A special match for CF Montréal’s Laurent Courtois against Columbus

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In the world of sports we often hear that there is no friendship on the field. If that is true, the confrontation between CF Montréal coach Laurent Courtois and Columbus Crew coach Wilfried Nancy will also have to be put on hold on Saturday.

This duel at Lower.com Field (19:30, TSN5, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, BPM Deportes 91.9) Maybe it’s a little more special for Courtois.

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It was with Crew 2, in the MLS Next Pro, that the 45-year-old Frenchman made his debut as a coach in North America and won his first title, in 2022.

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“I’m living a waking dream. It is the club where I was born. It will be extraordinary. It’s special for me and a lot of other people, but at the same time it’s still a game. “I think it will be beautiful,” Courtois said.

While managing the Montreal team, Nancy successfully established a possession system that caused her opponents many problems. His playing style also stood out last year with the Crew, which won the MLS Cup.

Courtois brought this philosophy to CF Montréal (3-3-2), with good results since the beginning of the season. All that remains is to apply it on the field of play, given the speed and dangerous transition of the Crew (3-1-5).

“They are so tactically rich. They can serve from one side and exit from the other, and have the ability to alternate between short game and direct game with incredible precision. We think we know how to get them into trouble, but it can be a double-edged sword. If you go all out with or without the ball, there is also the other side of the coin,” he noted.

Montreal at least has the luxury of being more rested than its upcoming rivals. The Columbus team played six games in April, including the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

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After a long six-game stretch away to start the season, Montreal remained at home for the past two weeks.

“The team has had a heavy workload over the last month. It is up to us to take advantage of this fatigue,” said captain Samuel Piette. “We hope your team rotates. For our part, we have managed to recharge our batteries and return to normality. In my opinion, the Crew is the best team in the league, but I think there is a chance to play.”

That won’t be easy in Columbus. During the Nancy era, the Crew suffered just one loss at home in MLS (18-1-6), and are unbeaten in the league at home in the last 20 games (15-0-5) from behind. almost a full year.

If the confrontation has a special character for Courtois and the players who worked alongside Nancy, it is not so special for goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

The Quebecer was on loan in the Canadian Premier League when Nancy was the Montreal coach and felt that he had never had the opportunity to show himself.

“I felt like Wil never gave me a chance. The first season of my loan I was named goalkeeper of the year, but Wil didn’t use me. Even for a preseason game. Last year I wanted to show him that he had the skills to play in the MLS and I did it in Columbus making several stops. But now those are things of the past. “It is a game like any other,” said Sirois.

Injured attackers Matías Coccaro, Josef Martínez and Kwadwo Opoku will not be against the Crew. Midfielder Lassi Lappalainen and defender Joaquín Sosa should get some rest, Courtois said.

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