PREVIEW: Lots at stake ahead of second leg of 2024 Canadian Championship semi-finals
After a lengthy break, the second leg of the 2024 Canadian Championship semi-finals goes down this Tuesday, as Toronto FC hosts Forge FC at BMO Field and the Vancouver Whitecaps hosts Pacific FC at BC Place.
There, all four teams will look to battle for a spot in the final of this tournament, where they’ll look to compete for the Voyageurs Cup and a spot in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup later next month in British Columbia.
Now, the big question will be to see which two sides make it. Based on past history, the Whitecaps and Toronto remain the favourites to meet in their second final in three years, but both Forge and Pacific will have plenty to say about that.
Especially Forge, who enter the second leg leading their tie over TFC on aggregate, meaning they arguably sit in the driver’s seat in that tie, although they know that a lot can change over 90 minutes.
And that goes in all directions. A strong or poor showing from any of the teams could have a drastic impact on the outcomes of both ties, so it’ll be expected each side brings their A-game to give them the best chance of reaching the final.
Safe to say, it shows why there’s so much at stake on Tuesday, and why many will be following and paying close attention to the outcomes of both matches.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about both ties.
Can Forge hold on against Toronto FC?
It was nearly a perfect first-leg semi-final result for Forge against Toronto at home, as they scored two early goals and looked likely to add to their tally later on, allowing them to pick up a pivotal 2-1 victory over Toronto.
Yet, while they’ll be pleased with their performance and the result, they’ll enter this game wondering if they did enough, as the result didn’t fully reflect the state of the game.
#CANPL BADIBANGAS ONLY 💥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 10, 2024
OH. MY. GOODNESS. 🤯@ForgeFCHamilton's Beni Badibanga stuns #TFClive with an absolute BOMB from HIS OWN HALF! 👀
🔴 Watch the 2024 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗨𝗦 #CanChamp semi-finals on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/2YIePs5aUd
Certainly, it wasn’t surprising to see Toronto score, as they spent most of the game pushing after going down by two goals after 15 minutes, but Forge will feel they left goals on the table, as they hit the woodwork on multiple occasions as they chased a third.
Now, they’ll wonder if the two goals they scored will be enough for them to hold on, as TFC can now advance with a 1-0 leg-two victory thanks to their late away goal, which Prince Owusu put away in the 88th minute.
At the same time, it’s worth noting that Forge faced a worse scenario in the second leg of their quarter-final, as they went away to CF Montréal tied at 1-1 after the first leg, meaning they needed to score in that game to even have a shot at advancing. Ultimately, they did what they needed to win outright thanks to two early goals, so they’ve now got experience in this sort of scenario, but they know it won’t be easy.
Against TFC, who a non-MLS team hasn’t eliminated since then-USL side Montréal Impact beat them in the 2008 final 16 years ago, it’s expected they find a way to turn things around, and for good reason.
Because of that, one thing’s for sure in this game - expect a strong lineup from TFC, who started both Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi in the leg one, and will look to put as strong of a team as possible out for this game.
AND AGAIN.
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 10, 2024
AGAIN.@ForgeFCHamilton's Kwasi Poku makes it 2-0 over #TFClive with a sucker-punch 1-2, and we've got a #CanPL vs. #MLS RIVALRY burning at Tim Hortons Field 🔥
🔴 Watch the 2024 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗨𝗦 #CanChamp semi-finals on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/l1Nlmgk5uz
A side that wants to return to the Concacaf Champions Cup and lift just their second trophy since the start of 2019, they know how massive this game could be for them. Given that they’ve been middling in MLS play this year, sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, this might be their best and only chance to lift some silverware and get back into continental competition, which further shows why they’ll go all-out for this game.
But the same goes for Forge, who will be looking to make history as the first CPL team to reach the final without a bye, having earned that distinction in the strange 2020 final, which was guaranteed to have a CPL team. Since their participation in that final, in which they fell to TFC on penalties in 2022, they’ve been looking to prove that they can earn their way back to another final the hard way, and are one game from having done so while eliminating two MLS sides.
Safe to say, that would be a remarkable story, but another crowning achievement for a Forge side that hasn’t been scared of reaching new frontiers, and they’ll look to prove that in their first-ever visit to Toronto’s BMO Field.
They’ll be in tough after selling Kwasi Poku last week, given that Poku scored in the second leg against Montréal and the first leg against Toronto, but as Forge tends to do when players are absent or depart, they’ll now rely on the next man up.
Currently sitting atop the CPL table, they’ve been in great form as of late, boosted by that TFC win in July, and will look to keep the good times rolling once again as they try and extend this magical run.
GOAL 🦉
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 11, 2024
Prince Owusu brings #TFClive back within one as he scores a valuable away goal with a late scramble on a corner vs. @ForgeFCHamilton
🔴 Watch the 2024 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗨𝗦 #CanChamp semi-finals on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/iGfgWsG8I5
Whitecaps looking to reach third final against Pacific:
It feels like a big mountain to climb.
At first glance, there’s a lot to like with Pacific’s chances against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who they trail 1-0 on aggregate after losing the first leg at home.
Especially if they find an early goal, which would shift the momentum in their favour and give them a key edge on away goals, there are plenty of reasons to think Pacific can make this tie interesting. Cavalry nearly pulled off the unlikely in the quarter-finals in a tougher situation, as they trailed the Whitecaps 2-1 after leg one before winning the second leg 1-0 to fall on away goals, so it’s not as if the Whitecaps have been invincible in this competition despite entering as back-to-back champions.
At the same time, there are reasons to suggest that the Whitecaps will be much more ruthless against Pacific than they were against Cavalry, having nearly received a wake-up call they will have desperately wanted to avoid.
Firstly, there are Pacific’s struggles in CPL play, where they currently sit in seventh place. In particular, they’ve struggled to score goals, sitting with just 14 goals in 19 games, which is nine lower than the next-best team.
Past versions of Pacific might’ve fancied themselves to easily get the goal they need to reignite this tie, but this Pacific team would be happy just to get going in CPL play right now, so it’s hard to know if they’ll be able to find the juice they need offensively against an MLS outfit.
GOAL 🏔️#VWFC strike first in this 2024 TELUS #CanChamp clash as Ryan Gauld catches @PacificFCCPL goalkeeper Emil Gazdov with a great flick-on header 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 11, 2024
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/AbosRBeoiD
Yet, to that point, that leads nicely to the second key reason why the Whitecaps will be favoured, and that’s because they’ve been a good team in MLS this season, currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, and sitting with a strong chance to make a push for the top four over the next few months thanks to a favourable home-heavy schedule and some games in hand.
Having won this tournament in back-to-back years, this might be their best team yet, and they want to prove that by making it a threepeat as they chase those goals in MLS play.
Because of that, they undoubtedly enter this game as favourites and will look to put the tie out of reach as early as possible as they look to reach their third straight final.
For what it’s worth, however, being the underdogs could suit Pacific, so keep an eye out for that. Part of their struggles in the CPL play has seemed to come from the internal and external pressure they carry as a team that has won a CPL playoff title and has made the playoffs in four straight seasons, which is why it’s been a surprise to see them slump hard this year.
Final score from Calgary. Onto the TELUS Canadian Championship Semi Finals at BC Place.#ForTheIsle | #RisingTide pic.twitter.com/FEuryZCjQp
— Pacific FC (@Pacificfccpl) August 24, 2024
In this game, though, they can put that pressure behind them, and maybe that’ll be just what they need to go and chase a historic result.
Again, while the Whitecaps will feel comfortable heading into this game, this tie is very much still on the table, but it’s up to Pacific to make things interesting, or else the Whitecaps will cruise to their third straight final.
Final notes:
Otherwise, there are a few things to note ahead of these games.
Of course, the big thing is to keep an eye on the two eventual finalists, who will contest the final late in September, with the winner of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Pacific tie hosting that one-game final.
There, several pieces of silverware will also be handed out, including the George Gross Memorial Trophy for the MVP, the best Young Canadian and the Golden Boot. Those won’t be decided in these games, but it’ll certainly help, so look for some potential candidates to emerge with big performances.
Lastly, it’ll be fascinating to see how the battle plays out between two CPL sides and two MLS ones, and if there will be any more surprise results, or if the expected scores occur.
And the #CanChamp SFs are now confirmed:#VWFC vs Pacific FC#TFCLive vs Forge
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) May 30, 2024
We get Ferryside Darby part 3, which includes Pacific's 1st visit to BC Place, and we get a 2020 final rematch, which includes Forge's 1st visit to BMO Field
Very intriguing final 4 of the tourney
Yet, one thing feels for sure - these games should be close and entertaining, continuing what has arguably been the best version of this tournament yet. With several key upsets and big victories, it’s been a tournament to remember, and there are still three games left to play, starting with the two that await this week.
No matter what ends up happening, look for the magic of the cup to come through once again, setting up a thrilling conclusion to this year’s action.
