10/21 - Finals

Canadian Championship Final

For the second straight year, the Canadian Championship final will be between an MLS team and a CPL team. CF Montréal host Forge FC on Wednesday, October 21st in a match between two teams heading in opposite directions. The Hamilton-based outfit are on a 10 game unbeaten run and are tied for first in the Canadian Premier League. They will look to continue their good form into this one and become the first CPL club ever to win this competition. CF Montréal, on the other hand, have just 2 wins in their last 10 and are sitting at the bottom of the East. They will have to play well in order to earn their fifth Voyageur's Cup, and their first since 2021.

This is the most important match of CF Montréal's season. While not mathematically eliminated, they are 11 points below the playoff line, so they would need a miracle to qualify.  It's critical that they defend well in this one; Montréal's last clean sheet came 18 matches ago. A lot of this is down to a lack of continuity across the back line. Since eliminating the Whitecaps from this competition, Montréal has toggled between a back 3 and back 4, so it will be interesting to see which system is used in their biggest game of the year. In attack, someone not named Prince Owusu needs to step up. Everything Montréal does in the attacking phase of play goes through the Ghanaian forward. Daniel Ríos has been effective alongside Owusu while younger players like Wiki Carmona and Hannadii Synchuk bring more creativity to the team. It's a massive moment for interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy: Bringing silverware to the club is a great way to earn the permanent job. But, if he loses, it's hard to imagine him returning as the head coach next season. He will need to get his starting 11 right, which means a blend of dynamic young talents and experienced veterans. CF Montréal have done well to make it this far in the competition, and in doing so have put themselves in a great spot to secure an unlikely berth in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup. If CF Montréal can get revenge on Forge FC, who eliminated them in last year's iteration of the tournament, they can definiteively book their place in CCC. But even if they lose, chances are high that they will be in that competition. Both the CPL regular season champion and CPL playoffs champion are inducted to the continental competition. With Forge being one of the best teams in the league, they will likely qualify via either CPL pathway. That said, Montréal's focus will be solely on booking their place on their own terms in front of their fans.