Wilfried Nancy starts MLS head coaching career with huge win
Everything about Saturday just felt good.
The style of play, the players’ assurance on the ball, the movement, and, of course, the finishing.
CF Montréal and new head coach Wilfried Nancy were simply dominant all over the pitch in their opening game of the season, slotting four past Toronto in what ended up being a lopsided affair to kick things off in 2021. If some were left surprised with the result (cough cough MLS experts), Nancy wasn’t.
“I’m not surprised with what we did because this is the way we’ve been working for a long time,” said head coach Wilfried Nancy. “I’m very happy because they put emotion on the side and focused on the task. That’s why we performed well. For a first game as a head coach, against Toronto, of course, I’m happy. But this is only the first game, so we have to keep moving forward.”
Nancy’s men were able to take control of the game’s rhythm right away. Although Toronto applied the high press, Montreal’s defensive line was able to easily bypass it, playing precise balls over that first line of pressure from TFC and circulating it quickly and efficiently from side to side.
Mason Toye was then able to set the tone early. After Zachary Brault-Guillard dispossessed a Toronto player and rushed forward, he was able to find Toye to his left, who took it on his first touch, curling it perfectly into the top corner.
“I wanted us to play our football,” explained Nancy. “That consists of being aggressive defensively and trying to attract them when we have the ball so that we can build speed. I think we did that quite well. For a first game, without a lot of time to prepare and put these things in place, I’m very proud of my players.”
Managing confidence
It was the type of performance that could lay a solid foundation for 2021. With 10 new players in the squad, some of which made an immediate impact in the season’s first game, and a new head coach, the slate has been wiped completely clean for the Montreal side.
A big first win against a team many Montrealers hate, with an abundance of goals and a dominant performance all around, might be the momentum Nancy’s men needed to start the season away from home.
“We know how good we could be, and it’s the confidence within the group that’s going to bring us success or failure,” said midfielder Djordje Mihailovic. “Right now, our confidence is through the roof, but we can’t let it get too high, because we know it’s just one game. All our focus is on this next game, against a really strong team.”
That team is Nashville SC, who gets set to host CF Montréal this Saturday at Nissan Stadium at 2pm, after they tied their opening game of the season against FC Cincinnati. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports, 91.9 Sports and TSN 690.
