Forge FC wins Canadian Championship in shootout, makes CPL history
The Hamilton side defeated CF Montreal 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.
MONTREAL · Dimitry Bertaud saved three penalty kicks to help Forge FC become the first Canadian Premier League team to win the Canadian Championship on Wednesday night. The Hamilton-based side defeated CF Montreal 4-2 in a shootout after the teams were tied 1-1 through regulation and extra time at Stade Saputo. Manjrekar James scored the decisive penalty to silence the home crowd and send his teammates into celebration. The victory marks the third consecutive year Forge has eliminated Montreal from the tournament. Antoine Batisse opened the scoring for Forge in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, heading home a Noah Jensen corner against the run of play. Daniel Rios equalized for Montreal just four minutes into the second half. The home side's momentum was halted when defender Brayan Vera was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for simulation.
Montreal had a glorious chance to win the game in extra time. Luca Petrasso carried the ball over 60 yards before setting up Noah Streit, who missed a point-blank shot. The match then proceeded to penalties, where Bertaud saved attempts from Prince Owusu and Gennadiy Synchuk after having stopped an Owusu penalty in the 21st minute of regulation. Tristan Borges, Ben Paton and Daniel Nimick also scored for Forge in the shootout, with Daniël Krutzen the only player to miss.
"For us, every time is an opportunity," said Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. "We've won trophies, and this is a trophy that we've come close to, and it's very important for our club. Finals have nothing to do with three points." Jensen said he had urged his teammates to make history before the match. "Before the game, I told everyone that I want us to be remembered as the first CPL team to lift that trophy," Jensen said.
Controversy surrounded Montreal before the shootout, as planned substitutions for star Alexis Sanchez and goalkeeper Samsy Keita could not be made before the end of extra time. "We played with the best 11," said Montreal interim coach Phillipe Eullaffroy. "With regards to Alexis, I tried to find a creative way to not only bring him into the game, but do it in a way that can make a difference. That could have worked if we were never down to 10 versus 11." The win earns Forge FC a berth in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Up next: Forge closes out its CPL regular season on the road against Pacific FC on Sunday. Montreal will try to keep its faint playoff hopes alive at home against Nashville SC on Saturday.
With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Sportsnet