RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC vs. CS Saint-Laurent | 2026 Telus Canadian Championship 🇨🇦 🏆

Forge FC are headed to the TELUS Canadian Championship semifinals for a fourth straight year, after they eliminated Ligue1 Québec side CS Saint-Laurent in Sunday's quarterfinal second leg.

Forge narrowly avoided extra time, as Antoine Batisse found the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Batisse's winner broke Saint-Laurent's hearts at the end of an excellent second half by the semi-pro side, who were looking to upset a CPL opponent for a second consecutive time.

After a disappointing first leg in Laval, Forge coach Bobby Smyrniotis made considerable changes to his starting 11, calling upon more of his first-choice veterans as Antoine Batisse, Tristan Borges, Ben Paton and Brian Wright all returned to the lineup. Saint-Laurent, meanwhile, opted not to change much after a solid showing; coach Chakib Hocine's only change was to play ex-Forge striker Gabriel Balbinotti up top.

Forge settled their nerves early in this one, taking the lead less than two minutes into the encounter. It wasn't the prettiest goal they've scored, but a bouncing ball shortly after a corner came to Nana Ampomah, who slipped it sideways to Brian Wright. The striker, kept onside by a Saint-Laurent defender, smashed it into the net for his seventh goal for Forge in 2026.

Now up 2-1 on aggregate, Forge continued to dominate, imposing themselves on home turf in an effort to put the tie to bed early.

In the afternoon heat, the game's pace was relatively sluggish, which suited Forge playing with a lead. The CPL side managed to generate six shots in the first half, with 58.5 per cent possession, but weren't particularly threatening with just 0.47 expected goals (of which Wright's goal accounted for 0.31).

The second half gave Forge a little more reason to sweat, though. Saint-Laurent came at them with force, taking four shots in the first 10 minutes after the break. The Hammers needed some timely intervention from defenders in order to stay in the lead; Dan Nimick made an excellent block on one chance as Forge survived the scare.

They weren't able to hold Saint-Laurent off forever, though. With 15 minutes of the 90 left to play, winger Rickson Aristilde came flying down the left flank, cut into the box, and fired a superb shot past Dimitry Bertaud and into the net at the far post.

The equalizer was something of a wake-up call for Forge, whose energy increased quickly after the goal. They forced an excellent save from Saint-Laurent keeper Martin Cantona, and generated a few more good chances although the visitors held them off.

In the end, however, Forge found a way.

Mo Babouli fed a cross into the box in the 94th minute, and the initial save popped out to Noah Jensen. With Cantona creeping forward toward him, Jensen fed the ball sideways to Batisse who finished into the empty net.

The last-gasp winner sent Forge into the semis, though it had been a closer call than anticipated. Smyrniotis will undoubtedly have plenty to discuss with his staff after a frustrating second half in which Saint-Laurent were mostly the better team.

Still, the Hammers moved on, and will meet either FC Supra or Atlético Ottawa in the semifinals — which means

Box Score

Starting XIs

Forge FC: Bertaud; Bourgeois, Nimick, Batisse, Jevremović; Borges (Jensen 57'), Aromatario (Babouli 80'), Paton; Ampomah (Bekker 66'), Wright (Oketokoun 66'), Massunda (Filion 80')

CS Saint-Laurent: Cantona; Ghamraoui, Nboucha, Goulet, Morsli (Tabi 81'); Bahous, Mlah, Toussaint, Khenoussi (Aristilde 64'); Chaouki (Oumamass 64'), Balbinotti (Tremblay 70')

Goals

2' — Brian Wright (Forge FC)
75' — Rickson Aristilde (CS Saint-Laurent)
90+4' — Antoine Batisse (Forge FC)

Discipline

13' — Yellow: Gabriel Balbinotti (CS Saint-Laurent)
44' — Yellow: Nana Ampomah (Forge FC)
64' — Yellow: Marko Jevremović (Forge FC)
90+6' — Yellow: Zakaria Bahous (CS Saint-Laurent)