CF Montreal will have new leadership during their match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday afternoon.
Montreal (1-6-0, 3 points) has parted ways with head coach Marco Donadel after losing their home opener 2-1 to the Philadelphia Union last weekend. In just over a year with the team, Donadel recorded the lowest win percentage among the club’s 11 managers.
Philippe Eullaffroy, who led Montreal’s academy from 2014 to 2020 and returned this year as an assistant coach, will serve as the interim manager.
“I’m not going to reinvent the wheel,” Eullaffroy stated regarding his tactical approach at his first press conference. “I want a very dynamic team that plays with boldness and respects the game plan.”
He faces the challenge of lifting the team from the bottom of the MLS standings. Montreal aims to secure their first home win more quickly than last season, when they did not achieve a victory at Stade Saputo until June.
The only team Montreal has defeated this year in league matches is the New York Red Bulls (3-2-2, 11 points), having won 3-0 on March 8.
This loss was a setback for New York’s early season momentum. After winning their first two matches, the Red Bulls have only managed one win in their last four MLS games.
In their latest match, New York won 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32. Head coach Michael Bradley highlighted the contributions of academy player Julian Hall, who scored his second brace of the season.
“It’s not just about the goals,” Bradley pointed out. “(It was) his ability to lead our press and set the tone for how aggressive we can be against the other team.”
The 18-year-old has seven goal contributions (five goals and two assists) across seven MLS matches.
Montreal may be without defender Brayan Vera, who did not train on Tuesday, and former Red Bulls midfielder Wiki Carmona, who scored twice against his old team in their March matchup. Midfielder Hennadii Synchuk is also dealing with an apparent injury.