Canada Soccer – Canada Soccer’s 2019 Canadian Championship expands to 13 teams and 24 matches
10 January 2019
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Concacaf Champions League
Toronto FC, the 2018 Canadian Championship champions and 2018 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League finalists, will kick off their 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League run 12 February against Round of 16 opponents Club Atlético Independiente of Panama.
Since 2008, three Canadian winners have reached the Quarter-final stage or further in Concacaf Champions League: Toronto FC twice (Semi-finals in 2011-12 and Grand Final in 2018); Impact de Montréal twice (Quarter-finals in 2008-09 and Grand Final in 2014-15); and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Semi-finals in 2016-17).
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 www.canadasoccer.com