CF Montreal vs Charlotte FC: 1 v 1 battles to watch
- Brian Maurer
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
By Brian Maurer
It's hard to believe this is possible, but Charlotte FC will be traveling to CF Montreal for their home opener this weekend. That's right, Montreal is coming off a seven-game road trip to start the year. Now the Crown aims to crash their home opener party and take the points.
Charlotte is looking for their first road win of the season, and playing a winless team is about as optimal an opportunity as it gets. However, Charlotte has never won in Canada, so this game should not be taken lightly. Here are three key battles to watch that could decide the outcome for this matchup:
Joel Waterman vs Patrick Agyemang/Idan Toklomati
Joel Waterman is going into his fifth season as one of Montreal's starting center backs. The Canadian side will be depending on Waterman to hold back either Patrick Agyemang or Idan Toklomati, as there is probably a 50-50 chance of who could start at striker for Charlotte FC.
The Canadian international is also a key ball progressor for Montreal, so Toklomati or Agyemang will need to make sure they get some pressure on the ball when Waterman has it to prevent their build-up play from succeeding. Charlotte's strikers should be hungry to get after it in this one as Montreal's defense is one of the worst in MLS.
Luca Petrasso vs Liel Abada/Kerwin Vargas
Luca Petrasso is Montreal's forward-advancing left back. He leads the team in progressive passes and passes into the final third. Since a lot of the attacks could be built up on Montreal's left side, it will be a pivotal decision for Dean Smith on who to start at right wing. Liel Abada was left out of the eleven last week, and Kerwin Vargas was subbed in at halftime ahead of Abada. This is another starting position that looks to be up for grabs at the moment; whoever earns the start will need to have an impact. With Petrasso being an attack-minded left back, that impact will need to be seen in both directions.
Nathan-Dylan Saliba vs Brandt Bronico
Nathan-Dylan Saliba is one of Montreal's most promising young talents, and he will likely need to make his presence felt if the Canadians are to push for points against Charlotte. Brandt Bronico will likely be one of the key men charged with stopping Saliba from building up play or getting forward into dangerous areas.
Saliba is willing to crash into the box to help support the attackers, marking him box-to-box will be key. Bronico's willingness to run will be needed to help mitigate that threat.
Summary
This game will be all about momentum. CF Montreal has had very few positives to start the year in great part because of their long early-season road trip. They will be looking to build some momentum quickly now that they are finally in front of their hometown crowd.
Charlotte has struggled mightily on the road to start the year, they will be pushing to build some early momentum of their own against this struggling Montreal side. Whoever scores first could feel a huge momentum boost as Montreal has yet to hold a lead this season, and Charlotte has yet to hold a lead on the road.
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