Tag: CF Montréal

This MLS playoff race is an absolute mess

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess

The race for the MLS playoffs is promising that Decision Day will be as bonkers as it ever has been.

The final day of the regular season is less than a month away, with 28 of the league’s 29 teams set for two breathless rounds of simultaneous kickoffs, one for each conference (sorry D.C. United, you’re just going to have to follow along at home).

There’s an old MLS truism that a team just needs to stay in touch until late August or so, and that if said team can start to heat up around Labor Day, you’re looking at a major threat coming from what on paper is a low playoff seed. Plenty of teams with multiple MLS Cups in their trophy case have at least one season where they followed this plan to a tee.

However, in 2023 it’s not so much about getting hot at the right time as simply ending up next to an empty seat during a poorly-played game of musical chairs. Seven teams have clinched their playoff berths already, and two more are simply abysmal.

That leaves 20 teams vying for 11 postseason spots in what is an extraordinarily forgiving set-up. The problem is that almost none of this group seems able to get a solid hold on their invite to the big dance.

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess:

MLS terminates Miljevic’s contract after amateur league cameo

As it turns out, changing your name to play in a local amateur league is against the rules

After a brief investigation, Major League Soccer has terminated the contract of CF Montréal midfielder Matko Miljevic.

Miljevic was swiftly axed following last week’s revelation that he had been playing in a local amateur league under a false name, and was reportedly kicked out of the competition after assaulting another player.

MLS determined the 22-year-old had engaged in conduct detrimental to the league, and was also in breach of his contract.

A MLS statement on Monday said: “Following an investigation, Major League Soccer has terminated the contract of CF Montréal midfielder Matko Miljevic for engaging in conduct detrimental to the league and violating his Standard Player Agreement.”

According to a report from DansLesCoulisses, Miljevic was invited by a friend to play in the QCSL, a local amateur league that operates in the Montréal suburbs.

Likely knowing that his participation would violate his MLS contract, Miljevic adjusted his name by one letter to become “Matko Milojevic,” and played in three QCSL matches in July and August, according to the league website.

If the mere fact of his participation in the QCSL under a fake name wasn’t bad enough, the way Miljevic’s time in the league ended was even more problematic.

According to the report from DansLesCoulisses, the former U.S. youth international got into an argument with an opponent and punched him in the face. He was swiftly kicked out of the league, and the victim is considering filing a criminal charge for assault.

Miljevic tallied two goals and two assists over three seasons with Montréal, starting just eight total MLS games. The midfielder’s strike rate in the QCSL was far more impressive, as he scored six goals in just three games.

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CF Montreal’s Miljevic moonlights in amateur league under false name

“Matko Milojevic” was reportedly kicked out of the league for assaulting another player

Matko Miljevic wasn’t getting the playing time he wanted at CF Montréal, so he took matters into his own hands.

Did Miljevic request a transfer? Learn a new position? Have a heart-to-heart with his coach? Reader, you probably already know that he did none of those things. Instead, Miljevic found a new league that would offer as many minutes as he desired: Ligue Québécoise de Soccer Calcetto.

The QCSL, as it’s known, is a local amateur league that operates in the northern suburbs of Montréal. According to a report from DansLesCoulisses, Miljevic — who has just 124 total MLS minutes this year — was asked by a friend to play in the QCSL.

Miljevic said yes to the request, but there was a catch. Knowing that his MLS contract would forbid him from playing in the QCSL, the 22-year-old played under a false name in the amateur league.

And so, Matko Milojevic was born.

The QCSL helpfully lists the stats of “Milojevic,” who performed about as well as you’d expect: three games, six goals, two assists — though he did pad those stats with a five-goal performance against the tremendously named Bayer Neverlosen on August 8.

But there’s another curious designation on the player page: At the top, it lists “Milojevic” as being suspended indefinitely.

This, per the report from DansLesCoulisses, is where things get even weirder.

Miljevic apparently got into an argument with an opponent during a match and struck the person in the face. The match was immediately ended, and the former U.S. youth international was told he is no longer welcome in the QCSL.

The victim is reportedly considering filing a criminal charge for assault.

On Thursday, CF Montréal head coach Hernán Losada confirmed that MLS had opened an investigation into Miljevic, who will be kept away from the team in the meantime.

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CF Montreal closes Toronto FC away section after brawl between fans

Ugly scenes at BMO Field mean no away fans at Stade Saputo

The latest meeting between Canada’s biggest rivals was marred by ugly scenes in the stands, and that has consequences.

CF Montréal’s Canadian Championship quarterfinal win over Toronto FC on Tuesday saw animosity in the stands boil over, with supporters from both teams brawling during the match.

With both teams set to meet again on Saturday — this time at Stade Saputo in an MLS league match — Montréal said that it would close the away section for the game.

“The incidents that occurred on Tuesday night in Toronto are unfortunate and unacceptable,” read a Montréal club statement. “CF Montréal condemns all acts of violence, and an investigation is underway. The safety of our fans and supporter groups is of paramount importance to the club. No violence of any kind is tolerated at Stade Saputo, nor at any other stadium to which our fans travel.”

“We have consequently made the decision to close the visiting supporters’ section at Stade Saputo for Saturday’s game against Toronto.”

TFC said that the club is “actively investigating” the violence during the match.

“Toronto FC and [Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment] have a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and we continue to prioritize the safety of our fans, players, and staff,” read their statement. “We are committed to ensuring BMO Field is a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

Canada Soccer has released a statement of its own, promising to investigate and saying that they expect to announce a decision on any disciplinary matters next week.

Montréal has acted on this front before, banning one of its own supporters groups in 2021 for what it said were acts of violence, intimidation, vandalism, and the use of unauthorized pyrotechnics.

Tensions have been high at both clubs, as Montréal struggled mightily to start the 2023 season before an uptick in form over the last month has resulted in five straight wins across all competitions.

Toronto, meanwhile, were expected to contend at the top of the Eastern Conference, but have won just twice in the league and sit in 13th place.

That may help explain why the unfortunate scenes weren’t entirely disputes between opposing sets of fans. After the match, video emerged showing a TFC fan — following an apparent verbal altercation with Mark-Anthony Kaye — hurling a megaphone from the stands at the Canada midfielder (note: video contains vulgar language).

Montréal’s win pushed them through to the semifinal of the Canadian Championship, where they’ll face Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League.

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MLS Madness™ as double-VAR goal helps CF Montreal stun Philadelphia Union

Did you know VAR can VAR itself?

It’s safe to say that Jim Curtin didn’t enjoy the late, er, show at Stade Olympique on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Union boss was left baffled after his side threw away a 2-1 road lead to fall 3-2 at CF Montréal. Julián Carranza was sent off in the 69th minute, and the Quebecois club turned a seeming loss into a stunning win thanks to a goal that went through two different VAR checks, and a 98th minute Romell Quioto winner.

It started well enough for Montréal, who took a third-minute lead. Mathieu Choinière’s shot was handled by Jakob Glesnes, sending Quioto to the spot early. The Honduran had no trouble converting the penalty, giving Montréal their first goal of the season.

The Union weren’t happy with their first half, and wasted no time getting level. Mikael Uhre shot home after just 20 seconds following excellent work from Leon Flach and Dániel Gazdag.

Philadelphia then produced a lovely second, passing their way around the characteristic high press of Hernán Losada’s teams. A series of headed passes fell to José Martínez, whose clever lob opened the game up.

Gazdag then essentially produced a carbon copy of Martínez’s pass, taking advantage of an odd hop off the Big O turf to send Uhre in alone for a brace.

However, Carranza picked up a second yellow card nine minutes later, crashing into Joel Waterman well after the ball was gone.

It was a golden chance for Montréal to break out of a season-opening three-game losing streak, but even as Losada threw in a quadruple substitution to try and get his team some kind of equalizer, shots for the home side were hard to come by. The Union were showing their experience, and seemed set to kill the game off for a hard-earned win.

Montréal had seemingly one last push, though, and produced an unconventional equalizer in the 90th minute. Waterman, a center back, ended up in space on the right wing, and served in a hopeful cross. Choinière, a wingback, found himself in the goalmouth, and despite the attentions of three Philadelphia players, floated a header back against the grain.

The Union were bailed out, as the ball clipped off the crossbar and away from goal. With the game up for grabs, Chinoso Offor simply wanted it more than Glesnes, winning a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge to bundle the ball across the line.

VAR held up referee Nima Saghafi, though: Offor and Sunusi Ibrahim were possibly offside as Choinière’s header went towards goal.

Replays seem to point to a goal coming back, but even after Saghafi booked Losada for urging the game to restart and then checked the monitor, no conclusion came. Saghafi left the monitor after less than 30 seconds, calling the goal off. Montréal captain Victor Wanyama pleaded with an official, and before play resumed, VAR called down again.

The overturned call needed to be checked again…by the guy who had overturned it.

Saghafi took another look, and this time the goal stood. Unsurprisingly, the two coaches had differing takes.

“Luckily for the beauty of the sport and for us tonight they could come back and make the right decision because at the end they made the right call,” Losada told reporters after the match.

Union boss Jim Curtin felt somewhat differently in his remarks, saying “the word s—show comes to mind,” adding that “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

Answering a question sent by a pool reporter after the game, Saghafi explained the situation:

On the initial review, the defender holding [Offor] onside was off screen. After the initial review occurred, prior to play restarting, the VAR discovered an angle that clearly showed that [Offor] was in an onside position when the ball was last touched by a teammate.

Back to the game, which wasn’t over. Losada’s D.C. United teams were known for going all-out for wins, whether or not that was the wisest course of action. With a home crowd roaring and a short-handed, fatigued opponent, though?

You probably already know where this one’s going: in the eighth minute of stoppage time Choinière was involved yet again, looping a cross to the back post. What started as a battle between Quioto and Union right back Olivier Mbaizo ended with the former easily shedding the latter, and Quioto turned the resulting free header into a dramatic, last-gasp winner.

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Jim Curtin wins incredibly close 2022 MLS Coach of the Year race

Curtin has claimed the award for the second time in three years

Jim Curtin is the 2022 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year, but only took the prize by the narrowest of margins.

The Philadelphia Union boss, for the second time in three seasons, was the winner in polling involving players, media, and club general managers. He’s the fifth coach to win the award multiple times, and at 43 is the youngest to do so.

Curtin guided the Union to the top of the Eastern Conference, with his side picking up 67 points and missing out on the Supporters’ Shield only via the games-won tiebreaker. Philadelphia finished the year with by far the best goal difference in the league, a +46 mark resulting from setting club records in goals scored (72) and fewest goals conceded (26). Both marks were best in MLS this season.

He also seemed to find a new gear this year for the Union, who had previously been characterized purely by their pressing tactics and defensive organization. In 2022, those aspects remained intact, and were augmented by a far more dangerous attack that saw Dániel Gazdag, Julián Carranza, and Mikael Uhre each manage to produce at least 19 combined goals and assists.

Despite all that, Curtin won the award by just 0.1% of the vote. While the player and GM votes both leaned towards him, the media ballots broke heavily towards CF Montréal coach Wilfried Nancy. LAFC’s Steve Cherundolo (who won that aforementioned Shield) also ran Curtin close in all three categories. The breakdown gave Curtin 23.57% of the total vote, besting Nancy’s 23.47% mark by less than one percentage point.

Curtin and the Union will be busy this weekend, as they host the Eastern Conference final on Sunday night against NYCFC (8:00pm Eastern, FS1/Fox Deportes).

Watch Curtin get the news at Subaru Park

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NYCFC put on counter-attacking clinic, bounce CF Montreal from MLS playoffs

NYCFC were ruthless in transition as they ended Montréal’s season

NYCFC has serious designs on extending their reign as MLS’s top dog for another season.

The defending champions went to Quebec and dismantled CF Montréal 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Maxi Moralez, Héber, and Talles Magno all scored as the 2021 MLS Cup winners combined mastery in transition moments with some excellent goalkeeping from Sean Johnson (at least, in the first half) to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

Throughout 2022 Montréal earned a reputation as the experts at drawing teams towards over-committing before catching them out. In their biggest game of the year though, NYCFC taught them a lesson, time and again manufacturing transition moments by forcing turnovers just as Montréal committed too many men forward.

Nick Cushing altered his side’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, bringing an extra center back in, but that didn’t hamper their razor-sharp attack. An energetic start resulted in an early goal for NYCFC, with Moralez calmly depositing the ball into an empty net after Gabriel Pereira and Santiago Rodríguez had done most of the heavy lifting.

From that moment through to the last seconds of the half, it was all Montréal. Sean Johnson produced two jaw-dropping saves, Kei Kamara hit the post, referee Drew Fischer turned down a penalty shout from Djordje Mihailovic, and the home side would also have a goal on a clever set piece called back for offside. NYCFC would enter the locker room with more yellow cards (three) than shot attempts (two).

That second shot ended up being critical though, as a jailbreak counter saw NYCFC take a 2-0 lead. Montréal’s fast recovery appeared to have ended the danger, but Rodríguez played a marvelous ball to Héber, whose run went completely undetected. The pass was so good that all the Brazilian veteran had to do was casually tuck the ball past James Pantemis, stunning Stade Saputo.

Wilfried Nancy brought Rommel Quioto on to push for a comeback, but another incisive NYCFC counter ended with Pantemis tripping Pereira in the box. Fischer awarded the obvious penalty, and Talles Magno — with virtually his first touch after coming on — finished it off from the spot.

Montréal would at least salvage some pride with a late goal from Mihailovic — a routine header that Johnson was inexplicably unable to fend off — and gave NYCFC some worries in the final minutes, but ultimately the cutting edge shown by New York City made them worthy winners.

NYCFC will head south on I-95 to take on the Philadelphia Union in a rematch of last year’s conference final, which is set for October 30.

Watch the goals that sent NYCFC past Montréal

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Ismael Kone’s star continues to rise with playoff winner vs. Orlando City

The 20-year-old’s stock continues to skyrocket

Ismaël Koné scored the winner midway through the second half, sending CF Montréal to the Eastern Conference semifinal with a 2-0 victory over Orlando City in an MLS playoff match on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Canada international has had a breakthrough campaign and his star continued to rise after a well-worked goal assisted by Djordje Mihailovic.

Mihailovic would add a penalty deep into stoppage time to lock up the win.

Montréal controlled most of the possession on the night but it was the visitors who had the better of the chances, squandering several good looks in the first half.

Those misses would prove costly as Montréal took full advantage of its first big chance of the evening, which was put away by one of the rising stars in CONCACAF.

Koné only joined Montréal in August 2021 from local semi-pro club CS Saint-Laurent. One year later, Montréal turned down a seven-figure bid from Sheffield United on transfer deadline day. They may not be able to hold on to him much longer.

The midfielder has also rocketed up the depth chart for Canada and has just about locked up a place on the team’s World Cup roster. Now the question is how much he’ll play in Qatar.

Before the World Cup though, there is the matter of trying to bring an MLS title to Canada. Koné and his teammates will face the winner of Monday’s game between Inter Miami and New York City FC in the conference semifinal.

Watch Koné’s winner vs. Orlando City

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The MLS playoffs begin with three days of potential upsets and chaos

Thoughts and predictions from every opening-round playoff match

After the obligatory long, strange trip, the MLS playoffs are here.

The first round will feature six one-off games, with the higher seeds all hosting. While LAFC and the Philadelphia Union kick their feet up and watch, the remaining playoff sides will try to navigate a first round that is typically volatile. If your playoff predictions are looking pretty chalky, you’re probably off base.

Pro Soccer Wire is ready for the kind of drama MLS virtually always manages to conjure up at this time of the year, and we’re diving into each and every first round match-up with analysis, broadcast information, and predictions.

MLS playoff brackets are set after Decision Day drama

Thoughts on every playoff pairing after Decision Day’s drama

It’s officially playoff time in MLS.

Sunday afternoon saw some high tension in the Eastern Conference that ended with Orlando City coming back to secure the final playoff spot over the Columbus Crew. For the Crew, a season of lost leads ended with Facundo Torres netting an 84th minute penalty kick, giving the 2022 US Open Cup champions a win they had to have to get into the playoff spot.

Fans then watched Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake win the race for the last two spots in the West, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers in what turned out to be effectively an appetizer for the actual postseason. Minnesota largely held Vancouver to little en route to a 2-0 win in St. Paul, while the Timbers controversially dropped midfielder Eryk Williamson and were run over by RSL, falling behind by three goals before a very late goal gave them a more respectable-sounding 3-1 loss.

While the playoff dates and times are yet to be announced, we now know all 14 playoff teams, and what the first round looks like.