Canadian Soccer Association News Release - www.canadasoccer.com
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
MONTREAL, QC -- The Canadian Soccer Association and its three top professional clubs - Montréal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC - announced the schedule for the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The three-team, six-match tournament will run May 6 to June 17. The 2009 winner will advance to represent Canada in 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League season.
The Impact, last year’s winner in the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, is still involved in 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League play. In fact, the Impact plays its first match in the quarterfinal stage on Wednesday February 25 at Stade Olympique. The match is expected to draw more than 40,000 fans for the Impact-Santos Laguna encounter.
As 2008 champions, the Impact will host the final game of the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship on June 17. The Impact will host last year’s runner up Toronto FC in the 2009 tournament finale.
Toronto FC hosts the first two matches at BMO Field - against the Whitecaps on Wednesday May 6 and against the Impact on May 13. The schedule then shifts to Stade Saputo when the Impact hosts the Whitecaps on Wednesday May 20.
The Vancouver Whitecaps then host back-to-back games at Swangard Stadium on Wednesday May 27 against the Montréal Impact and Tuesday June 2 against Toronto FC. The Impact-Toronto FC finale comes two weeks later on Wednesday June 17.
Five of the six matches are played on Wednesday night, with only the June 2 match played on a Tuesday, coming just before the break for FIFA international matches. Montréal and Toronto matches kick off at 20.00 local time (20.00 ET / 17.00 PT), the Vancouver matches kick off at 19.00 local time (22.00 ET / 19.00 PT).
All three teams play four games in the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship - two home and two away against each opponent. Each team receives three points for a win and one point for a draw.
The first-place team wins the 2009 Voyageurs Cup and advances to the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League, which begins with the Preliminary Round July 28. The CONCACAF champion advances to the annual FIFA Club World Cup.
