Whitecaps Win TELUS Canadian Championship

Knowing there were various other sports to watch, the one that had fans in the lower mainland excited to watch was the Whitecaps match-up who were playing in their fourth consecutive Telus Canadian Championship also playing in their fifth (all-time) Voyageurs Cup playing in front of 18,372 fans.

The win allows the Whitecaps to qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup  following their impressive run playing in their first final earlier this year. 

Vancouver Whitecaps FC won a fourth consecutive TELUS Canadian Championship, and their fifth all-time Voyageurs Cup, beating Canadian Premier League (CPL) side Vancouver FC in their first ever meeting at BC Place on Wednesday.

The match saw Vancouver open the scoring in the fifth minute setting up Ali Ahmed’s second goal this season that was set up with Thomas Müller dishing a cross into the box that saw Ahmed knock the ball down, shifting it to his left dishing an impressive left-footed low shot in the bottom corner for the first of the match.

With seasoned senior Canadian Soccer referee Drew Fischer making the calls who was also named 2024 MLS Referee of the Year he watched as Ahmed drew a penalty a short five minutes later which saw Müller step up and convert his 300th career goal for the club putting the Caps up with an impressive 2-0 lead.

Whitecaps Emmanuel Sabbi and Sebastian Berhalter managed to hit the post that allowed Sabbi to pounce on the end of a loose ball inside the box that deflected off the near post that deflected off the right foot of Berhalter that bounced off the post.

The 35th minute saw the visitors team got one back as two former ‘Caps that saw Nicolás Mezquida dish on to Thierno ‘Elage’ Bah who was behind the ‘Caps backline that saw the former Whitecaps FC BMO Academy and Whitecaps FC 2 get one past Isaac Boehmer making it 2-1.

A short two minutes later, the Caps managed to get their two-goal advantage back that saw Ahmed double up jumping on the loose ball for his second of the match.

Sabbi had a chance in the 73rd minute going in behind Müller only to have his shot saved by keeper Callum Irving.

Ryan Gauld returned in the 79th minute and was welcomed back to the pitch with applause from the 18,372 that saw him put the Caps up a short four minutes later making it 4-1.

The ‘Caps return to the pitch Sunday in hopes of advancing to first place in the Western Conference playing host to the visiting San Jose Earthquake with the kick-off set for 3 pm.

For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.

MATCH DETAILS

Referee: Draw Fischer,                    Attendance: 18,372

George Gross Memorial Trophy (MVP): Ali Ahmed

Best Young Canadian Player: Jayden Nelson

Scoring Summary

5’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed (Thomas Müller),               10’ – VAN – Thomas Müller (penalty kick)

35’ – VFC – Thierno Bah (Nicolás Mezquida),       37’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed

83’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld (Jayden Nelson),             85’ – VFC – Nicolás Mezquida (Thierno Bah)

Cautions

16’ – VFC – Kunle Dada-Luke,                39’ – VFC – Michel Da Silva4

48’ – VFC – Thierno Bah,                         72’ – VFC – Pathé Ndiaye

Statistics

Possession: VAN 74% – VFC 26%,           Shots: VAN 20 – VFC 5

Shots on Goal: VAN 8 – VFC 3,                Saves: VAN 1 – VFC 4

Fouls: VAN 18 – VFC 7                             Offsides: VAN 0 – VFC 1

Corners: VAN 4 – VFC 1