Prince Owusu scored a goal and provided three assists as CF Montreal defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-1 in their first game under interim head coach Philippe Eullaffroy.
Owusu notched his fifth goal of the season, helping Montreal (2-6-0, 6 points) achieve their 100th win at Stade Saputo.
Montreal easily broke through the visitors’ defense early on. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg mishandled a pass from his goalkeeper, allowing Owusu to set up Victor Loturi, who scored in the fifth minute to make it 1-0.
Owusu almost doubled the lead shortly after when Ivan Jaime sent him through for a one-on-one chance. However, he chose to play it safe and sent the ball wide of the goal.
He converted a penalty in the 39th minute, outsmarting goalkeeper Ethan Horvath with a clever stutter step to find the left corner, making it 2-0. The penalty was awarded for a handball by Dylan Nealis.
Matty Longstaff played a key role at the beginning of the second half. He finished off a well-placed pass from Owusu to score in the 49th minute, but then unintentionally helped the Red Bulls by misdirecting a backpass to goalkeeper Thomas Gillier four minutes later, reducing the deficit to 3-1.
Beyond the goals, the most notable change in Montreal’s game was their defensive strategy. Eullaffroy’s zonal marking system differed from Marco Donadel’s man-marking style, limiting the Red Bulls to just one shot on target during the match. Eullaffroy also included Samuel Piette in the midfield, who had recently spent time on the bench.
Owusu assisted Kwadwo Opoku, who gracefully placed the ball into the open net, restoring Montreal’s three-goal lead.
This win marked Montreal’s first home victory since August of last year. They have now defeated the Red Bulls in both encounters this season, while New York has managed just one win in their last six league games.