FC Montreal Praises Patience in Post Mortem

Head Coach Eullaffroy Cites Positive Season Despite Last Place Finish

SportsTristan D’Amours — Published September 27, 2016

In its second season of existence, FC Montreal saw a United Soccer League with new teams and new challenges. A 14th place finish this season ranked them last in the eastern conference, a worse result than last year’s tenth place, which ranked them second-to-last.

“The number one lesson is that we need time and patience,” said Eullaffroy. “We had a lot of examples throughout this season that showed that time had its effect and a good effect.”

Last season, the clear winner for FC Montreal’s player of the season was Alessandro Riggi. This year, the choice was separated between two players.

“On the youth side, I would say Ballou [Tabla] and Thomas Meilleur-Guiguère were the two players that really progressed. They had issues at the start of the season but start to master and dominate [the USL].

Those are things that we need to assess in the coming weeks to see if both jobs are still manageable or if I need to choose one or the other.” —FC Montreal head coach and Impact Academy director Philippe Eullaffroy

Under the spotlight since the very beginning of the season because of reports from Europe saying big clubs were watching him, Tabla has had an interesting season. After struggling with the USL style of play early on, the 17 year-old improved on FC Montreal’s wing with the amount of playing time given to him.

“I had trouble adapting but with the playing time, I got to put myself on the wing and find more space,” said Tabla. “I took [the media attention] as motivation to show people what I’m capable of, to show the work that I do and the effort I put in training.”

The Canadian youth international now believed that after one season in the USL, he can take his play to the next level and play with the Montreal Impact first team.
Meilleur-Giguère also had trouble with the level of play but was forced in a starting role due to the injuries and the shortage depth at the center back position.

“The transition between the under-18s and the USL was huge for me. I didn’t expect the players to be this fast and this good,” said Meilleur-Giguère. “They really surprised me. Some criticized the USL, I applaud them.”

Eullaffroy also praised older academy player and captain Louis Beland-Goyette, who he deemed the more veteran player of the season. After being let go from the Impact first team two years ago, Beland-Goyette joined FC Montreal in an attempt to take a step back in order to make two steps forward.

“Two years ago he was with the pros and it was a bit complicated, last year in the USL it was still pretty limited and this year he was three steps above the others,” said Eullaffroy. “This shows once again that time is necessary to the progression and development of young players in order to perform with the first team.”

Beland-Goyette is pretty happy with his season and believes he has a shot in the next Impact training camp.

“I sat with the coaches and the asked me what I would want out of a defensive midfielder and I think that this is what I proved this year. I think that they will be happy on that front,” Beland-Goyette said.

FC Montreal’s season was also marked by its first ever player signing a Major League Soccer contract with the Impact first team. David Choinière was announced on June 28 as the first FC Montreal homegrown signing for the Impact.

In two seasons of existence, FC Montreal has graduated one player to its first team, a number that sounds a bit low to Eullaffroy but still respects the objective the team has given itself.

“The objective for us would be to sign three players every two years,” said Eullaffroy. “Last year we didn’t have one, this year we got one, I hope that we will have pleasant surprises by the end of the year.”

Some voices around the Montreal soccer landscape were suggesting that Eullaffroy’s double job of FC Montreal head coach and director of the Impact Academy was too hard too handle. The club will be trying to improve the academy in the next few years and Eullaffroy has his mind set on a few changes as academy director.

“I know what there is to do but it occupies a big place so will I be able to do both? That’s the question I have to ask myself, that the club has to ask itself,” said Eullaffroy. Those are things that we need to assess in the coming weeks to see if both jobs are still manageable or if I need to choose one or the other.”

“The two job are exciting so it’s little like choosing between your mother and your father.”

With the season done, FC Montreal players will hope for an invitation to the Montreal Impact training camp in the winter of 2017. The USL season is set to restart in the spring of 2017.