MONTREAL — CF Montreal will play its third Canadian Championship final in five years after beating Forge FC 2-0 at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night.
Ariel Lassiter and Sunusi Ibrahim were the scorers as Montreal beat Forge in the tournament for the third straight year.
Despite a slow start to the game, Montreal controlled the ball for most of the first half. Forge lined up with two compact banks of four in an effort to successfully thwart any oncoming attack.
Forge were the first team to create a scoring chance about half an hour into the game, despite the possession disparity.
David Choiniere picked up the ball in midfield and made a lightning run through the middle, setting up Woobens Pacius who launched a low shot from a difficult angle for Hamilton’s side.
“I think the first 45 minutes were very good and the game was under control,” Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis said. “We had the clearest opportunities in that half and in our low block we were very good at pushing them outside and making sure we limited the space inside.”
Montreal has become accustomed to starting home games with a lack of pace, keeping possession but finding few meaningful moments with the ball. This was a sore point for a while and it was again the case against Forge.
However, one aspect that Montreal head coach Hernan Losada has excelled in is making adjustments at halftime. Often the team comes out after the break invigorated and creates many more chances. That’s exactly how Montreal took the lead less than ten minutes after the restart.
“Adding a second 1/8 striker was key 3/8, it really was that simple,” Losada said. “We had a lot of ball in the first half, but the last pass got away from us. A second attacker on the pitch put more pressure on their back line.
The half-time addition of striker Chinonso Offor allowed Montreal to use their big frame to drive deeper into opposing centre-backs and open up space for the midfield.
Lassiter was the first to take advantage of this room, using it to score his first goal for the club since arriving from Inter Miami in April.
The Costa Rican winger cut in midfield from 30 yards out and sent the ball towards the net. The weak shot was then deflected by Forge midfielder Alessandro Hojabrpour and worked its way into the bottom corner, giving the hosts the lead.
In the ten minutes that followed, Offor had two golden chances to double Montreal’s lead but couldn’t convert.
Offor found himself alone in front of goal in both situations, needing only to hit the target, but sent the ball over the bar.
“The most important thing is just constant movement of the players and the ball,” said midfielder Mathieu Choinière, who added that incisive crosses from the flanks were crucial in opening up spaces in the middle for the midfielder and the attackers.
As the chances and dangerous crosses into the Forge penalty area continued, goalkeeper Triston Henry kept his side in the game, delivering an incredible close-range save on Offor in the 70th minute.
Montreal finally capitalized on their chances with 10 minutes to go, putting the game out of reach for Forge at 2-0.
After collecting the ball in the penalty area, Ibrahim cut quickly to the right and hit a powerful shot into the corner to double Montreal’s lead.
Montreal will now have to wait until early June for the final, where it will travel to British Columbia to face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Voyageurs Cup.
“We are very happy and immensely proud to be in the final,” Losada said. “When I first looked at the calendar at the start of the season and saw the Canadian Championship, I understood how important this competition is not only for the players but for everyone at the club. “
WHITECAPS 3 PACIFIC FC 0
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Midfielder Julian Gressel scored 14 minutes and the Vancouver Whitecaps never looked back, clinching a ticket to the Canadian Championship final with a 3-0 win over Pacific FC on Wednesday.
Defender Ali Ahmed scored three minutes after Gressel, and striker Simon Becher iced the game in the 78th minute.
Shortly after scoring his goal, Ahmed had to be stretched off the pitch after barely moving following a tackle from Pacific FC’s Cedric Toussaint.
The Whitecaps posted on social media that Ahmed was conscious and receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The Whitecaps will be able to defend their title against Montreal in the final after beating Toronto FC last year.
Vancouver has won the Voyageurs Cup twice.