not only from the coaches, but also from the players, and then not only to learn, but to perform. I think I performed very well during that camp, and it gave me a lot of confidence. I think that’s something I’ve brought back here to Montreal, in my last three games. I think I’ve regained a bit more of my aggressiveness from last year or from the start of the season, and for me, it’s done me a world of good, so it’s a goal for me to get back to that.
Q: I can’t help but draw a parallel with Nathan Saliba, who’s been playing very well since he arrived too. Do you see this correlation in his case too?
JS: Yes, absolutely, I think one of the things with the national team is intensity. We know Jesse Marsh and his way of doing things, and having spent a whole camp with him, I’m sure that Nathan will tell you himself, but his aggressiveness on the field, his speed, his presence on the field is completely different, and that’s something I think we’re seeing now.
Q: In the build-up to San Jose, you talked about your experiences in the CPL of falling into a trap or less strong opponents. How useful could the recent results against New England be in this preparation, because they were the worst team in the East, and everyone saw them as easy prey, and then we gave them a hard time?
JS: Yeah, absolutely. And let’s not forget, we did two twos against New England, but at home we still lost five nil a few weeks ago, so it’s not something I’ve forgotten. So obviously games like New England and then Chicago, I think we controlled the Chicago game well, but they were still close games. They’re not games where you dominate and then you don’t care. So to have had two games like that, I think it shows us that we shouldn’t take it lightly. Then on the other hand, I think New England and San Jose are also similar in the sense that they have a lot of individual qualities like New England, with players like Carles Gil who was also capable of scoring goals. I think San Jose will be a bit similar, they’ve got good players who can score goals, sometimes out of nowhere, so we’ll have to be vigilant.
Q: That’s why I wanted to talk to you about Gabriele Corbo, whose name you mentioned earlier. It’s been a good week in Joel’s absence. Do you see anything different in Gabriele today compared to the start of the season? And how have you seen him respond to the ups and downs of his season? The in and out of the squad, how do you find him now compared to the start of the season?
JS: I think he’s just someone who’s taking his place more. I think Gabriele, the way he’s played this season, sometimes he’s played less, sometimes started, and sometimes didn’t start, I think that played on his mood sometimes, and that’s something I think we try to control too. I think it’s like that with a lot of players too, it’s just normal. I’m just happy to see him performing well now, and I hope he’ll continue to do so.
Q: The fact that you’re currently just one place behind position nine of the playoff access, you’re not quite in control of your destiny, is it going to take better results than your games?
JS: There are still four games left in the season, and then four games are a lot of points. So yes, now, we may be on the outside of the playoffs, but we know how one game can change everything, good or bad. So that’s why I reiterate that you must stay rational, you must stay down to earth. First, take care of business, win the game this weekend. After that, we’ll tackle Atlanta, and then we’ll see what situation we’re in at the time, but I’m not worried now. If we take care of the first game on Saturday, we can see what happens after that.
Andy's Impact Zone 
Leave a comment