CF Montréal advance to Quarter-Finals after a 2:0 win over Vaughan SC

CF Montréal advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the Canadian Championship after a 2:0 home win over visiting Vaughan SC Azzurri at Stade Saputo.

Sean Rea scored the opener before Ariel Lassiter doubled the score less than five minutes later. CF Montréal will travel away to Toronto FC for the Quarter-Finals in May.

While CF Montréal were in control for most of the match, Vaughan still created their chances, especially from the feet of captain Raheem Rose who had chances at the end of the first half and again near the hour mark. Vaughan striker Omar Marzouk also had a chance in the fifth minute on a run down the right side that could have initiated a Vaughan 1-0 lead.

Sean Rea’s first chance to open the scoring in the 30th minute was tipped over the crossbar by goalkeeper Gianluca Catalano, but then on the ensuing corner kick he made no mistake on the chance given to him.

Rida Zouhir’s corner kick was headed on by Gabriele Corbo, Rea took a touch to settle the ball, and fired his left-footed shot past Catalano.

In the 35th minute, Lassiter knocked in Montréal’s second goal on a cross from Sunusi Ibrahim down the left side. Midfielder Ilias Iliadis carried the ball up the pitch before feeding Sunusi into an attacking position.

Montréal didn’t need to create many chances in the second half and so managed their way to a 2:0 victory. Late in added time, substitute Zachary Brault-Guillard had a wonderful chance go off the crossbar.

For Montréal Player of the Match Sean Rea, it was his second career goal in the competition, but also his first career goal with CF Montréal.

Lassiter, meanwhile, scored his first career goal in the Championship.

For the next round, Toronto FC hold the edge in the Canadian Championship with a 12-5-5 record across 22 matches in the competition, including an unbeaten record of 9-2-0 at home against Montréal. In Major League Soccer action, however, CF Montréal did win the last head-to-head meeting last September with a wild 4:3 win over Toronto FC.

About Canadian Championship
Canada Soccer’s Canadian Championship, also known as the Battle of the North, is the nation’s highest men’s domestic competition featuring clubs from coast to coast across the country, notably professional teams in Major League Soccer and the Canadian Premier League as well as league winners in League1 BC, League1 Ontario and Québec’s Premier League (Première ligue de soccer du Québec). Winners of the 2023 Canadian Championship lift the Voyageurs Cup and qualify to the annual international competition, Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. Winners of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.