Whitecaps meet Toronto FC in bid for cup three-peat [Video]

Ali Ahmed always finds an extra gear in these kind of games.

Not only is the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder preparing for the Canadian Championship final, but Wednesday’s match will also pit him against his hometown team, Toronto FC.

“There is a little bit extra, for sure,” said the 23-year-old, who grew up in Toronto and once trialled with the TFC academy.

“It’s the club that I grew up a huge, huge fan of. Now, it’s crazy to say that they’re my rivals. At the end of the day, it’s another game. But playing against your boyhood club is extra special, for sure.”

The ‘Caps are looking to hoist the Voyagers Cup for the third year in a row, a feat that only one other team has accomplished.

TFC won four times from 2009 through 2012, and three times between 2016 and 2018.

Toronto isn’t focused on spoiling Vancouver’s three-peat, though.

The team would be equally enthusiastic against any …