Columbus is remains unbeaten in MLS play thanks to a 2-1 win over D.C. United last weekend. Two goals from Diego Rossi propelled the Crew to all three points after falling behind early on. Columbus welcomes a CF Montreal side that is dead last in MLS, just fired their coach (Former Crew 2 Coach Laurent Courtois), and desperately seeks a kickstart to their season. The Crew are looking to keep pace in the Eastern Conference and remain in the top half of the table. While this match may seem straightforward on paper, there is more than meets the eye at play for Columbus on Saturday

CF Montreal at a Glance:

Record: 0-2-4, 2 points

League Form: D-L-D-L-L

Leading Scorer: Dante Sealy, Nathan Saliba, Prince Owusu (1)

Assist Leader: Prince Owusu, Luca Petrasso, George Campbell (1)

Player to Watch: Prince Owusu

Owusu is the main catalyst for the Montreal attack and acts as the focal point for the offense. Montreal, who played a very similar formation and style to Columbus, used Owusu as the main target for their attacking play in possession. Owusu’s giant frame and strength combined with his excellent first touch allow him to be the perfect target forward for Montreal in possession. Once Montreal’s attack enters the final third, Owusu’s size and aerial ability make him a huge threat in the box. This threat also creates space for his teammates to drift into as defenders gravitate towards Owusu.

How CF Montreal play: 

Take everything I am about to say with a grain of salt. Before firing Laurent Courtois, Montreal was incredibly similar to the Black & Gold in terms of formation, shape, and identity. This will be the first match since Courtouis’ firing, so there is exactly zero film on what Interim Manager Marco Donadel will do on Saturday. That being said, I find it unlikely that Donadel will make significant changes to the team for two reasons. 1.) He was part of the staff with Courtois and thus likely prefers his teams to play a similar style. 2.) Montreal’s roster has been built to play said style. So while we can’t rule anything out on Saturday, here is what I think we can expect to see from Montreal.

In possession, Montreal will likely operate out of a 3-4-3 base formation, the Montreal wingbacks will push high up the field, occupying the opponent’s backline as much as possible. Montreal will also use their back three to instigate attacks and play passes into their central midfielders. Most times, Montreal will have four players in central areas, with two midfielders slightly closer to the backline to help circulate the ball and keep possession and two players closer to the frontline looking to receive the ball and kickstart the Montreal attack. The main difference between Montreal and Columbus is that Montreal is much more willing to play long, direct balls out of pressure than Columbus. Don’t be surprised to see Montreal play longer early in the game to try and open up the Crew’s backline. 

Defensively, Montreal is once again incredibly similar to Columbus. Montreal’s base shape when defending is a 5-2-3, just like Columbus. Montreal will use their front three to apply pressure high up the field whenever possible. However, at times they will defend closer to their own goal in a mid-defensive block in order to remain defensively solid. In their visit to Columbus last year, Montreal sat very deep and dared the Crew to break them down. Don’t be shocked to see the same again on Saturday.

How the Crew can win:

The Crew and their fans should expect to win this match. However, due to the unpredictability of an interim manager, and the fact that there are zero guarantees in the MLS, means the Crew will still need to be at their best on Saturday. Here are three keys to the match. 

1. Exploit 1v1 Matchups: It is likely that Montreal will mirror Columbus’ formation on Saturday. With both teams playing the same formation, there will be 1v1 matchups virtually all over the field on Saturday. Look for Crew attackers to exploit these matchups off the dribble or quick combinations with those around them to get in behind.
2. Defend Long Balls: With Prince Owusu as their target and the space that the Crew will give them, Montreal may be very eager to play long direct balls in behind the Crew’s backline. There have been a few games this year where the Crew have struggled to defend these situations. Look for the Crew backline and Schulte to be dealing with these moments effectively on Saturday.
3. Movement, Movement, Movement: The Crew will dominate possession on Saturday and Montreal will likely play the same formation as Columbus. Thus, space will be limited for the Crew to play in. The Crew has struggled at times this year (and years previous) when facing teams who play the same formation. Look for the Crew attackers to have fluid, varied movement in order to create confusion for the opponent’s backline.