Forge chase first CPL Voyageurs Cup in Montréal
Bobby Smyrniotis' side meet CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Wednesday, four days before a Shield decider at Pacific.
· by Colin Radek · canadian championship · cf montréal · cpl shield · playoffs
Forge FC were the first Canadian Premier League club to reach a Canadian Championship final, and on Wednesday they get the chance to become the first to win one. The single-leg final against CF Montréal is at Stade Saputo, with the Voyageurs Cup on the line.
It is the sixth year in a row the two clubs have met in this competition, and comfortably the biggest occasion of the series. Montréal knocked Forge out in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but Forge have come out on top in each of the past two years. The Hamilton club has won a trophy in every season of its existence without ever claiming the national title: they lost the 2020 final, played in 2022, to Toronto FC, while last year Vancouver FC's run ended against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who won a fourth straight title.
The draw opened up for Forge along the way. Four-time reigning champions Vancouver were beaten by Montréal in the semifinals, Toronto FC were upset in the first round by Atlético Ottawa, and Ottawa were then eliminated by expansion side FC Supra du Québec, whom Forge beat in their own semifinal. Earlier, Forge put four past the Halifax Wanderers at Hamilton Stadium and edged CS Saint-Laurent 3-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals, a tie settled by Antoine Batisse's 94th-minute goal. Daniël Krutzen's 95th-minute equalizer in the first leg against Supra continued the pattern of late drama.
That semifinal second leg also proved to be the last match of Kyle Bekker's career. The captain suffered an ACL injury that ended his season and, after his retirement last month, his playing days.
Among the players carrying Forge into the final, Dimitry Bertaud has kept 10 clean sheets in 22 appearances, level with Cavalry's Nathan Ingham. Ismael Oketokoun leads the team with five goals, though eight players have three or more, and Noah Jensen tops the assist chart with five ahead of Tristan Borges' four. Lucas Cavallini, tied for fourth all-time in Canadian men's national team scoring, has two goals and an assist in his first six CPL appearances since joining this summer. Dan Nimick will have Alexis Sánchez and Prince Owusu to handle.
A second prize is available four days later. Forge and Cavalry FC are both 17-6-4 with one match remaining, Forge at Pacific FC and Cavalry at home to Vancouver FC, kicking off simultaneously on Sunday. The winner takes the Shield, home advantage through the playoffs and avoids third-place Atlético Ottawa in the two-legged semifinals.