Whitecaps and CF Montreal draw 1-1 in Canadian Championship semifinal opener

Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal drew 1-1 in the opening leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal on Wednesday, with the result leaving the two-leg aggregate series level ahead of the decisive match in Montreal. Montreal took a surprising 16th-minute lead through Dani Pereira's chipped goal, but Vancouver's Ryan Gauld equalized in the 72nd minute. The Whitecaps, who have won the tournament four straight years, controlled possession but were denied twice by offside calls and strong goalkeeping from Sebastian Breza. The second leg is scheduled for Sept. 16 in Montreal, with the winner advancing to the Oct. 21 final. The other semifinal also ended 1-1 between Forge FC and FC Supra du Quebec.