MONTREAL - Prince Owusu can feel the pressure building with losses piling up at Stade Saputo.
CF Montreal remains winless at home after losing 3-1 to FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer action Wednesday night.
鈥淲e want it so much that I feel like we get stiff,鈥 the German forward said. 鈥淲e have to get this stiffness away, communicate more and be brave.
鈥淲e play too hectic, or too nervous, at home than away. I think we have to find solutions for that."
Brazilian midfielder Evander scored twice to reach nine goals on the season while fellow star player Luca Orellano also found the back of the net for Cincinnati (11-5-3), which ranks second in the Eastern Conference. Cincinnati had one victory in its previous five games.
Owusu converted his third goal in two games for Montreal (2-12-5). The club failed to carry momentum into the match after earning its second win this season, 3-1 on the road over the Houston Dynamo on June 14.
Montreal, which sits last in the East, fell to 0-5-3 at Stade Saputo.
"The confidence that we usually need to have as the home team is right now not there,鈥 Owusu said. 鈥淚t's a mental thing, to be honest, because away you could see 鈥 we play.鈥
Assistant coach David Sauvry filled in for Marco Donadel along the touchline while the interim head coach served a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Sauvry said his squad played a solid first 30 minutes, but a breakdown late in the first half changed the course of the match as Montreal tried to erase a deficit.
"For me, the moment you concede the first goal, it鈥檚 not the same,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he energy level when you're pushing to come back and when you're trying to score and exploit some moments, it's not the same."
Evander opened the scoring just before first-half injury time when he controlled a hard cross from DeAndre Yedlin and slotted a left-footed finish past Montreal 鈥榢eeper Jonathan Sirois on a balmy, 25 C evening.
Yedlin broke down the right side, overlapping a confused Montreal defence, before finding Evander, who was named to the MLS all-star roster earlier Wednesday.
"We have to be more focused,鈥 centre back George Campbell said. 鈥淲e can't just pick our target and then let them run in behind us or dribble past us.鈥
Adding to the defeat, centre back Jalen Neal, attacking midfielder Caden Clark and captain Samuel Piette exited the match with apparent injuries.
Piette鈥檚 ailment seemed to be the least serious of the three. Sauvry did not have an update post-game.
鈥淚t's terrible for the team,鈥 Campbell said. 鈥淏ut we have other guys ready to play and we need to be encouraged that those guys can do the same job, if not better."
Montreal substitute Dante Sealy, moments after coming on the field in the 55th minute, nearly equalized by cutting inside to his left foot, but sent his shot from the top of the box just over the bar.
After Cincinnati top scorer Ke虂vin Denkey failed to convert a quality chance, Orellano dribbled through Montreal鈥檚 defence for a flashy goal to double the lead in the 65th minute.
Evander made it a brace in the 83rd, finishing Lukas Engel鈥檚 low pass from the centre of the box to make it 3-0.
鈥淭hey have a lot of quality, but I think they didn't play their best game today, so it was a big chance for us to win this game,鈥 Owusu said. 鈥淪ometimes I had the feeling we had too much respect for them.鈥
Owusu got Montreal on the board with a beautiful header off Jules-Anthony Vilsaint鈥檚 cross in the 89th minute.
Cincinnati looked like the stronger side in the first half, edging Montreal 7-5 on the shot count, including 5-1 on target.
Montreal created chances early in the first 45 minutes. Clark sent a superb through ball with Tom Pearce streaking down the left side in the seventh minute, but Pearce shot wide on a golden opportunity.
Pearce was at it again in the 13th minute. This time he blasted down the left wing and fired a sharp-angle attempt at the near post, but Celentano turned it aside with his right arm.
"We have to analyze this game tomorrow and take the good parts, learn from the mistakes,鈥 Owusu said. 鈥淭hat's a big thing this season. To learn from the mistakes, because we do too many individual mistakes again and again and again.鈥
LOW PAYROLL
Montreal has the lowest payroll in the league once again, according to figures released Wednesday by the MLS Players Association. The roster鈥檚 total salary adds up to US$11.99 million, roughly 1.3 million less than the next-closest Philadelphia Union. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has the league's fourth-highest payroll of $23.18 million.
UP NEXT
Montreal: Hosts New York City FC on Saturday.
Cincinnati: Visits Orlando SC on Saturday.
This report by 好色tvwas first published June 25, 2025.
