CF Montréal fell to Forge on penalties in the Canadian Championship final Wednesday night, marking their fifth consecutive season without a trophy, with their last being the Voyageurs Cup in 2021.
With that, the Impact missed a chance to secure a spot in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup, but not all hope is lost; in fact, they'll be pleased to hear what they need.
Since the Canadian Premier League's two spots (CPL Shield & playoff winners) take precedence over the Canadian Championship spot, Forge could claim one of those two and shift the cup spot over to the runner-ups, CF Montréal.
With one match left for each side, Cavalry and Forge remain level on points, but the Cavs hold a big advantage in goal difference.
If Forge beat Pacific and Cavalry fails to beat Vancouver, the Hammers would secure one of the CPL's Champions Cup spots while lifting yet another piece of silverware, and CF Montréal would qualify for the region's biggest competition.
Even if Cavalry beat Vancouver and lift the CPL Shield over the weekend, it would not end Montréal's chances of continental action. If Cavalry or Forge win the playoffs, Montréal would inherit the Canadian Championship spot.
In short, Montréal needs Forge to grab one of the CPL's two spots. If Cavalry wins both the regular season and the playoffs, one spot would shift to the 2nd-placed regular-season team: Forge.
