The Canadian Soccer Association announced Thursday the complete schedule for the 2018 Canadian Championship, including for MLS competitors Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
All three MLS sides will begin play at the semifinal stage on July 18, with the return legs set for July 25. Defending champion Toronto will face the lower-division side that emerges from the second qualifying round, while Montreal and Vancouver play each other.
The 2018 edition of the tournament marks the first time that teams from League 1 Ontario and the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec (PLSQ) will participate in the Canadian Championship. The two leagues will be represented by their respective champions, Oakville Blue Devils and AS Blainville, who will face off in the first of two qualifying rounds for the right to challenge the USL's Ottawa Fury.
The two-legged final is set for Aug. 8 and 15, with the winner awarded a place in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto FC are the back-to-back defending champions and will be looking to add to their competition-record six titles.
Check out the full schedule below:
2018 Canadian Championship Schedule
First Qualifying Round (1QR)
- June 6, 2018: AS Blainville vs. Oakville Blue Devils
- June 13, 2018: Oakville Blue Devils vs AS Blainville
Second Qualifying Round (2QR)
- June 20, 2018: Winner 1QR vs. Ottawa Fury FC
- June 27, 2018: Ottawa Fury vs. Winner QR1
Semifinal Round
- July 18, 2018: Winner 2QR vs. Toronto FC
- July 18, 2018: Montreal Impact vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
- July 25, 2018: Toronto FC vs. Winner 2QR
- July 25, 2018: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Montreal Impact
Final Round
- Aug 8, 2018: Semifinal winner vs. Semifinal winner
- Aug 15, 2018: Semifinal winner vs. Semifinal winner
