Calgary, Halifax, York move on to QR3 of the 2019 Canadian Championship

York9 FC, HFX Wanderers FC and Cavalry FC have all advanced to the third round of the 2019 Canadian Championship. Cavalry FC have advanced to meet Vancouver Whitecaps FC, York9 FC have advanced to meet Montreal Impact FC, and HFX Wanderers FC have advanced to meet Ottawa Fury FC.

This marks the first year that the expanded Canadian Championship features 13 teams across five rounds, with the two-leg Qualifying Round 1 played 15 and 22 May, and two-leg Qualifying Round 2 played 4/5 and 11/12 June. The two-leg Qualifying Round 3 will be played across midweek matches on 10 and 24 July.

HFX Wanderers FC booked their spot in Qualifying Round 3 of the Canadian Championship with a 2:0 (4:1 aggregate) victory over Valour FC in the return leg on 12 June at Investors Group field in Winnipeg, MB. Mohammed Kourouma and Andre Bona earned HFX the second leg win. The Wanderers won 2:1 in the first leg in Halifax.

Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League won their series 3:2 over Forge FC, also from the same league. The Calgary team scored late in their away leg to draw 1:1 on 4 June and then won their home leg 2:1 on 22 May. In the second leg, Forge captain Kyle Bekker scored to give the away side an early lead before Calgary took the lead on a Dominique Malonga goal before Sergio Camargo made it 2-1.

After a 0:1 second leg loss on 12 June at Clarke Field, in Edmonton, AB, York9 FC advanced to Qualifying Round 3 3:1 on aggregate after an opening leg victory against FC Edmonton.

2018 Canadian Championship winners Toronto FC join the Semi-final Round and will face the winner of the HFX Wanderers FC vs. Ottawa Fury FC matchup on 7 and 14 August.

About the Canadian Championship

The Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition and is the sole qualification route for Canadian professional clubs into Concacaf Champions League and onto the FIFA Club World Cup.

Dubbed the Battle of the North, the Championship sets itself apart from all North American professional sports competitions that operate on both sides of the border as the only one to hold an all-Canadian competition that leads to the international stage.

Canadian content is a focus of the competition and since 2017, regulations state that each team must field a minimum of three eligible Canadian Internationals as starters for each match.

In 2019, the Canadian Championship will feature 13 teams including three Major League Soccer clubs, Toronto FC, Montréal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC; United Soccer League’s Ottawa Fury FC; seven Canadian Premier League clubs, FC Edmonton, Forge FC, Valour FC, Cavalry FC, HFX Wanderers FC, Pacific FC, and York9 FC; Première ligue du Soccer de Québec’s AS Blainville; and League1 Ontario champions Vaughan Azzurri.

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. The George Gross Memorial Trophy recognises the Canadian Championship’s Most Valuable Player, with Jonathan Osorio the 2018 winner. The award is named after the late George Gross, an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. New in 2019, the Best Young Canadian Player Award recognises the player 21 years or younger who makes the biggest impact in the Canadian Championship.