Tom Pearce is hoping to use his experience from suffering relegation and earning promotion during his time in England to help CF Montreal reach the playoffs this weekend.
Pearce joined the club in July from Wigan Athletic, a club he won the League One title with in the 2021-22 campaign, but was then a part of the Latics side who came straight back down the following season.
Montreal knows that a point will be enough to secure their spot in the postseason, though slipping up allows an opportunity for either Philadelphia Union or Atlanta United to pounce.
Having featured in high-pressure games throughout his career, Pearce is relishing the opportunity of helping his new team reach the playoffs.
“It’s exciting that we’re going into the last game of the season, and we’re going for the playoffs, we are looking forward to it and this past week has given us a chance to work on things,” Pearce said.
“We’ve had quite a lot of games over the past few weeks, so to have a little bit of time off and then working to this Saturday has been a positive for us.
“We have promotion and relegation in England so, I have been at both ends of the table during my time there. I wouldn’t say it’s all pressure, it’s more excitement and you take it step by step and hopefully, for us, it will be a positive one.”
NYCFC, meanwhile, kept their hopes of finishing in the top four of the Eastern Conference alive with a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC ahead of the international break.
The Pigeons are currently fifth in the standings but know a victory could push them ahead of Orlando City on Decision Day, with the Lions facing Atlanta in their final game of the season.
NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing was pleased with his side’s display in thier win over Nashville, saying their defensive resiliency is something they can build on ahead of the playoffs.
“Yes and no. We were 3-0 up and you know at some point that they are going to come back into the game,” Cushing said. “They were well coached by a new boss.
“I think it was more of them improving than us taking our foot off the gas. What I do think is that we showed a side that we did in the Cincinnati game and that’s a huge positive moving forward.
“Of course, we will review it and how we want to control games more, but it’s a positive when we defend so well. To show that steel is something I will take as a positive heading into the playoffs.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Montreal – Josef Martinez
Martinez has scored six career regular-season goals against NYCFC, one of eight opponents he’s scored against at least six times.
Only Alejandro Pozuelo (seven) has more goals against NYCFC than Martínez since he joined MLS in 2017.
NYCFC – Santiago Rodriguez
Rodríguez has a team-high 22 goal contributions this season (12 goals, 10 assists) for NYCFC, while Alonso Martínez has 19 (16 goals, three assists).
This weekend’s visitors have never had multiple players record 20 or more goal contributions in a single regular season.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
NYCFC has won six of their last seven matches against Montreal (D1) including the last four in a row. NYCFC have never lost in Montreal, with their only away defeat in the fixture coming in Harrison, New Jersey in July 2021 (W6 D2 in Montreal all-time).
Cushing’s side have won three straight matches after winning just three of their previous 19 in all competitions dating back to mid-June. NYCFC have scored 11 goals over those three matches, their most in a span of three league matches since April 2022 (14).
Montreal enters the final match of the season with 10 wins in regular-season play in 2024. Montreal has recorded at least 11 victories in each of their last eight full seasons dating back to 2015 (excluding shortened 2020 season).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
NYCFC – 34.4%
Draw – 25.8%
Montreal – 39.8%
D.C. United v Charlotte FC: Lesesne says hosts' confidence is sky high
Troy Lesesne believes D.C. United's confidence is as high as it has been all season ahead of their crucial Decision-Day meeting with Charlotte FC.
D.C. need a point to clinch a playoff place for the first time since 2019, which would end their joint-longest playoff drought (also four years between 2008 and 2011).
They are in contention with CF Montreal and the Philadelphia Union, with two wild-card spots still to be decided on the final matchday in the Eastern Conference, after recording back-to-back victories over Nashville SC (4-3) and the New England Revolution (2-1).
"When challenges come – and we've had many this year – it's easy for us to use those as excuses and pack it up," Lesesne told reporters.
"But our group has never done that, just look at all the things we've gone through this year, the mental endurance that these guys have displayed to be in this position...
"You learn so much about yourself and your players and I'm really proud of the group.
"You expected all along that it would go right down to the last game, but the confidence of this team right now seems to be at the highest it has been all year."
Charlotte, on the other hand, have already confirmed their postseason spot, though a victory could see them move from sixth to fifth and improve their playoff seeding.
"I know this game is more for seeding than anything else, but the main thing for us is to keep this going," forward Patrick Agyemang said.
"The main thing is to just continue on the road we're on, which is positive results. We want the season to end with a bang to put us in a good position for the playoffs."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke has scored 23 goals this season, equalling Raul Diaz Arce (1996) for the most in a single season in D.C.'s MLS history.
His nine headed goals, meanwhile, are tied for the second-most in a single year by any player since Opta began detailed data collection of MLS in 2010, behind Josef Martinez's 10 in 2018. Can he draw level with the Venezuelan?
Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang
Agyemang's goal for Charlotte last Saturday, in a 2-0 win over Montreal, was his 15th goal contribution of the season (nine goals, six assists).
He is one goal contribution shy of the single-season club record of 16, achieved by Karol Swiderski in each of the team's first two MLS campaigns.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
The home side has not lost any of the five previous meetings between D.C. and Charlotte, with D.C. recording a pair of 3-0 wins in their two home matches against the Crown.
Charlotte, though, have lost only four of their last 11 regular-season away matches dating back to the beginning of May (four wins, three draws).
D.C. United only need a point to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2019, ending a four-year postseason drought, and with home advantage on their side, they should get it.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 37.1%
Charlotte FC – 36.6%
Draw – 26.3%
Bompastor's 100% start continues as Chelsea overcome Twente
Sonia Bompastor's perfect start to life at Chelsea continued on Thursday as the Blues beat Twente 3-1 to go three points clear at the top of their Women's Champions League group.
Having overcome Real Madrid in their Group B opener last week, Chelsea cruised to victory in the Netherlands to strengthen their grip on top spot.
Aggie Beever-Jones saw her 25-yard strike deflect in for a seventh-minute opener, and Chelsea were 2-0 up within 18 minutes as Maika Hamano lobbed goalkeeper Olivia Clarke.
Guro Reiten scored Chelsea's third from the penalty spot when Lieske Carleer fouled Mayra Ramirez just after the hour mark, with Nikee van Dijk netting a consolation for Twente five minutes later.
In the other match in Group B, Madrid got up and running with a resounding 4-0 victory over Celtic, with Scotland's Caroline Weir among the goals for Los Blancos.
Weir curled in a terrific opener from distance after just seven minutes, though Celtic then held firm and stayed in the contest until the latter stages.
However, Signe Bruun, Caroline Moller and Linda Caicedo all got on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes as Madrid put some gloss on the scoreline at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium.
They were not the only convincing winners on Thursday, as Roma crushed Galatasaray 6-1 to go top of Group A on goal difference, with captain Manuela Giugliano scoring twice and laying on two assists.
The other game in Group A saw European heavyweights Wolfsburg and Lyon go head-to-head, with the French giants leaving Germany with a statement 2-0 victory.
Wolfsburg's Alexandra Popp joined Wendie Renard as the only players to make 100 Women's Champions League appearances, but the French centre-back overshadowed her by nodding in an eighth-minute opener.
Lyon had the better of the contest throughout, finishing with 2.75 expected goals (xG) to Wolfsburg's 0.83, and they killed the match from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half, Lindsey Horan scoring after Melchie Dumornay was felled by Janina Minge.
Man Utd confirm Mainoo out for 'a few weeks' with muscle injury
Manchester United have suffered another injury blow with the news that midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will be sidelined for several weeks due to a muscle issue.
Mainoo, alongside centre-back Harry Maguire, was forced off during United's goalless draw with Aston Villa prior to the international break.
The teenager then joined Morgan Gibbs-White and Ezri Konsa in withdrawing from England's squad for their Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland.
Ahead of their return to Premier League action against Brentford on Saturday, United issued a comprehensive fitness update, confirming Mainoo had joined Maguire on the sidelines.
While Manuel Ugarte took part in a recovery session after returning from international duty with Uruguay, the club said long-term absentees Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are making "steady" progress in their recovery.
Noussair Mazraoui, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo all missed games for their respective national teams during the hiatus, but the trio are back in training.
Mainoo has played all seven of United's Premier League games this season, with the Red Devils earning their fewest points (eight) at this stage of any campaign in the competition.
He has the best pass completion rate (88.3%) of any ever-present United midfielder, with only Bruno Fernandes (261, 49) bettering his 250 completed passes or his 35 successful passes into the final third.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
