New York City FC are in action on Wednesday night against Canadian opposition in CF Montréal.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Canadian journalist Olivier Tremblay. He has previously written for mlssoccer.com and the Guardian, and now works with Radio Canada.
Hi Olivier, thanks so much for speaking with us. How long have you been covering CF Montréal?
I started covering the team in between journalism classes during the inaugural MLS season back in 2012, although I’m old enough to have gone to games at the old Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard ground in the second-division days — Romario playing on that patch of grass was pretty surreal.
I stopped covering the team in early 2016 when I actually went to work for them for 15 months, and here I am now, four years into this gig at CBC/Radio-Canada. I’m not on the CF Montréal beat per se, as I cover all kinds of stuff now, but we do have the Tellement Soccer podcast that’s out every midweek for French listeners out there, and you can find the odd feature of mine on our website.
What’s been your favorite moment covering the team?
That’s easy: the Impact made the CONCACAF Champions League final back in 2015 and I was lucky enough to follow them around in Mexico and Costa Rica, covering the tournament for MLSsoccer.com and somehow ending up with my byline on the Guardian’s site.
Montreal jumping to a two-goal lead in Pachuca — and promptly squandering it and nearly getting the boot before \that \Cameron Porter goal back home — was definitely something, Alajuelense’s stadium was probably the most electric atmosphere I’ve experienced, and Nacho Piatti scoring early at Azteca was, well, Nacho Piatti scoring early at Azteca. Do you have an hour? I’ve got more of those.
Looking at the 2021 season, it's been all change with the departure of Thierry Henry and the appointment of Wilfried Nancy. How would you evaluate Nancy's start to life with Montréal?
Wilfried Nancy has been something of a constant for Montreal’s staff for years. Mauro Biello brought him onto the first team staff, everyone lost their job before Rémi Garde took over, but Garde kept Nancy on his staff, and then so did Wilmer Cabrera, and then so did Thierry Henry…
The time was right for Nancy to take the job, and he’s done great in my opinion, especially given the circumstances. He’s built onto the project that sporting director Olivier Renard and Henry got started, and it’s not an easy one, turning this team that was so very reactive for years and trying to get them to play with initiative.
What are your expectations for the team in what remains of the season?
That’s a tough one, because so much of that relies, in my opinion, on politics. This is a team that hasn’t played a true home match for about a year, they can’t train at home, etc. and so on. Florida’s great and all, but it’s not home. I’ve said for months now that, if pandemic-related politics allow them at some point to come back home and play before fans — as the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens have done for weeks now, go figure — it’s going to be a huge boost to CF Montreal and they could actually fight for a playoff spot.
They’ll be training at home soon. Now it’s a matter of figuring the rest out from a political and health policy standpoint, and I wouldn’t want to be the one calling those shots if I’m completely honest
From a tactical standpoint, what strengths should Ronny Deila and his team be wary of heading into the game?
For one thing, this has quietly become a pretty good defensive team. Rudy Camacho’s had a strong season so far, anchoring that three-man backline with ease. Breaking down the Impact wasn’t such an issue in years past, but this has been a much improved defensive showing, although they can still be vulnerable to switches. And this backline can play with the ball, too. They bring the ball out of the back cleanly, with Kamal Miller, when healthy, a highlight with the ball at his feet. He’s been clever with his forays into the middle.
Are there any weaknesses you think NYCFC can exploit?
You’ll notice that I haven’t said a word about what’s going on in front of the defense. Final third quality just hasn’t been quite there yet. The wing backs were really good against Miami, especially makeshift right wing back Mathieu Choinière, but that’s what it took to really make something happen close to the box.
Djordje Mihailovic has had a good season, but he can’t do everything, so they don’t score much, most of their games are pretty close, and they can lose their leads in an instant, as we’ve seen so often late in games in 2021.
If you were to identify Montréal’s danger-man, who would that be?
It’s got to be Mihailovic. He’s the creator in this team. Being handed the keys to the midfield has seemingly lifted him, and he looks like the kind of player who needs to be given that vote of confidence for his potential to be properly unleashed.
It’s not been perfect, but it seems like it’s been forever since Montreal has had that kind of midfielder who wants the ball, distributes it, actually takes initiative.
And finally, for any fans thinking of making the trip to Montréal are there any particular attractions you’d suggest they check out?
Well, you’re going to have to wait a while, I guess, before the border fully opens up, but once you can make the trek, I would highly recommend you get lost in Old Montreal if you’ve never been here.
Also think of a short hike, if you can call it that, on Mount Royal, where you can get this great view of the city. I’ll also be something of a homer and recommend you hop on the metro — our version of a subway — and enjoy a picnic in my new Sud-Ouest neighborhood.
Pick something up from one of the many great local joints or good old Atwater Market, and find a spot to sit down and have your meal by the Lachine Canal.
