CF Montréal looking for offensive boost against struggling FC Cincinnati
Quioto #Quioto
It has been feast or famine, offensively speaking, for CF Montréal through the early portions of the Major League Soccer season.
The team produced a season-high four goals in its opening game against Toronto FC. It also hit the back of the net twice against both Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF. But CFM also has failed to score in half of its six matches, one of which ended in a draw.
“I believe the first few games were good for the team and the (forwards) up top,” striker Romell Quioto said Friday, through an interpreter, during a video conference. “We were able to score a few goals. Obviously, it’s been a bit irregular on that end.
“We need to keep on working and improving, to score on a more regular basis, one game after another.”
Quioto led the club formerly known as the Impact with eight goals last season and was named Montreal’s most valuable player. And, while he scored against the Reds to launch the season on the right foot, the Honduran international has failed to add what must seem like an elusive second goal.
He and his teammates undoubtedly hope that comes to an end Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., TSN5, TVA Sports, TSN Radio-690, 91.9 FM) when they face FC Cincinnati at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Cincinnati could be the ideal opponent at the most opportune time. The side is last in the Eastern Conference with an 0-3-1 record. The team has scored only four goals while allowing 13. CFM, conversely, is one of five clubs tied for fifth in the East. It has a 2-2-2 record.
“Every game is difficult in MLS,” CFM manager Wilfried Nancy insisted. “Every game. We don’t care about who we’re going to play. We care about the opposition we’re going to face and we care about us, what we’re going to do. For me this is a game we have to win. That’s it, that’s all.
“Every game we can win or lose,” he added. “I prepare every game with the same intensity, desire to win and have success. The players know that. If I see one of my players is a little bit lazy because we’re going to face a team that’s not particularly good, he will not play for me.”
There’s no doubt CFM has squandered points this season. It was the dominant team against Columbus in a 0-0 draw, failed to hold onto a 2-0 halftime lead at Nashville and lost a point last Saturday night, at Atlanta, allowing the match’s only goal with seconds remaining in stoppage time.
“We were very disappointed,” defender Kiki Struna admitted. “We played very well defensively. We were fighting for 93, 94 minutes. Then they scored 30 seconds before the final whistle. That happens. This is football. It happens and it will happen again — I hope not to us. In football you never know.
“At the same time we must learn from that. We could have taken a point, go home and be happy. The last two minutes we must do things differently. We didn’t get the points that we deserved.”
CFM has two games remaining before pausing for a three-week international break.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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