FC Cincinnati has a chance against CF Montreal to deliver a modicum of payback for what was arguably FCC's most frustrating result of the 2021 season to date.
After Montreal twice came back from down two goals on July 17 and handed FC Cincinnati a 5-4 loss, FCC on Wednesday hosts Montreal at TQL Stadium.
A variety of factors contributed to making the mid-July match staged in Canada one worth paying back.
Multiple players were unavailable for a variety of reasons, including border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even escaping with a draw would have been a steal considering that.
Ultimately, FCC left Quebec empty-handed after it failed to protect two leads in the game.
"We know how they play and I think last game we scored a lot, (four) goals," FC Cincinnati's Yuya Kubo said during a Monday interview. "Still, last game, we didn't keep the ball and we conceded five goals and I think most important is we don't concede a goal."
FC Cincinnati head coach Jaap Stam indicated he had mixed feelings about whether or not there was added emotion or motivation.
One thing that was clear was FC Cincinnati players and staff studied the way in which they lost to Montreal, and they're eager to make good on the mistake of one month ago.
"Emotion, yeah – from within here we're emotional in terms of what we can show, what we need to do and what we have done," Stam said. "We feel in a certain way because of how we played a lot of games that we could have got more out of these particular games, also in the Montreal game. We should have had more out of this game and we couldn't...
"You need to keep hold of (leads). If you see other teams who have the same lead at times, they can get stuck in there and then get it over the line and get the three points. We didn't do that in this particular game, which makes it at times frustrating."
The Game
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at TQL Stadium.
TV/Radio/stream: Star64/ESPN-AM (1530)/fccincinnati.com.
Series info: FC Cincinnati leads the all-time series against Montreal, 3-1-0.
Cincinnati.com prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, CF Montreal 1.
FC Cincinnati
Record: 3-7-7, 16 points; 13th in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 18
Goals against: 30
Coach: Jaap Stam – second season as FC Cincinnati head coach (7-20-11)
Projected starting lineup:
Przemysław Tytoń, GK
Ronald Matarrita, left back
Gustavo Vallecilla, center back (left)
Geoff Cameron, center back (right)
Nick Hagglund, right back
Yuya Kubo, midfielder
Luciano Acosta, midfielder
Allan Cruz, midfielder
Alvaro Barreal, winger
Joseph-Claude Gyau, winger
Brenner Souza da Silva, forward
CF Montreal
Record: 7-7-5, 26 points; 7th in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 26
Goals against: 25
Coach: Wilfried Nancy - first season as Montreal head coach
Projected starting lineup:
Sebastian Breza, GK
Aljaž Struna, left back
Rudy Camacho, center back
Kamal Miller, right back
Zachary Brault-Guillard, wing back/midfielder
Emanuel Maciel, midfielder
Victor Wanyama, midfielder
Mathieu Choinière, wing back/midfielder
Đorđe Mihailović, forward
Joaquin Torres, forward
Mason Toye, forward
Player to watch: FC Cincinnati's goalkeeper - There's some curiosity about whether Kenneth Vermeer or Przemysław Tytoń will start in goal for FC Cincinnati after Tytoń replaced Vermeer due to a mid-game injury Aug. 7 against Orlando City. Vermeer wasn't seen during the portion of training sessions this week open to media while Tytoń's been working with the goalkeepers as he usually does. Should Tytoń start, it would be his first start since May 1 against Orlando.
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