The magic of cup football has already spread from coast to coast across Canada this year. From Wednesday night’s electric performance from Pacific FC to defeat ‘CPL Superteam’ Atlético Ottawa on Vancouver Island, to League 1 Québec’s CS Saint-Laurent’s stunning penalty shootout victory over the Halifax Wanderers out east, to some special moments in the provinces in between — the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship has delivered. That same Saint-Laurent club hosted Toronto FC in the quarter-final first leg complete with a half-time dance circle and an exceptional atmosphere at the historic Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard. League1 Ontario’s Simcoe County Rovers became the first semi-pro side to face an MLS team in the competition, and Forge FC finally overcame CF Montréal in their fourth time of asking. As the tournament reaches its semifinal round, the matchups are set to become more regional after a compelling draw on Wednesday night. In semifinal one, a BC derby between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Pacific FC, while out-east it’s an all-Ontario clash as Toronto FC take on Forge FC of Hamilton. Outside of regional familiarity, both matches come steeped in history, rivalry, geography and roster connections making this an ideal semifinal slate to continue the excitement of this already excellent edition of the Canadian Championship. The exact schedule has yet to be revealed but the first leg of the home-and-away ties are set to be played between July 9-10, while the second legs are scheduled for August 27-28. For the second consecutive year, and third in the last four tournaments, it is a pair of Canadian Premier League vs. Major League Soccer matchups in the semifinals. The two CPL sides, Forge and Pacific are the same as last year, while Toronto FC are the lone new entrant into the final four for 2024.
The geographical proximity of both of these clubs makes for an excellent opportunity for travelling fans, which will enable fantastic atmospheres at all four of the semifinal matches. With the cross-country nature of this competition, they have rarely been an easy away date for visiting fans. But expect all four fanbases to travel in numbers come July and August further fueling rivalry. The four sides remaining all have significant history and ambition in this competition and within their respective leagues. The Whitecaps are the back-to-back Canadian Champions, no side has won this competition more times than Toronto FC (eight) and Pacific have been semifinalist three of the past four years. Forge FC, meanwhile, have won the CPL Finals in four of the league’s five seasons and will now be entirely focused on adding a new piece of silverware to their already impressive cabinet. In this the seventeenth edition of the Canadian Championship competition, both of these matchups come with significant history as well. The Whitecaps defeated Pacific FC in last year’s semifinal round by a comfortable score of 3-0. But that came as revenge after they were stunned 4-3 at Starlight Stadium by the Tridents during the preliminary round of the 2021 edition. Adding significance to this match-up is the fact that the winner will host the single-match 2024 final in September. Forge and Toronto FC, meanwhile, met in the final of the 2020 Canadian Championship, played at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. That was decided by a penalty shootout, with Toronto FC eventually prevailing to win their eighth, and most recent, Voyageurs Cup. The home-and-away nature of this year’s semifinal will add further intrigue. For the first time in their club histories, Forge FC and Pacific FC will have the chance to play at BMO Field and BC Place respectively. With both of these stadiums being used as venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, these are significant stages on which some of the CPL’s best will get the opportunity to showcase themselves.
Familiarity between the clubs extends beyond past meetings, however. Both CPL clubs remaining in the competition are full of connections to their MLS counterparts, many of whom will be out to prove themselves against their former employers. Forge’s Kyle Bekker, Tristan Borges, Jordan Hamilton, Malik Owolabi-Belewu and Kwasi Poku have all suited up for the Toronto FC organization at various levels. Hamilton, in particular, has quite the history in this competition with TFC, winning the trophy three times with the club and winning the Golden Boot in 2016. For Pacific, meanwhile, Paul Amedume, Emil Gazdov, Christian Greco-Taylor, Sean Melvin, Georges Mukumbilwa, Dario Zanatta and even head coach James Merriman were all once part of the Whitecaps organization. Several other connections extend throughout the coaching staff. Both Pacific FC and Forge FC will be looking to make further history in this competition as the first CPL sides to win a semifinal round. Forge remain the only CPL club to play in a Canadian Championship final, but that was by virtue of winning the 2020 CPL Island Games during a uniquely formatted 2020 Canadian Championship competition. In a year that has already seen a significant number of upsets, however, including both Cavalry FC and Forge winning matches against MLS sides, the likelihood of further surprises has never been higher. With this fantastic final four, an already excellent edition of the TELUS Canadian Championships becomes even more compelling. More magic awaits.