2019 is the first year of an expanded Canadian Championship and the semifinal field will be the most diverse yet.
Teams from three different leagues will be in the semifinals, with MLS sides Toronto FC and Montreal Impact taking on USL Championship's Ottawa Fury FC and Canadian Premier League debutant Cavalry FC, respectively.
TFC, the defending champion of the Canadian Championship, will face Ottawa in one half of the bracket. The intra-Ontario clash will feature Ottawa hosting the first leg, on Aug. 7, before Toronto host the return fixture on Aug. 14.
The other semifinal series is more far-flung, as the Impact will take on Cavalry FC, based in Calgary, with the CPL side hosting the first leg on Aug. 7 and Montreal at home for the second leg on Aug. 14.
Toronto FC received a bye into the semifinal round as the reigning champion, while Montreal dispatched CPL side York9 3-2 on aggregate. Vancouver Whitecaps FC were upset in the third round by Cavalry, 2-1 on aggregate, on Wednesday. Ottawa downed another Canadian Premier League side, Halifax Wanderers FC, 5-4 on aggregate.
The winner of the Canadian Championship wins the Voyageurs Cup. Awarded since 2008, the three MLS teams have been the only sides to win the competition to date, but this year is the first time the competition has been substantially expanded, with 13 teams featuring this year. The winner of the Canadian Championship books a ticket to the Concacaf Champions League.
