Quebecers Samuel Piette and Mathieu Choinière formed a complementary and solid duo in CF Montreal's first game of the season last Saturday, and their successes will be repeated against FC Dallas' dynamic attackers at the end of the week.
It's quite a challenge that awaits Bleu-Blanc-Noir abroad. Croatian Peter Musa, whom the Texas team signed on loan for a record fee, is expected to make his debut this season. With the ever-dangerous Jesus Ferreira at the helm, the defense must remain vigilant.
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A lot of the work goes to Piette and Choinière, who passed the ball often against Orlando. Their cooperation was almost perfect in this game, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
“With Mathieu in the middle, it’s hard not to feel comfortable,” Piette said at a press conference on Friday. He's such a confident, controlled player. SO, [c’est génial] Having him at my side and knowing that he will focus more forward while I will naturally stay more at the back to balance the team and watch out for opposing counter-attacks.
If Choinière tries to be a mediator in attack, Piette takes more pleasure in neutralizing his rivals and winning balls back. The communication is good and that makes Laurent Courtois very happy, who has good depth in midfield.
“They played at a very good level. “It was impressive,” said the head coach. Could you repeat it? You have to be consistent. […] We know this behind the scenes at Victor [Wanyama] or Rida [Zouhir] and the return of Nathan [Saliba], we have solid options. Of course they were interesting, but we also know what path still lies ahead of us.”
A style that pleases
Speaking of Courtois: His strategies seem to be unanimous after a meeting, says Piette.
“I feel good and I think that goes for all the other players too,” said the captain. There were very good things in that game against Orlando, especially in terms of the mentality, the humility of all the players, the will to defend together and stay united in the more difficult moments.
In addition to the two young Quebec veterans, Matias Coccaro, Dominik Iankov and Josef Martinez have left a nice calling card in their first steps at CF Montreal. It's only a matter of time before the attack is unlocked.
“That’s the style of play we want to implement: be aggressive, create lots of chances,” assured Choinière. The new players bring an excellent dynamic to the group, whether on or off the field. We saw their impact from the first game. There is a beautiful connection between them and with us.”
All this without forgetting the defensive play that allowed him to hold his own against one of the best clubs in Major League Soccer. Dallas certainly won't be fazed on their turf on Saturday night, especially after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes there last week.