A major Canadian Championship final upset could be brewing at Stade Saputo, with Forge FC and CF Montreal tied 1-1 at Stade Saputo.

Forge FC barely had a sniff at goal before Antoine Batisse’s header from a corner kick six minutes into stoppage time, redirecting a cross from Hammers captain Noah Jensen into the back of the net. It silenced a Montreal crowd already frustrated by their dismal season, and giving head coach Philippe Eullaffroy a lot of work to do after the break.

Daniel Rios wasted no time finding the equalizer after play resumed, heading the ball past Forge goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud after Fabian Herbers headed it in his direction from a high Victor Loturi pass. The team play from Montreal was much better after missing several chances to take the lead in the first half.

Things got a lot harder five minutes later though when Brayan Vera was sent off — given a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the Forge penalty box.

Montreal started the game well. Herbers forced a save out of Bertaud in just the third minute, directing it right at the DR Congo international from close range after a cross in from Rios. Rios had a chance as well a minute later, but also weakly headed it into Bertaud’s waiting arms, perhaps foreshadowing his goal in the second half.

The Forge keeper dropped another header, this time from Vera, nearly right into the path of Montreal’s leading scorer Prince Owusu, but he quickly dived on it to stop what would have been an easy tap-in. Forge’s nervy start wasn’t like their usual dominant selves, and Montreal tried again and again to make them pay.

Another header from Rios, this time a pass into the penalty area for Owusu, saw the Montreal striker fouled by Manjrekar James and referee Michael Venne pointed to the spot. Owusu stepped up to take it himself after Forge unsuccessfully challenged the call, but Bertaud wasn’t fooled by the stutter step and made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.

Montreal requested a challenge of their own when Lucas Cavallini elbowed Brandan Craig in the face when battling for a ball, but the referee declined to upgrade it from a yellow card to a red. Cavallini only lasted another 15 minutes or so before suffering an injury and leaving the game, replaced by young Spanish forward Ismael Oketokoun.

This is the second year in a row where the final features a Major League Soccer side against one from the Canadian Premier League after the Vancouver Whitecaps beat local opponent Vancouver FC last year. The Whitecaps’ attempt to win a fifth Canadian title in a row was ended in the semifinals by Montreal, who were the last team to win it in 2021 before the Whitecaps’ dominance.

This will be Montreal’s eighth CanChamp final in their MLS era (2012-present), having won four of the previous seven. Forge are getting their second crack at winning the competition after losing on penalties to Toronto FC in the 2020 final, played in 2020 after being delayed and restructured by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Courtesy: Sean Pollock/Canadian Soccer Daily

Winners of this competition in 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2021, Montreal are desperate to win something after another season where they fired their coach and had a year that they’d like to forget. None of Hernán Losada, Laurent Courtois or Marco Donadel lasted two full seasons in Montreal, and it’s hard to see interim boss Philippe Eullaffroy doing so if Montreal doesn’t win the Canadian Championship. Even that might not be enough as they idle at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

A joint statement from the club’s supporters groups on Monday called Wednesday’s match the club’s “last glimmer of hope” this season, and that would be correct. Playoff elimination is a formality at this point, especially with Nashville SC able to clinch the MLS Supporters Shield on Saturday when they visit Stade Saputo. If Montreal want to avoid two trophies being lifted by away teams on their own turf this week, they’d better win on Wednesday.

Losing to Forge in the final would be “unacceptable” according to the fans’ statement. It’s not like they haven’t lost to the Hammers before.

Forge have knocked Montreal out of this competition two years in a row, and are looking to make it three. Before that, CF Montreal knocked Forge out three years in a row — so major bragging rights are on the line as well as the trophy between two clubs that have become something of an unlikely rivalry.

The CPL juggernauts, who can also win the CPL Shield on Sunday and are always contenders once they’re into the playoffs, will also take added motivation from Owusu predicting live on television after the semifinal that Montreal would beat Forge and get revenge for last season — saying that “it’s better to play against them” and that “after that we will celebrate the championship.” On paper they should, but the game is played on grass and Forge have done a lot more winning on grass than Montreal over the past few years.

The pressure is unquestionably on Montreal, but it does feel like if a CPL team is ever going to win this competition, that this is the best chance.

One team can save their dismal season. The other can win the first of three potential trophies this season and make history for their league. Only one of them will lift the Voyageurs Cup on Wednesday night.

More to come.