MONTREAL - In a fifth consecutive sold-out game at Stade Saputo, CF Montréal earned a point in a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC on Saturday.
CF Montréal directed 13 shots at Joe Willis' goal, including two on target. The Montrealers also completed 550 passes for a pass completion percentage of 87.3.
CF Montréal will welcome D.C. United to Stade Saputo on Wednesday, before visiting the Philadelphia Union on June 1 ahead of the international break.
COMPLETE SUMMARY HERE
MATCH NOTES
-This fifth consecutive sold-out match is a first in the Club's MLS history. The record number of sold-out matches is 10 in 2016.
-Bryce Duke played his 100th MLS match.
-Ruan earned the 120th MLS start of his career.
-Jonathan Sirois made four saves to earn his third shutout of the season.
LAURENT COURTOIS
“I really enjoyed seeing the fans express themselves, even if we would have liked to give them something more tonight. I wanted them to see that it was appreciated and for the guys to thank them. We can't wait to give them more. There's a lot of work to be done on the decisions when you get into the penalty area. Nashville can punish you on turnovers. But tonight is the standard and we hope it doesn't drop any lower. The technical staff has been working to see how we can bring about a deeper awareness within the group. We've focused our sessions less on recovery and more on the behaviors we want to see. We've put more emphasis on this over the last few days and we'll continue to do so. I don't really like the expression "stop the bleeding", but that's the reality at the moment. We didn't want a heartbreaking scenario where, in the last minute of the match, we conceded. That would have been difficult. But the guys fought hard. So, yes, in a way we're pleased to have regained our former level of commitment and competitiveness. But we know we have to do better at home.”
FERNANDO ÁLVAREZ
“Tonight was a tough game tonight against a good team. We knew how they were going to play based on our previous experience with them. They were very physical. And we all know our recent results have been difficult but the best we can do is return to basics. First, we need to set the mentality we want to have. We showed that today in the second half. And that needs to be our starting point. Even if we aren’t playing well, we must show that fighting spirit and desire to win every battle. We are trying to return to basics and defend well. As a defender, my main target is to preserve the integrity of our defense.”
JONATHAN SIROIS
“In the last few games, we've conceded a lot. To go out tonight without conceding is positive. It's something we can build on. We've got a game coming up very quickly. So we need to keep up this pace against D.C. United. This year, I've got more responsibility. Obviously, that means different situations. But most of the time I manage well. Tonight was a bit more complicated. To a certain extent, the team's collective spirit helps us. We're a team that wants to build from the back, but it's up to me to limit the circumstances in which these interventions can go wrong. In general, I'm going to continue to play to feet and find passes. It's a question of limiting errors by moving forward. At home, we know we have to do better and get the three points. But if you take the current situation into account, a draw is a positive thing. But we can also be disappointed with the chances we've created for ourselves.”
