Vancouver Whitecaps finally claimed their second Voyageurs Cup as Ryan Gauld, Brian White, Julian Gressel, and Andrés Cubas duly scored from the spot after the match ended one apiece after regulation time ended. Domenico Criscito, Jordan Perruzza, and Federico Bernardeschi scored for Toronto, with only Jonathan Osorio hitting the post.
This meant that it all came down to Tristan Blackmon, a defender. Score and Vancouver would be off to the CONCACAF Champions League. Anything else, and Toronto would have the opportunity to equalise. Unnerved by the stakes, the 25-year old cheekily sent it straight down the middle, as Alex Bono dove to the right.
Vancouver had opened the scoring in the 19th minute, largely against the run of play, when Gauld found White, who headed in his third goal of the tournament.
71 minutes is a long time to expect anyone to hold a one goal lead. And unsurprisingly, Toronto used their significant possession and pass advantages to equal things at one apiece. Bernardeschi and Jayden Nelson played a give and go from a corner, before finding Lukas MacNaughton in the box, who headed in the 75th minute equaliser.
Both sides had the chance to win in regulation, but it was not to be, and rather than play two fifteen minute halves of silver ball, no easy feat in 39 degree temperatures, the match advanced directly to penalties, which Vancouver won 5-3.
It may not have been pretty, it may not have been memorable, but the 'Caps are on their way to the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, and have won their first silverware since the 2016 Cascadia Cup, and the aforementioned 2015 Voyageurs Cup triumph.