Canadian Soccer Association confirms Nutrilite dates

The announcement of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship schedule brought no surprises. Today, the Canadian Soccer Association confirmed the new format, which has been bandied about since November. Toronto FC, as the defending champs, will be seeded No. 1, and faces No. 4 seed FC Edmonton in one semifinal, while the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps will meet in the other semi. The real news today was the confirmation of the game dates; FC Edmonton will host Toronto at Commonwealth Stadium on April 27, with the second leg at BMO Field on May 4. The Commonwealth date comes four days before FCE’s NASL home opener against the Montreal Impact at Foote Field. FCE needs to use Commonwealth for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship because the Canadian Soccer Association requires that the field not have any gridiron lines on the pitch. In order to try and pack the house — FC Edmonton is giving everyone who buys a season ticket two seats to the Toronto FC match. The club is hoping this “bring a friend” philosophy will be a boost for the team, as it will play the NCC match before it actually plays an NASL home game. Montreal hosts Vancouver on April 27 and the teams will play in B.C. on May 4. The CSA was waiting on announcing the dates as it was negotiating the TV rights for the competition. That broadcaster has yet to be announced; but the fact the games go head-to-head against the NHL playoffs makes them a tough sell. TSN has a big April-May-early June hole in its MLS coverage due to the Stanley Cup playdowns. Still, making sure that, on each match day, that there is one game out east and one out west makes it perfect for a TV doubleheader. The final will also be played over two legs, May 18 and 25. “The Nutrilite is the world’s best-kept secret but it will be us playing the best Canadian team and it will be an exciting way to heighten awareness and hopefully show Edmonton fans that we’re building the team to be competitive from the beginning,” said FC Edmonton owner Tom Fath in a release.