Toronto FC trounce Whitecaps for 3rd consecutive Canadian Championship

Jozy Altidore scored a hat-trick and Sebastian Giovinco pulled off a rare header as Toronto FC swept past the Vancouver Whitecaps to win a third consecutive Canadian Championship.

Wednesday's 5-2 shellacking at BMO Field gave TFC a decisive 7-4 victory on aggregate in the two-legged affair and an automatic berth in next season's CONCACAF Champions League.

It's the sixth time the Reds have defeated the Whitecaps in the showpiece event and seventh Voyageurs Cup overall.

The win affords TFC an opportunity to redeem themselves in the Champions League following a heartbreaking shootout loss to Chivas in April. Greg Vanney's side have struggled to shake off the hangover since that final.

Altidore has endured a similarly tough campaign, missing more than 10 matches this season due to foot surgery, but his fortunes changed Wednesday against the Whitecaps. The 28-year-old tallied with his right foot, left foot, and head to complete an utterly dominant performance.

His first came off a sweeping move that he started late in the first half, the second an instinctive finish inside the six-yard box, and the third off a corner.

Kei Kamara and Brek Shea punished TFC's complacency with goals in the final 30 minutes, but substitute Tosaint Ricketts iced the match with a leaping header on Michael Bradley's free-kick.

Toronto now has 11 matches remaining to get back into the MLS playoff picture.