Montreal kicks off MLS season this Sunday
CF Montréal kicks off its 11th season in MLS on the road, this Sunday at 1pm when it takes on Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium.
It’ll be the club’s second season under head coach Wilfried Nancy, who will be eager to keep the momentum going following the team’s win in the Concacaf Champions League, last Wednesday at Olympic Stadium.
“This is a new season and it’s going to be a marathon,” said head coach Wilfried Nancy.. “Like I tell my team, we need to embrace that and play our game. We have our big vision, now it’s about taking it game by game. We had a really good game a few days ago and we were happy, but now the objective is to repeat that type of game.
Wilfried Nancy’s men will have a slight advantage heading into their season opener this Sunday, having already played a two-legged series before the season against Mexican side Santos Laguna. After losing the opening leg 1-0 in Mexico, the team stormed back to win 3-0 at home and advance to the quarterfinals.
They’ll be taking on Mexican side Cruz Azul, who dispatched of Forge FC in the round of 16. The first leg is set to take place on March 9 at Estadio Azteca, while the second leg will take place on March 16 at Olympic Stadium, at 8pm. Tickets on sale here.
But the focus now shifts to the beginning of the MLS season against Orlando this Sunday. These two teams last met in the last regular season game of the 2021 season at Stade Saputo. With both teams needing a win to qualify, Orlando got the better of Montreal that day, therefore eliminating Montreal from contention.
That matchup will certainly still be on the players’ minds as they walk onto the pitch at Exploria Stadium this Sunday.
“They have more speed this year, and they should be more aggressive on the defensive end,” added Nancy. “They’re a team that added some very good players. The game is at 1pm as well, which is complex for both sides. It will be a complicated game, but we’re excited to play it.”
After our season opener, the Club will return to Montreal to prepare for its home opener against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, March 5, at 4pm, at Olympic Stadium. Tickets for our home opener are available here.
