York United FC advance to the Quarter-Finals after a 1:0 win over Vancouver FC

York United FC have advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the 2023 Canadian Championship after a home 1:0 win over visiting Vancouver FC. Molham Babouli was the game’s lone goalscorer on a penalty kick in the sixth minute, but Vancouver FC twice came close as they hit the woodwork in each half.

York United FC will host last year’s winners Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Quarter-Finals in May. It marks the fourth year in a row that York United FC have progressed beyond the opening round. Just last year, they were eliminated by Whitecaps FC in the Semi-Finals of the 2022 Canadian Championship.

On the Wednesday night in the 2023 edition, referee Michael Venne penalised Vancouver FC’s Ibrahim Bakare for pushing York United FC’s Oussama Alou inside the penalty area in the fifth minute. Babouli made no mistake with the ensuing penalty kick.

In the first half, Ameer Kinani hit the post for Vancouver FC in the 12th minute while Shaan Hundal was denied on a good attempt in the 42nd minute by a Niko Giantsopoulos tip save. In the second half, Vancouver’s Gabriel Bitar hit the crossbar with a rocket of a shot from distance in the 50th minute, then Emmanuel Robe was stopped on another Giantopoulos save in the 65th minute.

For York United FC’s goalscorer Babouli, it was his first career goal in the Canadian Championship. Goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos, meanwhile, posted his second career clean sheet in the competition.

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.