Montreal Loses Fifth Straight Home Game to Charlotte Independence

Enzo Martinez’s Goal Enough to Sink FC Montreal 1-0

SportsTristan D’Amours — Published July 30, 2016

I don’t say this often but I think the best team lost today. We were better in many aspects of the game,” said FC Montreal head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “I’m very disappointed for the kids.”

Eullaffroy and his team spent their two weeks by working on their transition game. Eullaffroy’s squad now showed the ability to move the ball up to the goal.

“Maybe for the first time this season we were better than the opposition but it didn’t translate to the final score.” – Philippe Eullaffroy

However, because the team was without a striker, Impact first-team and recurrent loan Anthony Jackson-Hamel was sidelined with an injury, FC Montreal continued with their scoring woes. The team had trouble finishing opportunities and getting the ball in the net.

“We lacked a bit of quality in the box, like we often do,” said Eullaffroy. “That’s the problem when we don’t have a striker.”

Following the deadlock score at the half, it didn’t take long for the Independence to score after leaving the locker rooms.

At the 49th minute, Charlotte goalkeeper John Berner threw the ball from his box all the way to striker Caleb Calvert on the other side of the field to create a counter attack. Calvert took Montreal defender Thomas Meilleur-Guiguere to the left corner and took advantage of his missed tackle to pass to midfielder Enzo Martinez who scored from the penalty spot.

“I think there may have been a lack of communication where there should be the keeper or a central defender sending someone back,” said Eullaffroy. “Now it’s true [conceding goals early in the second half] is a thing we often do, we worked on a lot but this still needs to be done.”

Despite increasing their home record to five straight losses since moving to Complexe Sportif Claude Robillard, Montreal leaves this game thinking they still did some things right.

“Defensively, we were all on the same page,” said left back Aron Mkungilwa. “I think that we played a good game overall, a little more complicated in the second half but there are positives.”

“In Rochester we were good, today we were good. Maybe for the first time this season we were better than the opposition but it didn’t translate to the final score,” said Eullaffroy. “On the last two games it’s very encouraging and it’s clear that by playing like we did, we will get wins.”

The Boulajoul Option?

Ultimately, what FC Montreal is missing is a true striker who will score and Eullaffroy knows this problem very well. On the roster sheet, only Badreddine Boulajoul is listed as a striker.

The Moroccan-Canadian joined FC Montreal last month from the Impact under 18 team, scoring 14 goals in 21 games in the 2015-2016 United States Development Academy season. However, Eullaffroy remains realistic with what he can bring after only a month with the team despite being their only true striker.

“We have young quality players, they are additions to the group and, with respect to they can bring, they are not players get bring superior help,” said Eullaffroy. “He is only in his first United Soccer League minutes.”

The head coach is conscious about the players he has and the players that have, and will join the team. Despite this, he doesn’t think they will budge from their modus operandi.

“Our reinforcements come from the under 18s whereas others have reinforcements coming from higher levels,” said Eullaffroy. “It’s our structure, it’s our creed, our karma with the good and the bad sides.”

FC Montreal now head into a heavy stint of matches with four games to play in ten days. They will start by hosting FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, August 3, then the Richmond Kickers on Saturday August 6.

They will finish their 4 game home streak by hosting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on August 10 before heading to South Carolina to play the Charleston Battery on August 13.