Underground transit, work duties, Petrasso affair.
Aiming High: Luca Petrasso's Rise with Montreal
Luca Petrasso, flashing a toothy grin, yanked an imaginary arrow from his quiver in front of his supporters. The unexpected start to his season with CF Montreal had become a beacon of hope amidst the club's turbulence.
Jean-François Teotonio on our site reveled Wednesday evening, when Petrasso scored the goal that put Montreal ahead 1-0 at Saputo Stadium, it was like confirming a surprising comeback. Through Montreal's chaos, Petrasso shined, becoming a regular on the field, consistently guarding the fort.
For a man who showed up at Montreal's training camp in the winter without a contract, the achievement is commendable. And the shock, even for him, is total.
"Frankly, I didn't think it would go this well," he admitted Wednesday night after the 1-1 draw against Columbus Crew. "I'm still quite stunned to be playing like this. I've always had confidence in my abilities, but I didn't imagine it could go this well."
We're talking about Petrasso's individual performances here, because for the rest of his team, the first 12 games have been challenging. The Toronto native has played 1,163 minutes this season, leading the club's field players... just 7 minutes less than goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
And it's not just on the field that Petrasso has found his groove in Montreal life. After his first MLS goal on Wednesday, scored in his 50th match no less, Petrasso was spotted on a Montreal metro train, ball in hand, accompanied by goalkeeper Sebastian Breza.
Breza is a frequent user of Montreal public transportation. The author of these lines has already taken the same bus as the charismatic Quebec goalkeeper on Pie-IX, at the end of a club training session.
Petrasso moved on from Toronto FC in 2022, joining the Orlando City organization. He spent the last two years splitting his time between Florida and Triestina, a third-division Italian club where he was loaned.
The last few years have been difficult. I wasn't finding consistency on the field.
Luca Petrasso
"I came here at the start of preseason to prove myself and earn a spot on this team," he said.
His effort paid off.
"No giving up"
The connection between Luca Petrasso and Montreal isn't new. His brother Michael played here in 2018. Samuel Piette, who arrived at Impact in 2017, remembers it well.
"I've known [Luca] for a while," the CFM captain said Friday. "I played with his brother. I also went to the U17 World Cup. If I recall correctly, Luca was there as a spectator, and we crossed paths. I've always had a good relationship with his brother, and I know his family well, including Luca. When I saw him arrive for a tryout in preseason, I was really happy."
Piette, for his part, isn't surprised to see Petrasso has earned the trust of both Montreal coaches this year. He knew he was "an ultra-constant player," "reliable," "disciplined," and "open-minded."
"He's a real treasure to have on the team," Piette added. "He has qualities. He's very comfortable with the ball at his feet. Physically, he's robust. He's not the biggest, but he's capable of putting in the needed effort. [...] He always shows up, there's no giving up."
It's assumed that Petrasso's desire to beat his former team in this Saturday's derby at the Saputo Stadium will be fierce. The Montrealers', as always, remains undiminished.
"The rivalry is there, and it's clear," noted head coach Marco Donadel on Friday. Despite both teams struggling at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in MLS, recent history favors CFM, who defeated Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship two weeks ago.
"What I told the guys in Toronto is that we don't play derbies, we win them," said Piette. That will be the mindset this Saturday.
Montreal will again be without Bryce Duke, Hennadii Synchuk, Dominic Iankov, and George Campbell. Fabian Herbers' name has been added to the injury list this week.
"The fans deserve a first home victory," assures Samuel Piette. So do we. The staff. The whole club and organization. Everyone is working hard, and it's time to get our first three points at home.
Luca Petrasso's football skills have earned him a prominent position in European-leagues, particularly the Premier League, as he demonstrated his consistency and reliability on the field for Montreal. After his move from Orlando City, Petrasso found a new home in Montreal, with his public transportation commuting mirroring that of teammate Sebastian Breza.
