Montreal fans know football and know how to be loud at the right moment. That’s why the advantage of playing a playoff game at home is huge for the Alouettes.
The meeting is already scheduled for Saturday, November 4th at Percival Molson Stadium. The spectators then have the task of causing damage to the opposing quarterback, especially when they call offensive plays.
Everything will be fine for the Alouettes players on the field, but also off the field as the routine will be easier to follow. Playing at home helps with preparation and there are fewer distractions.
I can’t confirm that this is still the case, but there was a time when Montreal was the City of Vice in the Canadian Football League. It wasn’t unusual to find a few players from opposing clubs in certain facilities in the city center… However, every destination has its peculiarities, especially during the playoffs.
In Saskatchewan, telephones often ring in hotel rooms in the middle of the night. Some somewhat die-hard Roughriders fans enjoy disturbing their opponents’ sleep. I can’t blame anyone, but it is strange that the information about the name of the hotel and room numbers fell into the hands of the partisans.
In Calgary, where I played with the Stampeders for a decade, car horns could be heard at night near the opposing club’s hotel. All in all, it is during the game that the noise caused by fans causes the most damage and Alouettes fans understand that.
Breaking into the team
The Alouettes and the Tiger-Cats are in a special situation as they face each other for the first time, also in Montreal, on Saturday, October 28th to conclude their regular season before meeting in the first round of the playoffs.
A physical fight is expected between the two teams in the final game of the season, but no one will have any intention of hurting an opponent. Alouettes head coach Jason Maas will not change his mentality as he wants to win every game. On the other hand, we expect that this part of October 28th will be used to refine the team for the next meeting. I would be surprised if the starters were used throughout the game. The intricacies associated with payroll accounting also need to be taken into account.
We can also plan short plays in both formations, running in the center and short passes. Clubs will avoid disclosing long games and we will logically want to avoid injuries. Before November’s fireworks at Percival Molson Stadium, it will be a very defensive, potentially low-scoring game. Until then, the Alouettes will take advantage of a bye next week.
Comments collected by Benoît Rioux