Vancouver Whitecaps FC kept their hopes of winning a fourth straight Canadian Championship title alive, dramatically booking their spot in the semifinals Wednesday at BC Place.
Whitecaps FC join Canadian Premier League sides Forge FC, Vancouver FC and Atlético Ottawa as the tournament that rewards a 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup spot, prize money and silverware moves closer to the Oct. 1 final.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Valour FC 1
A year after scoring the decisive penalty kick to secure a third straight Canadian Championship title, Bjørn Inge Utvik headed in the stoppage-time winner to lift Vancouver to a 2-1 win over Valour FC.
Whitecaps FC advance to the semifinals 4-3 on aggregate after the sides played to a 2-2 draw in Winnipeg on May 20. Jesper Sørensen's side will meet Forge FC in the two-legged semifinal series.
It was a wild final 10 minutes with Emmanuel Sabbi breaking the scoreless stalemate with a stunning blast before Jevontae Layne leveled for the CPL side six minutes later. Utvik then rose to latch onto a Jayden Nelson cross to secure the dramatic win for Whitecaps FC.
Goals
CF Montréal 2, Forge FC 2
Prince Owusu struck for a second-half brace, including a stoppage-time equalizer, but CF Montréal were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate by Canadian Premier League side Forge FC following a second-leg 2-2 draw at Stade Saputo.
It was the second consecutive year Forge FC, which took the opening leg 1-0 in Hamilton on May 20, knocked CF Montréal out of the Canadian Championship.
Owusu opened the scoring in the 58th minute, leveling the series 1-1, but goals three minutes apart by Tristan Borges (79') and Kyle Bekker (82') essentially sealed the visitors' spot in the semifinals.
