Montreal Fired Its Coach After 1-6 Start and Now Has to Face the One Team That Actually Beats Them

Marco Donadel is gone. After just over a year running CF Montreal into the ground with the worst win percentage of any manager in the club's 11-year history, Montreal finally pulled the trigger. The team limped to a 1-6-0 record and sits dead last in MLS with only 3 points after dropping its home opener 2-1 to Philadelphia last weekend. Something had to give.

Philippe Eullaffroy, who ran Montreal's academy from 2014 to 2020 and rejoined the team this year as an assistant coach, takes over as caretaker manager. At his first press conference, he kept it real: "I'm not gonna reinvent the wheel. What I want is a very dynamic team playing with a lot of boldness and respect of the game plan." Tough talk for a squad that desperately needs wins at home. Montreal didn't get a home victory until June last season. Yeah, you read that right.

The Red Bulls Are the Blueprint Montreal Needs

Here's the cruel irony. The only team Montreal has beaten in league play this year is the New York Red Bulls, who come to town Saturday. Montreal demolished them 3-0 back on March 8. That win derailed New York's early season momentum hard. The Red Bulls started hot with two straight victories, then went cold. They've won just one of their last four in MLS play, though they bounced back midweek with a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Head coach Michael Bradley praised 18-year-old academy product Julian Hall, who scored his second brace of the season in that cup match. Hall has five goals and two assists through seven MLS matches total. "It's not just the goals," Bradley said. "It was his ability to lead our press, to set the tone for everybody in terms of how aggressive we can be to step up and go after the other team."

Montreal Dealing With Injuries Heading Into Restart

Eullaffroy's debut comes with some injury concerns. Defender Brayan Vera did not train on Tuesday, and midfielder Hennadii Synchuk has picked up an apparent injury. The team will also be without midfielder Wiki Carmona, a former Red Bulls player who scored a brace against his old team in that March meeting.

Saturday's match is Montreal's chance to prove the coaching change matters. Beat the Red Bulls again and maybe this tailspin stops. Lose and it's just more of the same.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.