Sporting KC v CF Montreal: Preview, Predictions & How to Watch

Sporting KC @ CF Montreal

When: Sunday, July 9th, 2022 at 6:30 PM CT (Kickoff 6:38)

Where: Stade Saputo

How to Watch/Stream: 38 the Spot | ESPN+ (out of market) | SportingKC.com & SKC App (in market) | Sporting One App on Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV

How to Listen: La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish)

Sporting Kansas City only play Montreal in doomed seasons. The last meeting... 2019. That was actually one of SKC’s wins in the troubled 2019 season. Not just a win, but an absolute thrashing. Sporting won 7-1 at the end of March 2019, before the wheels had fully come off that season. Just five days later, they would lose 5-0 to CF Monterrey. That’s probably why Montreal but the CF in front of their name and did a rebrand (kidding, of course).

The roles are very different for this meeting. Sporting have already completed their collapse and are coming ever closer to a possible wooden spoon winning, last place finish. Montreal on the other hand are doing quite well. They currently sit third in the Eastern Conference standings, just three points behind SKC’s last opponent, the New York Red Bulls, who Montreal have a game in hand on.

Montreal’s Recent Form

• May 28th vs. FC Cincinnati — 4-3 Win
• June 18th vs Austin FC — 0-1 Loss
• June 25th vs. Charlotte FC — 2-1 Win
• June 29th @ Seattle Sounders — 2-1 Win
• July 4th @ LA Galaxy — 0-4 Loss

Not included in the league form above is their 4-0 loss to Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship.

Montreal are 5-3-0 at home and 4-4-2 on the road in league play. Both solid records. Sporting only have a single road win on the season, but it was recently at Nashville SC. The schedule isn’t getting any easier, but at least Montreal are on short rest and potentially without their best player.

What’s new for the Montreal in 2022?

CF Montreal have done a good job of overturning their roster and bringing in impactful players. Perhaps none bigger than Djordje Mihailovic, though he’s dealing with an ankle injury.

IN: Djordje Mihailovic came in for $1 million GAM from the Chicago Fire via trade. Montreal also added midfielders Ahmed Hamdi via transfer from El Gouna (Egypt), Joaquin Torres via transfer from Newell’s Old Boys (Argentina) and Lassi Lappalainen on permanent transfer from Joey Saputo (CF Montreal’s owner) owned Bologna (Italy).

In defense, they swung another big trade spending heavily on defender Alistair Johnston from Nashville SC and they acquired fellow defender Gabriele Corbo via loan from Bologna. They picked up free agent, and former Kansas City man, Kei Kamara to help solidify their attack.

OUT: The ‘out’ column are mostly veterans and failed signings that made room for the turnaround, including defenders Aljaz “Kiki” Struna and Mustafa Kizza. They declined options on midfielders Clément Bayiha, Tomas Giraldo and Emanuel Maciel. They also didn’t pick up the purchase option for Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, who had a loan-heavy stint away from Barcelona B before settling at Atlético Ottawa who play in the Canadian Premier League.

Injuries/Availability*

Sporting KC

OUT - Alan Pulido (knee surgery), Gadi Kinda (SEI - knee surgery), Ozzie Cisneros (hamstring), Kortne Ford (concussion)

QUESTIONABLE - Graham Zusi (quad)

*This has been updated based on the official injury report.

CF Montreal

OUT - Bjorn Johnsen (foot), Tomas Giraldo (hamstring), Djordje Mihailovic (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE - None

Discipline Watch for Sporting KC

Suspended Next Yellow Card: Roger Espinoza, Kortne Ford, Johnny Russell

Stats

Sporting KC

Goals: Johnny Russell (5), Daniel Salloi (4), Remi Walter (2), Marinos Tzionis, Roger Espinoza, Felipe Hernandez, Graham Zusi (1)

Assists: Felipe Hernandez, Cam Duke (3), Daniel Salloi, Ben Sweat, Uri Rosell, Roger Espinoza, Remi Walter (1)

Montreal

Goals: Djordje Mihailovic (7), Romell Quito (6), Kei Kamara, Joaquin Torres (3), Zachary Brault-Guillard, Mathieu Choiniere, Mason Toye, Joel Waterman (2), five with one (1)

Assists: Kamara, Torres (5), Alistair Johnston, Mihailovic (4), Lassi Lappalainen, Kamal Miller, Quioto, Victor Wanyama (3), Brault-Guillard, Ismael Kone (2), three with one (1)

Starting XI Predictions

This will get it’s own story. Look for it closer to game day.

Predictions

Just looking at Montreal’s goal scoring prowess should strike fear into Kansas City’s hearts. They score a lot of goals. However, they give up a lot too. Despite being so highly ranked, they have a negative goal differential (-1) so there is a window for Sporting KC to find a way.

Recent results between these teams is probably out the window, but that’s also a positive. Sporting have only lost once in the last eight meetings between these sides. That loss came in Montreal in 2018 by a 2-0 scoreline. Outside of that it’s five wins and just two draws. But 2022 Sporting KC just hasn’t shown they are anything like those past teams. Despite glimpses of hope, they keep slipping down to earth.

That Kei Kamara signing is especially painful. He has three goals and five assists and was available as a free agent signing before the season when KC knew they were down their starting striker. At the time I’m not sure I thought it was the right thing to do, but Khiry Shelton has zero league goals and zero assists in 2022. It’s hard to think Kansas City wouldn’t be better with Kamara taking some of those minutes.

The time to turn it around is running out. I do think they showed a lot of promise in the RBNY game and I would say were the better team, but they haven’t scored in their last two league games, which means you can’t win.

2-1 Montreal Win

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