MONTREAL — CF Montreal's sporting project aimed at developing and showcasing young talent has had mixed results over its five years. Fortunately, the Major League Soccer club has been able to balance that by finding success in the trade market.
Montreal has repeatedly converted undervalued or misused pieces in other squads to useful players in Montreal. The most recent example is newly acquired central defender Jalen Neal.
With a lingering thigh injury keeping George Campbell out of the lineup, Neal has emerged as an able replacement over the last two games and the club pick up its first win of the season and draw the Columbus Crew in back-to-back contests.
Before last week, Neal had only amassed five minutes of game time this season due to a knee injury sustained in a pre-season camp with the United States national team.
"I had a lot of weeks of training before actually starting to get some playing time, so I think I had time to get used to the play and all the tactics," said Neal, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Galaxy on Jan. 6 for allocation money and an international roster spot. "Since Day 1, everybody made me feel like I belonged here, and the chemistry is great between the guys."
Having come through the Galaxy's academy system, Neal arrived at training camp an already highly touted prospect and one of the most effective ball-playing defenders in MLS at just 21 years of age.
Initially brought in to be a part of then-head coach Laurent Courtois’s back five defence, he has pivoted quickly into looking at ease in a back four. He was even briefly slotted in at right back and used as an extra midfielder while in possession due to his ability on the ball. In the last two games he has started for Montreal he has completed 89 per cent of his passes.
"He’s really impressed me. Jalen had to step in and has done an incredible job," said captain Samuel Piette. "I heard about him before when he was at Galaxy. He’s a great kid and a good guy to have in the locker room."
Neal is not the only former member of the Galaxy’s MLS Next Pro side e in Montreal. as assistant coach David Sauvry previously worked for L.A. Galaxy II.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Neal is living away from home for the first time — in a different country and a city with a different predominant language, no less.
"I think I’ve gotten really used to the city and the club. I really like the city, the culture, how it looks," said Neal, who trained in the snow for the first time in his career last month. "The weather wasn’t great when I first got here, but it’s gotten a little better now so that’s picked up my mood a little bit."
As a homegrown Galaxy player, Neal is no stranger to important rivalry games, with El Trafico — the match between the Galaxy and crosstown rival Los Angeles FC — becoming one of the most heated derbies in MLS. This Saturday, he will partake in the oldest active North American soccer rivalry between Montreal and Toronto: The Canadian Classique.
The footballing history between the cities go back to 1971, when the Toronto Metros and Montreal Olympique both played in the North American Soccer League. TFC and CF Montreal, then the Impact, first played in the inaugural Canadian Championship in 2008.
"I’ve always liked rivalry games, whatever reason to bring more intensity to the game. I’ve heard of the magnitude of this rivalry by many people at the club […] but I’m happy to be on the Montreal side," said Neal. "You can’t get too caught up in the emotions and intensity of the match, you still have 90 minutes to play."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press
