NASHVILLE, TN – CF Montreal unbeaten streak and the three-game winning streak were snapped. After eight straight games without a loss in MLS play, CF Montreal came up short in a 2-1 loss to Nashville SC at the new GEODIS Stadium.
CF Montreal unbeaten streak was snapped in a 2-1 loss at GEODIS Park
Pretty even start but Montreal concedes
Five minutes into the first half we had yet to see a shot on target as we saw the ball go from one side of the pitch to the other and it was pretty even. In the 13-minute, Montreal finally got a shot on target. However, it rolled right into the hands of the Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis.
HAVE A HIT ALEX MUYL
WE LEAD 1-0 pic.twitter.com/jj4bwCShGl
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) May 19, 2022
25 minutes into the game it was still scoreless with both clubs looking to gain the advantage and that first goal of the game. Three minutes later, the home side opened the scoring when Alex Muyl with a powerful shot went far post on Sebastian Breza to give Nashville the 1-0 lead.
Breza made his first real save in the 40-minute as Hany Mukhtar tried to cross the ball but it went right into his hands. In the 44-minute, Montreal earned a free-kick but Djordje Mihailovic shot rolled right into the hands of Willis who was able to make the save. Kei Kamara had a great chance in the dying seconds of the first half as he was able to head a ball on target after a great feed from Alistair Johnston but Willis again denied the native of Sierra Leone.
Montreal gets on the board but it’s not enough as CF Montreal unbeaten streak ends
We love a Hany goal at @GEODISPark 〽️ pic.twitter.com/DBbkrVMrpl
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) May 19, 2022
Head coach Wilfried Nancy made two changes at the beginning of the second half taking out Mathieu Choiniere and Lassi Lappalainan for Ahmed Hamdi and Zorhan Bassong looking to spark his team and get them back in the game. Mukhtar doubled Nashville’s lead in the 51-minute when he got a solid pass from CJ Sapong and put the ball past Breza.
54' @keikamara inscrit le premier filet des Montréalais ce soir!#NSHvMTL | 2-1 | #CFMTL pic.twitter.com/qzcXPBO4RM
— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) May 19, 2022
Kamara responded for Montreal three minutes later when he tipped a shot and ran into Willis and the ball ended up in the back of the net after the play looked in serious pain but quickly returned to the pitch. Romell Quioto entered the game in the 58-minute for Joaquin Torres. Kamal Miller tested Willis in the 62-minute with a stunning shot on target but again the Nashville keeper made another key save and minutes later it was Quioto with his first offensive opportunity. Sapong had his first shot on target on the ensuing play but it was Breza’s turn to make a save.
In the 66-minute off a free-kick, Breza was at it again this time with a diving save to keep the ball out of the net and keep Montreal’s deficit to one. Three minutes later Nancy made two more changes subbing in Ibrahim Sunusi and Samuel Piette for Mihailovic and Victor Wanyama.
Fresh off coming into the game, Sunusi went for the cross but the ball went again right into the hands of Willis who did a good job catching the ball. Montreal was doing a great job putting immense pressure in the dying minutes of the game but couldn’t get a shot on target. Two minutes of time was added to the 90 but it wasn’t enough as Montreal suffered their first loss in over two months which saw their unbeaten streak snapped, which included a historic win over Orlando City SC.
Coach reaction
Head coach Wilfried Nancy in his post-game press conference spoke about the key differences between the first half where they suffered once again from a slow start but were able to recover and play a better second half despite taking the loss.
” We built off the first half and we were better in terms of what we wanted to do and possession and in that half, we were the better team but again we fell short”.
Player reaction
Alistair Johnston spoke about how he tried to ready his team to play against his former team where he started his MLS career before getting traded in the offseason.
” We knew the first 15 minutes were going to be intense and I did my best to get the team ready because they are a good team and once they have a lead it is very tough to get back in the game, they have built a fortress and they are a very difficult team to break down”.
Logan Ketterer was in the lineup for the first team since joining the club as the backup goalkeeper and after the game, Nancy confirmed James Pantemis had been sanctioned but wouldn’t elaborate or give any details saying he would be back at practice on Friday.
Kamara’s goal puts him one back of the MLS record for all-time goals scored while Samuel Piette played his 10,000th minute in a Montreal uniform, CF Montreal will be back in action on Sunday as they will fly home to get ready to face another Western Conference foe in Real Salt Lake at Saputo Stadium.
