CF Montréal  vs. Minnesota United FC

Stade Saputo | Montréal, Quebec

06.10.2023 | MLS Week No. 16 | MLS Game No. 15

7:30 p.m. CT (AppleTV - Free, 1500 ESPN)

Hello, fellow waterfowl enthusiasts! Come on in, grab yourself some poutine and settle in because it’s preview time once again. Following their 1-1 draw with Toronto last Saturday night, the Loons have completed their two-game-a-week grind and find themselves with a bit of a breather midweek before they head north of “the north” to face CF Montréal on Saturday evening. Getting a little more rest during the week is surely a good thing in terms of finding more time to regroup and relax for the sake of each player’s fitness. Something else that’s pretty nice? It gives the boys more time to strategize for the return of Loons talisman Emanuel Reynoso as he further integrates back into the fold with the Black and Blue. Welcome back el Rey, it’s great to see you again. Now, let’s get our preview on…

Minnesota United 

Run of Form: D-L-D-L-W

While the Loons have earned one point out of a possible six in this past week’s slate of games, there is some optimism to be drawn from their 1-1 draw with Toronto last Saturday. Mainly, the return of a big piece of the club’s midfield that was missing. The Loons effort during Reynoso’s extended absence is nothing to sneeze at, as they defied the media prognosticators and, while not always pretty, performed above expectations. Now, with the Loons holding the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings, and Bongi blossoming, el Rey’s return will give the Loons even more potency in the attacking third — something they have lacked at times in his absence. It makes them more dangerous, and makes for good vibes for the rest of this season’s outlook.

CF Montréal

Run of Form: L-D-W-W-L

The fellas of CF Montréal have experienced more lows than highs throughout the 2023 campaign. Currently sitting in tenth place of the Eastern Conference standings, the club had ended the month of May on a bit of a high note after rattling off a three-game unbeaten streak with wins over Canadian club Forge FC and Inter Miami CF, and drawing even with D.C. United. Their first game of June, however, brought them a bit back down to earth after getting walloped by 2022 Eastern Conference champions, Philadelphia Union, 3-0. They also sit dead last in the Eastern Conference in the goal differential department (-12) — surely something the Loons will hope to exploit this Saturday evening.

Keys to the Match:

Creativity Is King

Or, more specifically, el Rey is a key to finding more opportunities on the ball. His creativity with the ball and his ability to operate in small spaces offers a dynamic the Loons have noticeably less of when he isn’t on the field. That became somewhat evident subbing on in the second half of the Toronto match to make his season debut for the club. Even to the untrained soccer eye, the Loons increase in ball possession and opportunities to score were a noticeable trend, even in just 35 minutes of action. Hopefully, he’s able to go the full 90 minutes against Montréal, because it makes the attacking third of the Loons that much more dangerous throughout. 

Fresh Pepper

With Reynoso’s return comes more clear looks on goal. For much of this season, the Loons have shown that they are somewhat of a second-half team. But now with #10 in the mix again, it would serve the Loons well to get the firing squad shooting out of the gates. Especially with Montréal holding the worst goal differential in the entire Eastern Conference, it would be interesting to see what success the boys can find in the scoring department when they crank the frequency of shots on goal to eleven. And, getting up early would certainly relieve some of the pressure on Dayne St. Clair and the defensive line.

Set Piece Succession

It’s not to say the Loons haven’t been able to convert using set pieces this season, but with Reynoso likely returning to his usual free kick and corner kick duties, so too comes the return of a bit more accuracy in those instances. The upgrade in accuracy could open up even more creative set piece plays from Coach Heath. Not only that, it could be key to finding more scoring conversion success on some of those set piece plays that landed in No-Loons Land, only to be taken away by the opponent.