The 2022 MLS campaign has long been over and the unforgiving nature of the single-elimination Audi MLS Cup Playoffs sends another four clubs to the offseason after the Conference Semifinals, with just four teams left standing. The other 24 (plus St. Louis!) are in full offseason mode.
Here, we'll be covering three questions for every team moving forward. Think of it as an exit interview, if you will. Matt Doyle, as always, has you covered on his preeminent season-in-review for each club (CF Montréal version). Read that, too.
He has gifs. It’s tough to beat gifs.
CF Montréal were among the most pleasant surprises in the league this year. After a quietly solid 2021 season, the club took off this year, playing aesthetically-pleasing soccer under Wilfried Nancy and finishing second in the Eastern Conference standings. They lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to New York City FC and head into the offseason with a lot of questions.
It was a fantastic 2022 season, but perhaps more than any of the other seven conference semifinalists across the league, CFMTL are at an inflection point this winter.
First things first: Wilfried Nancy is under contract for 2023. His contract option was automatically triggered when they made the playoffs. VP and chief sporting officer Olivier Renard said Tuesday he wants Nancy here for next season and beyond.
What is also true: The Columbus Crew have made Nancy a target for their head coaching vacancy, per sources. Montréal would need to give permission for Columbus (or anyone else) to interview Nancy. If he were to leave, Montréal would have to agree to compensation.
Montréal could just play hardball and refuse any advances. That’s easier in theory than it is in practice. What does Nancy want? Because if he wants to go, it becomes much harder to take the hardball stance.
On Tuesday, at his end-of-season availability, Nancy declined to comment on his future.
"Today is the end-of-season presser, I don't want to talk about my situation," Nancy said. "We'll have time to talk about it later but now we talk about the season."
Nancy was just named runner-up for 2022 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year, finishing behind Philadelphia’s Jim Curtin. He’s done a phenomenal job at the club, coming in as someone unknown to most of the league, in the shadow of Thierry Henry departing, and dealing with COVID-19 implications that meant the first half of the 2021 season was spent entirely on the road.
He helped develop a lot of players, headlined by Djordje Mihailovic and Ismaël Koné. Mihailovic had 13g/22a across 61 matches and has signed for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar for around $6 million. Koné broke through and will be in Europe soon as well.
There’s no surprise Columbus would want Nancy. It’s an attractive job, with Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez headlining the roster, so there may be mutual interest at play. Keep an eye on this.
Defender Kamal Miller was asked about Nancy’s future Tuesday as well and he sums up the sentiment.
"Everyone wants Wilfried Nancy to stay,” Miller said. “He's changed everything at the club. It would be a big loss. Everyone wants him to stay and I do too."
Djordje Mihailovic is on his way to AZ Alkmaar this winter. Ismaël Koné is almost definitely leaving too, after nearly departing in the summer amid English Championship interest from Norwich City and Sheffield United.
To save the suspense, there is no way to exactly replace those two players like-for-like, in terms of their production/value curve.
One was acquired for $1 million GAM from the Chicago Fire and turned into a Best XI-caliber midfielder almost immediately ahead of an outbound transfer of around $6 million. The other was a homegrown player who turned into a Canadian international and likely outbound transfer of seven figures. The likelihood of replicating that is very low.
It won’t be easy to restore their on-field production of course, but it’s certainly possible, a pursuit that should be aided by (at least) two open Designated Player spots. CFMTL don’t need to use both, but it wouldn’t hurt.
Mihailovic was the club’s most important attacking player, thriving in half spaces throughout the attack. He became more goal dangerous in 2022 as well. If Nancy stays (or at least the formation/tactics remain similar), they’ll need someone who can take the creative burden as well as add goals.
Players like that usually cost a DP spot, but not always. Montréal have successfully navigated the intra-league market (Mihailovic, Miller, Romell Quioto, Alistair Johnston) in recent years.
Koné made 26 appearances and became more important to the team as the season went on. They have further academy products coming through the ranks and should be well-stocked in that position.
Particularly if the answer to the next question is “yes.”
Victor Wanyama was awesome this year for Montréal, a big reason why they were so good. His contract expires this winter.
A few weeks ago, the Kenyan d-mid said “I think I’m going to leave” the club. Some hoped maybe it was just contract negotiations playing out in public. Still, it’s very much up in the air. On Tuesday, Wanyama didn’t indicate that he’ll be back, but wasn’t so definitive about leaving.
"We had a good season, loved every bit, the club has been great to me,” Wanyama said. “I will go on holiday, rest a bit. There are a few options. I need a bit of time, look everything that I've got and then decide what's good for me and my family."
Wanyama, 31, has been a midfield constant over his three years with the club after arriving from Tottenham. He’s currently the club’s only DP, so they have the flexibility to retain him on another contract like that without much consternation. I guess we’ll see how those talks go.
A few more thoughts:
- Mihailovic is crossed out because he’s already gone, but we’re staying true to all the other depth charts that were “as of right now” depth charts.
- What happens if post-World Cup offers come in for Alistair Johnston and/or Kamal Miller?
- What positions will be identified for upgrades?
- Will 38-year-old Kei Kamara be back in 2023?
