CF Montreal's great start to the Season: Finally the title for the Canadians?

In the history of the MLS , Canadian franchises have won only one of the 24 titles, and that was Toronto FC in 2017. But this season, Montreal has never seemed so strong in its entire history , but does she really have a chance this season? This is what we are going to see in this analysis.

A successful transfer window from A to Z

It is often said that to achieve a good season, you have to do a good transfer window, and this 2023 season is no exception. The CFM first recruited the Canadian international from Nashville, Alistair Johnston , for less than a million euros, a real bargain, and which succeeds perfectly at the beginning of the season.

Free to commit wherever he wishes, the Sierra Leonean international Kei Kamara , 4th best scorer in the history of the league, joined the club for free. In total, in addition to Johnston, 16 other players have joined the Impact, for less than a million euros, including Ahmed Hamdi, Joaquin Torres, Makto Miljevic, Lassi Lappalainen, Robert Orri Thorkelsson, or Jojea Kwizera.

A coach in the continuity of his game ideas

Landed as head coach at the beginning of March 2021, Wilfried Nancy conquered all of Canada in just over a year of work. At the end of the contract next December, it should be extended. After a semi-professional career as a defender in France, he joined the USA to manage Montreal, for his very first experience as a manager.

Once an adept of 4-2-3-1, he now composes almost exclusively a mobile team that evolves in 3-4-2-1 . This device, still too little used professionally, makes a real difference, and the club has known 8 games in a row without losing, a record in the history of Montreal.

Here is the typical CF Montreal team :

• Sebastian Breza : 24-year-old Canadian goalkeeper.
• Joel Waterman : 26-year-old Canadian defender.
• Rudy Camacho : 31-year-old French defender.
• Kamal Miller : 25-year-old Canadian defender.
• Alistair Johnston : 23-year-old Canadian midfielder.
• Mathieu Choiniere : 23-year-old Canadian midfielder.
• Victor Wanyama : 30-year-old Kenyan midfielder.
• Lassi Lappalainen : 23-year-old Finnish midfielder.
• Joaquin Torres : 25-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder.
• Djordje Mihailovic : 23-year-old American attacking midfielder.
• Romell Quioto : 30-year-old Honduran striker.

Players ready to do anything for the title

Intrinsically, each of the players in the squad is at a very high level. The goalkeeper first, Sebastian Breza , managed to put the number 2 of the national team, Pantemis. Sometimes a little disappointing in the past, Kamal Miller is now a real wall, to the point of reuniting with the national team, and probably competing in the next World Cup.

But the real plus of this team is the American international, Djordje Mihailovic. Inconstant last season, he is now twirling and has already scored 7 goals in a few games, almost double his total last year. The right piston, Alistair Johnson, is also satisfactory, as is Romell Quioto always good, even when it is not decisive.

The Honduran international has especially established a real winning mentality in the team, and the players always manage to find the necessary resources to glean points. Experienced players like Kei Kamara, or Victor Wanyama , who still rubbed shoulders with the greats in the Premier League. Very versatile, the FCM also has a bench of very good workmanship.

After years in a row without qualifying for the play-offs , the Canadians will have to qualify this time, and why not bring back the first title in the history of the franchise. The fans of the blues and blacks will in any case undoubtedly vibrate for the rest of the season.