With CF Montreal off to their worst start ever in Major League Soccer, something needed to change ahead of a three-game homestand beginning Saturday against D.C. United.
Renard sent all-star centre back and Canadian international Kamal Miller as well as $1.3-million in general allocation money to Inter Miami in exchange for promising young midfielder Bryce Duke and winger Ariel Lassiter.“I like ‘Duke.’ we were in touch with Miami for two or three months, but they rejected our offers. We’re going to let him grow but he needs to earn his spot, he won’t be an immediate starter because of his transfer value,” said Renard on Thursday.
With star striker Romell Quioto returning to Honduras to nurse an injury picked up against the New England Revolution last week, the active players in the squad ahead of Saturday’s match have collectively scored just one goal. It is unclear, however, whether Duke or Lassiter will see any game time against United after only arriving in Montreal on Thursday, but both trained with the team on Friday afternoon.
“That’s two losses in a row that really weren’t fun, and you can feel it in the dressing room that people are hungry to change that,” said goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, referencing recent 5-0 and 4-0 defeats to Vancouver and New England.