May 6, 2026
CF Montreal demolish Calgary Blizzard in the first round of the 2026 Canadian Championship
CF Montreal made quick work of the Calgary Blizzard tonight, as the two clubs clashed at Stade Saputo in the opening round of the 2026 Canadian Championship.
While on paper, this should have always been the outcome, as CF Montreal knows – you can never write off a lower league team. Example being, CF Montreal were knocked out of the Canadian Championship the last two years running by the Hamilton Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League.
See Also: Late Cavalry goal sinks FC Supra in Laval
You don’t have to look very far to find a more recent example either, as Toronto FC were defeated just last night by a score of three to one at the hands of Atlético Ottawa, also of the Canadian Premier League. Chances are, there will be further upsets this time around, as the Canadian Championship always seems to have something up its sleeves.
Tonight, CF Montreal needed just eighteen minutes to find the opening goal, on a cold night at Stade Saputo. Several players were making their debuts for Montreal, including two of the goal scorers.
Ivan Losenko, in his squad debut, found a wayward ball that had been blocked off of an Escobar shot at his feet. He thumped a hard shot shot that deflected off Calgary Blizzard defender Joey Plenzik and was almost saved by goalkeeper Hany Shafie, who got a hand on the ball, but not enough to stop the ball deflecting up into his goal.
Daniel Ríos doubled Montreal’s lead just before halftime when Wiki Carmona came steaming down the sideline full speed, firing a cross field pass over to Ríos who one-timed the ball beyond a helpless Shafie. This was the first goal scored by Ríos as a member of CF Montreal.
CF Montreal had a comfortable lead heading into halftime.
Eleven minutes the second half, Wiki Carmona tallied to put CF Montreal three goals ahead when Mahala Opoku crossed the ball into the box, right onto the foot of Carmona, who had all the time in the world to place and deliver his shot, and he did so perfectly. Montreal now lead by three just under an hour into the match. Carmona had already struck the cross bar and then the far post prior to finally finding the back of the Calgary Blizzard net, and was a thorn in their side all match long.
A fantastic strike off a free kick by Iván Jaime in the 66th minute put CF Montreal up by four goals to nil. Jaime’s strike curled beautifully into the near post, and again, as was the case with each of the previous tallies, goalkeeper Shafie had no chance keeper the ball out of his goal.
And finally, Frankie Amaya capped off the scoresheet when he put his squad up by five in the seventieth minute of play. The goal came off of a brilliant play from Olger Escobar, who had the vision to lob a pass straight forward and beyond a dazed Calgary Blizzard backline, leaving Amaya to chest down the pass and all alone to chip a shot passed the abandoned and helpless Shafie. Amaya, too, had scored in his team debut.
The Calgary Blizzard, who play in the Alberta Premier League (APL), were making their first ever appearance at the Canadian Championship, and while it was a one-sided affair that went against them, they can heard back to Alberta with their heads high having made it this far. Teams like the Calgary Blizzard are proof of how far the game has come in Canada, and how bright the nation’s future in the game is.
Read More:
>> Prince Owusu tally edges CF Montreal over New York City FC
>> FC Supra’s home opener derailed by late Atlético Ottawa goal
>> CF Montreal dismantle New York Red Bull at Stade Saputo
CF Montreal now await the winner between Vancouver FC and Langley United on May 10th, and will face the winner of that match-up in the second round of the 2026 Canadian Championship.
Before that though, CF Montreal will take on the red hot Orlando City SC, who are coming off wins over Inter Miami and New England in recent days. That takes place this Saturday, at Stade Saputo, and its a 4:30pm (EST) kick off.
Ivan Losenko (18th minute), Daniel Ríos (45th minute), Wiki Carmona (56th minute), Iván Jaime (66th minute, free kick), and Frankie Amaya (70th minute).
