MONTREAL — Dimitry Bertaud saved three penalty kicks - including two in a shootout - to help Forge FC make history on Wednesday night at Stade Saputo. After Forge and CF Montreal remained tied at one after regulation and extra time, the Hamilton-based side prevailed 4-2 in a shootout to become the first Canadian Premier League team to win the Canadian Championship. Manjrekar James scored the deciding goal to silence the crowd at Stade Saputo and send his Forge teammates into celebration mode. “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.” Antoine Batisse scored late in the first half for Forge. Daniel Rios notched the equalizer shortly after the halftime break for Montreal. Tristan Borges, Ben Paton and Daniel Nimick had the other goals for Forge in the shootout. Matty Longstaff and Daniel Perreira scored for Montreal. Daniël Krutzen was the only Forge player who failed to convert from the spot. Prince Owusu – who missed a penalty earlier in the game - and Gennadiy Synchuk missed for the Major League Soccer side. It was the third year in a row that Forge eliminated Montreal from the Canadian Championship. Montreal controlled for stretches of the game and generated several strong scoring opportunities. Despite the disparity on offence, Forge’s defence saw out the opening phases of the game. In the 21st minute, Montreal’s pressure finally paid off when James brought down Owusu in the penalty area. With the chance to open the scoring, Bertaud stood tall and made a decisive save. After the penalty miss, Montreal continued to control the game, but offered little in a credible attacking threat. That opened the door for Forge to take a surprise lead in the sixth minute of added time. Noah Jensen sent in a strong corner towards the first post that was met by Batisse, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead against the run of play. “Before the game, I told everyone that I want us to be remembered as the first CPL team to lift that trophy,” said Jensen. “In our stadium we have pictures of all the big moments our club has had and I told everyone I want to see the picture of our starting 11 there, and remember it as the day we won the Canadian Championship.” Montreal opened the second half with renewed energy and found an equalizer after just four minutes. The home side looked set to build on that momentum but it was cut short when Brayan Vera was sent off after receiving a second yellow for simulation. The game was played with a tenuous caution from both sides for the following 15 minutes as each team looked to figure out the other as if searching for a lone point that was never on the table. Forge was the first to do so as they finally enjoyed long stretches of possession and forced a Montreal retreat into its defensive shape. The first 20 minutes of extra time produced very little in the way of offence before Montreal had the best scoring opportunity of the night. Luca Petrasso intercepted the ball and carried it more than 60 yards before laying it off to Noah Streit, who could not hit the target from a point-blank shot. There was controversy on the Montreal side before the shootout began as Chilean star Alexis Sanchez and goalkeeper Samsy Keita were supposed to be subbed on before the end of extra time, but the changes could not be made in 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, but we still need a target man further up the field, and I thought this would be the best setup for the team.” The victory gave Forge FC a berth in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Up next Montreal: Will try to keep its faint playoff hopes alive at home against Nashville SC on Saturday. Forge: Will close out their CPL campaign on the road against Pacific FC on Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026. Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press
