Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that they will play the first leg of their United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) semifinal versus Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo in Montreal on Friday, October 3, at 5 p.m. PT (Webcast: USLlive.com – Webaudio: team990.com). The second leg will be played at Swangard Stadium on Sunday, October 5, at 3:30 p.m. PT (TV: Fox Sports World Canada – Radio: TEAM 1040).
The Whitecaps and Impact have already met five times this year. Vancouver took the regular season series with two wins and a draw, while Montreal won both matches in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
Tickets for the Whitecaps USL-1 semifinal home playoff match are now available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at 604.280.4400. For information on group tickets call the Whitecaps office at 604.669.WAVE (9283).
Vancouver advanced to the semifinals on the strength of their 5-4 aggregate score series victory over Minnesota Thunder. The Whitecaps won the first leg of the quarterfinal 2-0 at Swangard on September 26, but lost the second leg 4-3 at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota, on Sunday.
Montreal reached the semis by defeating Seattle Sounders 4-3 on aggregate in the first round. The Impact dropped the first match on the road 2-1, but responded with a 3-1 win at home on Sunday.
In the other USL-1 semifinal, Commissioner's Cup winners Puerto Rico Islanders will travel to Rochester to face the Rhinos in the first leg on Friday, while the return leg will be played in Puerto Rico on Sunday.
The USL-1 semifinals are a home-and-away aggregate goals series. If the aggregate score is tied at the conclusion of the second leg, then two 15-minute extra time periods will be played to determine the series winner. If both sides remain tied at the end of extra time, then the series will be decided using a penalty shootout. The away goals rule is not in effect as a tiebreaker in the USL-1 playoffs.
The winners of the two semifinals will meet for the USL-1 championship on Saturday, October 11. The highest-seeded team will have the option to host the final.
This season, the Whitecaps set a new modern-team franchise record for total attendance, which included six sellouts at Swangard. As a result, fans are advised to purchase their playoff tickets in advance. For additional information on Whitecaps playoff tickets, call the Whitecaps office at 604.669.WAVE (9283).
