CF Montréal Fights Back to Earn Draw in Chicago
The story coming out of Soldier Field on March 29 wasn’t just about a regular season point. It was about new beginnings and turning points. Under interim head coach Marco Donadel, CF Montréal grabbed a valuable 1-1 draw against Chicago Fire FC, snapping a two-game losing streak and injecting fresh energy into a squad that needed it.
Chicago started brighter, showing sharpness and urgency at home. Their opener came in the 40th minute, the result of a smart, quick sequence. Jonathan Bamba drifted inside and found Andrew Gutman on the overlap. Gutman’s low cross zipped across the box and met Philip Zinckernagel, who made no mistake with his finish. For a moment, it looked like the Fire would pull away, given Montréal had looked shaky at the back in those first 45 minutes.
But Donadel’s halftime talk seemed to flip the script. Just five minutes into the second half, Montréal responded with a move straight from the training ground. Luca Petrasso darted down the left wing and fired in a looping cross. Dante Sealy snuck behind the defense and volleyed home—his first strike in a Montreal shirt. The celebration said it all: relief, excitement, and renewed belief.
Milestones, Missed Chances, and What’s Next
Beyond Sealy’s goal and Donadel’s sideline debut, CF Montréal celebrated a huge personal achievement. At exactly the 58th minute, defender Joel Waterman became just the sixth player in team history to surpass 10,000 minutes played in Major League Soccer. His journey from an outsider at the start of his career to a nailed-on starter under several coaches has made him a fan favorite back home.
The second half saw both teams press for a winner, but defenses stood firm. Yusuf Demir for Montréal and Gutman for Chicago both forced solid saves from the keepers. A near miss from Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers in stoppage time had home fans on their feet, but nothing found the back of the net again.
This draw was significant for Montréal, who have been living out of suitcases in the early season with an exhausting seven-game road stretch. That grind wraps up soon, with a final away date against reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew on April 5. After that, the city finally gets its soccer fix as Stade Saputo reopens, with Charlotte FC first up in Montréal’s long-awaited home opener on April 12.
- Chicago Fire FC failed to capitalize on home advantage, managing only one point in front of their fans.
- Marco Donadel, thrust into the head coach role after managerial changes, managed his first game and came away unbeaten.
- Dante Sealy’s breakthrough goal and Joel Waterman’s milestone added layers to a night full of storylines for the visitors.
This early-season match might not decide playoff fates, but it’s already reshaping the mood, and maybe even the future, for CF Montréal.