For the first time in the 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign, the New England Revolution travel to Saputo Stadium to battle CF Montreal on Saturday.
Both sides are currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with Le CFM a point behind Atlanta United, while the Revs are at the bottom of the conference, five back of that post-season line.
Match preview
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Montreal return to MLS action this weekend seeking to return to the win column, losing their previous league contest, 1-0, at home against Toronto.
Heading into this weekend, the Canadians have claimed just one victory in their previous five matches across all competitions, and that inconsistency has kept them below the playoff line for much of this year.
In the 2024 regular season, Laurent Courtois has seen his side fail to win five matches after drawing first blood, resulting in 11 points being dropped.
Their home form has not been as strong in 2024, winning just four home contests domestically, while they can claim a maximum of nine home triumphs this year, which would still be one fewer than a season ago.
Le CFM are undefeated at home this season against Eastern Conference opponents that are currently below them in the table, playing to a 0-0 draw with Nashville SC and defeating DC United 4-2.
After 25 domestic fixtures this season, Montreal have 34 goals, just two fewer than they managed by the end of the previous MLS campaign.
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As the domestic campaign resumes, New England have a lot of ground to make up if they are to claim a post-season berth for a second successive year.
Caleb Porter's men have six teams to catch in the playoff race but have two games in hand on everyone above them in the Eastern Conference, so their post-season destiny is in their hands.
The Revs will have their share of positives to take away from their Leagues Cup campaign, where they were eliminated in the round of 32 on penalties versus New York City FC (7-6), failing to lose a single game in normal time at that tournament.
However, they are winless in four consecutive matches played in this competition, with their last domestic triumph coming in early July at home to Atlanta United (2-1).
So far this season, they have triumphed three times away from home in this competition and have a chance this weekend to surpass their wins total as the visitors from 2023.
It has been over three years since they came away with maximum points away from home against Montreal, beating them 4-1 in July 2021, while they have lost their last two visits to Saputo Stadium by a combined margin of 5-0.
Team News
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Logan Ketterer was on the bench for Le CFM in their Leagues Cup defeat to the Philadelphia Union (2-0), having previously missed time with an ankle injury, while Lassi Lappalainen was an unused substitute as he has been in and out of the lineup due to a groin strain.
Last week, they traded Ruan and Ariel Lassiter to Dallas and the Chicago Fire respectively, receiving conditional General Allocation Money (GAM) in both instances, while Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Caden Clark are seeking their first league appearances for Montreal, having both signed with them earlier this month.
Last season, a goal from George Campbell was all they needed to defeat the Revs 1-0 as Jonathan Sirois made two stops to collect a clean sheet.
This weekend, the Revolution could be without top goalscorer Giacomo Vrioni, who has a calf strain, Noel Buck and Dylan Borrero are dealing with groin issues, while Emmanuel Boateng has a sore hamstring.
Tomas Chancalay will not return this season because of a knee injury, Carles Gil may miss another encounter with a sore lower leg and his brother Nacho Gil continues to recover from a meniscus problem.
In their previous domestic encounter, Bobby Wood scored the only Revolution goal, helping his side earn a 1-1 draw at home against Dallas.
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Waterman, Alvarez, Sosa; Marshall-Rutty, Choiniere, Piette, Edwards; Duke, Yankov; Coccaro
New England Revolution possible starting lineup:
Ivacic; Bye, Arreaga, Parker, Miller; Polster, Kaye; Panayotou, Harkes, McNamara; Wood
We say: CF Montreal 1-0 New England Revolution
The 2024 Revs do not look nearly as potent as the ones of the recent past, netting the fewest goals in the league this season (23).
Without Carles Gil's creativity, Montreal may not have as much trouble contending with the New England attack, leaving them with plenty of scoring opportunities on the counter.
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