Whitecaps, Forge open Canadian Championship semifinals with 2-2 draw
Ampomah capitalized on a failed clearance by Vancouver's Bjorn Utvik in the ninth minute, collecting the ball and firing it in to give the home side an early 1-0 lead.
Tristan Blackmon responded for the 'Caps, scoring in the 18th minute, and Brian White gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 29th minute.
Forge levelled the score in the 34th minute when Ampomah picked up another failed Whitecaps clearance and sent it to Brian Wright, who popped it into the back of the Vancouver goal.
The 'Caps will host the second half of the two-legged semifinal series in Vancouver on Sept. 16.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
4 minutes ago
- National Post
Kevin Attard taking three shots at winning his third King's Plate
Kevin Attard failed to win the King's Plate in his first 10 attempts. He has sure made up for that recently. Article content The veteran trainer had his breakthrough with Moira in 2022 and captured last year's running with Caitlinhergrtness. Article content Article content On Saturday, he will take three shots at win No. 3 in the $1-million classic. Article content His best chance is with Mansetti. Named for a pizza place in Minnesota, the son of Collected already has three stakes wins to his credit, including both the Woodstock and Marine Stakes this season. Article content 'I thought his effort in the Marine was outstanding,' Attard said. 'He was given a great ride and pounced at the perfect time.' Article content Sandwiched between his good efforts are some poor ones, so Attard hopes Mansetti's 'good race. bad race' trends are a thing of the past. Article content Faber, on the other hand, comes into the race looking to snap an eight-race losing skid. After winning his debut last year, the son of Improbable was not close in three stakes tries and has spent this season in the optional claiming ranks. Article content 'There's no doubt at all that he's a trier,' Attard said of the horse named after Minnesota Wild defenceman Brock Faber. 'He's always been a game horse with ability. The hope is that he can take all his strengths and come up big in the Plate.' If you're wondering what's up with these Minnesota connections, the two horses are owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, residents of Elk River, Minn., and longtime Attard clients who won the 2023 Prince of Wales Stakes with Velocitor. Article content 'They've supported Canadian racing and Woodbine for a long time,' Attard said. 'They breed a lot of their mares here. So anyone who invests that heavily in the game, you wish them a lot of success.' Article content Attard's other entrant is Dewolf, who won twice as a two-year-old, including the Bull Page Stakes. With four other stakes placings, Attard is confident in Dewolf's ability. Article content 'The Plate is all about a horse being able to put it together at the right moment,' he said. 'We believe he has the foundation to be a good one.' Article content Flavien Prat, the reigning Eclipse Award winner as North America's top jockey, will ride. Article content And if you're wondering how Caitlinhergrtness is doing, fans will get to see her perform on Saturday in the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, a 'win-and-you're-in' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
National Post
4 minutes ago
- National Post
Daulton Varsho reveals how Blue Jays teammate stole his jersey number
Daulton Varsho is known to rob opposing players of hits with his stellar play in the outfield, but it was the Gold Glover who fell victim to a bit of locker-room theft. Article content It wasn't a valuable possession that went missing this past spring, however. It was his jersey number. Article content Article content During an appearance on Wednesday's episode of the 6ix Inning Stretch podcast, Varsho shared the story between his impromptu number switch from No. 25 – which he wore for his first two years in Toronto – to No. 5 this season and how it all went down. Article content Article content Varsho told co-hosts Lindsay Dunn and Whit Merrifield – a former Blue Jays all-star – that Anthony Santander surprised him with the news on the day of the slugger's introductory press conference, after having assured him the day before that every was cool. Article content Article content 'He came up to me and was like, 'Hey, like I'm not going to take 25, I'm going to take this number,'' Varsho said, adding that he told Santander, 'If you want it, like you can take it, but obviously we'll figure out something for it.' Article content Article content Article content However, it turned out that Santander was pretty quick to change his mind. Article content Article content 'The next day, he had his press conference, he's like, 'Hey, I'm taking your number.' I was like, 'Oh … OK,'' Varsho explained. 'The clubhouse manager, he's like, 'Hey, we need to figure out what your number is, Tony's going to take 25.'' Article content Caught off guard by the situation, Varsho told him, 'OK, like I guess I'll take No. 5.' Article content Varsho did share that Santander has been asking him since then what the outfielder would like in return for the number. Article content 'He got me something the week before I got back (from injury). He was down in Florida, and he said he got me something,' Varsho said. 'I don't know what it is yet, but we'll see.' Article content Merrifield then joked about what he would have given the native of Marshfield, Wisc., in return for the digits. Article content 'If that was me, I'd have got you either a big wheel of cheese or I'd have bought you, because the (Green Bay) Packers are a publicly traded company … you'd have been a part-owner of the Packers. Article content 'Give me Tony's number. I'll tell him to buy you some shares of the Packers.' Article content While many players are very superstitious about their jersey numbers, the switch seems to be working out well for Varsho. Article content Daulton Varsho since returning from the IL: 🔹.357 AVG 🔹1.276 OPS 🔹4 HR 🔹11 RBI 🔹245 wRC+ BEAST🔥 — SleeperBlueJays (@SleeperBlueJays) August 13, 2025
CBC
5 minutes ago
- CBC
Pin pals: The 'unofficial sport' of the Canada Games is breaking down barriers
ST. JOHN'S — There are 19 sports on the programme for the 2025 Canada Games, but the unofficial 20th sport is underway absolutely everywhere in the city. Pin trading is happening at every venue, the Athletes' Village, on the streets, and even at a special trading booth set up on the campus of Memorial University. When you see an athlete that's not on the field of play, they're wearing a lanyard with their accreditation. That lanyard carries something else very important on it – the various Canada Games-specific commemorative pins they've collected by trading with other athletes and Games attendees. Each of the 13 provincial and territorial teams come to the host city armed with their own specific pins, looking to trade their items in exchange for pins from other teams, organizers, or sponsors. Pin trading is the unofficial sport of the Canada Games 1 month ago The tradition has been part of the Canada Games for decades, although it had very humble beginnings. Lewis Taman works with The Pin People, the company that designs and manufactures pins for the Canada Games and teams and operates a trading booth at the Games. "So it's a bit of a monster we created," Taman laughed. "At first, we started off with some pins that the athletes could trade. The idea being if someone from Newfoundland wanted to talk to someone from Saskatchewan, now they've got a pin to trade and a way to start that conversation. Taman said the practice was so popular that today there are upwards of 240 different pins to collect at the Games in St. John's and a collector's guide is part of the official app of the Canada Games. This is the biggest Games yet for pin trading, but the idea still remains the same as it always has: to open up communication between everyone in attendance. "Pins are a great way to communicate. I've been a teacher for a number of I know that one of the things that a lot of youth struggle with is making connections, making friends, and building that sort of social confidence," Taman said. "The pins are a way for people to do that. People of all ages, genders, all kinds of ways of life, it isn't about who you are, per se, it's more about, 'hey, you've got a pin to trade, and now we can have a conversation.'" There are some very passionate pin traders at these Games, and that includes Aidan Godin of the Canada Games Council. Godin, originally from Timmins, Ont., began collecting and trading pins before his first Canada Games in 2019 and has since amassed a staggering collection. "Last year [I] broke 10,000 pins," Godin said. "Some people have photo frames going up their staircase, I have pins." As if the total wasn't enough to confirm his pin trading bona fides, Godin also incorporated pin culture in a milestone event in his personal life. "I had The Pin People make a custom closing ceremony pin, and I proposed to my wife with a pin," Godin said. The 2025 Games also feature another custom pin Godin had created for St. John's, and this one also commemorates someone very close to him – his service dog, Peggy, a black Labrador Retriever. Godin, who is hard of hearing, has had Peggy by his side for more than eight years, but these Games will be her last before retirement. "Peggy turned 10 in June, [and at ages] 10 to 11 is when a service dog retires, so this would be her last Games. She attended the '22 Games, the '23 Games, and now the '25 Games is going to be her last Games," Godin said. "I wanted a special pin to commemorate that, for her legacy." Pin trading also helps Godin strike up conversations about what type of support service dogs like Peggy provide. "I love talking to people, so it's a great way to get the conversation started. I found that Peggy's pin, it's actually been a great way for me to tell people about service dogs, like what they do, how they help, how they support," Godin said. "So I've got to talk a lot about the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. "That's where I got Peggy from and [I get] to actually explain the different programs they have and what the different things that the dogs can actually help with, so it's a good educational piece that way." The Peggy pin isn't the only custom pin up for trade at these Games – Canada Games Council Chair Catriona Le May Doan and St. John's Mayor Danny Breen are among those that have their own pins. Canada Games Hall of Honour member Diana Matheson said one of her favourite memories of the Games was collecting and trading pins. She still has a lanyard adorned with one pin from each province and territory and advises any athletes that are at their first Canada Games to get involved in the phenomenon. "Collect pins and trade pins, they're the currency of the games," Matheson said. "Pick the ones you like, [but] don't try and get them all. That's overwhelming." Matheson also believes that pin trading helps athletes come out of their shell and meet new friends from their province and across Canada. "You can't be too shy. You just got to go up and talk to someone and say, 'hey, you want to trade a pin?'," Matheson said. "Just go for it, just dive in." WATCH | Luke Enns is a leader on and off the water for Team Manitoba: Luke Enns is competing in kayak at his 3rd Canada Games, having previously won 2 bronze medals in 2022, and competing in biathlon at the Canada Winter Games in 2023. Shining on the field of play and off he was the recipient of the 2024 Tom Longboat award for Manitoba. We can't wait to see what the Team Manitoba flag-bearer can do in St. John's. Team Manitoba kayaker Luke Enns is at his third Canada Games and has collected his fair share of pins. He said what sticks with him is not the pins themselves, but where they came from and the story they tell. "I think the most important thing is just to meet the athletes that you're trading pins with," Enns said. "That's the special part about it.
