If CF Montreal started its season today…

Guardians

• Jonathan Sirois
• Sebastian Brezza

There is no doubt that Jonathan Sirius is Montreal's starting goaltender. Voted the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year in his first year in MLS, Sirois allowed CFM to have a record number of shutouts in a single season, with 12. Barring a surprise in camp, the Quebecois player will be in front of Montreal's net for the season's first game. In orlando.

Olivier Renard had stated that he wanted to have three goalkeepers in his squad for 2024, and he settled this matter on Monday morning by signing Quebec goalkeeper Sebastien Brisa to assist Sirois. Unfortunately for Logan Ketterer, this third goalkeeper who is always brave in training, is not the one to risk the second goalkeeper position. Ketterer is 30 years old and has not played a single MLB minute since 2021 with the Timbers.

Defenders

Center left

• Gabriel Corbo
• Fernando Alvarez

center

• Joel Waterman
• Joaquin Sosa

Center right

• George Campbell
• Osman Jabang

Assuming Laurent Courtois deploys a back three as seen under Thierry Henry, Wilfried Nancy and Hernan Losada, the current squad suggests Gabriel Corbo, Joel Waterman and George Campbell will form the starting trio on the fences. Corbo on the left, Waterman in the middle, Campbell on the right.

Corbo, a 24-year-old Italian, has only grown since his arrival from Bologna in 2022. Until he became one of the pillars of Losada's defense in 2023. And if Colombian Fernando Alvarez didn't look bad when he was appointed to the position last year, he will have his work cut out for him. To displace Corbo.

Joel Waterman has become one of CF Montreal's leaders over the last two campaigns. He very quickly managed to take over the general mandate left vacant after the departure of Rudy Camacho last summer. Behind him, Robert Thorkelson has struggled with persistent injuries since arriving in Montreal in 2021. If he can play on the left and at center back, his sample of minutes is still too weak to accurately assess. The Icelanders' chances of penetrating the squad. There is also 22-year-old new signing Joaquin Sosa, who can play as a midfielder or left winger.

While we still don't know how Laurent Courtois will arrange his defenders and where he will place Sosa on the board, it seems there is still a need for more depth on the right flank. There is of course the case of George Campbell. That's not to say he was bad in 2023, quite the opposite. This is because Good George sometimes lacks speed and mobility. Against lively, rhythmic wingers, he doesn't follow through. Ousmane Jabang is not an option at the moment. If one of the previously mentioned out-of-position defenders is not brought in, this will be another vacancy for the sporting department.

Aspects

Leave

• Raheem Edwards
• Ariel Lassiter

straight

Olivier Renard and Vasiliy Kremanzidis have been creative at full-back positions in the off-season. Raheem Edwards was acquired from the LA Galaxy to roam the left lane, and he appears to have improved dramatically since his first adventure in Montreal.

Rowan was brought in from D.C. United – in exchange for Aaron Herrera – to fly in the right lane. So these two players should theoretically establish themselves on the wings, with Edwards ahead of Ariel Lassiter on the left, and Rowan ahead of Lasse Lappalainen on the right. So, here are four good options for Laurent Courtois, interchangeable depending on form and injuries.

Midfielders

Defensive midfielders

• Samuel Pettitt
• Victor Wanyama
• Elias Iliadis

Central midfielders

• Nathan Saliba
• Reda Zuhair

Attacking midfielders

• Mathieu Chouinier
• Bryce Duke

The new coach will have to make important decisions in midfield. Starting as a defensive midfielder, Samuel Peet, the team's captain, will be difficult to dislodge. Will the French technician allow himself to use designated player Victor Wanyama at the same time as Piet, or will he sit on the bench again? What role will the young man Elias Iliadis, returning from loan to PLC, play in this picture?

Ahead of them, in a slightly more central, even attacking position, Nathan Saliba has every reason to believe in the starting position. The Quebecois player, an academy product, has seen a steady rise in 2023. However, he will be challenged by compatriot Reda Zouhair, who is back from a successful loan in the USL and may want to get minutes in the MLS.

In the attacking midfielder position, we put Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal's best player last year. In fact, Choiniere has the quality of a Swiss Army Knife. He can play at midfield, left or right, but he has yet to prove that he can be the attacking engine of this team in the long term. However, given his up-and-down last season, Bryce Duke is not an automatic fit at the position. A takeover of this position cannot be ruled out at all.

attackers

Leave

• To specify
• Jules Anthony Philsant

Position (not shown in 11-player chart)

• Chinonso Ofor
• Mason Toy

straight

• Kwadwo Opoku
• Sanusi Ibrahim

Everything we write today regarding the Allied attack on Montreal should be taken with a grain of salt. Because after the departure of Rommel Kyoto, we still expect Renard to find his replacement, an experienced striker capable of becoming the focal point of Montreal's attacking third. This is because the young brigade of CFM artillerymen simply could not impose themselves last year, during another long absence of the Honduran national team due to injury.

For purposes of familiarity, we have left the left wing position occupied by Kyoto vacant. For now, Jules-Anthony Villsant, Chinonso Ofor and Sanusi Ibrahim still have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to finishing.

Kwadwo Opoku has played mostly as a right winger in Major League Soccer, although in Kyoto's absence in Montreal, he has also played on the left… with mixed success. Last year, we saw against Portland at the end of the season that he can also play as a midfielder on the wings, almost as a number 10. Can the smiling Ghanaian continue like this?

The sports administration trusts the young Senussi Ibrahim. The Nigerian was offered a contract extension that links him to the club until 2026, the same day CFM announced that he would allow Coyoto to leave.

It would not be an oversight if we failed to include Mason Toy in this discussion. In addition to his numerous injuries, the 25-year-old American has been unable to regain his mid-season form in 2021. An offensive awakening in 2024 would be a miracle for him.

Unless there is a clear improvement developed during the off-season, the young talents of Philsant, Ibrahim, Opoku and Ofor still look like a construction site. It is up to Olivier Renard to find the foreman.