David Critchley urges St. Louis City to improve attacking efficiency before facing Montreal. After a 1-1 draw with Dallas despite 42 shots, St. Louis seeks a win to boost playoff hopes. Montreal, rested and unbeaten in five, aims to continue their strong form.
St. Louis City SC's interim head coach, David Critchley, is challenging his team to sharpen their attacking edge as they prepare to face CF Montreal. The call to action comes after a disappointing 1-1 draw against FC Dallas, a match where St. Louis dominated but failed to convert their chances.
In the Dallas game, Celio Pompeu's early goal was quickly nullified by Petar Musa, and Dallas were reduced to ten men after goalkeeper Michael Collodi was sent off in the 16th minute. Despite the numerical advantage and controlling the game with a staggering 42 shots, amounting to an expected goals (xG) total of 3.64, St. Louis couldn't find the decisive goal.
Critchley expressed his frustration, stating, "Yeah, it feels like a loss. Regardless of them having the goalkeeper sent off early in the game, their style of play was something we prepared for. It was something we expected. We knew that they were going to be in a low block. We needed to create moments from those chances and the execution was not there."
The result further diminished St. Louis' already slim playoff hopes, leaving them languishing in 14th place in the Western Conference, a distant 13 points from a postseason berth. Critchley emphasized the need for self-reflection, questioning how his team could generate so many opportunities and still fail to secure three points.
Now, St. Louis travels to Stade Saputo to take on a well-rested Montreal side. Montreal hasn't played a league game since August 30, when they drew 1-1 with Toronto FC. In that match, Jonathan Osorio's late equalizer dashed Montreal's already fading playoff hopes with only five games left in their season.
However, Montreal has shown resilience recently, remaining unbeaten since July 19, when they lost to the Chicago Fire. They've also secured victories against the New England Revolution and Austin FC during their five-game unbeaten streak. Montreal's interim boss, Marco Donadel, believes his team is rejuvenated after the September international break and ready to tackle their remaining league fixtures.
"It has been a bit more relaxed, especially within the staff because we have gone through a period of not having a match to prepare for in the MLS," Donadel said. "We’re trying give our best for the team to succeed in the remaining games of the season. We took two days off to gain some energy and we returned on a beautiful day. We have enjoyed training this week without talking about the last game. That is not our focus. We are thinking about the next game and we are back in our normal routine."
Players to Watch:
CF Montreal – Prince Owusu: Owusu has been a standout performer for Montreal this season, scoring 12 goals in 29 appearances. His partnership with Dante Sealy, who has six goals, has been crucial, with the duo accounting for over half of Montreal's 29 goals in the MLS. Since July, they've scored nine of the team's 12 goals, with Owusu netting five and Sealy four.
St. Louis City – Eduard Lowen: Lowen provided the assist for St. Louis's only goal in their last match, extending his streak of goal contributions to three straight MLS games (two goals, one assist). He will be key to unlocking the Montreal defense.
Match Prediction: CF Montreal Win
This will be the first-ever meeting between Montreal and St. Louis. St. Louis is currently winless in their last five matches against Canadian MLS clubs and has only one road win in Canada (at Toronto in July 2023). Montreal, on the other hand, is unbeaten in their last five regular-season matches, equaling their longest unbeaten run in the last three seasons. They last had a longer streak in 2022 with eight games.
St. Louis will be aiming to improve their shooting accuracy after recording 42 shots in their last game against Dallas. While impressive, they need to convert those chances into goals.
Opta Win Probability:
- CF Montreal – 43%
- Draw – 26.7%
- St. Louis City – 30.3%