CF Montréal and Vancouver Whitecaps Battle for a Spot in the Canadian Championship Final

The second leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal between CF Montréal and Vancouver Whitecaps is played Wednesday, September 16, at Stade Saputo in Montréal. The series is tied 1-1 after Leg 1; if the aggregate score remains level after 90 minutes, extra time will be played and, if needed, penalties. The winner qualifies for the October 21 final against Forge FC or Supra du Québec, with a spot in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup at stake.

As mlssoccer reports, the match will be broadcast for viewers in Canada on TSN and OneSoccer, while for the audience in the U.S. the link will be on FS2.

CF Montréal reached this stage after a 5-0 preliminary-round win over Calgary Blizzard SC and a quarterfinal qualification with a 4-2 aggregate win over Vancouver FC. In Leg 1, the first goal was scored by midfielder Dani Pereira with a long-range strike, and the team is now just one win away from the Cup final, the first since 2023. The club previously won the tournament in 2021 and has lifted the Voyageurs Cup five times in history. However, the MLS campaign comes with difficulties: Montréal sits bottom of the Eastern Conference with a -20 goal difference, while striker Prince Owusu is among the league’s top scorers with 13 goals and 5 assists; Alexis Sánchez has also joined the attack.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC entered this series without playing in the preliminary round and advanced after a 5-2 aggregate win over Cavalry FC in the quarterfinal. The Whitecaps are four-time consecutive champions of this tournament and are one of MLS’s leading teams this season, topping the Western Conference by three points with a game in hand on their closest rivals. In Leg 1, Ryan Gauld equalized at 1-1, while the team’s lineup could be affected by the possible absence of midfielder Thomas Müller, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury and has registered 14 goal contributions this season (7 goals, 7 assists).

The return leg is expected to decide the finalist that will contend for the spot in continental competition, with factors such as current form and the condition of key players able to determine the winner of the tie as well. According to mlssoccer, expectations are high for a decisive evening at Stade Saputo.