Canadian_Championship

Canadian Championship

Canadian Championship

Annual professional soccer tournament

This article is about the soccer championship. For other uses, see Canadian Championships (disambiguation).

The Canadian Championship (French: Championnat canadien) is an annual soccer tournament contested by Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[1] It is contested by Major League Soccer sides Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and CF Montréal, eight Canadian Premier League sides, and the champions of League1 Ontario, League1 British Columbia, and Ligue1 Québec. The tournament is organized by the Canadian Soccer Association[2] and has been broadcast on OneSoccer since 2019.[3]

Quick Facts Founded, Region ...

History

The Canadian Championship is a domestic cup competition organized by the Canadian Soccer Association. The championship determines one of Canada's entries in the annual CONCACAF Champions Cup. Until the creation of the Canadian Premier League in 2019, all fully professional Canadian soccer teams played in United States-based leagues. Prior to the creation of the official competition in 2008, there was no domestic competition to determine the best Canadian professional team (as Canada Soccer's Challenge Trophy only crowned the best amateur team). Though a notable attempt was conducted by the Canadian Soccer League through the Open Canada Cup, which ultimately managed to attract professional and amateur clubs from British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.[4] The tournament was dissolved in 2008 after the creation of the Canadian Championship.

An unofficial Canadian Champion determined in the same manner as 2008–2010, a home-and-away series with the games taken from USL First Division (USL-1) regular season league games, was awarded by the Canadian national teams' supporters group, The Voyageurs. This unofficial Canadian Championship became less legitimate when Toronto was awarded a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise to start play in 2007 in the USSF Division 1 MLS league above the USSF Division 2 USL-1 league. Toronto's USL-1 team self relegated, while the other two Canadian professional soccer teams did not play meaningful games against the new MLS team in 2007.[5]

For the 2008–09 season, CONCACAF changed their eight team FIFA Club World Cup qualification tournament from a two-legged aggregate goals knockout elimination format, named the CONCACAF Champions Cup, to a format mirroring the UEFA Champions League with a play-in round, a group stage, and lastly a two-leg aggregate score knockout format for the final rounds. The format change for the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League provided the opportunity to expand the number of qualifying teams from different countries, and Canada was awarded a single entry in the play-in round preceding the group stage. The year 2008 was the first time a Canadian entry had been awarded by CONCACAF since 1992, and the first time a Canadian team participated since 1976.[6] To award the new Canadian entry, the CSA created a new competition consisting of a home-and-away round-robin series between the three fully professional Canadian teams: Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.[7] The 2008 Canadian Championship was contested between May and July 2008 and won by the Montreal Impact. As the Canadian champions, Montreal qualified for the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League.[6][8][9]

The 2009 Canadian Championship's format and participants were the same, contested by the three clubs in May and June 2009. It was closely contended by Toronto and Vancouver and won by the former via goal differential in the tournament's final game against the defending champions, Montreal, giving the Toronto franchise its first ever trophy and a spot in the qualifying round of the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League.[10] Toronto repeated as champions in the 2010 competition, qualifying for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto won it for the fourth consecutive season in the 2012 competition.

In 2011, with the start of a fourth fully professional Canadian soccer team, FC Edmonton, the competition was changed from the home-and-away round robin series to a double-leg aggregate score knockout cup format with the two MLS teams seeded first and second, and NASL teams seeded third and fourth based on league standings of the previous year and the USSF tiering of Division 1 and Division 2.[11] This format mitigated competitive concerns regarding already eliminated teams and the number of additional (extra to their regular league) games each team would be required to play during a season.

On June 6, 2016, Canadian Soccer Association general secretary Peter Montopoli told TSN that plans were well under way to expand the tournament to include an access point for any team in Canada. He said that he expected the expansion to take place for 2017. His statement seemed to confirm other reports saying similar.[12][better source needed] On March 9, 2017, Canada Soccer Association announced that from the 2018 edition the winners of the League1 Ontario and Première ligue de soccer du Québec would compete.[13]

In January 2019, a new five-round format was announced to include the seven teams of the newly formed Canadian Premier League, bringing the total number of teams competing to 13.[14] In 2020, with the dissolution of Ottawa Fury FC, a modified four-round tournament was announced featuring 12 teams, the first contraction in the competition's history.[15] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was instead held between two teams qualified through league play, with the top Canadian MLS team meeting the CPL winners.[16][17]

Beginning in 2023, the league winner of League1 British Columbia joined the tournament as a competitor. They were also joined by new Canadian Premier League club, Vancouver FC.[18]

In the 2023 preliminary round, TSS Rovers of League1 British Columbia became the first semi-pro team to advance in the tournament against a professional team. They defeated Canadian Premier League side Valour FC 3–1 to reach the quarterfinal.[19]

Trophy

Main article: Voyageurs Cup
The champions are awarded the Voyageurs Cup

The winners of the Canadian Championship are awarded the Voyageurs Cup.[20] From 1993 to 2007, there was no domestic competition open to top-tier Canadian professional clubs. From 2002 to 2006, the USL First Division was the highest level in which Canadian men's soccer teams competed. The Voyageurs, a supporters' group, developed a method of tracking league results between Canadian clubs to determine a professional Canadian champion.

With the introduction of the Canadian Championship as a separate competition, the Voyageurs donated the cup to the Canadian Soccer Association to award to the winners. The trophy is still awarded by a Voyageurs member to the current winning club.[21][22][23]

Format

From 2008 to 2010, the tournament consisted of the three professional teams in Canada in a home-and-away series with the top team winning entry into the qualifying stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. These teams competed in the two top US-based professional soccer leagues, which in 2010 was Major League Soccer and the temporary USSF Division 2 Professional League. In 2011, the North American Soccer League received sanctioning as the USSF's new second-division league.

When FC Edmonton joined the NASL in 2011, the tournament was expanded to include all four professional clubs in the country. The tournament consisted of two-legged semifinals and a two-legged final. In the first semifinal of 2011, Toronto, as reigning champions, was assigned the first-place seed and played Edmonton, which was assigned the fourth seed as newcomers to the tournament. The two remaining teams, Montreal and Vancouver, faced off in the other semifinal. This was to be followed by a one-game final to be hosted by the highest remaining seed;[24] but the Canadian Soccer Association decided to go with a two-legged final instead. The format was repeated in subsequent years with the previous year's league placement being used to seed the teams.[2]

Starting with the 2014 competition, due to the introduction of the Ottawa Fury FC to the NASL, the two Canadian NASL teams played in a play-off quarterfinal to determine which team made it to the semifinals, in which the MLS teams were introduced.[25]

Due to scheduling conflicts with the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup,[26] the 2015 edition was held during April, May, and August[27] but did not provide a competitor for the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League; instead the best-placed Canadian Major League Soccer team in the 2014 regular season was the country's representative.[26] The Whitecaps qualified for the championship on October 19, 2014.[28] The winner of the 2015 Canadian Championship qualified for the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League instead and starting in 2016, the competition will be held in June and July.[26]

Since 2017, competition regulations state that each team must field a minimum of three Canadian starters for each match.[29]

In 2018, following the suspension of operations at FC Edmonton, the format of the Championship was amended once more to allow for the admission of two clubs from the Division 3 provincial leagues: League1 Ontario and Première ligue de soccer du Québec.[30] The two provincial champions meet in a first qualifying round, with the winner progressing to meet the sole Canadian USL team (not including Toronto FC II, which is a department of the MLS side Toronto FC), Ottawa Fury FC in a second qualifying round. The winner of this match joins the three Canadian MLS teams in the semifinals. A.S. Blainville and Oakville Blue Devils qualified to represent the Quebec and Ontario leagues respectively in 2018.[31][32]

The 2019 Canadian Championship was the first to feature teams from the newly created Canadian Premier League. With 13 teams competing, the competition was expanded to include three qualifying rounds along with the semifinals and finals. The first qualifying round begins with six teams, with three new teams entering each round until the semifinals where the previous year's champion enters. All rounds are two-legged match ups.[14]

Since 2021, the tournament has had four rounds consisting of single leg ties.[33] First round matchups have been determined geographically (i.e. east and west) and byes have been awarded to the previous year's tournament finalists. In 2024 the format was altered slightly and will now feature two-leg matchups for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.[34]

Participants

Permanent Canadian Championship clubs
More information Team, City ...
2024 qualifiers for the Canadian Championship
More information Team, City ...
Clubs that have previously participated

† – Defunct club
‡ – Defunct club replaced by phoenix club

More information Team, City ...
    Timeline

    Results

    By year

    See also: List of Canadian Championship finals
    More information Year, Winners ...
    1. Originally scheduled as a 12-team, two-legged knockout tournament, the 2020 edition was reduced in scope and delayed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    By club

    See also: List of soccer clubs in Canada by competitive honours won
    More information Rank, Club ...

    All-time table

    As of June 8, 2023
    More information Rank, Team ...
    • Statistics for Vancouver Whitecaps FC include the original Vancouver Whitecaps who took part in the tournament in the first three editions from 2008 through 2010. This team ceased operations in 2011 and was replaced by a new MLS franchise of the same name and ownership.
    • In 2012 the Montreal Impact of MLS replaced the former Montreal Impact of the NASL in the Canadian Championship. Statistics include data from both iterations of the Impact. They re-branded as CF Montreal in 2021.

    Awards

    George Gross Memorial Trophy

    Main article: George Gross Memorial Trophy

    The George Gross Memorial Trophy was created by the Canadian Soccer Association in 2008 to recognize each tournament's most valuable player.[35] The Trophy was named after the late George Gross, a former soccer administrator and a respected journalist.

    More information Year, Player ...
    1. Although the trophy wasn't awarded at the conclusion of the 2020 Canadian Championship, Canada Soccer named Forge FC's Tristan Borges the performer of the match of the final, the only match played in that year's tournament.[36]

    Best Young Canadian Player award

    The Best Young Canadian Player award was created by the Canadian Soccer Association in 2019 to recognize each tournament's best Canadian under-23 player.[37]

    More information Year, Player ...

    Top Scorer of the Canadian Championship

    The Top Scorer of the Canadian Championship is the player who scores the most goals during the competition. In case two or more players are tied, the first tiebreaker is most assists and the second tiebreaker is fewest minutes played.[38]

    More information Year, Player ...

    Competition records

    Appearances

    As of July 26, 2022
    More information Rank, Player ...

    Top goalscorers

    As of April 24, 2024[citation needed]
    More information Rank, Player ...

    Bolded players are still active players with a Canadian team.

    Top goalscorers by season

    More information Season, Player ...

    See also

    References

    1. [1]
      "Canadian teams set to do battle". Globe and Mail. Canada. March 27, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
    2. [2]
      "2012 Amway Canadian Championship". Retrieved January 27, 2012.
    3. [3]
      "OneSoccer". Retrieved August 8, 2019.
    4. [4]
      "Canadian Soccer League - Articles". September 3, 2007. Archived from the original on December 26, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
    5. [5]
      "Toronto Lynx move to PDL". uslsoccer.com. Demosphere International Inc. October 10, 2006. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
    6. [6]
      "Canada to create new club championship". Canadian Soccer Association. January 31, 2008. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
    7. [7]
      "Qualifying Format Unveiled for 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League". www.concacaf.com. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
    8. [8]
      "Canadian soccer on its way to qualifying for FIFA". Vancouver Sun. January 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
    9. [9]
      "Canada's soccer teams unveil details for CONCACAF Champions League". Toronto FC Media Relations. March 26, 2008. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
    10. [10]
      "2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship Schedule and Results". Canadian Soccer Association. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
    11. [11]
      "Association confirms 2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship schedule". canadasoccer.com. February 18, 2011. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
    12. [12]
      Tierney, Mitchell (April 23, 2016). "Report: Provincial Champions to Play in Voyageurs Cup as Early as 2017". Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
    13. [13]
      "Report: Provincial Champions to Play in Voyageurs Cup as Early as 2018". March 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
    14. [14]
      "Battle of the North: Canadian Premier League squads learn paths to 2019 Canadian Championship". Canadian Premier League. January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
    15. [15]
      "Canada Soccer announces 2020 Canadian Championship schedule". Canada Soccer. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
    16. [16]
      "Canada Soccer announces format for 2020 Canadian Championship Final". Canada Soccer. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
    17. [17]
      O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (February 11, 2020). "'We've formally asked for a meeting': CPL hoping to get Atlético Ottawa into 2020 CanChamp". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
    18. [18]
      Jacques, John (November 3, 2022). "League1 BC Announced As New Entrant In Canadian Championship". Northern Tribune.
    19. [19]
      Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (April 20, 2023). "MATCH ANALYSIS: TSS Rovers upset Valour FC 3-1 in magical CanChamp night at Swangard Stadium". Canadian Premier League.
    20. [20]
      "Association announces partners for new Nutrilite Canadian Champions League". CanadaSoccer.com. May 23, 2008. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
    21. [21]
      "Voyageurs Cup Announced For A-League Teams". Canadian Soccer Association. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
    22. [22]
      "The name game". Canadian Soccer News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
    23. [23]
      "A sports fan's worst nightmare". Maclean's Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
    24. [24]
      Rollins, Duane (December 12, 2010). "Format of Canadian Championship may change". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
    25. [25]
      "Fury FC to Face FC Edmonton in Amway Canadian Championship". Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
    26. [26]
      "Canada Soccer announces move to new timeframe for future Amway Canadian Championships" (Press release). Canadian Soccer Association. March 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
    27. [27]
      "Schedule for 2015 Amway Canadian Championship set" (Press release). Canadian Soccer Association. February 4, 2015. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
    28. [28]
      "Vancouver Whitecaps, DC United join Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy in 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League". MLSsoccer.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
    29. [29]
      "Canadian Championship". Canadian Soccer Association. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
    30. [30]
      "About the Canadian Championship". Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
    31. [31]
      "Oakville Blue Devils qualifies for Canadian Championship - Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
    32. [32]
      "AS Blainville qualifies for Canadian Championship - Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
    33. [33]
      "Canada Soccer announces 2021 Canadian Championship format and schedule". Canada Soccer. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
    34. [34]
      "Canada Soccer Announces Telus Canadian Championship Format". Canadian Soccer Association. February 22, 2024. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
    35. [35]
      "George Gross Memorial Trophy". Canadian Soccer Association. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
    36. [36]
      @CanadaSoccerEN (June 5, 2022). "Tristan Borges with the Performance of the Match Powered by @GatoradeCanada" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
    37. [37]
      "Gressel and Ahmed win awards at 2023 Canadian Championship - Canada Soccer". Canada Soccer. June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
    38. [38]
      "Top Scorer". Canadian Soccer Association. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
    Share this article:

    This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Canadian_Championship, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.