

Posted by

Kamal Hylton ,

April 10, 2015 Email

Kamal Hylton

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@KamalHylton

After opening the season with a 2-0 loss to ‘401 Derby’ rivals Toronto FC II, suffering its first USL defeat, FC Montreal look to bounce back when they take on Rochester Rhinos at Stade Saputo (Turf Field) on Saturday, April 11. A former Montreal Impact rival, the Rhinos have started their season off with two solid results away from home. The New Yorkers earned a tough 0-0 draw against state rivals New York Red Bulls II before defeating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2-1 with goals from forward Alex Dixon and defender Tony Walls.



FC MTL may have lost their first game of the season, but there were some positives for head coach Philippe Eullaffroy to take from the overall performance. The main standout being the play of midfielder Victor Ndaiye, who managed to hit the post twice while playing in a lone forward role and giving the TFC II defence constant problems with his pace and activity.



There was also the play of midfielder Fabio Morelli, who used his playmaking abilities to be a reliable link from defence to attack during portions of the match, as well as making runs quality runs into the box. Although coach Eullaffroy opted to go with Ndaiye upfront and pack the midfield against Toronto, it will be interesting to see if he pairs his boundless energy and speed with the more natural goalscoring ability of forward Frédéric Lajoie-Gravelle. The main aspect that was lacking from Montreal was variety. This will need to change going up against a team that’s much more experienced and familiar with each other.



The Opposition



The Rhinos have one of the strongest defences in the league and will prove to be difficult for any team to break down. This has been one of their trademarks under the leadership of head coach Bob Lilley. Going up against a quick team with many fringe MLS talents like they did with NYRB II, possessing players like Cameroonian forwards Marius Obekop and Anatole Abang as well as academy prospects like Derrick Etienne will have prepared them in some ways for what FC Montreal has to offer.



They've shown an ability to handle far more experienced young players and come away with a 0-0 draw. However, they have a few players on their side that can also pose a threat. Former Houston Dynamo forward Alex Dixon as well as Colombian midfielder Jonathan Menoza and English midfielder Onua Obasi provide the team with options, particularly Obasi who earned himself a place on the USL Team of the Week in the win over the Riverhounds.



Individual Matchup to Watch



One battle to keep your eye on is in the midfield with Nazim Belguendouz vs. Kenardo Forbes.



FC Montreal will be tested as the much younger side, however Belguendouz has shown both last season in the PDL as part of Montreal Impact’s U-23 squad and in their inaugural match in USL that he has what it takes to provide stability. He will be called upon as a young leader within this squad. How he helps keep the midfield together and covers gaps will go a long way to deciding who comes away with the better result.



Rochester will be looking to exploit the Montreal youth through the passing and quick thinking of Forbes. The 26-year-old Jamaican has both CONCACAF Champions League experience with Waterhouse F.C. and indoor soccer experience with the Syracuse Silver Knights of the Major Indoor Soccer League to lean on. Lilley and the Rhinos will be looking for Forbes to not only take on Belguendouz in 1v1 situations, but also help keep possession and push FC Montreal deep into its own end.



This will not be an easy game for FC Montreal, but having a week off to both work on mistakes and study Rochester could prove to be an advantage.