CF Montreal against Forge FC or the Choinière duel

UPDATE DAY

The rare duels between CF Montreal and Forge FC take on a special character for Mathieu Choinière, who will have another opportunity to play against his brother, David. 

Wednesday is a ticket to the Canadian Championship final, but also a bit of family pride that will be at stake at Stade Saputo. The two brothers had notably crossed swords in May 2022 during this competition, Montreal winning 3 to 0 thanks to Sunusi Ibrahim's hat-trick. 

“It’s always fun for our family. Everyone will be there, said Mathieu Choinière at a press conference on Tuesday. It's a special event. We talked about it when we were little, we wanted it to happen.” 

David also went through the Academy before taking over the management of Hamilton, where he has been playing since 2019. He had been Forge's best element during last year's game and will continue to be a threat to his former club, predicts Mathieu. 

“He plays well and he plays regularly too. He has a really interesting level, he said. His movements without the ball are really one of his great strengths. It is certain that tomorrow [Wednesday], we will have to watch him, because he can hurt a defense. His progress with the Forge has been super good. I wish him the best.” 

Overused this season, Choinière is perhaps the CF Montreal player who has stood out the most in recent months. A duel between two brothers at the top of their game – if Mathieu does not get a rest during this grueling streak – is excellent news for Quebec soccer. 

A momentous encounter 

This is the third duel in as many years between CF and Forge. In 2021, the Bleu-Blanc-Noir needed an endless shootout to win and advance to the final. 

“We know it's a renowned [Canadian Premier League] team,” Choinière said. I watch a lot of the team's games because of my brother. It's a good team, which likes to play the ball, which offers a lot offensively. We expect a good opposition.” 

The watchword on the side of CF Montreal is to hold the Forge and this duel in high esteem. It's time to put aside the two most recent road losses and focus on this trophy-lifting opportunity. 

“This is a much bigger game than an MLS game. , said head coach Hernan Losada. It's an opportunity for the whole organization to win a trophy and play another final. This is also very important for the Forge. They said it was the biggest game of the year, and for us it's the same thing.” 

Choinière also believes that a victory could help the Impact to bounce back, as he did in April against Vaughan Azzurri and the following month in Toronto. If he dismisses a third Ontario team, it will be the Vancouver Whitecaps or Pacific FC who will stand in his way to the final of the Canadian Championship.