WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
CHAMPIONS OF CANADA VINTAGE STYLE
How many do you recognise?
It’s that Canadian soccer moment once again. Maybe.
Let’s cast our soccer minds back first. It’s July 22nd, 2008 and the underdog Montreal Impact are playing that evening against the highly fancied and hometown popular, Toronto FC. It’ the final game of the inaugural Canadian Championship. Or to give the tournament its full official title - the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
Where come the final whistle one of these clubs will not only get to hoist the Voyageurs Cup - there’s the added incentive of securing Canada’s very first berth in the fledgling CONCACAF Champions League.
Toronto FC were overwhelming favourites. Playing in their MLS sophomore season they had opened the tournament in late May with a thoroughly merited 1 nil win at Stade Saputo. The Impact meanwhile was struggling badly in the USL. In 10th place of an 11-club league.
They did though by virtue of their results against the Whitecaps have the advantage of knowing if they could avoid defeat they would be crowned champions.
This was my very first visit to BMO Field and was pleasantly surprised when arriving in Toronto at lunch time that one of the first things I spotted was some dude walking along the street. Not only jaywalking he was proudly wearing his TFC shirt.
I was there as the water carrier on behalf of THE TEAM990 Radio broadcast crew. Which afforded me the very best seat in the house. Down on the pitch. Perched between the two benches.
I recall a very passionate hometown crowd that packed the stands that evening, with over 20,000 in attendance. A glorious backdrop to what was about to unfold. The TFC masses couldn’t have asked for a better start. Everyone’s favourite ex-Arsenal and Tottenham player, Rohan Ricketts opened the scoring in the 15th minute.
Then completely against the script Roberto Brown somehow managed to get his foot on the ball from a corner surrounded by opponents and slip it past Greg Sutton in the Toronto goal.
There would be no further goals and come the final whistle cue the bedlam on the pitch for Impact players, staff, management and ownership alike. Plus from the hundred or so Impact supporters tucked high up in the stands who had made the journey in.
Impact were crowned Champions; a football rivalry was born that summer mid-week evening.
The Montreal club continued to shock on the pitch that oh so memorable 2008 season which was bookmarked by securing a most unexpected place in the Knock Out stages of the 2008/09 CONCACAF Champions League. A grin still comes to my face when I recall one of the teams in the Impact’s group; Joe Public.
Fast forward to this evening at Stade Saputo and it’s CF Montreal who stand in the way of a very first club from the CPL adding the Voyageurs Cup to their carry on luggage on the flight back to Hamilton. That is of course if Forge can pull of the same act as the 2008 Impact and deny an MLS club a Canadian title in their own manor.
Where matters mirror themselves again; CF Montreal are, just like in 2008, struggling in league play. Marooned at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Forge meanwhile - with the regular season concluding Sunday afternoon - are jostling for top spot in the Canadian Premier League.
This evening could signify the first piece of silverware in a season that could see the Hamilton club pull off an unprecedented treble.
Forge has had CF Montreal’s number in recent seasons. The last two times the clubs have met it was the so called unfancied CPL club which advanced.
CF Montreal have the big advantage of playing at Stade Saputo and the vast majority of the crowd will be expecting a first Voyageurs Cup since 2021.
There will be plenty of Forge supporters at Stade Saputo this evening. They will have all of the CPL rooting for them to become the very first Canadian Premier League club to persevere.
The armchair crowd across the country at home or down the pub will in the vast majority also be rooting for the big upset.
This is no longer a 3-club, 6 match round robin tournament. In what now is the 25th Voyageurs Cup a total of 15 clubs entered play all the way back in early May. Giving the Voyageurs Cup proper giant killing 4 semi-professional clubs are now included.
As soccer continues to grow across the country unique moments like what could happen this evening over at Stade Saputo will become more common.
A fascinating fall football evening lies ahead where thanks to the national TV broadcast the whole of Canada can feel a part of. Finally.
Cheers
x: @NoelPButler
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