We’re down to just three matchweeks left in the 2023 Canadian Premier League regular season, with the playoffs set to begin in less than 20 days on Oct. 11. Cavalry FC and Pacific FC have officially booked their tickets to the postseason, and sadly Vancouver FC and Valour FC have been mathematically eliminated from contention — Valour being officially out after losing to Vancouver on Wednesday. In Week 24, two more teams could join the Cavs and Tridents in the playoffs. Also, another exciting possibility for fans in Alberta: Cavalry FC could clinch the regular season title on Saturday evening, if things go their way. They’ll have their eyes on becoming the first team to lift the brand-new CPL Shield as regular season champions, also locking up the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it (as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs). A reminder: all teams have to pass the 2,000 U-21 minute threshold in order to be eligible for the playoffs. So far, four teams have gotten there — Vancouver FC, Valour FC, Pacific FC and Atlético Ottawa, with Pacific the only one of those to clinch a playoff spot. The remaining four sides will likely play a few of their youngsters this weekend to keep making progress in that category. We’ll break down all the scenarios below. A reminder of the table entering the weekend, first:
Tiebreaker rules are available here.
Cavalry FC: Regular season title in their grasp
The CPL Shield could be locked up as early as 9 p.m. ET on Saturday evening, if everything goes Cavalry’s way. There’s only one scenario this weekend that could see them clinch the title, and it requires some help from Forge in that match between the two sides closest to Cavalry. If Cavalry beat York United at York Lions Stadium on Saturday afternoon, they’ll have it all but sealed, but to officially call themselves champions they need Pacific FC to fail to win at Tim Hortons Field. A Forge win or a draw would be enough, because with the Cavs then on 49 points, even if Forge win they’d be at 42 with two games to play so nobody could catch Cavalry. If you’re a Cavalry fan, you might not love the idea of rooting for Forge to help you out here; certainly, if the Cavs beat York they’ll have a chance to clinch the title on their own next Friday at home. It’s possible that Cavalry officially clinch the title while flying home to Calgary on Saturday night after their game. If things go their way, players might arrive home as champions.
Cavalry FC will clinch the regular season championship if:
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Forge FC: Could be third team to clinch postseason berth
Two sides have already locked up their spot in the playoffs, and Forge FC are very close to being the third. They control their own destiny this weekend; any points at all for Forge would punch a postseason ticket. If they have 40 points, then it’s impossible for both York United and Atlético Ottawa to catch them due to those sides playing each other next week. If Forge lose to Pacific, they could still lock up a spot if things go their way. They’d either need York to lose to Cavalry, or York to draw against the Cavs and Ottawa to fail to beat Valour on Sunday. Certainly, Bobby Smyrniotis and crew would prefer to do it the more straightforward way, and beat Pacific at home.
Forge FC will clinch a playoff spot if:
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Halifax Wanderers: Getting closer to safety in top five
It’s impossible to overstate just how significant Tomas Giraldo’s last-minute winner at the Wanderers Grounds was on Monday. It put Halifax a full three points above Atlético Ottawa, and all of a sudden they’re looking at possible playoff clinch scenarios. They’ll need some help to do it, but it’s very possible the Wanderers lock up their place in the top five this weekend. They need a result of their own out at Vancouver FC, of course, but after that it gets a little more complex. If Halifax beat Vancouver, then they’d be playoff-bound if York lose to Cavalry. If York can scrape a draw in that game, then Ottawa failing to beat Valour would would also put the Wanderers in the playoffs. If York beat Cavalry, of course, there’s no scenario where Halifax clinch a spot this weekend, no matter what. If the Wanderers can pick up just a point in Langley, they could still find themselves in the postseason if both York and Ottawa lose their games.
Halifax Wanderers will clinch a playoff spot if:
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That all make sense to you? Not really? Yeah, me neither — just know that a win for your team would be a good thing. It always is. We’ll continue to break things down as they come here at CanPL.ca, with a playoff race that remains tight but could be a little more defined next week. Don’t forget, even teams that have clinched a playoff spot already will be fighting for each place in the standings, hoping to get a little bit further up the table for the benefits that come with each spot in the new playoff format. A reminder of this weekend’s schedule, all of which is available to watch on OneSoccer: 