Toronto FC is off to the 2021 Canadian Championship final after downing Pacific FC 2-1 on a chilly night at BMO Field in Toronto, Ont. First half goals from Jozy Altidore and Jacob Shaffelburg was all the Reds needed to down a frustrated Pacific side that managed to find a breakthrough late, on an Alejandro Diaz marker, but it was too little too late for a side in search of their first CanChamp final after impressive wins vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps and Cavalry FC in previous rounds. Both teams fielded strong lineups with TFC looking to salvage a difficult season while PFC prepared to down their second MLS side in the tournament following a home win over Vancouver Whitecaps. Pacific provided early excitement starting with a break up the right that got Josh Heard in behind… Though the MLS outfit quickly grew into the match. As mentioned, Jozy Altidore scored TFC’s opener off a lovely pass from Jacob Shaffelburg in the 15th minute. The American international finessed a lovely curling shot that smacked the back post and fell in. The Reds added another through Shaffelburg after 26 minutes off a smart near-post finish, putting their CPL opponents in a hole early. A barrage of chances and nice spells of possession followed for TFC who were good value for at least one more goal. It turned from bad to worse for the Tridents when Player of the Year candidate Marco Bustos stayed down following a hard challenge from Richie Laryea. Bustos left the match at halftime. PFC ended the match on a high, though, with Manny Aparicio hitting a long-range effort that challenged ‘keeper Quentin Westberg. A similar attempt from Heard at the start of the second gave a similar promising moment that Pa-Modou Kah’s side rode, pulling even in terms of chances through the early goings of the second half. Kah attempted to take advantage of this momentum by adding Matthew Baldisimo and Victor Blasco to bolster their attack. This change saw a handful more chances… And eventually a breakthrough through Alejandro Diaz after 83 minutes. PFC’s striker slipped behind the backline and calmly redirected a cross from Kadin Chung into the net converting PFC's best chance of the match with ease. With one goal in it, though, PFC failed to puncture again in the final stages – a late series of corners that drew 'keeper Callum Irving up into the box were as close they got. Toronto FC moves on to play CF Montreal in the 2021 CanChamp Final with a date to be determined. Toronto is seven-time winners of the Voyageurs Cup. Next up for Pacific FC is their regular-season finale against potential playoff foe Cavalry FC on Sunday (3:30pm ET/1:30pm MT). A win would see the Tridents take home-field advantage for at least the semi-final round of the playoffs. All CanChamp and CPL matches are live on OneSoccer. Goals 9′ — Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) 25’ – Jacob Shaffelburg (Toronto FC) 83’ – Alejandro Diaz (Pacific FC) Discipline 35’ – Yellow: Abdou Samake (Pacific FC) 41’ – Yellow: Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC) 61’ – Yellow: Josh Heard (Pacific FC) 74’ – Yellow: Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC) 74’ – Yellow: Jamar Dixon (Pacific FC) 78’ – Yellow: Richie Laryea (Toronto FC)

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