The travel will only involve the Colwood Crawl as Pacific FC and Victoria Highlanders were drawn Friday to play each other in the first round of the 2024 soccer Canadian Championship for the Voyageurs Cup, this nation’s equivalent of the F.A. Cup.
“At least we know there will be an Island team in the second round of the Canadian Championship,” quipped Highlanders head coach Steve Simonson.
That will be assured by the first-round derby match-up between the Highlanders of League1 sa国际传媒 and PFC of the Canadian Premier League.
The tournament features the three Canadian Major League Soccer teams CF Montreal, Toronto FC and defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps, the eight CPL teams and the champions of League1 sa国际传媒, League1 Ontario and League1 Quebec. The 2024 Canadian Championship winner will earn a berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The PFC-Highlanders game will be played at Starlight Stadium. All first-round games must be completed between April 23 and May 1 with the exact dates and times to be announced.
“This derby match-up is exciting on so many levels for Island fans,” said Simonson, who guided the Highlanders to the 2023 League1 sa国际传媒 regular-season crown to qualify for this year’s Canadian Championship.
Although it looks like a daunting task for the amateur Highlanders against the pro Tridents, the TSS Rovers of Burnaby last year became the first League1 team to beat a CPL club when they upset Valour FC of Winnipeg in the first round of the 2023 Canadian Championship tournament. And CPL teams PFC and Cavalry FC have beaten the Whitecaps of MLS in previous tournaments.
“Punching above your weight are what cup tournaments are all about,” said PFC managing-director Paul Beirne.
“Since we are the middle tier in this tournament, we are David when playing MLS teams, but Goliath when playing League1 clubs. If you are on the David team, it could be the biggest game of your career. If you are on the Goliath team, it could be one of the weakest opponents you have faced in your career. That’s what makes it so unique and tremendously exciting.”
Giant-killing moments in cup competitions become iconic.
“There are no foregone conclusions. You have to play the game. But it’s still a big challenge for us,” said Simonson.
“When you are the underdog, you don’t have much to lose. You have to be respectful but you can’t be afraid. You can’t sit back and defend for 90 minutes.”
A methodical approach is crucial.
“You have to be very organized against a higher-level team and can’t have any lapses,” added Simonson.
“We could have had an easier draw. We are going up against one of the best teams in the CPL with PFC.”
The winner of the PFC-Highlanders game will advance to the quarter-finals to play the winner of an all-CPL first-round match-up between Valour FC and Atletico Ottawa.
The other first-round match-up on that side of the draw includes Calgary’s Cavalry FC against Vancouver FC in an all-CPL game with the winner advancing to meet the Whitecaps of MLS, who have a first-round bye.
If the Highlanders thought they had it tough playing PFC one level up, imagine the task awaiting the League1 Ontario champion Simcoe County Rovers, who must open two levels up against Toronto FC of MLS.
That side of the draw also features the HFX Wanderers from the CPL playing the League1 Quebec champion CS St-Laurent and Forge FC of Hamilton against York United in an all-CPL battle. CF Montreal of MLS has a first-round bye.
While the opening round is single-game elimination, the quarter-final and semifinal rounds will be two-game home-and-away sets with the lower-ranking team hosting the first leg and the higher-ranking team the second leg.
The quarter-finals will be played in May, the semifinals in July or August and the championship final in September.
