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The Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps are on the bubble in terms of making the Major League Soccer playoffs this season, but the Voyageurs Cup is a trophy both clubs have an eye on.

The teams meet Wednesday night at Saputo Stadium in the first leg of a two-game, total goals Canadian Championship semifinal. The second leg is set for July 25 in Vancouver.

Montreal coach Rémi Garde called it “an important competition,” while Vancouver right-back Jake Nerwinski said one of his team’s goals this season was to take the trophy the Whitecaps won in 2015. Two-time defending Cup champion Toronto FC opens the other semifinal Wednesday against the Ottawa Fury of the USL.

“Everyone wants to communicate that they take this competition seriously and you have to respect it for what it is, but when it comes time to show whether you’re ready to win it, it’ll whittle out the teams that are not so serious about it,” said Montreal fullback Daniel Lovitz. “For us it’s important to be the team on the other side of that line and make sure we’re determined and focused on having a good performance.”