Four CPL teams in hunt for 2020 Canadian Championship Final

Four Canadian Premier League teams have moved one step closer to the 2020 Canadian Championship Final at the Island Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. From coast to coast, Vancouver Island’s Pacific FC, Calgary’s Cavalry FC, Forge FC Hamilton and Halifax’s HFX Wanderers FC have all advanced into a second round Group Phase from 9-15 September.

From the four-team round robin, the top-two teams will advance to the Canadian Premier League Island Games Final. The Canadian Premier League winner will then advance to the 2020 Canadian Championship Final to face the top Canadian team from Major League Soccer’s first phase of their 2020 revised regular season schedule.

The Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition. This year, 11 professional teams in the Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer will play combined 44 league matches as qualification to the 2020 Canadian Championship Final. From the Canadian Premier League, FC Edmonton, Winnipeg’s Valour FC, York9 FC, and Atlético Ottawa were all eliminated in the first phase of the Island Games.

This year, the eight Canadian Premier League teams included more than 125 Canadian professional soccer players in their lineups at the Island Games, with more than 40% of that group aged 23 or younger. The Island Games has also featured a group of 19 referees and assessors from Canada Soccer’s Referee Program.

Since 2008, Canada Soccer’s Canadian Championship has featured 14 different Canadian teams across more than 100 matches. To date, Toronto FC have won the competition seven times, the Impact de Montréal four times, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC once. From the Canadian Championship, the Canadian winner qualifies for Concacaf Champions League, which plays into the FIFA Club World Cup. From the list of Canadian champions, both Montréal (2014-15) and Toronto (2018) have reached the Concacaf Champions League Grand Final.

Road to the 2020 Canadian Championship Final

Wednesday 9 September
HFX Wanderers FC v Forge FC Hamilton
Cavalry FC v Pacific FC

Saturday 12 September
Forge FC Hamilton v Pacific FC
Cavalry FC v HFX Wanderers FC

Tuesday 15 September
Cavalry FC v Forge FC
HFX Wanderers FC v Pacific FC