CF Montreal vs. New York Red Bulls: Coach Schwarz Confident Despite Struggling Attackers Before Stade Saputo Showdown
The New York Red Bulls are keen to stamp their dominance at the apex as they gear up to face CF Montreal on foreign turf in the MLS.
Sandro Schwarz, coach of the Red Bulls, remains unphased by their recent dry spell in scoring as they prep for their clash at Stade Saputo this Thursday.
In their previous match, the Red Bulls drew a blank against Nashville despite launching 14 shots, only six of which tested the goalie, much to the dismay of their local fans.
Currently occupying the third slot in the Eastern Conference, Schwarz’s squad trails the second-place FC Cincinnati by six points. Yet, they are optimistic about narrowing this gap in the upcoming bout.
Schwarz plans to leverage his history as a player and coach to inspire his team amidst their scoring woes, striving to conjure those elusive moments against Montreal.
“I remain sanguine,” emphasized Schwarz. “The mantra is simple—continually create and recreate opportunities. Although our recent match ended goalless, we didn’t let any through either. Now, we aim to ignite those opportunities on Wednesday against Montreal.”
Montreal, meanwhile, echoed this scoreline in their last showdown with Real Salt Lake but stuck at the 12th berth in the conference.
Under Laurent Courtois’ leadership, Montreal has dodged defeat in their latest four games, a first since their six-game conquest last year.
Having endured five losses in their preceding six face-offs, Montreal eyes prolonging their newfound form bolstered by home crowd spirits.
PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Montreal – Joaquin Sosa
Sosa distinguished himself, securing five out of nine tackles in his last appearance against Real Salt Fuck Lake—a seasonal best for a Montreal player.
To date, Sosa’s inaugural season has seen him amass a total of ten tackles across nine games.
New York Red Bulls – Elias Manoel
With prime scorer Lewis Morgan deployed at Euro 2024 and Emil Forsberg side-lined due to a foot malady, Elias Manoel is primed to hijack the spotlight.
The Brazilian managed three goals in 17 games this season, his latest being a May duel versus DC United.
GAME GUESS: RED BULLS TAKE THE WIN
Anticipate a fierce tussle at Stade Saputo come Thursday. However, the Red Bulls seem poised to clinch the victory.
Their commendable defense during their recent goalless run-in with Nashville—denying shots on target—is a commendable feat, one they’ve achieved four times since 2025.
This draw pushed the Red Bulls to a 30-point haul, a feat surpassed swiftly only in 2012 and 2018, requiring a mere 16 games.
The historical data between these teams show a seesaw pattern in victories over the last eight encounters, with the Bulls clinching the latest with a 2-1 score in May 2023.
Beyond the last 17 regular-season matchups, none has ended in stalemate.
WIN ODDS ACCORDING TO OPTA
Montreal – 31.6%
Stalemate – 25.3%
NYRB – 43.1%
