Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC | 2019 Canadian Championship Preview

Dylan Butler

2019 Canadian Championship — Final, 1st leg
Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC
Stade Saputo — Montreal
August 18 — 7:30 PM ET

STREAMING: OneSoccer.ca

For the third time since 2014, Canadian Classique rivals Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact will meet in the Canadian Championship final, with the first leg Wednesday at Stade Saputo.

Toronto FC are poised to lift the Voyageurs Cup for a fourth straight time and eighth overall, while the Impact are seeking their first title since 2014 and fourth overall. This is their third all-time meeting in the Canadian Championship final, with the rivals splitting the previous two: Montreal winning in 2014 and TFC exacting revenge three years later.

The winner clinches a berth in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.

Montreal Impact

The Impact booked their spot in the final for the first time since 2017 by defeating Calvary FC 3-1 on aggregate. Anthony Jackson-Hamel scored the lone goal on a first-half header from a Saphir Taider corner kick in a 1-0 away win at Spruce Meadows Stadium to book the Impact's ticket into the final. It was his third career CanChamp goal in seven matches since 2015.

Montreal are coming off a devastating 1-0 home defeat to FC Cincinnati Saturday, with Allan Cruz scoring the lone goal in the opening minute. The defeat leaves the Impact three points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with three games to play.

Toronto FC

The defending champions cruised to a 5-0 aggregate win over the Ottawa Fury to reach the final for the 10th time. In a comfortable 3-0 home win in the second leg, Nick DeLeon struck for a brace and set up Patrick Mullins' goal.

The Reds hope to carry over momentum from their league form, as they stretched an unbeaten streak to seven matches following a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids Sunday at BMO Field. Jonathan Osorio struck for the 70th minute winner after Keegan Rosenberry and Sam Nicholson canceled out goals by Tsubasa Endoh and Alejandro Pozuelo that gave TFC a 2-0 lead inside 13 minutes.