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CF Montréal took advantage of being one man up at Stade Saputo

CF Montreal player Samuel Piette celebrates his goal with his teammates against Toronto FC

MONTREAL, QC – CF Montréal took advantage of their one-man advantage against Toronto FC. Noble Okello’s red card came early in the game, which was the last thing TFC wanted. Full credit though to Montreal, who took advantage of their scoring opportunities and got the important 3-1 win over their Canadian Classique and BMO Derby rivals, Toronto.

CF Montréal took advantage and got three critical points

Three keys to the game

Noble Okello’s red card

Noble Okello made a dangerous challenge to Victor Wanyama. The reason why he got the red card was his foot being high at the thigh of Victor Wanyama. TSN commentators were talking about the play and agreed with the referee’s decision. Maybe a yellow card could have been awarded, as there was no ill-intent. However, it was also a dangerous play that Okello should learn from in his professional playing career.

This red card was the biggest reason why TFC lost the game against Montreal. Montreal had 10 shots on goal and 61 percent of the possession. A lot of that had to do with the red card and that Toronto was a man down against Montreal.

Toronto FC’s defence was not good enough

Yes, TFC was down one man, but the defence did not do them any favours. They once again gave up the first goal of the game. Luke Singh lost the ball at the beginning of the game. This resulted in a lightning shot from Joaquin Torres that almost went into the net. Torres and Samuel Piette also were troubling Toronto’s defence in the 21-minute.

Then in the 22-minute, Omar Gonzalez made a bad foul just outside the box. This allowed Djordje Mihailovic to take the free-kick in a dangerous position. His shot was saved by TFC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg. However, Piette made the heads-up play and got the rebound to score Montreal’s first goal.

Now, one can say that Westberg should not have given up such a big rebound in front of the goal. However, Toronto was also caught falling asleep and Piette took advantage. It is a goal a team should not concede even when a team is a man down.

CF Montréal took advantage of their scoring opportunities

Montreal did have a 1-0 lead in the first half. However, they left a lot of chances unanswered in the first half. For example, Bjørn Johnsen should have scored in the 36-minute from very close range. However, Johnsen was unable to make proper contact and trouble goalkeeper Westberg.

The second half was a different matter though. It did not look good when they conceded a goal to their BMO Derby rivals Toronto early in the second half. However, their two goals in the second half were clinical and well-planned.

Looking at this goal, it was well-planned. There was some great passing in the game. This resulted in a Torres goal for Montreal. It was a great positive play from Montreal. Zachary Brault-Guillard in particular made a great pass and somehow found Torres, who finished off the scoring chance. The last goal of the game was also well done.

Djordje Mihailovic timed his pass perfectly to Romell Quioto. Quioto was able to get behind Toronto’s defence, who must have been tired after being a man down for so many minutes. However, credit to Montreal, they won the game and are now in a more comfortable playoff position.

CF Montréal took advantage in a 3-1 win at Stade Saputo

Yes, Toronto did score a goal thanks to Yeferson Soteldo and Ifunanyachi Achara. However, being a man down was too much for TFC to overcome. They once again gave up the first goal of the game as they did against Inter Miami CF and many other games this year. Their winless streak is also extended to seven games and they remain last in MLS with 15 points.

As a result, they are 12 points behind D.C. United, who have played one less game than Toronto. Washington, D.C. currently holds the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. At some point, TFC will need to make a decision. Should they pursue an MLS playoff spot or put all their focus on the Canadian Championship? This is because time is running out for Toronto to make a run for a possible MLS playoff spot.

This is while Montreal got three crucial points. They are four points ahead of Washington, D.C. even though they played one more game. They are tied with New York City FC in points, but NYCFC holds the tiebreaker in wins. It is important to note that New York City has played three fewer games than Montreal.

There will be an international break for both teams after Friday’s game. Montreal will have another home game though against Nashville SC at Stade Saputo on September 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. This is while TFC will travel to Cincinnati to face FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. The game will also take place on September 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Both the Montreal and Toronto games will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN. The TFC game will also be shown on Star64 while the Montreal game will also be shown on TVA Sports and MyTV30.

Embed from Getty Images

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