Two sides from Canada move closer to CONCACAF Champions League play tonight, when a pair of series are settled in the Amway Canadian Championship.
- Toronto at Montreal, 8 p.m. ET
- Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET
A lot is going right for Montreal at the moment. The MLS expansion side, coming off a big win in Round 9 of league play, now rides high in the driver’s seat in its two-leg series with Toronto, where absolutely zilch is going right. The teams meet tonight in Montreal, having fought to a scoreless draw last week at BMO Field in Toronto.
Increasingly embattled Toronto coach Aron Winter says his team has a “surprise” in store. But with his two best players, Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans, out with injury the real surprise will be Toronto still alive in the competition in about 12 hours.
That winner meets either Vancouver or Edmonton in the Canadian Championship final. Put your toonies and loonies on the Whitecaps going through, as Martin Rennie’s club carries a healthy 2-0 lead into tonight’s return leg along Canada’s West coast.
For Canadian clubs, claiming the country’s professional soccer championship represents the easiest pathway into CONCACAF Champions League play, which begins later this summer.
Here’s a preview from the Whitecaps on tonight’s match. (One of the speakers is Omar Salgado, the No. 1 draft pick from 2011, who is playing along the left for Rennie and really starting to look like a No. 1 draft pick.)
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- wesbadia - May 9, 2012 at 11:57 AM
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For some reason, the ACC interests me. I suppose it’s because of the CCL implications and seeing a country that doesn’t normally do well have a chance at, well… doing well. As much as I’d love to see Montreal get through, I can’t help but think that Vancouver will be this year’s winner. I think they also have a much better shot at progressing in the CCL tournament later this year. One thing’s for certain, though: TFC won’t be continuing their streak as Canadian Champs.
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- stackhousesoccer - May 9, 2012 at 6:20 PM
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Looks like its Vancouvers to lose. This is shaping up to be a special year for Whitecaps. Pitiful that Toronto has been lapped so quickly by a club in their second year ,but it seems like that is what has happened.
