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Masters FA moved from amended 2020 CanChamp, will play in 2021 edition

By Marty Thompson, 06/16/20, 2:15PM EDT

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(Photo: Kevin Raposo Photography)

Masters FA will have to wait to take on Canada’s biggest professional clubs.

Canada Soccer announced the defending League1 Ontario champions will not compete in the 2020 Canadian Championship, which will see alterations due to COVID-19 protocols and delays. 

Masters and PLSQ champions AS Blainville will be moved into the 2021 edition of the tournament, thus limiting this year’s potential tournament to only Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer teams.

A revised competition format and match dates for the 2020 Canadian Championship were not announced on Tuesday, but such details are expected to be disclosed at a later time.

Master’s FA qualified for the 2020 Canadian Championship after winning the 2019 League1 Ontario playoffs. Earlier this month, L1O's Board of Directors canceled the 2020 “Summer” season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but said a shortened, tournament-style competition could still be played this fall. AS Blainville was poised to play in its third straight Canadian Championship since teams from Quebec’s top league were first admitted to the championship in 2018.

The 2020 Canadian Championship was scheduled to kick off on June 16, with four rounds of two-legged knockout ties and a final set to be played in mid-September. The tournament was reformatted for this year, with 12 teams confirmed to be participating — eight entering at the preliminary qualifying round, and another four in the quarter-finals (the three Canadian MLS teams and Cavalry FC, as semifinalists in 2019).