CF Montreal can return to the MLS playoffs after a one-year absence with a victory against the visiting Columbus Crew on Friday.
Montreal (16-9-4, 52 points) is on a 7-1-2 run to move into second place in the Eastern Conference. The club has set franchise records for most wins and points in a season with five matches left.
Yet, Montreal coach Wilfried Nancy is wary of a Columbus (9-6-13, 40 points) team clinging to the sixth of seven postseason spots in the conference.
“Columbus is a good team,” he said. “We are very aware of the fact that they have some very good players that can make the difference at any moment. It will be a difficult match, of course. They’ll be fighting to confirm their spot in the playoffs.”
The Crew are 3-0-4 in their past seven road matches to improve their away record to 3-2-8 this season. The 2009 Los Angeles Galaxy are the only team to lose as a few as two road games in a full season (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season).
“We haven’t always gotten results on the road but we’ve taken points every game but two, which shows a consistent, really strong mentality and form and confidence,” Crew coach Caleb Porter said.
The Crew have lost once in the past 16 matches (6-1-9), but the defeat was at home to Montreal on Aug. 3. Kei Kamara tied it 1-1 in the 88th minute for Montreal and Joel Waterman scored the winner in the 94th. Columbus is 3-0-3 since the defeat.
Comebacks are becoming commonplace for Montreal, having trailed Toronto FC 2-0 on Sunday before scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 4-3 victory.
“I’ve been in many different locker rooms and managers, but the collectiveness within this group is massive,” Kamara said. “It’s what allows us to get ourselves together whenever we’re down. We bring each other up and it allows us to keep pushing.”
–Field Level Media
