CF Montréal host Forge FC in Canadian Championship final

CF Montréal and Forge FC meet Wednesday night at Stade Saputo in the final of the Canadian Championship, with the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup on the line.

Canada Soccer lists the final for Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast in Canada on TSN and OneSoccer, MLSsoccer.com reported. If the match is level after 90 minutes, extra time and a penalty shootout follow, according to MLSsoccer.com.

Montréal reached the final by beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinals, with a 1-1 draw at BC Place on Sept. 2 and a 2-1 home win on Sept. 16. Forge, of the Canadian Premier League, beat Supra du Québec 2-1 on aggregate in its semifinal.

The final is a bright spot in an otherwise difficult year for Montréal. Canadian Soccer Daily reported that the club dismissed coach Marco Donadel early in the season and replaced him with Philippe Eullaffroy. Montréal lost seven of its previous eight games before a 1-1 draw at the Seattle Sounders on Oct. 18.

Winning the cup would secure continental football for next season. Montréal has not won the title since 2021, Canadian Soccer Daily said.

Availability is a question for the hosts. Canadian Soccer Daily reported that leading scorer Prince Owusu has a lower-body injury and missed Montréal’s last two MLS games, and his status for Wednesday has not been confirmed. Goalkeeper Thomas Gillier is out for the rest of the season after shoulder surgery, so Sebastian Breza is expected to start in goal.

Forge sits second in the Canadian Premier League table with 57 points, according to MLSsoccer.com. Lucas Cavallini, Levonte Johnson and Tristan Borges are among its key players. Longtime midfielder Kyle Bekker announced his retirement in early October.

This is Forge’s second Canadian Championship final. It lost the 2020 final to Toronto FC 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Canadian Soccer Daily noted that Forge would be the first CPL team to win the title.

The winner will qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup, according to Canada Soccer, on the road to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Earlier on our site: how CF Montréal beat the Whitecaps to reach the final and Montréal’s 1-1 draw with the Sounders.

Via MLSsoccer.com, Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Daily.

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