MONTREAL — CF Montreal head coach Philippe Eullaffroy did not mince words when discussing his team’s poor start to Saturday’s game against the visiting New England Revolution.
“It was the worst (half of the season); we didn’t do anything right.”
In the midst of a six-game winless run, playing the third-best team in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference seemed only to reinforce the fact that such a poor first half could be fatal.
Fortunately for the hosts, two second-half goals in seven minutes helped Montreal salvage a point against the Revolution at Stade Saputo.
Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman scored in the first half for New England (9-5-3), while Brayan Vera and Prince Owusu scored in the second half for Montreal (4-10-4).
The Revolution dominated the opening stages of the match, holding ball possession for 85 per cent in the first 10 minutes. While Montreal gradually grew into the game and even found some half chances, New England quickly put daylight between themselves and their hosts.
“Three months ago we said we had a chance to make the playoffs if we play with intensity, respect our identity, and are prepared to lose with our identity,” said Eullaffroy. “The worst thing about that first half was that we were losing because we had no identity out there. I did not recognize the team.”
Right before the half-hour mark, Efrain Morales gave away a penalty after blocking a shot with his hand. Gil — who has 12 goal contributions in his last eight games against Montreal — stepped up and placed the ball in the top left corner.
Six minutes later, a complete breakdown in defence left Turgeman all alone for a tap-in at the back post as Montreal’s frustrations boiled over and led to a mass confrontation between the two sides. Montreal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza was at the centre of it all, initiating the scrum after Turgeman and other Revolution players were taunting the home side’s supporters’ section.
“I felt like I wanted the crowd to get more into the game,” said Breza. “I wanted to push the crowd and get them to push the guys.”
The halftime break clearly helped, as a reinvigorated Montreal came out pushing for a way back into the game. After being thoroughly outclassed in the first half, they found a lifeline almost immediately.
After picking up the ball from roughly 30 metres out, Vera uncorked a perfect shot that sailed into the top corner. With the crowd back into the game and the deficit reduced to one, Montreal needed only seven minutes to once again capitalize on the change of momentum.
“It reignited everything because of how early in the half it happened and also validated some of the changes we made at halftime,” said Eullaffroy. “In the second half we came back with a clearer identity and a changed dynamic, so I think that was a lesson well learned.”
Montreal followed up by piling on even more pressure, notably from the flanks. From the left side, Luca Patrasso spotted Owusu in the penalty area and sent in one of the 30 attempted crosses in the game, which the Ghanaian international beat his man to with a header. Owusu has now hit the 10-goal mark for the second consecutive season, the first for the club since Ignacio Piatti.
While both teams pressed to score late in the match, neither was able to put the finishing touches on a winner, with Turgeman missing two golden opportunities alone with Breza.
“It doesn’t really matter that even if you make a good save, every action is separate. Momentum is something we create as human beings, and we let each other (grow) into it by that,” said Breza, whose superb saves secured the point.
New England: Host Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, Aug. 8.
Montreal: Host D.C United on Saturday, Aug. 15.