“Who sees the tears in the rain? asked Mario Belchat. CF Montreal watched that very sad game at Chicago Fire on Tuesday night at Saputo Stadium.
Updated yesterday at 11:38 PM.
Montreal won 3-2 after a rainy match and a superb performance by veteran Key Camara. Moreover, the sign did not reflect the pace of the meeting, which was completely dominated by the local population.
“Bravo for what he’s doing today,” Wilfried Nancy commented about Camara after the match. His reliable man participated in all three of his goals – he scored two goals and added one assist.
“He created situations in the game. He does things that help the team. But what interests me is his attitude from the start. Whether he plays 5 or 95 minutes, the old man is always there. He is a competitor.”
Guaranteed to finish the season among the Eastern Conference’s top four, Montreal also confirmed it would play its first home game of the playoffs.
“He’s our older brother.”
All this happened in the first half for Nancy’s team. A period that Camara used to prove to everyone that he ages like good wine in this league. His performance on Tuesday raised his tally to 8 goals and 7 assists in 31 matches. At 38, on his paycheck, and in the last-minute circumstances that precipitated his arrival in Montreal in January, this was an almost unexpected production.
“The funny thing is that I don’t even drink!” The sympathetic attacker laughed in front of the media.
at 21e In the minute, Ismail Kone’s pass was saved into the penalty area with a 1-0 goal. His seventh of the season.
Eric Bolt’s photo, USA TODAY
Mason Toy and Kee Camara
at 29e, received the small serve from Kony – again – on the edge of the penalty area, with his back to goal. He turned around to receive the ball, armed his strike, and then set his eighth in 2022. Plus 138e of his career in MLS.
After a goal from Xherdan Shaqiri from a penalty kick in the 39th minutee – Awarded after a very bad outing by Sebastian Brezza – Camara sent Zachary Broult Gillard to the right of the penalty area in the 44th minutee. The hero of the last match did it again to extinguish the embers of fire, and the result was 3-1.
The striker may have scored two goals in 30 minutes, and it was this pass that made him feel so proud.
“What makes me happy is my passes,” he said, taking a more serious tone. It was my turn when I got here. for help. Not to help out on the field, but to help the guy next to me. Off the field or in training.
He continues: “I know I can score goals. I never cared about him. When I’m on the field, I know my job and what I have to do.”
What makes me most proud is connecting with these players on the pitch, giving them the light, getting us into the final third and helping to score a goal.
Key Camara
Refers to the first match. And “apologizes” for stealing the opportunity of Ismail Kony, who would not have reached the net without Camara’s touch. The young Quebec did not hold him against him. He was more concerned that MLS didn’t give him an assist on that pass than his teammate. “They want to steal my stats!” Kony let out a smile after raising his hands to his face.
“It’s easy to play when Ki is there,” he said. Kei has experience. He’s our older brother here. In the field, he is a leader. It motivates us. »
the fire went out
The rain had faded at the start of the match, after the grounds of Saputo Stadium had flooded a few hours earlier. A respite that was appreciated by the brave Montreal fans, many of whom wore ponchos. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 football fans were gathered in the wet enclosure.
The Fire can’t blame the rain for their poor performance: After being effectively disqualified from the playoffs, Team Windy City is going through another season of misery. Until Shaqiri’s arrival as a designated player off-season he couldn’t blow embers to revive him.
The visitors got another penalty kick in the 57th minutee, on a slight foul by Joel Waterman in the penalty area. away from the ball. Shaqiri beat Briza again to close the difference 3-2.
But CF Montreal didn’t care. He took on the task of keeping the ball for the rest of the match and securing his eighth home win in 2022.
“I wish I was more relaxed,” Nancy remarked. We stupidly got into trouble.
“We had to win that match. There were good moments, good defensive and offensive sequences. I want more control. This is the next step.”
Connie and “The Profession Awaiting Him”
Moreover, it was a great performance by Ismail Kony. On the eve of the Canadian selection camp, he looked really happy and fun in front of the media. When asked about the possibility of him being called up by John Herdman for friendlies on September 23 and 27, he smiled mischievously.
“I don’t know, I don’t know John’s plan,” he says. Doing this camp is definitely a goal for me. »
He was praised by Ki Camara. The veteran striker rubs shoulders with Alphonso Davies in Vancouver before leaving Western Canada for Bayern Munich. Does he see a similarity between the two?
“Spending time with Phonzie, it was amazing to see how hard it is to stop a young player who is ready to reach great heights. An infallibility of a kind.”
Wilfried Nancy wanted to qualify.
“He’s only been with us for a year and a half. He lives his life on the fast track. […] The idea is that it becomes more stable, in every sense of the word. If he can continue to mature like he does, he will have a good career ahead. »