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Pacific FC earns semifinal date with Toronto FC

Pacific FC will get a chance to play giant slayer for the second time this season when it meets Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in the semifinals of the Canadian Championship. The date and venue will be announced Friday.
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Pacific FC defender Lukas MacNaughton goes up for a header during first-half action against Cavalry FC on Wednesday night in Calgary. TRISHA LEES, PACIFIC FC

Pacific FC will get a chance to play giant slayer for the second time this season when it meets Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in the semifinals of the Canadian Championship.

The date and venue will be announced Friday.

Pacific FC, which upset the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS 4-3 in the opening round at Starlight Stadium, blanked Cavalry FC 1-0 in an all-Canadian Premier League quarter-final Wednesday night in Calgary.

“I hope Canada Soccer lets the [TFC semifinal] game be played at Starlight Stadium. We deserve it — just for atmosphere alone and what it will mean to soccer in Canada,” said PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah.

“We have two CPL teams [PFC and Forge FC] against two MLS teams [TFC and CF Montreal] in the semifinals and that’s fantastic for the growth of the CPL.”

Abdou Samake headed the ball into the box and Terran Campbell found the top corner at 33 minutes for his eighth goal of the season for PFC to hush the capacity crowd in Calgary on Wednesday.

“Abdou [Samake] got it into a good area and I was able to strike it home. It feels really good. It’s a big win,” said ­Campbell.

“It was a tough battle. We got the early goal and knew there would be a late push.”

PFC goalkeeper Callum Irving made a key save at 55 minutes to preserve the ­victory at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows.

“We were ready to burst in front of our fans, but it just didn’t happen,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

“PFC are well organized and very competent right now. Credit to them and hopefully they go on to perform well against TFC.”

Pacific FC and Cavalry are 1-2 in the CPL standings.

“It was a battle against a tough and worthy opponent,” said Kah.

TFC blanked York United of the CPL 4-0 in an all-Greater Toronto quarter-final on ­Wednesday at BMO Field.

Two-time CPL champion Forge FC of Hamilton, 2-1 victor over Valour FC of Winnipeg in an all-CPL quarter-final last week, will play CF Montreal of MLS in the semifinal on the other side of the draw.

CF Montreal scored twice in the final minute in a 3-1 quarter-final victory over the HFX Wanderers of the CPL on Wednesday to deflate a capacity crowd in Halifax.

TFC fans didn’t take York seriously and the thin crowd at BMO in a driving rainstorm had Kah saying the semifinal fixture should be held on the Island at Starlight Stadium.

At stake is a place in the ­CONCACAF Champions League for the Voyageurs Cup winner.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com