Tony Taylor’s goal in the first minute of the opening leg of the Second Qualifying Round of the 2018 Canadian Championship sends Ottawa Fury FC home up 1:0 against AS Blainville.
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\u200bThe Première ligue de soccer du Québec champions AS Blainville, who defeated Oakville Blue Devils 3:1 in the First Qualifying Round, started nine Canadians in the match. However, it was Canadian Fury FC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau who rose to the occasion making a number of saves including one late in the match to send Ottawa, who started eight Canadians, home with the away goal in the two-legged series.
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\u200bThe second leg kicks off at 19.30 ET 27 June from TD Place in Ottawa, ON and can be streamed LIVE on mycujoo.tv/canada-soccer with the winner advancing to face 2017 Canadian Championship winners Toronto FC in the Semi-Final Round.
Montréal will host Vancouver Whitecaps FC to open the other Semi-final. Both games kick off at 19.30 local on Wednesday 18 July with the second legs scheduled one week later on 25 July.
2017 Canadian Championship winners Toronto FC became the second Canadian Championship winner in four years to make it to the Concacaf Champions League Final in 2018. In 2014-15, Montréal Impact made it through to the Grand Final with the last match the highest-attended in-stadia sporting event in Canada that year.
The Voyageurs Cup will be presented to the winners of the Canadian Championhsip on 15 August along with the George Gross Memorial Trophy to the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
\u200b2018 Canadian Championship Schedule (home team listed first)
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\u200b1QR – First Qualifying Round
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\u200b2018-06-06 – AS Blainville 2:1 Oakville Blue Devils
\u200b2018-06-13 – Oakville Blue Devils 0:1 AS Blainville
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\u200b2QR – Second Qualifying Round
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\u200b2018-06-20 – AS Blainville 0:1 Ottawa Fury FC
\u200b2018-06-27 – Ottawa Fury FC v AS Blainville – 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT
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\u200bSF – Semi-Final Round
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\u200b2018-07-18 – 2QR (Winner/Gagnant) v Toronto FC – 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT
\u200b2018-07-18 – Impact de Montréal v Vancouver Whitecaps FC – 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT
\u200b2018-07-25 – Toronto FC v 2QR (Winner/Gagnant) – 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT
\u200b2018-07-25 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Impact de Montréal – 22.00 ET / 19.00 PT
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\u200bFinal Round
\u200b2018-08-08 – SF (Winner/Gagnant) v SF (Winner/Gagnant)
\u200b2018-08-15 – SF (Winner/Gagnant) v SF (Winner/Gagnant)
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\u200bAbout the Canadian Championship
• The Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition and it is the sole qualification route for Canadian professional clubs into Concacaf Champions League and onto the FIFA Club World Cup
\u200b• The current champions are Toronto FC who have won the tournament six times
\u200b• Canadian content is a focus of the content and since 2017 competition regulations state that each team must field a minimum of three Canadian starters for each match
\u200b• The Voyageurs Cup has been awarded to the Canadian Championship winner since 2008; created by the Voyageurs Canadian Supporters group, the trophy represents Canadian fans’ commitment to the game in our country
\u200b• The George Gross Memorial Trophy recognizes the Canadian Championship’s most valuable player, with Sebastian Giovinco the reigning winner in 2017; the award is named after the late George Gross, an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
\u200b• In 2018, the competition will feature six clubs from four different leagues: Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and Impact de Montréal from Major League Soccer (all earn automatic berths to the Semi-finals); Ottawa Fury FC from the United Soccer Leagues (who enter in the Second Qualifying Round); Oakville Blue Devils from League1 Ontario (who enter in the First Qualifying Round); and AS Blainville from the Première ligue de soccer du Québec (who also enter in the First Qualifying Round)
\u200b• Since 2008, three Canadian winners have reached the Quarter-final stage or further in Concacaf Champions League: Toronto FC twice (Semi-finals in 2011-12 and Grand Final in 2018); Impact de Montréal twice (Quarter-finals in 2008-09 and Grand Final in 2014-15); and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Semi-finals in 2016-17)
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