Mégane Saved with the Montreal Roses | Objective: championships

ThanksPortugal: Mégane Sauvé, a successful player with the Carabins and AS Blainville, returns home to Montreal after a year and a half in the land of azulejos.

The Montreal Roses, a new professional women’s soccer team, announced the repatriation of the Quebecer on Tuesday. Sauvé has been playing since last July with the prestigious Sporting, a club established in Lisbon, recognized for having trained Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo, among others.

“I am someone who has always wanted to advance football here,” she said in an interview with The Presswhen it comes to the reasons for his return to the country. “I have always tried to bring my teams to the highest level. It’s the same principle: I’m going to represent Montreal, and we’re going to win championships. That’s my goal. »

We met her in a meeting room of a downtown Montreal hotel on Tuesday morning. Previously, the Roses organization had described her to us as a charismatic, energetic player, with natural leadership. This was also the observation reported by colleague Nicholas Richard, when he went to meet the Carabins team, champion of the U Sports Canadian title, in 2022. A team for which she had been the undisputed leader.

“It can really be transmitted, spread,” underlines the sporting director of the Roses, Marinette Pichon. She likes to talk, she likes people. His voice is heard. […] We need women like Mégane, who arrive with baggage, a very clear vision of the high level, and what that requires. »

Mégane Sauvé is a 26-year-old “versatile” winger. She won two U Sports championships with the Carabins, in 2017 and 2022. She was named MVP of the RSEQ and the Canadian Championship in 2022, having contributed to all of her team’s goals in the national tournament.

She also had an exemplary career in the Quebec semi-professional circuit, contributing to AS Blainville’s league and cup double in 2021. The following year, she won the Ballon d’Or of the Premiere soccer league of Quebec , which became Ligue1 Québec.

“It really clicked”

The fact remains that with his recent transfer to Sporting and his two-year contract with the Lisbon club, Mégane Sauvé had the wind in his sails in Europe.

“His plan was very clear,” says Marie L’Allier, his agent, present Tuesday morning. It was two years at Sporting. It was to participate in the Champions League, win titles, beat Benfica [l’autre grosse équipe de Lisbonne, NDLR]. She was extremely happy in these new conditions and in this club. »

L’Allier, however, speaks of a “turning moment” which made him change course and accept the Roses’ offer.

“She became aware of the privilege and the chance she could have to be close to her family, her friends. When it all grew bigger, she had a little sense of urgency, a calling that kept growing: “I want to contribute to what’s happening right now, I want to be an ambassador for the Roses, for the league.” It really wasn’t an easy decision for her. Nor with Sporting for me! [Rires] Because Sporting was very happy with his performance. »

Mégane Sauvé admits that several question marks were attached to the Super Ligue du Nord, especially in terms of the level of play and professionalism.

“Courage”, to leave and come back

Sportingly, it’s a very interesting profile that comes with the Roses. As a joke, Marinette Pichon says she wants to see her new player finish as the league’s top scorer, “with her great left foot.”

We talked about her versatility: this “lane player”, as she described herself, is obviously very comfortable playing forward, but she can also play as a defender. So for now, let’s label her as a left back, who will move up to winger if the team opts for a four-man defense instead of a three-man defense.

The team is slowly being built, with nine players now – including seven from Quebec – under contract. It is difficult for the moment to establish a clear tactical plan. Moreover, Marinette Pichon emphasizes that the Roses will probably not employ the maximum of 25 players allowed in their squad, while the regulatory minimum is 20 players under contract.

But already, with the squad and personnel in place, Mégane Sauvé is not entering unfamiliar territory, having worked alongside goalkeeper Gabrielle Lambert, midfielders Lorie Thibault and Mara Bouchard, attacker Latifah Abdu and defender Stéphanie Hill .

“Gabrielle coached me in high school,” she reveals. Lorie, I played with her in college. I played with Mara in high school. I played against Latifah and Steph Hill. »

She also crossed paths with Robert Rositoiu, the team’s head coach, during her career with AS Blainville. The latter, moreover, compliments “his openness to come and contribute” to Canadian professional soccer.

“It shows his courage,” submits Rositoiu. She had enough to leave [au Portugal]. She had enough to come back. »