CF Montreal have a chance to close the gap between themselves and New York City FC in the Eastern Conference standings of Major League Soccer when the two sides face each other this weekend at Saputo Stadium.
The Canadians are fourth in the table after 21 games, currently sitting six points behind the defending MLS Cup champs for second place.
Match preview
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Wilfried Nancy could not have asked for a better beginning from his side at DC United last weekend, scoring in the opening minute then doubling their advantage by half time before hanging onto a 2-1 victory.
The big-time players on this team are starting to step up, while the squad as a whole are getting healthier at a critical juncture of the campaign, with Montreal just a point behind the New York Red Bulls for third.
Montreal have put themselves in a much more favourable position than a year ago, sitting five points clear of fifth-place Orlando City and nine points above the playoff line.
Nancy will need to find solutions to their defensive issues right now as they lead the league in expected goals allowed yet have given up the fourth-most tallies in the East (36).
If they can solve those issues in the coming weeks, Montreal could be a team to watch out for, as they have a lot of quality in the attack and are making the most of their opportunities created.
Coming into this contest, they have won two of their last three fixtures played at Saputo Stadium, and they finally earned their first clean sheet at home earlier this month, blanking their arch-rivals Toronto 1-0.
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At the moment, the reigning champions look just as hungry to reclaim their crown, unbeaten in their previous six MLS contests, failing to concede in their last three games.
Any suggestions that this side might incur a letdown following their cup-winning season seems to have been put to bed for now, as New York have 41 points after 21 encounters, the most ever from a defending MLS champion at this stage of a season.
Their 2-0 triumph over Inter Miami was another sign of how much depth this squad have across the board, and if they want to repeat as champions, they will need more players to chip in offensively following the recent departure of leading goalscorer Valentin Castellanos, who is now on loan at Girona in La Liga.
Luckily for interim boss Nick Cushing, it does not appear like this team need many goals to win matches, as NYCFC have nine shutout victories in 2022.
There is no doubt that the absence of Castellanos will be felt, but statistics would suggest that this team is not built around one player, as nine individuals have found the back of the net for them this season, and they lead the league in expected goals at 44.2.
New York have plenty of chance creators and players who can score, while also doing a fine job of cutting down those spaces in their third of the field, making them one of the top contenders for the title once again.
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Team News
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Romell Quioto provided all the offence Montreal would need at Audi Field a week ago, notching a brace as his side became the first team in league history to score in the opening minute of three MLS encounters in a single season.
Joel Waterman notched his first assist of 2022 last week, Djordje Mihailovic played in his 50th game for Montreal, and there is word that Championship side Norwich City are pushing to sign midfielder Ismael Kone.
Kamal Miller missed their game against DC because of a red card suspension, Ahmed Hamdy has a right leg issue, Bjorn Johnsen has a problem in his foot and Tomas Giraldo remains out with a hamstring injury.
While he failed to score in his last match with the Pigeons, Castellanos assisted on their winning goal scored by Maxi Moralez versus Miami, with Heber notching the other.
Castellanos leaves the league tied with Sebastian Driussi of Austin FC in the Golden Boot race, a race which he won back in 2021.
Sean Johnson has not conceded a goal since July 10, when they defeated the New England Revolution 4-2, as he leads the league in clean sheets with 11, while Santiago Rodriguez leads them in assists with seven, one more than Moralez and Talles Magno in second.
Alfredo Morales will not be available for this one after receiving another yellow card in their previous encounter, Anton Tinnerholm is still sidelined with a lower-body injury and Keaton Parks has a calf strain.
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Breza; Waterman, Camacho, Miller; Lappalainen, Torres, Piette, Johnston; Mihailovic; Quioto, Toye
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Gray, Martins, Callens, Amundsen; Rodriguez, Pereira, Acevedo; Moralez, Magno; Heber
We say: CF Montreal 1-2 New York City FC
If you are going off sheer name recognition and reputation, no Castellanos should make the Montreal backline feel a lot better about themselves, but the fact is that NYCFC have quality players all over the field who can win matches.
Defensively speaking, Montreal still have not sorted out their issues, and we expect the quality of the reigning champs will be enough to earn them another three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
