CF Montréal turned in one of their sharpest performances of the MLS season on Saturday, racing past Red Bull New York 4-1 at Stade Saputo with a display that blended early aggression, clinical finishing and resilience after a brief second-half wobble.
The home side set the tone almost immediately. Victor Loturi opened the scoring in the 5th minute, giving Montréal the perfect start and energizing the crowd in Montreal. Despite seeing less of the ball for long stretches, the hosts looked far more dangerous when they broke forward, while Red Bull New York struggled to turn possession into genuine end product.
That contrast remained the theme of the first half. Red Bull New York enjoyed 68.2 percent possession on the afternoon and won seven corners, but Montréal stayed compact, disciplined and direct. Their reward came again in the 39th minute, when Prince Owusu converted from the penalty spot to double the lead and put the home side firmly in control before the interval.
Montréal took a 2-0 advantage into halftime, and they came out of the break with the same intent. Matthew Longstaff made it 3-0 in the 48th minute, capping a dream restart for the hosts and seemingly putting the fixture out of reach.
To Red Bull New York’s credit, they were handed a route back into the contest in the 53rd minute when Longstaff unfortunately turned the ball into his own net. The own goal cut the deficit to 3-1 and offered the visitors a flicker of momentum, but they could not build on it. For all their territorial control, they managed just one shot on target, and Montréal’s back line handled the pressure well enough to keep the visitors at arm’s length.
Any lingering doubt was removed in the 77th minute when Kwadwo Opoku added Montréal’s fourth goal, restoring the three-goal cushion and rounding off an excellent attacking outing. It was a fitting finish for a side that made the most of its moments, recording six shots on target from just nine total attempts.
There was a physical edge to the match as well. Adri Mehmeti was booked for Red Bull New York in the 34th minute, Jorge Ruvalcaba followed into the book in the 43rd, while Brayan Vera (71′), Thomas Gillier (75′), Ronald Donkor (83′) and Longstaff (89′) were also shown yellow cards in a chippy second half.
In the end, this was a result built on efficiency. Montréal scored through Victor Loturi (5′), Prince Owusu (39′, penalty), Matthew Longstaff (48′) and Kwadwo Opoku (77′), with Red Bull New York’s lone goal coming via Longstaff’s own goal in the 53rd minute. The visitors may have controlled possession and forced more corners, but Montréal controlled the areas that mattered most.
For CF Montréal, this felt like a statement victory and a badly needed lift. For Red Bull New York, it was a frustrating reminder that domination of the ball means little without cutting edge in the final third.
