DAY
If the two weeks of international break mean for a majority of players a well-deserved rest, this is not the case for those who are invited to the national team to participate in friendly matches in preparation for the next World Cup to be held in just over a month.
This is the case for some Canadians who have the opportunity to refine their preparation, both tactical and strategic than physical, in view of the big meeting in Qatar.
Five CF Montreal players have received an invitation from Canada to participate in two friendly duels. Thus, Kamal Miller, Samuel Piette, Ismaël Koné, Alistair Johnston and Joel Waterman have all packed their bags for the matches against Qatar and Uruguay.
Against the first, Canada imposed itself so easily by the score of 2 to 0. Qatar will act as host of the Soccer World Cup and the formation was not at all as I imagined. She was unable to do anything on the pitch and this particularly weak caliber of play surprised me a lot. Honestly, I thought Qatar would be a lot more competitive and this kind of matchup didn't really help Canada's preparation.
Piette started the game and played the first 60 minutes before to be replaced by Koné. The latter has demonstrated his skills to try to find a place in the final selection of the team.
Miller and Johnston also started the duel at their posts and put on a good performance. The only member of CF Montreal who did not play was Waterman and I was surprised to see that. He is a newcomer to the team entourage and I thought John Herdman would use him in this game to be able to assess him in a somewhat 'easier' encounter.
However, the second Maple leaf game against Uruguay will be a good test for Herdman's troops against an opponent who has had success in the World Cup. Will this be an opportunity for the head coach to insert Waterman into the lineup? We don't know, but it's clear the defender would love to be able to demonstrate what he can do.
Qatar, controversial
It was a very controversial decision, in my opinion, to choose Qatar as the host country of the World Cup, in particular because of the treatment reserved for foreign workers, but also in relation to to the fact that the tournament will take place in November, which is unheard of.
FIFA is much criticized and questioned since many of them, whether ex-players or politicians, condemn this choice .
A healthy rest
Meanwhile, most CF Montreal players will take advantage of these two weeks off to recharge their batteries for the home stretch of the season and the playoffs. It is an opportunity to rest their body and brain while maintaining a good level of physical condition to ensure they are ready to return.
Thus, Wilfried Nancy and his staff probably gave everyone a complete rest for a few days. I think the CF Montreal coach, when action resumes in MLS, will rotate his players more to give international players a break.
Second place in the Association of the East is acquired. First place is still within the realm of possibility, but difficult, especially if more than five players haven't had a rest.
