TORONTO — Canada Soccer has called off this fall's national club championships due to the global pandemic.
The Toyota National Championships were scheduled for Oct. 7-12 in Halifax (Challenge and Jubilee Trophy), Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. (U-15 Cup), and Moncton, N.B. (U-17 Cup).
Close to 2,000 players, officials and volunteers were expected to take part.
Canada Soccer cited the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, including the challenges of completing qualification competitions due to the restriction of matches not being played in most provinces and territories.
While different jurisdictions are working on return-to-play plans in conjunction with local authorities, "collectively we agreed that players travelling from coast to coast combined with the threat of a second wave did not allow for us to ensure our top priority of safety," Canada Soccer general secretary Peter Montopoli said in a statement.
The competition will return in 2021 with Surrey, B.C., (Challenge and Jubilee Trophy, Montreal (U-17 Cup) and Ottawa (U-15 Cup) serving as host cities.
The Challenge Cup is for senior men while the Jubilee Trophy is for senior women.
In other pandemic-related news, CONCACAF has delayed the start of the Scotiabank CONCACAF League due to the pandemic. The event is a feeder tournament for the CONCACAF Champions League.
"Our club competitions are dependent on the resumption of several domestic leagues and, as some remain in an uncertain position, we have made the decision to postpone the start of the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League, which was scheduled to begin on July 28," CONCACAF said in a statement Tuesday.
CPL champion Forge FC will carry Canadian colours in the tournament.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2020.
The Canadian Press
