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CTV News
36 minutes ago
- CTV News
CF Montreal looks dig out of Canadian Championship hole against Forge: ‘It's a final'
CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman (16) controls the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Minnesota United in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) CF Montreal and Forge FC enter the second leg of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal with different outlooks. Montreal hosts Forge at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night after falling behind 1-0 to the lower-tier Canadian Premier League side in the first leg at Hamilton Stadium on May 20. Mired at the bottom of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference with a 3-13-5 record, Montreal needs a result at home to salvage any realistic chance of winning a trophy this season. 'It's a final,' interim head coach Marco Donadel said. 'It's a super important game for us, where every detail will be important. Every stop, every situation, every set piece. The first minute, the last minute, the overtime will be like a final. 'It's the perfect night here at home to show what we can do.' While Montreal treats this as a do-or-die match, Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis wouldn't consider it a massive disappointment if his squad can't complete the upset. 'We're not playing in a final on Wednesday,' he said. 'It's not for a trophy, it's just a round that we need to get past and nothing is guaranteed in these types of games. 'Your season is not based on this one game.' In league play, Forge ranks second in the CPL standings with a 7-0-6 record for 27 points, one less than Atletico Ottawa. The four-time league champions — and six-time finalists in six seasons — stunned Montreal with a 2-1 victory at Stade Saputo last year, advancing to the cup semifinal 3-2 on aggregate. No CPL team, however, has ever won the Canadian Championship, which guarantees a spot in next year's CONCACAF Champions League. 'It's something that Forge will win at some point, hopefully while I'm here, but if not, at some time it will come and it will for a team in the Canadian Premier League, that's for sure,' Smyrniotis said. 'If that could be this year that's great, but we don't think too far ahead. 'We've got to be at our best against a team that's playing for entry in the Champions League as well … here's your quickest route to do it for all the teams involved in this competition, so we're going to get the best of CF Montreal.' The three-time defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps host Valour FC at BC Place Stadium in Wednesday's other quarterfinal after a 2-2 draw in the first leg. Montreal and Forge, despite playing in different leagues, are familiar opponents. The two sides have met in the Canadian Championship for five straight years, with Montreal winning the first three matchups before last year's disappointment. Brian Wright's 78th-minute goal gave Forge the 1-0 advantage in the first leg on a night Montreal centre back Joel Waterman described his team's first-half performance as 'unacceptable.' 'They were better on second balls, better at battles,' said Waterman on Tuesday after recently playing for Canada at the Gold Cup. 'I felt like we were second-best at everything. 'Tomorrow it can't be that way.' Not only has Waterman met Smyrniotis's squad while playing for Montreal, the 29-year-old from Langley, B.C., also witnessed the beginning of Forge's dynasty when he played for Cavalry FC in the CPL's inaugural season. Waterman became the first player to transfer from CPL to MLS in 2020, and he says the league has only grown since. 'You see the gap getting smaller and smaller every year,' he said. '(Forge have) been one of the best teams in the CPL since the very beginning. 'They still have a lot of the same core. They're very, very well coached. That's why they've had a lot of success in a lot of different tournaments and in the league, so we know what they're about.' Montreal was the heavy underdog this past weekend when Lionel Messi put on a show with two spectacular goals in a 4-1 Inter Miami win on Saturday. On Wednesday, Montreal will boast the stronger side on paper, but Donadel said that won't matter if his group doesn't treat it like a must-win game. 'At the beginning of the game, we are all 11 (versus) 11. It's a lot about desire. Desire to show and desire to win,' he said. 'Tomorrow is a game where yes, we have the quality to win, and we need to show that we want to win.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.
National Post
37 minutes ago
- National Post
Roughriders lose another offensive lineman to injury
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are once again deploying the next-man-up mentality along the offensive line. Article content With left guard Trevon Tate expected to land on the injured list with a shoulder injury suffered in Saskatchewan's Week 4 victory over the B.C. Lions, Zack Fry is next in line to start for the Green and White after serving as the backup for the last three games. Article content Article content Article content 'Super unfortunate that Tate went down, but again, next man up and excited to play,' Fry said this week as the Roughriders returned to practice following the team's first bye week of the season. Article content 'You've just got to be mentally and physically prepared, as you do every other week.' Article content When the Roughriders (4-0) host the Calgary Stampeders (3-1) on Friday night (7 p.m., TSN) at Mosaic Stadium in Week 6 of the CFL season, Fry is expected to make his second start of the season after getting the nod at right guard in Week 1 against the Ottawa Redblacks. Article content 'Who doesn't want to play in front of all these great fans here in Regina?' said Fry. 'It's awesome to always run out of that tunnel and be in that starting lineup and getting those reps in and just being in this awesome atmosphere.' Article content Last season, the 24-year-old from London, Ont. started six games at left guard as he was one of more than a dozen offensive lineman used due to various injuries throughout the year. Article content And having an experienced player like Fry ready to go is a nice thing according to Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, who has already seen his club lose centre Sean McEwen, guard Philippe Gagnon and tackle Payton Collins due to injuries this season. Article content Article content 'It's similar to any other guy that's had to step up this year. Nobody's holding hands or anything like that.' Article content Now back in a starting role, Fry — a second-round pick by Saskatchewan in the 2022 CFL draft — said his preparation has actually become easier. While he was a backup for three of his four games this year, he served as the sixth man for six games in 2024 to go along with his six starts at left guard. In 2023, he suited up for four games as a backup in his rookie season. Article content For Fry, the experience of being thrown into the fire last year is something he's drawing on this week. Article content 'I started all the games I did last year at left guard, so I think that prepared me a lot for here,' said the 6-foot-5, 288-pounder out of Western University, where he played right tackle. 'I feel ready to go. Article content 'You hate to see (an injury) but again, it's an opportunity. It's a job and you've got to be ready to go whenever.'
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘We're there to win': New Brunswick flag football team makes history
A group of Moncton football players are about to embark on a summer trip they'll never forget. Rocky Stone Field in Moncton isn't quite the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, but Moncton's version of the Green Bay Packers hit the turf for practice on Tuesday. The U-14 NFL flag spring team recently won the city and provincial championships finishing a perfect season at 16-0. Wide receiver Hudson Hughes didn't think they would get that far. 'We thought we'd do pretty good, but we started off a little bit slow, but we came up from there,' said Hudson. Packers head coach Chris Clem said it was a total team effort. 'There's no selfish players on this team. Everyone plays. Everything seemed to click just the right way,' said Chris. Quarterback Max Giffard and wide receiver Sebastien Robinson credited the coaching staff. 'The plays were really good. Good coaching and everyone worked their hardest,' said Max. Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers U-14 NFL flag team is pictured. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) Sebastien said Coach Clem is great to work with. 'I've had him for four years maybe, on tackle and flag. He just helped me a lot. He's a really good coach,' said Sebastien. Now, the Greater Moncton Football Association Green Bay Packers are going to the national championships in August in Brampton, Ont., to represent New Brunswick. Coach Clem said they're the first U-14 team from the province to do so, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the kids and a summer trip they'll never forget. 'Twenty years from now they'll be able to point back and say we were the first team to represent New Brunswick,' said Chris. Hudson said everyone is excited. 'I think four or five teams we're guaranteed to play against from other provinces, so we're really excited about that. Obviously, we're there to win, but I think that will be the best part of the experience,' said Hudson. Coach Tabatha Clem said this is an opportunity that most kids their age don't get to have. 'These kids are all destined for great things, so they'll do great things in life, but this is just a little piece of history in the making for us,' said Tabatha. Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers U-14 NFL flag team is pictured. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) With players from four different communities, it really is a Greater Moncton team. 'The thing that's special about them is they come from all different parts of the city to play together,' said Chelsea Hughes, Hudson's mother. 'They have just really gelled as a group and it's so fun to watch them.' Flag football is played with fewer players on a shorter field and is a bit faster paced than tackle football, with a lot of passing and high scoring games. Defensive back Xander Dickenson plays both tackle and flag and said there's lots to like about the spring and summer game. 'Probably just the thrill of it, it's really fun,' said Xander. The team is now in full-on fundraiser mode trying to come up with the money needed to help pay for travel, accommodations and meals. 'We've been really lucky to have some corporate sponsors step up to help these families make it feasible during hard times,' said Chelsea. 'We're committed to raising $20,000 to help families pay for the travel. The national championship runs from Aug. 15 to 17 in Brampton, Ont. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
