Three of the four quarter-final ties in this year's Canadian Championship have been settled, with Forge, CF Montréal, and reigning champions Vancouver Whitecaps all securing their places in the semi-finals.
The fourth and final spot will be decided on August 11, when Atlético Ottawa host FC Supra at TD Place. Supra claimed a commanding 3-1 first-leg victory in a match they dominated, though they will rue the late Ottawa goal that keeps the tie very much alive. It will not be the first time Ottawa have faced Supra at home: the last time, they overturned a 3-1 deficit to win 5-3. Supra will know better than most that a two-goal advantage means nothing against this Ottawa side.
The first confirmed semi-final pairing is an all-MLS affair, with CF Montréal taking on the Vancouver Whitecaps. The first leg will be held at Stade Saputo between September 1 and 3, with the second leg two weeks later between the 15th and 17th. The location of the second leg has yet to be confirmed, with the Whitecaps stating it would be announced at a later date. BC Place's availability is not guaranteed, as was the case for their first-leg clash against Cavalry due to World Cup scheduling.
Forge will learn their opponent next month, with a CPL side already confirmed as their semi-final opposition. The Hammers will play the first leg away in early September before hosting the return in the middle of the month.
The two finalists will meet on October 21 in a single-leg match, hosted by the winner of the Vancouver Whitecaps vs. CF Montréal tie.
A historic opportunity for the CPL
With Toronto FC eliminated by Atlético Ottawa and Forge having seen off CS Saint-Laurent, the Canadian Championship final is guaranteed to feature at least one CPL side for the second year running. In a competition historically dominated by MLS clubs, excluding the 2008 edition won by the USL's Montreal Impact, this year presents another historic opportunity for a CPL side to lift the Voyageurs Cup. It will not be straightforward, however, as the MLS team will host the final regardless of who they face.
Forge have appeared in a Canadian Championship final before, though it would be unfair to compare it to Vancouver FC's remarkable run last year. The Hammers reached the 2020 final, played in 2022 due to the pandemic, in a shortened one-game format against Toronto FC, having qualified through league play. For a club that has set the standard in the CPL since day one, lifting the Voyageurs Cup remains their biggest goal. They have now reached the semi-finals five times, currently in a streak of four consecutive editions, more than any other CPL side.
FC Supra, meanwhile, have a glorious opportunity to reach the semi-finals, and potentially the final, in their very first year as a club. Their campaign began with a 3-1 home win over Ontario semi-pro side Woodbridge Strikers, setting up a quarter-final that most expected to be against Toronto FC, only for Atlético Ottawa to shock the Reds at BMO Field and set up an all-CPL tie instead.
Ottawa came agonizingly close to the final last year, only to be knocked out by then-last-placed Vancouver FC in stunning fashion. They lost the first leg in Langley 3-1 following a costly late error, and while they won the second leg 1-0, it was not enough, going out 3-2 on aggregate.
CF Montréal are back in the semis
They want the cup. The wait has gone on long enough. The Impact were last crowned Canadian champions in 2021, defeating arch-rivals Toronto 1-0 at home through a cheeky Romell Quioto chip. Since then, the Whitecaps have lifted the trophy four years in a row, now chasing a record fifth consecutive title.
Following back-to-back shock home eliminations against Forge in 2024 and 2025, Montréal are back in the semi-finals and face their toughest possible test in the Vancouver Whitecaps. They survived a scare against CPL side Vancouver FC in the quarter-finals, winning the away leg 2-1 before being reduced to ten men through an Efraín Morales red card late in the first half of the second leg, handing Vancouver a lifeline. The Impact stayed composed, however, scoring twice in 13 minutes to put the tie to bed, showing the character their supporters had long been waiting to see.
Whitecaps continue their dominance
Vancouver had a fair share of fortune in Calgary, with Cavalry's finishing letting them down, and secured their semi-final spot after a dominant 4-1 win in the first leg followed by a 1-1 draw in Alberta.
Once again, this Voyageurs Cup feels like the Whitecaps' to lose. They face a CF Montréal side they should be capable of handling over two legs given both clubs' performances this year, with a home final against a CPL side to follow.
The 'Caps have been one of the best teams in MLS since early last year, if not the best, and with no other Canadian side coming close to their level, a fifth consecutive Canadian Championship title would surprise no one. This one would mean more than the previous three, however, as it would give them sole ownership of the record for most consecutive Voyageurs Cup titles, having currently matched Toronto's run of four in a row.
Concacaf Champions Cup on the line, and the chance of three CPL teams qualifying for it?
Finally, the Concacaf Champions Cup spot is also at stake, as it always is with the Canadian Championship. Last year, Vancouver FC's historic run to the final secured the cup's continental berth, since the Whitecaps had already qualified through MLS play.
With the 'Caps currently sitting first in the Western Conference with a game in hand, that scenario could repeat itself. Should they qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via league play and also make the final of the cup, the CPL will once again have three representatives in the region's premier club competition: the CPL champion, the top-placed team in the CPL regular season, and the Canadian Championship finalist from the CPL, which would be one of Forge, Atlético Ottawa, or FC Supra.
