The 2023 Canadian Championship final was the deciding match of the 2023 Canadian Championship and was played on June 7, 2023. For the second year in a row, it was hosted at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia by defending champions Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who played CF Montréal.
This was the third final played between Vancouver and Montreal, with the clubs having met in the 2013 and 2015 finals. This was also the first final since 2015 to not involve Toronto FC.
Vancouver Whitecaps won their third title following a 2–1 victory, qualifying them for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Teams TeamLeagueCityPrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners)Vancouver Whitecaps FCMajor League Soccer (West)Vancouver, British Columbia7 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022)CF MontréalMajor League Soccer (East)Montreal, Quebec6 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Background
This was the third time Vancouver Whitecaps FC and CF Montréal faced each other in the Canadian Championship final, with CF Montréal (then Montréal Impact) winning in 2013 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC winning in 2015.
In their most recent fixture earlier in 2023, Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeated CF Montréal 5–0 in the MLS regular season.
Path to the final
Each tie of the four-round tournament was played as a single-leg fixture. Vancouver Whitecaps FC received a bye in the preliminary round for being a finalist of the 2022 tournament.
Vancouver Whitecaps FCRound CF Montréal Opponent Result Opponent ResultBye Vaughan Azzurri 2–0 (H) York United FC 4–1 (A) Toronto FC 2–1 (A) Pacific FC 3–0 (A) Forge FC 2–0 (H)
Match details
GK 18 Yohei Takaoka RB 23 Javain Brown CB 6 Tristan Blackmon CB 4 Ranko Veselinović LB 27 Ryan Raposo RCM 19 Julian Gressel CM 31 Russell Teibert (c) LCM 20 Andrés Cubas RM 28 Levonte Johnson LM 25 Ryan Gauld CF 24 Brian White Substitutes: GK 1 Thomas Hasal DF 14 Luís Martins MF 16 Sebastian Berhalteri i MF 29 Simon Becher MF 45 Pedro Vite FW 7 Déiber Caicedo FW 9 Sergio Córdova Manager: Vanni Sartini GK 40 Jonathan Sirois CB 25 Gabriele Corbo CB 4 Rudy Camacho CB 18 Joel Waterman RM 22 Aaron Herrera CM 25 Mathieu Choinière CM 2 Victor Wanyama LM 11 Ariel Lassiter RF 14 Sunusi Ibrahim CF 7 Ahmed Hamdi LF 9 Chinonso Offor Substitutes: GK 41 James Pantemis DF 15 Zachary Brault-Guillard DF 24 George Campbell MF 10 Bryce Duke MF 19 Nathan-Dylan Saliba FW 13 Mason Toye FW 21 Lassi Lappalainen Manager: Hernán Losada
Player of the Match: Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)Assistant referees: Micheal Barwegen Lyes Arfa Fourth official: Yusri Rudolf Fifth official: Michael HoodMatch rules 90 minutes Penalty shoot-out if score still level Minimum of three Canadian starters Maximum of five substitutions plus two "concussion substitutions" if required
Post-match Following the match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC's Ali Ahmed was presented with the Best Young Canadian Player Award and Julian Gressel with the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player of the Canadian Championship. Ahmed missed the final as he continued to recover from a concussion suffered in the tournament's semifinal.
By scoring in the final, CF Montréal's Sunusi Ibrahim became the top goal scorer of the tournament with three goals.
Notes
References