On Saturday, Nashville SC head to CF Montréal, knowing that a win or a draw will officially clinch the 2026 Supporters' Shield.
To get the latest on Montréal, we caught up with Andy Coronado of The Ball Is Round.
Everything Montréal soccer.
Ben Wright (SixOneFive Soccer): Montréal have been languishing towards the bottom of the East all season. What's gone wrong? What's the mood among the fans right now?
Andy Coronado (The Ball Is Round): What's gone wrong?! Where do I start?
Marco Donadel fired five games in. Philippe Eullaffroy took over. A horrible summer transfer window where they got rid of a lot of players and bad contracts but didn't replace them with more talented players – or even more expensive players – compounded things.
CF Montréal have had so many ups and downs this season, from unknown incoming transfers, to world star Alexis Sánchez, to making it to the Canadian Championship final for the first time since 2023 – against Canadian Premier League side Forge FC.
The fans are fed up. They've stopped caring. They used to care enough to comment on bad moments and voice their opinion, but more than half of those have turned their backs on the club and moved on to other things. The stadium is empty and the supporters' group gets in trouble frequently. The club has lost some of its attraction the past season, and this one might be the worst.
It all starts with sporting director Luca Saputo and the random impulsive decisions he's made.
BW: How much was riding on the Canadian Championship final? What kind of response are you expecting from the team on Saturday?
AC: The Canadian Championship final was considered the game of the year by both the club and the players, and they used that to build hype around the game and try to pack Stade Saputo.
With the loss, it's hard to say what kind of team you will see against Nashville, but it will be a big statement whether Eullafroy is playing to win now or to give players who have gotten too many minutes some minutes, because CF Montréal's MLS season is as good as lost.
Editor's note: A loss or draw would officially eliminate Montréal from playoff contention.
