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MONTREAL – Laurent Courtois knows his team is struggling.

With CF Montreal on a slide and their Major League Soccer season hanging in the balance, the head coach needs his players to keep their heads high.

“Keep the course,” Courtois said. “Keep the course no matter what happens because we know what we are capable of doing.

“Most of us are extremely convinced we can still make the playoffs. We have suffered a lot lately, but let’s not drag our feet — let’s move forward boldly. In the end, there’s nothing to lose, so give it your all.”

Montreal (6-12-9) is winless in its last four MLS games heading into Saturday’s match against Charlotte FC (10-9-8) at Saputo Stadium.

Courtois’s men slipped to 13th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back emphatic defeats before the international break. Montreal lost 5-0 at home to the New England Revolution on Aug. 24 before falling 4-1 on the road to FC Cincinnati on Aug. 31.

The team now sits five points behind the playoff line with seven games remaining in the regular season.

Asked what Montreal needs to do to turn things around, midfielder Bryce Duke put it bluntly.

“Win,” he said. “That’s as simple as the answer can get, just win games.

“Stick to the game plan, don’t give up easy goals. Don’t shut off. Obviously, a team is going to score on us, but we just can’t let that situation be ‘Okay, they scored on us, game’s over.’”

Caden Clark, acquired on Aug. 8 from Minnesota United FC, has only experienced defeat since moving to Montreal.

The 21-year-old midfielder said he doesn’t see a team that’s playing poorly but echoed that Montreal has lacked resolve.

“At least in the home game (against New England), we played good soccer,” he said. “We kept the ball, had possession, and tried to create chances through that.

“It’s just a lack of mental focus at certain times that gets us in trouble. That game shouldn’t have been 5-0.”

Montreal has the worst goal differential (minus-23) and has conceded the most goals (58) in the East after the lopsided losses.

Charlotte, meanwhile, has allowed only 29 goals, which ranks second-best in the conference.

Courtois identified Charlotte’s patience, compete level and experience as reasons for its defensive success.

But the visiting side is also looking for a better result on Saturday with two losses and three draws in its last five games. Head coach Dean Smith said Charlotte won’t take Montreal lightly despite what its record might suggest.

“They’ve conceded a lot of goals, so I’m expecting them to look to tighten up,” he told reporters in Charlotte. “But if you don’t respect them, that’ll be at your peril, because they’re a good footballing team. They play in tight situations and a lot of one-touch football. They’re looking to entice you into playing behind you, so we have to be at our best.”

Courtois’s message to his team? Play freely, stay focused and enjoy being on the pitch.

“We owe ourselves something different,” he said. “There are moments where we did good things but didn’t reward ourselves because we let stuff slip away due to a lack of concentration.

“Enjoy the games, bring out the best version of yourself. We know the elements that will put us in a good spot and the ones we want to avoid against this really solid team defensively. Be disciplined, have fun and give your heart.”

HONOURING NACHO

Former Montreal star Nacho Piatti will be inducted into the club’s Wall of Fame on Saturday. He is the sixth player to receive the honour, joining Patrice Bernier, Mauro Biello, Greg Sutton, Nevio Pizzolitto and Gabriel Gervais — the current team president.

Piatti produced 66 goals and 35 assists in 135 MLS regular-season games over six seasons in Montreal (2014 to 2019). The Argentine winger won the team’s outstanding player award four times in a row and was named an MLS All-Star in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

ON THE SHELF AGAIN

Montreal will likely have to play without winger Lassi Lappalainen, who practised alone during training this week. The 26-year-old from Finland has played sporadically this year, often off the bench, due to ongoing injuries, including a groin issue.

He produced three shots in the second half against New England but only played 31 minutes versus Cincinnati.

“It’s complicated. We know his qualities, but we also know he’s struggling to find a rhythm,” Courtois said. “It’s a shame for him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

As authorities keep searching for a highway shooter in Kentucky, a Friday night tradition of football, pep bands and cheering fans has been sidelined for some towns.

Games were canceled at a handful of high schools near where the assailant opened fire on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky. Twelve vehicles were hit and five people wounded in the attack last Saturday near London, a city of about 8,000 people roughly 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.

Security was being bolstered at high school football games that played on Friday evening.

Authorities continue to search a rugged, wooded area where Joseph Couch, the suspected gunman, is presumed to be hiding. The area has cliff beds, sinkholes, caves and dense brush.

Police have urged area residents to be vigilant and look out for their neighbors as searchers try to track down the suspect. Schools have been at the forefront of those safety measures.

Schools remained closed in several area districts, as students shifted to virtual learning. The disruption has paused a range of fall sports, including soccer, volleyball and cross country as well as football.

Among the schools calling off football games were North Laurel, South Laurel and Corbin high schools. The shooting occurred in Laurel County, and Corbin is 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) south of London.

Fans faced an uncharacteristically quiet Friday evening in towns that rally around their football teams.

“Friday night games are huge to our community,” said Tackett Wilson, athletic director at Corbin High School. “It’s a huge part of our community and our school.”

Practices were disrupted as schools took extra precautions while the search for Couch continues.

“Anytime you have a disruption during your season, it’s an issue,” Wilson said by phone Friday. “But you have to error on the side of caution. It’s student safety.”

Corbin officials will try to schedule a makeup football game later in the season, he said.

Amid the disruptions, fans are rooting for the law enforcement officers involved in the search.

“Right now, we are focused on backing our front-line officers and first responders so they can do their job in catching this guy and we can return to a safe and positive environment for our students,” North Laurel athletic director Ethan Eversole said.

He praised the safety plan devised by school district administrators. But students have had a big part of their lives put on hold as athletic activities have been idled.

“Our teams have not been able to practice all week,” Eversole said in an emailed statement.

Kentucky State Police brought in reinforcements to aid with the search, and authorities have bolstered efforts to keep area residents safe as the search continues.

“We will not pull resources away from the search for those other activities,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. “We just want to make sure that people are ready to try to get back to their day-to-day lives, that there’s that extra (law enforcement) presence where people can feel just a little bit better.”

The day after the shooting, law enforcement officers searched an area near where Couch’s vehicle was found, with a view of I-75. There, they found an Army-style duffel bag, ammunition and spent shell casings, authorities said in an arrest warrant affidavit.

A short distance away, they found a Colt AR-15 rifle with a sight mounted to the weapon and several additional magazines. The duffel bag had “Couch” hand-written in black marker. Couch fired 20 to 30 rounds in the attack, investigators said.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

JASPER, Ohio – The municipality of Jasper in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains is taking the next step this weekend as it recovers from a July wildfire that destroyed a third of its buildings.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland says the state of emergency will formally end on Sunday.

Ireland says the move means Jasper is transitioning from a short-term recovery perspective to a long-term view.

He also says removing the state of emergency order will help the tourist town’s much needed visitor economy return.

The wildfire destroyed more than 350 of the town’s buildings, including 800 housing units.

The town estimates 2,000 of its 5,000 residents lost their homes.

Although still burning, the wildfire that hit the community was listed as under control a week ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.