Canadian Championship semifinal draw produces Ontario, B.C. rivalry matches

The Canadian Championship semifinal draw produced a pair of provincial rivalry matchups with Toronto FC enjoying Canadian Premier League title-holder Forge FC and the defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps dealing with the CPL’s Pacific FC.

The draw for the two-legged semifinals was made Wednesday night time at halftime of Pacific’s 2-1 win over Atletico Ottawa within the second leg of their quarterfinal in Langford, B.C. The groups performed to a scoreless draw within the first leg May 8 at TD Place.

Ayman Sellouf, from the penalty spot within the twenty eighth minute, and captain Josh Heard, within the thirty fourth, gave Pacific a 2-0 lead at Starlight Stadium within the return leg. Substitute Sam Salter pulled one again for Ottawa within the 59th.

Ottawa unsuccessfully pressed for a second objective by means of 5 frantic minutes of stoppage time, which might have given it the collection win on the away targets rule.

Ottawa at present tops the CPL standings at 5-0-2 with Pacific third at 3-2-2.

The draw additionally decided that the winner of the Vancouver-Pacific semifinal will host the stand-alone championship sport.

Pacific and Vancouver have met within the cup competitors twice earlier than. Pacific defeated the Whitecaps 4-3 within the preliminary spherical of the 2021 event. Vancouver gained 3-0 once they met in final 12 months’s semifinal.

Toronto defeated Forge by a penalty shootout within the pandemic-delayed 2020 championship sport, which was really performed in June 2022.

The winner of the 14-team Canadian Championship hoists the Voyageurs Cup, collects $50,000 from Canada Soccer in prize cash and qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the confederation’s elite males’s membership competitors.

The Canadian Championship is sponsored by Telus.