Do CF Montréal players have the mettle to overcome decisions that go awry?

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The sky might not yet be falling on CF Montréal only two games into the MLS regular season, but some disturbing signs are beginning to materialize.

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Last weekend, it was two goals conceded in a 10-minute span on the road against Orlando City. Saturday, in the home-opener at Olympic Stadium against Philadelphia, it was two goals in only three minutes, resulting in a 2-1 defeat to the Union.

So, while there are some defensive shortcomings that require addressing, it also appears this club might lack mental resilience.

On Saturday, everything fell apart for CFM after an apparent Djordje Mihailovic goal in the 49th minute that would have staked the club to a 2-0 lead was disallowed. A video review of the play determined Mihailovic had fouled Julian Carranza. Nonetheless, why did referee Drew Fischer allow the play to continue indefinitely, thwarting Mihailovic’s brilliant solo effort from near midfield?

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“It’s crazy this VAR (replay) thing. We all love it and we all hate it at the same time,” said veteran striker Kei Kamara, signed as a free agent two weeks ago and making his first start for CFM, replacing the suspended Romell Quioto. “The referee’s in control, he’s in the middle of the pitch. He saw the play and he let it go because that’s what happens sometimes. It’s physical and you let some plays go.

“It was kind of shocking he was then told to go look at that play over again. I think he could have made a decision on his own about him — which he did at first when he let the play go. All the energy we spent on that obviously got turned around.”

And that’s what has to be so damning — and at the same time perplexing — for manager Wilfried Nancy. I have watched Alejandro Bedoya score the typing goal in the 53rd, before Daniel Gazdag produced the winner, three minutes later.

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It as though the disallowed goal rattled the team, which then totally fell apart along its back line. Veteran French defender Rudy Camacho, back in the starting lineup after a one-game suspension, made a glaring blunder on his 31st birthday. He attempted a short pass that was intercepted instead of simply clearing the ball. Camacho’s influence had been expected to have a calming effect on the defensive unit.

“I don’t know if it’s because of the disallowed goal,” Nancy said. “What I know is we conceded two goals quickly. Is it a question of the mental aspect? is it a question of the tactical aspect? The way we defended on the goal? I think everything’s connected.

“For sure I’m going to analyze it. Against Orlando we also conceded two goals also quickly. Today, it was the same. We need to be better on that.”

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Even down a goal, it seemed virtually certain CF Montréal would escape with some kind of result after Carranza was ejected in the 71st, leaving the Union short a man, following his second caution of the match.

The club came close. In the 79th, following a corner, Rida Zouhir pushed a shot wide from distance. He had plenty of time on the play and should have been able to find the target. Two minutes later, Zachary Brault-Guillard sat a cross to Canadian international defender Kamal Miller. But he was denied by goalkeeper Andre Blake, a three-time MLS all-star.

Indeed, with CFM taking risky offensive chances in its pursuit of the equalizer, it was Philadelphia that came just as close to producing a third goal, ‘keeper Sebastian Breza twice denying Mikael Uhre.

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CFM has now started the season with two consecutive defeats for the first time since 2018, outscored 4-1 in the process; its lone goal coming from Lassi Lappalainen, who opened the scoring against the Union in the 32nd.

Kamara, playing his 300th MLS game, looked like someone out of sync with his new teammates. While he came close in the 69th, his header following a cross from Brault-Guillard going just over the bar, there were n’t enough service attempts to the 37-year-old, who has produced 130 career goals. That’s the only way to utilize his strengths from him while taking advantage of his natural abilities from him.

“We have to work harder,” Brault-Guillard acknowledged. “There’s quality on the team; I’m confident of that. We’re missing a little magic and it’s not easy playing on this (hard) ground. But it’ll come back, I’m confident. We have excellent players.”

But with five of its first six regular-season games on the road, combined with having to play in the Champions League, will it simply be too much of a burden to overcome?

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