Ask Caden Clark, and the CF Montréal playmaker will begrudgingly admit his team is the favorite in Tuesday's Eastern Conference Wild Card against Atlanta United at Stade Saputo (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV - Free).
"I mean, with the form we’re in now and it’s a home game… I think it’s fair to put us as favorites," said the 21-year-old US youth international.
However, Clark – whose 4g/4a since in just nine appearances since his late-summer arrival from Minnesota United FC – refuses to get carried away by the 5W-1L-1D record Montréal are riding into the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
"We're not going into this game thinking this is gonna be easy. You know, just show up and put in a good performance," he said. "We're taking it very seriously and trying to keep the underdog mentality because it seems to be working for us."
That "us-against-the-world" mentality has also taken Atlanta to this point – perhaps even more so. With reportedly a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs on Decision Day, the Five Stripes earned a gutsy 2-1 win at Orlando City SC and got help from Charlotte FC as The Crown beat D.C. United 3-0 at Audi Field.
"If we’d listened to everyone, what they said, the probability was 10 percent – why play the game then?" said interim head coach Rob Valentino. "Just let the data play, the simulation, and then the game’s over.
"So I think that’s where we can intrinsically look at ourselves and say, ‘You know what? We’ve got this.’ They say that? No problem. But in here, we actually have a belief."
Momentum at play
For goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Atlanta's Decision Day heroics may have come at the perfect time for a team that's on a two-game winning streak for just the second time all season.
"As much as we wanna say, ‘Right, it’s a fresh start,’ we also want to take that momentum from Saturday night," the veteran said.
"And being on the road in a tough environment against a good team and say, ‘Right, we were able to come out with a big win and now we’ve got to do that again.’ To remember that feeling of what it took."
Montréal, for their part, are most certainly hitting their peak. With their season on life support, Laurent Courtois' side turned it around from September onward, winning five of their last seven – including a 2-0 playoff-clinching win over New York City FC on Decision Day.
"I think we’ve proven a lot of people wrong, so there’s no point in stopping now," said midfielder Bryce Duke. "The playoffs are right around the corner, we’re just focused on what we can do, and we believe in what we can do."
Josef factor
Montréal's newfound belief has also been spurred by the recent play of Josef Martínez, who's scored six of his 11 goals this season in the club's last five games – including a brace in a 2-1 win at Atlanta earlier this month.
"He makes the game pretty easy for me," Clark said of the Venezuelan striker. "We were laughing in the locker room yesterday, just about some stuff that we were talking about on the field and just, you know, how simple you can make the game.
"I think if we stay close to each other and we can just be threatening, us three [with Duke] up front, and just pick our moments, I think that’s the most important thing."
Additionally, there are Martínez's well-known ties to Atlanta, where he won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award and MLS Cup back during a magical 2018 season.
"When you have history with the club and stuff like that, it always adds a little bit of motivation," Duke said. "You saw it when we played Atlanta away, two goals, you see how much it means to him.
"... You have all these little things that add up, and it gives the team a little bit of confidence, it gives him confidence for sure."
Stade Saputo advantage?
Montréal will also have their vocal home supporters cheering them on from the opening whistle, which Clark believes gives them an advantage.
"The fans, they create a special atmosphere. I feel like once you get into it and they get into it, you kind of feel the chemistry between you and the fans," Clark said. "It’s something special."
Courtois would love nothing more than to put on a show at Stade Saputo and set up a Round One Best-of-3 showdown with top-seeded Inter Miami CF.
"Now, in front of our fans, we’re about to host a playoff game and we’re really pleased in that aspect," Courtois said. "Now, we want more. That’s it. There’s no cockiness, not too much humility. We just go.”
For Atlanta, their Decision Day win at Orlando is proof they can pull off a second straight upset in hostile territory.
"No matter what’s happening on the outside, if inside we’re good and we’re sharp, then it doesn’t matter if you play home or away," Valentino said. "Playing at home is awesome, there’s no doubt about that. But playing away and silencing a crowd is also great."
