FC Edmonton will face Major League Soccer (MLS) opposition in Montréal Impact next Wednesday at Clarke Stadium in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semi-final after a decisive 3:1 victory over Ottawa Fury FC.
Two goals from Eddies’ striker Daryl Fordyce and a goal and two assists from midfielder Hanson Boakai capped off a convincing win over their North American Soccer League (NASL) Canadian rivals Ottawa.
Ottawa possessed the ball for most of the first half-hour of the match, creating five corners and a dangerous free kick from Sinisa Ubiparipovic that struck the crossbar in the 27th minute.
Edmonton was on the board first after Boakai beat Ottawa defender Drew Beckie with speed down the left side and drove a beautiful low cross to the feet of Fordyce, who then one-timed it past Devala Gorrick into the short side to open the score at 1-0 in the 30th minute.
The fast-paced first half was full of action and cautions for both sides and the Eddies went into the locker room after a frantic first half up 1-0.
The second half started on the foot of the Eddies, who quickly doubled their lead in the 48th minute after Boakai was sent in alone on Ottawa keeper Gorrick and capitalized on his own rebound after the initial save. The 17-year-old got himself into the record books by becoming the youngest player in the history of the Amway Canadian Championship to score in the competition.
Boakai and Fordyce connected again to put to bed any chance of a comeback for the Fury when an Eddies’ counter fell to the feet of Boakai who passed off to Fordyce at the top of the box before he slotted his second of the match past Gorrick to make it 3-0 in the 64th minute.
A standing ovation of 2,001 fans at Clarke greeted Boakai in the 77th minute when he was brought off for Massimo Mirabelli, ending his night with a goal and two assists.
Consolation for the Fury came in the 90th minute when Vini Dantas tapped one past Smits while fending off two defenders.
“I’m delighted with the result,” said FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller. “With missing six first team players and starting two 17 year-olds, how could I not be delighted with the result? We have a busy week a head of us, but tonight, I am very happy.”
The Eddies will continue their Amway Canadian Championship campaign next Wednesday at home in the first leg of the semi-final against defending champion Montréal Impact.
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About the Amway Canadian Championship
This seventh edition of the Amway Canadian Championship features Canada's five professional clubs: Ottawa Fury FC (Canada’s newest NASL club), FC Edmonton (NASL), Montreal Impact (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS). The two NASL clubs play a preliminary knock-out home and away round for a berth as the fourth semi-final place and join the three Canadian MLS clubs in the next round, also a home and away knock-out format. The final is also played on a home and away basis (two legs). The team that comes on top on aggregate for the two matches is declared champion and earns the right to represent Canada in the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League.
Through the first six editions of the Amway Canadian Championship, Montreal Impact were inaugural champions (2008) followed by Toronto FC who won the Voyageurs Cup in four successive seasons (2009 to 2012), before Montreal Impact won the championship again in 2013. In CONCACAF Champions League, Impact Montréal (2008-09) reached the quarter-final phase while Toronto FC (2011-12) has participated in the semi-final round of continental club championship
Additional information on the competition format and the clubs’ rosters can be found on canadasoccer.com/championship.
Fans are encourage to follow @CanadaSoccerEN on Twitter using #canChamp for tournament updates, but also to connect with the five Canadian professional clubs involved for live match coverage (@impactmontreal, @OttawaFuryFC, @torontofc, @FCEdmontonNow, @WhitecapsFC). Match highlights and reports will be available on canadasoccer.com/championship as well as on CanadaSoccerTV.
Get access to high-resolution, media rights-free photography
Please visit www.flickr.com/canadasoccer for access to a few photos from the Amway Canadian Championship.
You can view match highlights of the tournament on CanadaSoccer TV.
Note that we can make these available to you on request - simply contact us.
About Canada Soccer
Canada Soccer, in partnership with its membership and its partners, provides leadership in the pursuit of excellence in soccer, both at the national and international levels. Canada Soccer not only strives to lead Canada to victory, but also encourages Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer. For more details on Canada Soccer, visit the official website at canadasoccer.com
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