Prince Owusu scored two first-half goals as CF Montréal defeated Vancouver 2-1 to advance to the Canadian Championship final on Oct. 21.
The Story
CF Montréal is headed to the Canadian Championship final after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Wednesday and finishing the two-leg series ahead 3-2 on aggregate, ending Vancouver’s run of consecutive Canadian Championship titles at four.
The result means Montréal will play in its first Canadian Championship final since 2023, a notable milestone for a club that had been unable to reach the championship match in the intervening season.
Owusu’s two first-half goals proved decisive, lifting CF Montréal over a reigning champion that had arrived with momentum in the competition and a mandate to extend its title streak.
Across the two legs, Montréal put numbers on the board with relatively limited possession, scoring three goals on four shots on target while holding 36 per cent of the ball in the series—an efficiency advantage that helped offset Vancouver’s control in phases of the return match.
The match began with both sides cautious, as the tie was effectively a single-elimination test after the first leg ended in a draw at BC Place. Neither team took many risks early, with Vancouver controlling more of the ball while Montréal looked for openings in the final third.
The breakthrough came around the half-hour mark when Montréal’s counterattacking pressure forced chances behind Vancouver’s line. At the same time, a physical moment in the box altered the trajectory of the sequence: Sam Adekugbe elbowed Daniel Rios in the head during an aerial contest, and though no penalty was awarded on the field, it was overturned after review.
Owusu then converted the awarded penalty, netting his sixth spot kick of the season. Earlier in the year, he had taken a penalty against the Philadelphia Union that was saved, but Wednesday’s finish was accurate and calm, and it gave Montréal a lead they would not relinquish.
Just before halftime, Montréal doubled their advantage in another counterattack. Matty Longstaff played a ball in behind to Owusu, who outwaited goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer and scored in the left-hand corner, putting Vancouver in a difficult position heading into the second half.
Vancouver increased its urgency after the break in search of an equalizer, with the club trying to generate opportunities when it managed to get into the attacking third. But Montréal’s defensive organization limited the clean openings Vancouver needed, and at times Montréal looked more likely to score a third than Vancouver was to pull the match back.
The Whitecaps finally reduced the deficit in the first minute of added time. Emmanuel Sabbi received a cross, created enough room to connect, and fired a powerful volley into the bottom right corner past Montréal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza, making the closing stages tense but not enough to change the aggregate result.
CF Montréal will now wait until Oct. 21 to host Forge FC in the championship final at Stade Saputo, with Vancouver’s competitive schedule shifting back to league play. Vancouver is set to return to MLS action on Saturday at Real Salt Lake, while Montréal will host the Columbus Crew on Saturday, with the Canadian Championship match set to be the next major home event for the club.
← More stories