2023 Canadian Championship final

Final game of a Canadian soccer tournament
Football match
Canadian Championship Final
BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia hosted the match.
Event2023 Canadian Championship
Vancouver Whitecaps FC CF Montréal
2 1
DateJune 7, 2023
VenueBC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia
Player of the MatchRyan Gauld
RefereeFilip Dujic
Attendance20,072
WeatherMostly Cloudy
26 °C (79 °F)
34% humidity[1]
← 2022
2024

The 2023 Canadian Championship Final was the deciding match of the 2023 Canadian Championship and was played on June 7, 2023.[2] For the second year in a row, it was hosted at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia by defending champions Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who played CF Montréal.[2]

This was the third final played between Vancouver and Montreal, with the clubs having met in the 2013 and 2015 finals. This was also the first final since 2015 to not involve Toronto FC.

Vancouver Whitecaps won their third title following a 2–1 victory, qualifying them for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Teams

Team League City Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Major League Soccer (West) Vancouver, British Columbia 7 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022)
CF Montréal Major League Soccer (East) Montreal, Quebec 6 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)

Background

This was the third time Vancouver Whitecaps FC and CF Montréal faced each other in the Canadian Championship final, with CF Montréal (then Montréal Impact) winning in 2013 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC winning in 2015.

In their most recent fixture earlier in 2023, Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeated CF Montréal 5–0 in the MLS regular season.[3]

Path to the final

Each tie of the four-round tournament was played as a single-leg fixture. Vancouver Whitecaps FC received a bye in the preliminary round for being a finalist of the 2022 tournament.[4]

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Round CF Montréal
Opponent Result Opponent Result
Bye Preliminary round Vaughan Azzurri 2–0 (H)
York United FC 4–1 (A) Quarter-finals Toronto FC 2–1 (A)
Pacific FC 3–0 (A) Semi-finals Forge FC 2–0 (H)

Match details

Vancouver Whitecaps FC2–1CF Montréal
  • White 57'
  • Gauld 65' (pen.)
Report
Attendance: 20,072
Referee: Filip Dujic
Vancouver
Montreal
GK 18 Japan Yohei Takaoka
RB 23 Jamaica Javain Brown
CB 6 United States Tristan Blackmon
CB 4 Serbia Ranko Veselinović
LB 27 Canada Ryan Raposo downward-facing red arrow 59'
RCM 19 United States Julian Gressel downward-facing red arrow 90'
CM 31 Canada Russell Teibert (c) downward-facing red arrow 59'
LCM 20 Paraguay Andrés Cubas
RM 28 Canada Levonte Johnson downward-facing red arrow 73'
LM 25 Scotland Ryan Gauld
CF 24 United States Brian White downward-facing red arrow 90'
Substitutes:
GK 1 Canada Thomas Hasal
DF 14 Portugal Luís Martins upward-facing green arrow 59'
MF 16 United States Sebastian Berhalteri Yellow card 85'i upward-facing green arrow 73'
MF 29 United States Simon Becher
MF 45 Ecuador Pedro Vite upward-facing green arrow 59'
FW 7 Colombia Déiber Caicedo upward-facing green arrow 90'
FW 9 Venezuela Sergio Córdova upward-facing green arrow 90'
Manager:
Italy Vanni Sartini
GK 40 Canada Jonathan Sirois
CB 25 Italy Gabriele Corbo downward-facing red arrow 78'
CB 4 France Rudy Camacho Yellow card 59'
CB 18 Canada Joel Waterman
RM 22 United States Aaron Herrera downward-facing red arrow 67'
CM 25 Canada Mathieu Choinière
CM 2 Kenya Victor Wanyama downward-facing red arrow 67'
LM 11 Costa Rica Ariel Lassiter Yellow card 3'
RF 14 Nigeria Sunusi Ibrahim
CF 7 Egypt Ahmed Hamdi downward-facing red arrow 67'
LF 9 Nigeria Chinonso Offor downward-facing red arrow 78'
Substitutes:
GK 41 Canada James Pantemis
DF 15 Canada Zachary Brault-Guillard upward-facing green arrow 67'
DF 24 United States George Campbell
MF 10 United States Bryce Duke upward-facing green arrow 84'
MF 19 Canada Nathan-Dylan Saliba upward-facing green arrow 67'
FW 13 United States Mason Toye upward-facing green arrow 78'
FW 21 Finland Lassi Lappalainen upward-facing green arrow 67'
Manager:
Argentina Hernán Losada

Player of the Match:
Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)[5]

Assistant referees:
Micheal Barwegen
Lyes Arfa
Fourth official:
Yusri Rudolf
Fifth official:
Michael Hood[6]

Match rules[7]

  • 90 minutes
  • Penalty shoot-out if score still level
  • Minimum of three Canadian starters
  • Maximum of five substitutions[a] plus two "concussion substitutions" if required

Post-match

Following the match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC's Ali Ahmed was presented with the Best Young Canadian Player Award and Julian Gressel with the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player of the Canadian Championship.[8] Ahmed missed the final as he continued to recover from a concussion suffered in the tournament's semifinal.[8][9]

By scoring in the final, CF Montréal's Sunusi Ibrahim became the top goal scorer of the tournament with three goals.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions excluding substitutions made at half-time.

References

  1. ^ "Weather History for CYVR". Weather Underground. The Weather Company. June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "2023 Canadian Championship Final set for Wednesday 7 June in British Columbia - Canada Soccer". Canadian Soccer Association. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  3. ^ Karstens-Smith, Gemma (April 1, 2023). "Whitecaps 5, CF Montreal 0: Youngsters shine in Vancouver's drubbing of Montreal". The Province. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "Canada Soccer prepares for biggest Canadian Championship ever starting in April". Canadian Soccer Association. January 17, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  5. ^ @CanadaSoccerEN (June 8, 2023). "Ryan Gauld puts in the @GatoradeCanada Performance of the Match! 🍁" (Tweet). Retrieved June 8, 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ @CanadaSoccerEN (June 7, 2023). "Canada Soccer Referee appointments for today's #CanChamp Final! 🍁" (Tweet). Retrieved June 8, 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "14 things to know about the 2023 Canadian Championship". Canadian Soccer Association. January 28, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Wells, Nick (June 7, 2023). "Gauld nets winner as Whitecaps beat CF Montreal to repeat as Canadian champions". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  9. ^ Williams, Rob (May 25, 2023). "Whitecaps thank first responders after scary injury left player hospitalized". Daily Hive. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "Canadian Championship". Canadian Soccer Association. Section: Top Scorers. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
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