Lost Shape, Lost Confidence: CF Montréal’s Identity Drift in 2026
CF Montréal entered the 2026 MLS season with optimism, hoping to build on the flashes of progress shown last year. Yet as the weeks unfold, the team seems to be losing its sense of direction. Under head coach Laurent Courtois, Montréal has displayed moments of fluid, attacking soccer, but those moments rarely last. The club’s identity feels uncertain, caught between possession-based control and reactive counterplay, never fully committing to either. This lack of clarity has led to uneven performances and a growing sense of frustration among supporters. Montréal’s season so far reflects a team searching not just for results, but for the confidence and cohesion that once defined its play.
The midfield has become the clearest reflection of Montréal’s identity struggle. Samuel Piette continues to serve as the emotional and tactical anchor, but the pieces around him are still settling. Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, Victor Loturi, Ivan Jaime, Matty Longstaff, and Wikelman Carmona each bring different strengths, ball progression, defensive coverage, creativity, and energy, but those strengths don’t matter if the balance between them remains inconsistent. When Carmona or Jaime pushes forward, the team can lose its defensive structure. When Loturi or Longstaff sit too deep, the attack becomes predictable. Courtois has rotated combinations in search of stability, yet opponents continue to exploit the gaps between Montréal’s lines. Until the midfield finds a clearer rhythm, the team will struggle to control matches with confidence.
Defensively, Montréal’s back line has talent but lacks cohesion. Brayan Vera has been one of the more reliable figures, showing strength in duels and composure under pressure, yet the unit around him often stretches too far when possession breaks down. Jalen Neal and Efrain Morales have shown promise with their positioning, but lapses in communication have led to costly openings. On the flanks, Luca Petrasso provides energy going forward, though his overlapping runs sometimes leave space behind that opponents exploit. Younger defenders like Brandan Craig, Dawid Bugaj, and Yuri Guboglo continue to develop, offering depth and athleticism but still learning the timing Courtois demands in transition. The coach has alternated between a back three and a back four, yet neither system has fully stabilized the group. Until Montréal’s defenders find a shared rhythm and trust in their structure, the team will remain vulnerable in moments that define matches.
In attack, Montréal’s story this season has been one of flashes rather than flow. There are moments when everything clicks, quick passes, sharp movement, and a sense of urgency that remind fans of what this team could be. Kwadwo Opoku and Sunusi Ibrahim bring pace and unpredictability, stretching defenses and forcing mistakes, while Daniel Ríos provides the physical edge that keeps defenders honest. Yet the connection between midfield and attack often feels fragile, as if the ideas are there but the timing isn’t. Courtois wants his forwards to interchange freely, but that freedom sometimes turns into confusion, with runs overlapping and chances fading before they form. The talent is undeniable. Montréal can look electric when confidence takes hold, but until the attacking unit learns to trust its rhythm and play with conviction, those sparks will keep burning out too soon.
To rediscover their shape and confidence, Montréal must first rediscover who they are. Laurent Courtois has the pieces to build a balanced, expressive side, but the constant shifts in approach have blurred the team’s sense of self. Anchoring the midfield around Piette’s leadership and trusting the creativity of players like Ivan Jaime and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson could restore rhythm, while giving forwards such as Daniel Armando Ríos, Kwadwo Opoku, and Sunusi Ibrahim the freedom to attack with conviction might reignite their spark. The talent is there, the energy is there; what’s missing is belief in a unified identity. If Montréal can commit to one clear vision and trust it long enough to grow, they’ll find that the confidence they’ve lost was never gone, only waiting to take shape again.
