CF Montreal tops reigning champion Whitecaps, advance to Canadian Championship final

MONTREAL — Prince Owusu scored two first-half goals to help CF Montreal qualify for the Canadian Championship final, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Wednesday and 3-2 on aggregate.

Montreal (5-14-6) will be participating in their first Canadian Championship final since 2023, knocking off the defending champions, as Vancouver’s (14-6-4) run of consecutive titles ends with four.

“Before the game, I had a pretty short speech. I looked around and every player was ready for today. That was also my speech; I said, ‘We’re ready, let’s get it’,” said Owusu. “We wanted it more today. We were ready to go over our limits, and the team who went over their limits won, it wasn’t really about quality.”

Throughout the last few years, many Montreal losses have followed a script. Their lack of final product was punished by the opposing team’s pragmatism and ability to make fewer chances count.

This time around, in one of their most important home games in five years, they seemingly flipped the script on a high-flying Vancouver side. Over the course of two legs, Montreal managed to score three goals from just four shots on target and 36 per cent possession of the ball.

“It feels good to have that efficiency, despite not having as many opportunities as we’re used to,” said Montreal interim head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “We could have been even more efficient though. I told (Owusu) that I was upset with him because I wanted him to score three.”

With the game effectively a single-elimination tie after the first-leg draw at BC Place, neither team took many risks in the opening phase. As both teams settled into their game plans, Vancouver had the majority of the ball, but it was Montreal who was finding spaces in the final third against the run of play.

At the half-hour mark, their counterattacks paid off as Montreal opened the scoring. While both were going up for a header in the penalty area, Sam Adekugbe elbowed Daniel Rios in the head.

While the penalty wasn’t called on the field, Eullaffroy — who jokingly referred to the new FVS system being tried as “the poor man’s VAR” — challenged the play, which was overturned. Owusu — whose most recent penalty against the Philadelphia Union was saved, potentially costing Montreal a point — made no mistake and scored his sixth spot kick of the season.

“I scored so many that I know (missing one) would happen,” said Owusu. “It didn’t hurt my confidence or make me think too much. I did the same steps, the same move and I didn’t change anything.”

Just before the stroke of halftime, Montreal doubled their lead through yet another counterattack. Matty Longstaff caught out the Vancouver defence with a ball in behind to Owusu, who outwaited goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer and slotted the ball into the left-hand corner.

With their tournament on the line, Vancouver doubled their efforts in the second half in a desperate search for a way back into the game. What they were met with instead was a resolute defensive block from Montreal that gave very little in the way of space to exploit.

In fact, Montreal on many occasions looked more likely to find a third than Vancouver was to pull one back.

“I think we didn’t really get in behind too much. When we get in behind the defensive line, it’s normally a good outcome for us. I think the guys on the pitch need to take the responsibility and put the ball in the back of the net,” said Vancouver captain Ryan Gauld. “I think we created a few half chances, but we struggled to get some clean openings.”

Vancouver finally found their way past goalkeeper Sebastian Breza in the first minute of added time. Emmanuel Sabbi carved out enough space to get on the end of a cross and fired a powerful volley into the bottom right corner.

Montreal will now have to wait a month before hosting Forge FC in the final of the Canadian Championship on Oct. 21 at Stade Saputo.

UP NEXT

Vancouver: Return to MLS action on the road against Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Montreal: Return to MLS action by hosting the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026.

Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press