The 2023 Canadian Championship will continue this week with the reigning Canadian Championship winners Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and runners up Toronto FC, both entering the competition. The 2022 winners are on the road this Wednesday 10 May against York United FC while the 2022 runners up are at home on Tuesday 9 May against their rivals CF Montréal.
All four matches in the Quarter-Finals will be played this week. Tuesday will feature Toronto FC against CF Montréal in Toronto, as well as Forge FC Hamilton against Atlético Ottawa in Hamilton. Both matches kickoff at 19.00 local time (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT). On Wednesday, York United FC host Whitecaps FC in Toronto (19.30 local / 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT), while Pacific FC host TSS Rovers FC at Langford on Vancouver Island (19.30 local / 22.30 ET / 19.30 PT). All four matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, with extended coverage published across Canada Soccer’s digital channels from CanadaSoccer.com to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CanChamp.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC were both given byes from the preliminary round of the 2023 competition, which features the largest field in the history of the Canadian Championship. From 12 clubs in the preliminary round, the six winners all advanced from single knockout matches played from 18-20 April. From the eight clubs in the Quarter-Finals, the two Tuesday night winners will advance to one Semi-Final match while the two Wednesday night winners will advance to the other Semi-Final match. The Semi-Finals will be played from 23-25 May (dates yet to be determined).
Canadian Championship – Tuesday 9 May 2023
Forge FC Hamilton v Atlético Ottawa
Hamilton, Ontario – Tim Hortons Field
Kickoff – 19.00 local (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT)
Hamilton and Ottawa are meeting in the Canadian Championship for the first time, but they went head-to-head in last year’s Canadian Premier League Championship Final in October. Atlético won the league title by just two points across 28 matches, but Forge FC won the Championship 2:0 away at Ottawa for their third North Star Shield in four years. During the 2022 CPL regular season, the two sides were split with an away win each and two draws in four meetings.
Forge FC Hamilton are already out in first place in the 2023 CPL standings, undefeated with two wins and two draws after four matches. They’ve posted back-to-back 1:0 wins over Pacific FC and York Untied FC. Atlético Ottawa, meanwhile, are at the other end of the table with just two draws after four matches. They started their season with a 1:1 home draw against Halifax Wanderers before posting their 3:1 win in the Canadian Championship just four days later on 19 April.
Canadian Championship – Tuesday 9 May 2023
Toronto FC v CF Montréal
Toronto, Ontario – BMO Field
Kickoff – 19.00 local (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT)
This marks the 13th year that Toronto FC and CF Montréal will meet in the Canadian Championship, but it is the earliest stage the two have ever met since the knockout rounds were introduced in 2011. All time, Toronto FC hold the edge with 12 wins, five draws and just five losses in 22 matches, notably undefeated in 12 matches home. CF Montréal, however, hold the edge when they have met in the Final (three out of four titles) and they also won both MLS league meetings in 2022.
Both Toronto and Montréal are sitting in bottom half of the table tied with 12 points, but CF Montréal have won three league matches in a row by the same score (four consecutive 2:0 wins including the Canadian Championship on 18 April). Toronto FC, meanwhile, have a win and a loss in their last two matches, but they also co-lead the league with six draws.
Canadian Championship – Wednesday 10 May 2023
York United FC v Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Toronto, Ontario – York Stadium
Kickoff – 19.30 local (19.30 ET / 16.30 PT)
In Toronto, York United FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC meet for the second year in a row, albeit this time one round earlier than last year. In 2022, Vancouver Whitecaps FC won 2:1 over visiting York United FC en route to the Final and their first Voyageurs Cup since 2015. This year, Whitecaps will visit Ontario for their first-ever match at York Stadium. It is also Vancouver’s first match in the 2023 Canadian Championship as they received a bye from the preliminary round along with 2022 runners up Toronto FC.
In 2023 league action, Vancouver Whitecaps FC are undefeated in three successive matches heading into the Canadian Championship Quarter-Finals, including a Saturday 3:2 home win over Minnesota United FC. Their opponents York United FC are in sixth place in the CPL standings with only one win after four matches, although that win on 29 April was against the 2022 league winners Atlético Ottawa.
Canadian Championship – Wednesday 10 May 2023
Pacific FC v TSS Rovers FC
Kickoff – 19:30 local (22:30 ET / 19:30 PT)
Starlight Stadium
Out west on Vancouver Island, Pacific FC will host first-time participants TSS Rovers FC in an all-British Columbia Quarter-Finals match at Starlight Stadium in Langford. TSS Rovers FC from League1 BC upset Winnipeg’s Valour FC in the preliminary round with a 3:1 victory, with a pair of goals from captain Matteo Polisi, who just two years ago helped Pacific FC win the Canadian Premier League Championship. This will be the first-ever meeting between Pacific FC and their mainland opponents from Richmond.
In 2023 CPL action, Pacific FC are sitting in second place with two wins and a draw after four matches. They’re coming off a 4:1 win over last year’s league winners Atlético Ottawa on Saturday night. In 2023 league action for TSS Rovers FC, they have a draw and a loss after two league matches, with most recently a 1:0 loss to Victoria Highlanders on Saturday afternoon.
Canada Soccer Media Release
