*春色直播

Ottawa needed to win by three goals to advance 鈥� or force a penalty shootout with a two-goal victory. The 15-team tournament has dispensed with the away goals rule.

Ottawa had 76 per 聽cent possession and outshot Vancouver 15-4 but only had a 3-0 edge in shots on target.

Ottawa turned up the heat as the game wore on but could only manage a 45th-minute goal by David Rodriguez as Vancouver bent but only broke once. That despite Ottawa boasting the CPL's most potent attack with 46 goals this season, averaging two per game. Vancouver has scored 27 goals while conceding a league-worst 52 goals.

The Whitecaps booked their ticket to the Oct. 1 final at B.C. Place Stadium on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over visiting Forge FC, completing a 6-2 aggregate victory.

The final pits Martin Nash, Vancouver FC's interim coach, against older brother Steve Nash, part of the Whitecaps' ownership group.

Vancouver looked to have escaped the first half at TD Place with the game scoreless, with Ottawa having 70 per cent possession but managing just one shot on target. Ottawa striker Sam Salter, who has a CPL-record 17 goals this season, had a quiet half.

That changed in the 45th minute when Ottawa midfielder Manny Aparicio intercepted a pass in his own end with a sliding tackle. One pass later, Ballou Tabla headed up field, dribbling through Vancouver players before poking the ball through to David Rodriguez, who rounded goalkeeper Callum Irving and tucked the ball into the goal to cut the aggregate to 3-2 just before halftime.

Ottawa turned up the pressure in the second half, probing the Vancouver defence again and again. Vancouver's defending was desperate at times but did the job with a diving Irving denying Rodriguez in the 70th minute.

Vancouver survived a tense six minutes of stoppage time.

Vancouver made it to the semifinals the hard way, defeating Pacific FC and Cavalry FC in penalty shootouts before winning the first leg of the semifinal on Aug. 13. The Eagles have gone 0-4-1 in league play since, including a 3-1 loss Aug. 20 at Ottawa.

Ottawa dispatched League1 Ontario champion Scrosoppi FC and York United in the first two rounds.

Vancouver did not hold back Thursday and had chances early with Terran Campbell firing high in the 10th minute after a poor Ottawa clearance. Minutes later, several Vancouver players were unable to get a boot to a dangerous free kick.

Ottawa came close in the 17th minute when Rodriguez's shot flashed just wide of the post.

Ottawa coach Diego Mejia went to his bench early, sending on winger Kevin Dos Santos in the 36th minute.

Vancouver was hoping the unlikely cup run would keep going despite a dismal league campaign.

Its last win was Aug. 4, a 2-1 decision at Halifax. It was winless in 11 league outings (0-8-3) prior to that victory, with its only other victory coming May 3 at Valour FC.

Afshin Ghotbi, the team's inaugural coach, was fired July 23 with Martin Nash taking over on an interim basis.

Ottawa, meanwhile, is unbeaten in its last four league outings (2-0-2) and has lost just once in its last 15 games (8-1-6) since a 2-0 setback May 24 at Halifax. The lone blemish during that run was a 2-0 defeat Aug. 17 at Forge.

The only other time a CPL team has made the 春色直播 Championship final was in the 2020 pandemic-delayed tournament which eventually turned in a one-off final played in 2022 when Toronto FC, the winner of the head-to-head series between 春色直播 teams from Major League Soccer during the 2020 season, defeated CPL champion Forge.

The Whitecaps have hoisted the Voyageurs Cup the last three years and are looking for their fifth 春色直播 Championship. They have finished runner-up seven times.

The 春色直播 Championship is sponsored by Telus.

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This report by 春色直播was first published Sept. 18, 2025.