Forge FC vs. CF Montréal (Round 1) — 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship – Canadian Premier League

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2024 TELUS Canadian Championship — Quarter Finals (Round 1)
Forge FC vs. Montreal
May 7, 2024 at 11 a.m. ET
Tim Hortons Square in Hamilton, Ontario
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

In addition to the website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS 980 and Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to request OneSoccer today.

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It won't be cuppa night under the lights, but it should be magical in the afternoon Forge FC will try to kill the Giants against CF Montréal in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship on Tuesday morning in Hamilton.

This first leg of the two-legged knockout will be Forge's fifth all-time against Major Soccer opponents and fourth against Montreal in particular. However, despite all their silverware in the Canadian Premier League – four championships in five years – and success on the international stage in CONCACAF competitions, they have yet to defeat an MLS team.

Forge was close twice; they eliminated Montreal in an 11-round penalty shootout in the 2021 semi-final, and in the 2020 final (played in 2022), they came inches away from lifting the Voyageurs' trophy, but again fell to Toronto FC on penalties.

The last meetings between these sides have not been so close. Forge traveled to Stade Saputa in the previous two Canadian Championship campaigns and failed to score twice, losing 3-0 and then 2-0.

This time around, Forge may be in a better position than ever to take on an MLS opponent. They flew out of the gate in the CPL, winning each of their first three games to take a perfect nine points, with games at Pacific and Atlético Ottawa on top. Last week, they defeated local rivals York United FC, winning this preliminary round match 3-1 and booking a date with Montreal.

However, the MLS side has plenty of motivation of its own. They have won the tournament five times, but not since 2021. Last year they went all the way to the finals but lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place.

This is Montreal's first season under new head coach Laurent Courtois, who took over from Hernán Losada in the offseason. In 11 games to start the 2024 season, they are 3-3-4 and 11th out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They are winless in their last three games, losing 4-1 to Nashville SC on Saturday, and they have struggled away from home this year, losing their last five road games.

However, Montreal is an MLS team with enough quality to pose a major challenge. The Forge have been looking to beat MLS opposition for the past six years and they may feel more ready than ever. They clashed with Liga MX giants Chivas in February's Concacaf Champions Cup, and that was before they had time to find their regular season rhythm. Now, after a hot start to the season, the four-time Canadian Premier League champions have their sights set on another Canadian trophy this year.

This year's Canadian Championship quarter-final format is a two-leg home-and-away game, with the away goals rule in effect. After this week's opener in Hamilton, these two clubs will travel to Stade Saputo in Montreal on Wednesday, May 22 (7:30 p.m. ET) to officially decide who will take on Toronto FC or CS Saint Laurent in the semifinals.

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All CPL and Canadian Championship matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available on Telus' Optik TV (channel 980) network as well as online. OneSoccer.cavia the OneSoccer app and on the fuboTV Canada platform.

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3 THINGS TO CONSIDER

• There are many threats in the Montreal squad: In the last two years, Forge has conceded five goals to the Montreal club, four of which were scored by Sunusi Ibrahim. The Nigerian striker has been a first-choice bench option for his club this year, but given his history against the Hammers, he could opt out. Montreal has plenty of other dangerous players; their All-Canadian midfield of Samuel Piette and Mathieu Chaunier will be familiar to Forge, who missed out on him last season. What's new since these sides last met is Montreal's threat from the wings; they brought back Canadian Raheem Edwards to play at left back against Brazilian addition Ruan, who patrols the right flank. Up front, another young Canadian in Jules-Anthony Vilsaint could pose a major threat as he begins to grow more comfortable in his role as one of the club's main strikers. It's also worth noting that, as is usually the case when CF Montréal plays against the CPL, they are represented by the Canadian Premier League. Former Cavalry FC defender Joel Waterman is likely to play in the center of defence, while ex-Valour FC shot stopper Jonathan Sirois is a must in goal.

• Expect boldness from Forge's confident attack: Whenever Forge FC went up against unknown or high-profile opponents, whether in the Canadian Championship or in the CONCACAF tournaments, Bobby Smirniotis was adamant about one thing: he would never compromise his team's fundamental football identity in exchange for a cheap win. Even against Guadalajara in the Champions Cup, Forge did his best to stick to the principles of building from the back, trying to keep possession and play attacking football with the front foot. It's a philosophy that can be dangerous in games like this; While the Park-the-Bus approach can air out the game and allow a losing side to get some attacking results, Forge generally prefers to score by breaking down and building up the opposition. opportunities due to their movement and combinations between the front four. Fortunately for them, it's been working well lately; they scored 10 goals in four games to start the year. Tristan Borges was the CPL Player of the Month for April with two goals and three assists, and added another in the Canadian Championship win over York United; David Choignier and Beni Badibanga both have two league goals, with Choignier adding a third against York.

• To ensure a unique atmosphere, the school day crowd: No, the 11am start time mentioned is not a mistake here. That cup match kicks off on Tuesday morning as Forge welcomes more than 11,000 students from 100 schools in the Hamilton area. The Forge were originally scheduled to play Halifax Wanderers in this school day game, but Canadian Championship plans meant they had to move that match up and host Montreal CF instead. This will be an interesting new dynamic for players whose pre-match plans start much earlier than usual — maybe a coffee is in order? Either way, a packed stadium should become a boisterous atmosphere. With so many local kids involved, Forge will have extra motivation to put on a show and hopefully make a few new fans for the club.

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ALL-TIME SERIES

Forge FC win: 0 || CF Montreal won: 3 || Draw: 0

Last meeting:

May 25, 2023 — Montreal 2-0 Forge FC

KEY Citations

“We know how well coached they are and how they're able to try to move the opposition, try to use the overload wide and create number advantages and turnovers and they're able to get quality time with the numbers in that half space. looking for. We know they are a good football team, the only question is they will change their strategy and approach against us. We will find out, but we are ready to face a really good technical and ultra-motivated team. — Head coach of the Montreal club, Laurent Courtois

“Forge has won four out of five; they are a very good football team. They are very well coached, Bobby knows how to win and these guys know how to win. This is the main message, never enter these games lightly. You saw Saint Laurent beat Halifax, anything can happen in this race.” — Montreal defender Joel Waterman

“It's a competition and something about us playing each other. We continue it every year. It's a little bit different with both legs, so how you look at it is set up a little bit differently.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smirniotis