2023 MLS Regular Season Record: 12W - 5D - 17L
Key Takeaways from 2023
What transfer revenue?
I think I had Montreal as my pick for favorites to win the wooden spoon in the East last year, but to Hernán Losada’s and the squad’s credit, they proved me wrong. While the season wasn’t necessarily stellar, they were only a goal differential away from qualifying for the play-in round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Montreal adopted various three-back formations, with the 3-4-1-2 being the preferred lineup for Losada’s squad. Kwadwo Opoku played alongside a variety of different center-forwards up top, and Bryce Duke most frequently occupied the CAM role. The midfield underwent rotations due to injuries, but Nathan Saliba, Mathieu Choinière, and Samuel Piette were the most frequent contributors. Victor Wanyama missed a considerable amount of time in the second half of the season due to injury. Finally, Joel Waterman, George Campbell, and Gabriele Corbo comprised the back-line.
I labeled the other center-forward spot as a rotating cast because it genuinely was just that, and none of the players occupying that role managed to find consistent scoring form for the club. Designated player Romell Quioto missed a significant portion of the season, and Opoku, along with others, didn't join until later in the year. Montreal struggled in both chance creation and finishing, ultimately scoring the third-fewest goals in MLS.
The club's performance in Goals minus Expected Goals (G - xG) wasn't impressive either. Despite their subpar chance creation, they still finished in the bottom quarter.
Their top scorer and biggest overachiever in G - xG was Choiniere (5 goals vs. 3.3 xG), followed by Opoku (4 goals vs. 3.6 xG). On the other hand, Chinonso Offor (4 goals vs. 5.2 xG), Sunusi Ibrahim (3 goals vs. 4.9 xG), and Ariel Lassiter (1 goal vs. 3.4 xG) finished below their expected totals.
Montreal had the majority of possession in only 12 of their 34 matches last season, and in the other 22 matches, they averaged in the low 40s in terms of possession percentage. The emphasis on long balls into the opposition is intriguing, but my knowledge is somewhat limited on Losada-ball. During his time at DC, he was recognized for his squad's resemblance to the Red Bulls, but I'm not seeing that dynamic here, or perhaps they just didn't execute on pressing well enough.
Goalkeeping duties shifted between Jonathan Sirois and James Pantemis at the beginning of the season, but Sirois secured the starting role by the end. Unfortunately, the stats don't paint an impressive picture, as the defense continued to concede a considerable number of shots on target in each match, with the keepers saving two-thirds of those.
However, in post-shot expected goals (PSxG), both keepers were at least in line with the expectation. Montreal finished just shy of zero at -0.5, and Sirois and Pantemis ended the year at -0.3 and -0.2, respectively.
Most aspects of Montreal's performance this year were sub-par, from roster-building to tactics and results. I do want to acknowledge the players and coaches for surpassing most pundits' expectations, including my own. However, not making the playoffs when so many teams do now isn't an ideal way to conclude the year.
Losada was let go after the season ended, and Laurent Courtois took over as manager at the start of this year. Courtois' experience lies mainly at the academy and reserve team levels, but I'm intrigued to see what he can bring to Montreal. As the saying goes, l'habit ne fait pas le moine.
Top Sorare Fantasy Performers
Goalkeeper: Jonathan Sirois | L15: 41 | 60+ pts games: 13 | Clean sheets: 11 | Penalties saved: 0
Defender: Joel Waterman | L15: 52 | 60+ pts games: 6 | Goals: 1| Assists: 1 | Clean sheets: 10
Midfielder: Mathieu Choinière | L15: 53 | 60+ pts games: 6 | Goals: 6 | Assists: 2
Forward : Kwadwo Opoku | L15: 49 | 60+ pts games: 4 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 1
Extra: George Campbell | L15: 46 | 60+ pts games: 6 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 1
2024 Outlook
Last Updated 1/30/2024
GIF Rating:
Outgoing Players
James Pantemis - Goalkeeper - Option Declined
Zachary Brault-Guillard - Right-back - Option Declined
Ahmed Hamdi - Attacking Midfielder - Option Declined
Sean Rea - Attacking Midfielder - Option Declined
Jean-Aniel Assi - Winger - Option Declined
Jojea Kwizera - Left Midfielder - Option Declined
Romell Quioto - Centre-forward - Out of Contract
Aaron Herrera - Right-back - Traded to DC United in exchange for Ruan and $500 General Allocation Money (GAM)
Incoming Players
Ruan - Right-back - Acquired from DC United in exchange for Aaron Herrera and $500k GAM
Raheem Edwards - Left-back - Acquired from LA Galaxy for $400k in GAM
Sebastian Breza - Goalkeeper - Transfer from Bologna
Joaquín Sosa - Centre-back - Loan from Bologna
Dominik Yankov - Attacking Midfielder - Transfer from Ludogorets
It’s a start
CF Montreal arguably faces one of the toughest starts to the 2024 season, with six consecutive away matches, including three against 2023 playoff opponents and one against Inter Miami. The challenging fixtures, coupled with a new head coach in Laurent Courtois, might result in a bumpy start to his tenure. Nevertheless, I believe they've had a more efficient offseason compared to last year.
They traded Aaron Herrera, who was no longer a starter, for Ruan, added Raheem Edwards, and brought in reinforcements from Bologna in Serie A. I’ll note that players from Bologna haven't necessarily stood out for Montreal in previous loan or transfer moves.
The most significant move for Montreal this offseason was the transfer of Dominik Yankov from Ludogorets. On Transfermarkt, his main position is listed as a CAM, and he has experience at both the national team level and in international European competitions. I assume it will take some time for him to settle into the league, but credit to Montreal for making it happen.
Historically, Montreal hasn't had a great record in MLS, except for the year under Wilfred Nancy, and I don't have high expectations for this year either. They currently have two open designated player spots and desperately need another goalscorer up top to complement Kwadwo Opoku. I anticipate them using one of the spots for that position, but I'm unsure if it will happen in this transfer window. As for the other DP spot, it may depend on how Courtois decides to line up the team and what needs arise based on his chosen tactics.
Overall, Montreal are hopefully looking more towards a summer surge, because the first half of the season won’t be easy.
Projected Starting Lineup
Montreal have the roster to continue playing in a 3-4-1-2 if they want, but I’m unsure what Courtois has in mind. For now, I’ll stick with what’s been their historical preference.