Halifax, York lead the way in 2019 Canadian Championship Qualifying Round 2

HFX Wanderers FC will head to Winnipeg for the second leg of their Qualifying Round 2 matchup with Valour FC up 2:1 after taking the opening leg 5 June in Halifax, NS. Cavalry FC head home to Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB tied 1:1 with Forge FC after equalizing in added time in Hamilton, ON 4 June. York9 FC head to Edmonton, AB up 3:1 after defeating FC Edmonton at home 5 June.

Forge FC’s Emery Welshman put the home side ahead early in the second half putting a David Choinière pass behind Cavalry GK Nikolas Giantsopoulos. Cavalry FC earned the vital equalizer and away goal through a penalty kick in the 90’ +4. After Forge FC GK Quillan Roberts saw red for his challenge, Dominique Malonga stepped up finished past outfield-player-turned-keeper Alexander Achinioti Jönsson.

The top two Canadian Premier League teams will meet again on 11 June for the return leg at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB to advance to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Cavalry FC qualified to meet Forge FC in Qualifying Round 2 with a decisive 4:1 aggregate victory over Pacific FC in Qualifying Round 1, in May.

HFX Wanderers fell behind early on a goal from Valour’s Marco Bustos (34’). The home side was able to get level just before halftime through Tomasz Skublak (40’) and went ahead just two minutes later as Mohamed Kourouma took a touch off the Skublak pass and buried past Wanderers GK Christian Oxner.

Valour FC will try to overcome the deficit on 12 June in the return leg at Investors’ Group Field in Winnipeg, MB to advance to face Ottawa Fury FC in QR3. HFX Wanderers narrowly beat out League1 Ontario champions Vaughan Azzurri in the first round, advancing 3:3 on away goals to face their Canadian Premier League counterparts Valour FC who entered the competition in Qualifying Round 2.

York9 FC scored three first-half goals and were able to hold on late as Edmonton pressed for much of the second half. York9 FC got goals from Luca Gasparotto (28’), Rodrigo Gattas (31’), and Simon Adjei (51’), while Oumar Diock (66’) pulled one back for FC Edmonton.

FC Edmonton will host York9 in the second leg 12 June at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton, AB. York9 advanced from QR1 defeating AS Blainville 1:0 on aggregate. Montreal Impact await in Qualifying Round 3.

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 recognizes 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.

About Canada Soccer

Canada Soccer, in partnership with its membership and its partners, provides leadership in the pursuit of excellence in soccer, both at the national and international levels. Canada Soccer not only strives to lead Canada to victory, but also encourages Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer. For more details on Canada Soccer, visit the official website at migmultidev-canada-soccer.pantheonsite.io