May 24, 2025
LAFC and CF Montreal play to a draw in the rain
Superstar Olivier Giroud and LAFC arrived to a heroes welcome at Montreal’s Stade Saputo today, as the visiting LAFC came to challenge the struggling CF Montreal on their own turf. Giroud and LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are French internationals that have led their country to the World Cup finals on two occasions – winning one.
CF Montreal’s woes continue to stack up, having lost two matches to teams they really should have beaten in their last two matches. Toronto FC tore them to shreds, in front of their home fans at Stade Saputo, running the score up to six goals to one – and narrowly missing the near post for a seventh goal on the night. And worse still, CF Montreal were defeated by a CPL side at the Canadian Championship – losing by a goal to a null in Hamilton against Forge FC – the team that knocked them out of the cup last season.
See Also: AFC Toronto hand the Montreal Roses their first home loss
While it is true that CF Montreal is facing a difficult May schedule, with eight matches this month, the team hasn’t looked very convincing yet this season. Even against Forge FC, they lacked quality and sat back while Forge FC maintained possession and put pressure on CF Montreal. They’ll have a chance to set that right when the two teams square up again in the second leg come July.
Despite their recent struggles, it took CF Montreal just five minutes to find a goal tonight, when Giacomo Vrioni recovered the ball off a blocked Prince Owusu shot, forced his way passed LAFC’s defender Eddie Segura using a sweet spinning move, before beating an outstretched goalkeeper Lloris low to the right side.
Denis Bouanga took down Montreal defender Dawid Bugaj a little more than a quarter of an hour later, gifting striker Prince Owusu a chance from the penalty spot. One he would burry past Hugo Lloris using a sneaky stutter step before slotting the ball high into the opposite side of the net than which Lloris have dove to. Just twenty-two minutes in, and CF Montreal now held a two goal lead over one of the hottest squads in the MLS at present.
Moreover, CF Montreal were finally looking like a team that was playing as a team. Things were going well. Until they weren’t.
In the 38th minute, LAFC found their way back into the match when midfielder Mark Delgado beat goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. Nathan Ordaz fed a crisp pass over to Delgado who hit a hard shot from the penalty spot that Sirois got two hands on, but not enough to keep the ball from going in.
Sirois had been tested several times leading up to the goal, and had been spectacular, making great saves and keeping his team in the game, despite little help from his defense. Sirois had been busy and he wasn’t going to be tested several more times as the game progressed.
CF Montreal’s Fabian Herbers needed to be substituted off, following a run where he seemed to grab at his thigh, indicating a potential hamstring injury.
Olivier Giroud came on in the 72nd minute, replacing his countryman Jeremy Ebobisse at center field, and made his presence felt just five minutes later, when he notched the equalizing goal, pulling LAFC back level with CF Montreal.
Time and time again, Jonathan Sirois kept his team in the game, who despite a solid start, soon faded and fell back into their old ways. In the second half, LAFC were unlucky not to place a ball passed Sirois – as the match ended at two goals a piece.
Read More:
>> CF Montreal destroyed by rival Toronto FC in the rain
>> Columbus Crew and CF Montreal draw at Stade Saputo
>> CF Montreal to face Forge FC in Canadian Championships
Things won’t be getting an easier for CF Montreal, as they travel to Florida next, to face the great Lionel Messi and Louis Suarez, when Inter Miami host CF Montreal. Following that, CF Montreal returns home of May 31st to host the New England Revolution in what will be their eighth match in the month of May.
While CF Montreal have struggled, some of their woes can certainly be accredited to a rough schedule. Injuries too have played their role – but still, CF Montreal and interim head coach Marco Donadel have to find a way to pull themselves together, as the teams ahead of them are gaining significant grown over them. Only one team, LA Galaxy, has a worse a record than CF Montreal so far this season.
