Canada Soccer – Montréal Impact take 1:0 lead in 2019 Canadian Championship Final
18 September 2019

Montréal Impact defeated Toronto FC 1:0 in the opening leg of the 2019 Canadian Championship Final presented by Allstate at Stade Saputo in Montréal, QC. The Wednesday 18 September match was highlighted by Ignacio Piatti’s first-half goal from just outside the box.
 
The 2019 Canadian Championship Final continues Wednesday 25 September at BMO Field in Toronto. The match will stream LIVE on OneSoccer.ca at 19.30 ET/ 16.30 ET. Inaugurated in 2008, the Canadian Championship has featured more than 300 Canadian players and drawn more than one million cumulative spectators across the history of the competition. This year marks the first time that the Canadian Championship has featured 13 clubs from five leagues across five rounds.
 
Montréal took the lead early in the first half on a strike by Ignacio Piatti (17’) from 25 yards out. Piatti one-touched the ball from Saphir Taider to score his fourth of the 2019 Canadian Championship after he scored a goal in Qualifying Round 3 against York9 FC and two goals in the Semi-Final Round against Cavalry FC. 
 
In the 34’, Toronto’s Laurent Ciman struck a long-range free kick that dipped and challenged the Impact keeper Clement Diop who was able to adjust to make the save and push the ball away from danger. Minutes later, Erickson Gallardo’s cross was controlled by a perfect first touch from Canadian teenager Jacob Shaffelburg who forced a save from Diop over the bar to preserve the 1:0 lead.
 
Montréal had an excellent chance to double their lead in the 52’. Taider played a wonderful ball over the top of the Toronto defence to Lassi Lappalainen who chipped it over Bono, but the shot bounced just wide of the net. Toronto’s best chance of the second half came in the 66’ when Jozy Altidore was played into the Montréal penalty area by Nick DeLeon and hammered the shot on net, but once again Diop made the save to keep the clean sheet.
 
Toronto pushed for the away goal in the later stages with Altidore getting a free header off that ended up straight into the arms of Diop.
 
Montréal Impact’s starting XI was goalkeeper Clement Diop. Jukka Raitala, Victor Cabrera, Bacary Sagna, and Canadian Zachary Brault-Guillard on defence; Canadians Samuel Piette and Shamit Shome, Ignacio Piatti, Saphir Taider, Lassi Lappalainen and Bojan Krcik through midfield and attack.
 
Coach Wilmer Cabrera replaced Krcik (45’ +1) with Maxi Urruti. Lappalainen with Orji Okwonkwo (77’) and Urruti with Clement Bayiha (90’ +3).
 
Toronto FC’s starting XI was goalkeeper Alex Bono; defenders Drew Moor, Justin Morrow, Laurent Ciman, and Canadian Richie Laryea; Canadian Jonathan Osorio, Nick DeLeon, and captain Michael Bradley in midfield; and Patrick Mullins, Erickson Gallardo, and Canadian Jacob Shaffelburg on attack.
 
Coach Greg Vanney replaced Mullins and Gallardo with Alejandro Pozuelo and Jozy Altidore (46’) and Shaffelburg with Marky Delgado (74’).
 
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 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
 
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.  The winner has the opportunity to compete in international competition including the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League and ultimately the FIFA Club World Cup.
 
As Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition, Canadian Content is a focus of the competition and since 2017 the Canadian Content rule has required that three eligible Canadian internationals start each match with nearly 60% of the starting line-ups in the 2019 edition featuring Canadians. 
 
In 2019, the Canadian Championship will feature 13 teams including three Major League Soccer clubs, Toronto FC, Montréal Impact FC 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 de Soccer du 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.

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 ww.canadasoccer.com
 

Corporate Communications | Communications corporatives
bfougere@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.299.1587 Richard Scott
National Teams Program | Programme de l’équipe nationale
rscott@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.818.0305