At Last: 2020 CanChamp Final Set For This Summer

The belated 2020 Canadian Championship Final has a date.

Canada Soccer has confirmed that the significantly delayed cup final between Forge FC and Toronto FC will take place at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 7:00PM EST.

Forge qualified for the match by virtue of winning the 2020 Canadian Premier League season, whilst Toronto FC had the best head-to-head record against the other two Canadian MLS sides.

The cup final went through multiple rounds of being delayed: after the teams were unable to contest for the trophy in 2020, it soon became clear that a 2021 Cup Final wouldn’t be feasible either after Forge wasn’t permitted to train before Toronto FC had to depart for its bubbled start in the USA.

Given that the match was set to determine who got a Champions League berth, a compromise was reached: Forge ceded it to Toronto FC in exchange for the rights to host the eventual cup final – and at long last, it’s finally set to take place.

We are excited to be able to host this much anticipated and prestigious championship match at Tim Hortons Field this June. The Canadian Championship final is a celebration of Canadian club soccer and we are happy our wonderful fans will be able to enjoy it, cheering on our team right here in Hamilton.

Costa Smyrniotis

CSA President Nick Bontis had suggested last March that the cup final could be delayed as late as July 2022, so today’s announcement falls largely in line with what was expected. While the clubs are essentially playing for pride, it’s still set to be a significant soccer occasion in Hamilton – and an opportunity for Forge to add another ‘forever first’ feather in its cap.

The two-time CPL champions made it the semi-final of the Canadian Championship last season, where it took a ludicrous penalty shootout for eventual champions CF Montreal to knock out the hammers.

On that note, Canada Soccer also confirmed that the draw for the 2022 Canadian Championship will be held on next Wednesday, with fans invited tune in live on OneSoccer. The first round will kick off between May 10-12, with a final set to take place in July.

This iteration of the tournament will see ten sides enter the fray in the first round, and three in teams getting byes into the second: 2021 finalists CF Montreal, Toronto FC, and CPL champion Pacific FC. The tournament consists of single-leg knockout ties.

Related: Austin Ricci is the 2021 Canadian Championship Top Goalscorer

The draw will see clubs placed into geographically-conscious pots: Pot 1 (West) will include Cavalry FC, FC Edmonton, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Valour FC, whilst Pot 2 (East) will have Atletico Ottawa, Forge FC, Halifax Wanderers, and York United. A third pot will contain semi-professional sides Guelph United and CS Mont-Royal Outremont.