FC Montreal: Stalemate

Late Pre-Season Game Against Rochester Ends in Scoreless Draw

SportsVince Morello — Published March 15, 2016

If there was one word to describe the match at Olympic Stadium, it would be defensive as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

“We’ve known for a while that defensively it was getting better,” said FC Montreal head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “Unfortunately [this game] confirmed that offensively we have a hard time finishing.”

Both teams struggled to break through the midfield for any significant scoring chances, let alone have shots on goal in the first half.

In the second half, both teams traded some minor changes. The best chance of the game came from an FC Montreal passing play between Mastanbal Kacher and Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, but it was stopped by Rochester’s goalie.

Despite the long-storied rivalry between the two clubs, there was only one yellow card throughout the whole game.

It’s clear that both teams are looking to start the regular season to see what their squads are really made of. However, for FC Montreal, they’ll be without Alessandro Riggi who still remains out with an injury.

With the season looming, Eullaffroy says the team still has some offensive issues to work out.

“We want to get at least five or six scoring chances per match. Last year it was something we were missing,” Eullaffroy said. “That’s the next challenge and it’s what we really need to work on.”

“We need to take chances, that’s what is going to help us win matches,” said FC Montreal midfielder Marco Dominguez. ”When we have 2 chances, 3 chances, we need to finish.”

FC Montreal will play their final pre-season game this Saturday Mar. 19 versus the Ottawa Fury at the Olympic Stadium.