TORONTO, ONT – Vancouver Whitecaps FC kick off the two-leg Amway Canadian Championship Final on Tuesday against Toronto FC with the hopes of retaining the Voyageurs Cup, which will be awarded on Wednesday, June 29 in the decisive second leg at BC Place (tickets on sale NOW).
KICKOFF: 4:30 p.m. PT | TV: TSN1/4 | RADIO: TSN 1410
The team that scores more goals between the two matches will take home the Cup as the top professional club in Canada. Away goals are the first tiebreaker.
ROAD TO THE CUP: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
The top-seeded ‘Caps advanced to the tournament final after defeating North American Soccer League side Ottawa Fury FC 3-2 on aggregate in the two-leg semifinal.
A youthful Whitecaps FC side fell 2-0 to Ottawa in the first leg on the road, before the ‘Caps secured their final berth with a dominant 3-0 win in the second leg at BC Place. Pedro Morales, Nicolas Mezquida, and Octavio Rivero provided the scoring, while Italian goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi kept a clean sheet with two key saves.
WFC2 midfielder Alphonso Davies, 15, appeared in both matches, becoming the youngest player to play for the ‘Caps first-team and in the Amway Canadian Championship.
The young Canadian was called up again for Tuesday’s match.
Centre back Kendall Waston, midfielder Christian Bolaños, and striker Blas Perez were also added to Vancouver’s Canadian Championship roster.
ROAD TO THE CUP: TORONTO FC
Toronto FC also went young in the first leg of the semifinal and came away with a 4-2 home win against a full-strength Montreal Impact side that included Didier Drogba and Ignacio Piatti.
The Reds then held Montreal to a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo to secure the victory.
Reigning MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco appeared as a sub in the second leg after nursing an adductor injury, but played the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 1-0 win over LA Galaxy. He should be available for Tuesday, but Toronto FC are still without his fellow Designated Players Michael Bradley (international duty) and Jozy Altidore (hamstring).
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Twice before have Vancouver and Toronto met in the Canadian Championship Final.
Those meetings came in 2011 and 2012, Vancouver’s first two years in MLS, and both of them ended in heartbreak for the ‘Caps. The former was particularly devastating.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Empire Field, Eric Hassli put Vancouver ahead in the second leg at BMO Field only to see the match abandoned in the 60th due to lightning and unplayable field conditions. The match was eventually replayed, starting at 0-0, and TFC won 2-1.
In total, the ‘Caps and Reds have met 12 times in the Canadian Championship. Toronto has the edge with a 4W-2L-6D record. Vancouver’s lone Canadian Championship win at BMO Field came in 2008, when Martin Nash and Jay Nolly led the second-division ‘Caps to a 1-0 victory.
In seven MLS encounters, both teams have won three matches and there’s been one draw. Most recently, Morales and Kekuta Manneh led Vancouver to a thrilling 4-3 win at BMO Field.
RECORD CHASERS
The next time that Russell Teibert plays in the Amway Canadian Championship, he will become the tournament's all-time leader in appearances. He is currently tied with former Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Jay Nolly at 15 appearances. Morales, meanwhile, is currently one goal and one assist off the all-time tournament leaders in both categories.
AMWAY CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Amway Canadian Championship is a five-team tournament that crowns the top team in Canada. In addition to qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League, the winner also takes home the supporters-created Voyageurs Cup (which was first awarded in 2002).
Last year, the ‘Caps won their first-ever Voyageurs Cup after years of heartbreak, defeating Montreal 4-2 on aggregate in the tournament final.
This is the fifth time in six years Whitecaps FC will play in the tournament final.
Toronto FC are the most successful club in Canadian Championship history with four titles, but they haven’t lifted the trophy since 2012.
PREVIOUS WINNERS (RUNNER-UP)
2008: Montreal Impact (Toronto FC)
2009: Toronto FC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
2010: Toronto FC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
2011: Toronto FC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
2012: Toronto FC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
2013: Montreal Impact (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
2014: Montreal Impact (Toronto FC)
2015: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Montreal Impact)
Round Robin Format
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
