 | |||||||
| Event | 2021 Canadian Championship | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | November 21, 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | Saputo Stadium,Montreal, Quebec | ||||||
| Referee | David Gantar | ||||||
| Attendance | 12,000 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear | ||||||
←2020 2022 → | |||||||
The2021 Canadian Championship final was asoccer match played betweenCF Montréal andToronto FC atSaputo Stadium on November 21, 2021. The match determined the winner of the2021 Canadian Championship, Canada's primary men's domestic cup competition. It was the 14th final in the competition's history, although it was played before the2020 final, which was delayed over a year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Montreal were technically the title holders as they had won the last played final in2019.[citation needed]
Montreal won their fifth title following a 1–0 victory, qualifying them for the2022 CONCACAF Champions League.
| Team | League | City | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CF Montréal | Major League Soccer | Montreal, Quebec | 5 (2013,2014,2015,2017,2019) |
| Toronto FC | Major League Soccer | Toronto, Ontario | 8 (2011,2012,2014,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020) |
This was the fourth timeCF Montréal andToronto FC faced one another in the Canadian Championship final. The first time, in 2014, Montréal won 2–1 over two legs to win theVoyageurs Cup and advance to the2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League. Montreal subsequently made it to theChampions League final, where they were ultimately defeated by Mexican clubAmérica.
The most recent meeting occurred in the last played final in2019, where the teams finished tied 1–1 on aggregate and Montréal went on to win a penalty shoot-out 3–1.[1]
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| QF | HFX Wanderers (A) | 3–1 |
| SF | Forge FC (A) | 0–0 (8–7p) |
| Key: (H) = home venue; (A) = away venue | ||
CF Montréal received a bye to the quarter-finals of the competition, where they were drawn againstCanadian Premier League sideHFX Wanderers. The match was hosted by Halifax at theWanderers Grounds. The Wanderers opened the scoring against the run of play in the 27th minute with a goal fromCory Bent.Matko Miljevic replied for Montréal in the 35th minute to make it 1–1 at half-time. The second half was completely dominated by Montréal as the Wanderers failed to register a shot attempt, while Montréal had 15. Nonetheless, Halifax managed to hold the 1–1 scoreline until near the end of the half, when substituteBallou Tabla scored in the 89th minute and added a second three minutes later to secure a 3–1 win for CF Montréal.[2][3]
In the semi-final, Montréal were drawn against two-time defending Canadian Premier League championsForge FC, who hosted the match atTim Hortons Field. In a close game, Forge succeeded in causing problems for Montréal with a high press, but both sides failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Scoreless after 90 minutes, the match went directly to penalties. A lengthy penalty shoot-out saw all eleven players from both sides shoot once, with the match being decided after Forge goalkeeperTriston Henry missed his attempt and Montréal goalkeeperSebastian Breza proceeded to score the winner.[4][5]
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| QF | York United (H) | 4–0 |
| SF | Pacific FC (H) | 2–1 |
| Key: (H) = home venue; (A) = away venue | ||
Toronto FC received a bye to the quarter-finals, where they were drawn against neighbouringCanadian Premier League sideYork United, who had dispatchedLeague1 Ontario sideMaster's Futbol 5–0 in the opening round. The match was hosted by Toronto atBMO Field. TFC dominated the match, scoring two goals in the first half fromJonathan Osorio andIfunanyachi Achara, and two in the second half fromYeferson Soteldo andNoble Okello to round out a 4–0 win.[6][7]
In the semi-final, Toronto met Canadian Premier League leadersPacific FC, who had eliminated fellowMajor League Soccer sideVancouver Whitecaps FC in the preliminary round, only the second time an MLS club had been eliminated by a non-MLS club in the competition's history. This match was also played at BMO Field, and Toronto leapt out to a two-goal lead in the first 26 minutes thanks to goals fromJozy Altidore andJacob Shaffelburg. Toronto failed to capitalize on subsequent opportunities however, and an 83rd-minute goal fromAlejandro Díaz brought Pacific to within one, but TFC managed to hold on for a 2–1 win.[8][9]
          CF Montréal |     Toronto FC |
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Assistant referees: |
