Preview: Rejuvenated Toronto FC travels to Vancouver in search of silverware

Toronto will travel to Vancouver for a battle against the Whitecaps on Tuesday, in search of their ninth Canadian Championship title. Kick-off is scheduled for 10:30 PM EST, with the game available to stream on OneSoccer and fuboTV.

This year’s final may have come at the most opportune time for the Reds. Saturday’s emphatic win and debuts from the club’s newest signings have lifted the mood around the team and has provided a new outlook for fans for the remainder of the season.

Heading into Tuesday night, there will be many questions about how the Reds will line up in this one. The importance of the match aside, the Reds, similar to Vancouver, are coming off of a short rest. There is no doubt that Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi can be difference makers in this match, as they showed over the weekend.

However, Bob Bradley and his coaching staff will be wary of the minutes their star signings are playing. Both Insigne and Bernardeschi played just 45 minutes on Saturday night, so playing another match on just two days worth of rest may be a bit of a stretch.

The Reds will have to overcome their horrific road record in 2022 to walk out of BC Place with the Voyageurs Cup. The Reds are winless on the road this year in the league, but have managed to win two non-MLS away matches, both in the Canadian Championship - against Halifax Wanderers in the 2022 quarter-finals and in the 2020 Canadian Championship Final agains Forge FC that was played in June.

Standing in the way of the Reds are an extremely motivated Vancouver Whitecaps team. Vancouver is looking for their first trophy since 2015 and are expected to do so in front of quite the crowd.

Vancouver, who currently sit 10th in the Western Conference, are coming into this matchup following a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Fire. The Whitecaps have been struggling in July, securing all three points just once in the month of July in a 1-0 win against LAFC.

Goals have also been hard to come by for the ‘Caps offence this season in the league. Vancouver has scored just 24 goals this season, with only Sporting Kansas (19) and Inter Miami (22) having scored fewer goals in the MLS in 2022. Leading the way in the goal scoring department for Vancouver is Canadian International Lucas Cavallini, who has scored seven goals on 44 shots so far this season.

The Whitecaps will be hoping to rectify the 2016 Canadian Championship Final - the last the tournament’s showpiece took place at BC Place. On that night, Will Johnson and Toronto FC stunned BC Place through a last minute equalizer that would give the Reds the win on away goals and denied Vancouver a chance to win back-to-back Canadian Championships.

This is by far the biggest game for both clubs this season and is the most realistic shot for either Toronto or Vancouver to pick up silverware this season and book their spot into next season’s CONCACAF Champions League.

Path to the Canadian Championship Final:

Vancouver Whitecaps:

Preliminary: 2-0 win vs Valour

Quarter-Final: 1-1 (Vancouver won 5-3 on PKs) vs Cavalry

Semi-Final: 2-1 vs York United

Toronto FC:

Quarter-Final: 2-1 win vs Halifax Wanderers

Semi-Final: 4-0 win vs CF Montreal

Match Details:

Toronto FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps

Kickoff: 10:30 PM EST

Stadium: BC Place, Vancouver, B.C.

Watch: OneSoccer, fuboTV