CF Montréal are the second Eastern Conference team in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs, continuing their remarkable rise under second-year head coach Wilfried Nancy.
The Canadian side booked their spot via Friday night’s dramatic 2-2 home draw vs. the Columbus Crew, joining LAFC and the Philadelphia Union as three of 14 teams that’ll play postseason soccer come mid-October.
Playoff history, key pieces
Nancy’s side sits second in the East, on track for their best finish since the 2015 campaign and top regular-season performance since joining MLS in 2012. A year ago, Montréal finished two points outside the East’s playoff places in 10th place. They last made the postseason in 2020 (five total qualifications).
Montréal are led by a career year from forward Romell Quioto (15g/5a), while midfielders Djordje Mihailovic (United States) and Ismael Kone (Canada) are both vying for Qatar 2022 World Cup roster spots with their respective countries. Mihailovic is bound for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in the winter; Kone has drawn widespread interest across Europe as well.
Former Kenya captain Victor Wanyama is Montréal’s sole Designated Player, while Canadian international defenders Kamal Miller and Alistair Johnston are two other key pieces for the club. Striker Kei Kamara, 38, has also reached third all-time on the MLS goalscoring charts.
Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup 2022 is set for Nov. 5, while the playoffs will get underway Oct. 15 with Round One games (the top seed in each conference gets a bye).
The timeline takes into consideration the FIFA 2022 World Cup starting Nov. 20 in Qatar, rather than during the event’s typical summer months.
