The Canadian Championship—known as the Amway Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's berth in the CONCACAF Champions League[2] As of 2012, it will be contested by MLS sides Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Montreal Impact and NASL side FC Edmonton.[3] It is currently sponsored by Amway and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association.[4]
[edit] History
The Amway Canadian Championship is a seasonal club football competition organized by the Canadian Soccer Association. The tournament was organized following the entry of Toronto FC into Major League Soccer; prior to this, Canada's place in the CONCACAF Champions League had been awarded to the highest placed Canadian team in the USL First Division. With no promotion and relegation between MLS and USL, a new format was required. So, it was decided to organize a special round robin tournament between Toronto and the two Canadian USL teams.
The 2008 edition was contested between May 2008 and July 2008 and won by the Montreal Impact. The tournament consisted of a home and away series between the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. As the Canadian champions, Montréal qualified for CONCACAF Champions League 2008–09.[5][6][7]
The 2009 edition'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 CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10.[8] Toronto repeated as champions in the 2010 competition, qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League 2010–11.
[edit] Format
Until 2010, the tournament has consisted of the top 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 have comprised the only Canadian teams in the two top professional soccer leagues with operations in Canada, which for 2010 were Major League Soccer and the temporary USSF Division 2 Professional League. The North American Soccer League has since received provisional sanctioning as the new second-division league beginning in 2011.
When FC Edmonton joined the NASL in 2011, the tournament was expanded to include the four most important professional clubs in the country.
Beginning in 2011, the tournament consists of two 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;[9] the CSA eventually decided to go with a two-legged final instead. The format was repeated in 2012 with final league placement from 2011 determining placement. Toronto will meet Montreal in the first round and Vancouver will meet Edmonton.[10]
[edit] Participants
[edit] Trophy
Main article:
Voyageurs CupThe winners of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship are awarded the Voyageurs Cup,[11] a trophy previously awarded to the Canadian USL First Division side with the best regular season record against other Canadian USL-1 teams. The USL was the highest level of Canadian soccer until Toronto FC became the first Canadian club in Major League Soccer.
The Voyageurs donated the cup to the Canadian Soccer Association to award to the winners of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
[edit] Results
[edit] By year
[edit] By club
[edit] All time table
- Statistics for Vancouver Whitecaps FC include the original Vancouver Whitecaps who took part in the tournament in the first 3 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.
[edit] 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. The Trophy is named after the late George Gross, a respected journalist and soccer lover.
[edit] Goalscorers
[edit] All time top goalscorers
[edit] Goalscorers by season
[edit] See also
List of American and Canadian soccer champions
[edit] References
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2012 Canadian Championship
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