It was all-but-guaranteed after last week, but now it’s official.

FC Edmonton will get a crack at the top side in Major League Soccer.

The Eddies defeated Ottawa Fury FC 3-1 before just under 1,900 spectators at Clarke Stadium on Wednesday night, to sweep both matches of the Amway Canadian Championship preliminary round and advance to play Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the two-leg semifinal, which kicks off May 6 at Clarke Stadium.

Edmonton was in the front position after defeating the Fury 3-1 in Ottawa on April 22, when the Eddies scored all of their goals after the 82nd minute. Canadian Championship series are decided on aggregate with away goals serving as the tie-breaker.

“In our team talk before the game, I spoke about this being a game where we’ll find out where we’re at,” Eddies coach Colin Miller said. “Can we handle the pressure? Can we handle the situation that we’re in? Because we’re in a no-win situation, in all honesty.

“If we go on to score a few goals because Ottawa had thrown it (at us), we really won’t get a lot of credit possibly, and if we lose a few goals then it’s because we can’t handle the situation and ... I just thought tonight we answered a number of questions,” Miller added, praising his team’s veterans.

Tomi Ameobi and Sainey Nyassi had goals to stake the Eddies to an early two-goal lead. Edmonton’s Daryl Fordyce scored off a penalty-kick late in the second half, ending Edmonton’s zero-for-five skid on penalties, a stretch that comprises exhibition, league, and championship matches.

“Fair play to the guys before who took the penalties and I’ve never criticized someone for stepping up to do it, but with Darryl Fordyce, he does it, he does it right,” Miller said. “He’s got the quality, he practices it, he practices everything about his game, and I was really pleased with Darryl tonight.”

Andrew Wiedemen scored Ottawa’s lone goal, in the first half. Needing at least three goals to have a chance, the Fury came out with an attacking mindset, but their aggressiveness didn’t pay off in a goal and they found themselves trailing 2-0 in the 14th minute.

Edmonton’s top offensive threat, Lance Laing, was carried off the sidelines on a stretcher at halftime and didn’t return, but is expected to be fine, said Miller, who classified the Jamaican midfielder’s injury as a “little knock to the knee”.

After hosting Minnesota in NASL spring season action on Sunday, Edmonton will meet the Whitecaps in a rematch of the 2013 Canadian Championship semi-final. The Whitecaps currently sit atop the MLS standings with 16 points on the strength of a 5-1-3 record.

“It’s just a phenomenal organization top to bottom” said Miller who was an assistant manager with the Whitecaps before coming to the Eddies two and a half years ago. “I really enjoyed my time at the club, “I know all about the team and ... the way they’re going about their work is absolutely fantastic, and good luck to them over the next week and the following weeks.”

The Eddies will travel to Vancouver for the second match on May 13.

@SunBrianSwane

brian.swane@sunmedia.ca