On Sunday, York United’s Julian Altobelli had a dream Canadian Premier League debut. Coming off the bench in the 65th minute at Willoughby Community Park against Vancouver FC, Altobelli opened the scoring with his very first touch. Eighteen minutes later, he followed that up with a second goal to secure a 2-0 victory for the Nine Stripes. It was quite the way for the 22-year-old striker to announce himself across the Canadian Premier League and brought to mind some other dream debuts in the league’s history. Here are five memorable Canadian Premier League debuts from the league’s past.
Kris Twardek’s perfect homecoming (April 13, 2024)
On opening day of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season, Kris Twardek had an Ottawa homecoming he will never forget. The winger made his debut for Atlético Ottawa against York United after almost a decade playing in Europe, somewhat surprisingly appearing as a right full-back. The match didn’t get off to the best start for Atleti after York’s Austin Ricci opened the scoring in the 48th minute, but Manny Aparicio equalized in the 63rd. That set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the match. In the 79th minute, a chipped cross from Aparicio found Twardek at the backpost, and the local boy calmly volleyed the ball into the opposite bottom corner. As good as the goal was, the celebration was even more memorable as Twardek took off and did an elated knee slide in front of the Ottawa faithful. Twardek has since transferred to Valour FC this off-season — but his epic introduction to the CPL in the capital won’t soon be forgotten.
Ollie Bassett scores a rocket against Halifax (June 26, 2021)
As the Canadian Premier League’s 2021 regular season kicked off in a Covid-19 bubble in Winnipeg, Pacific FC took on the Halifax Wanderers in their opening match. Among their squad was a red-haired debutant Northern Irish youth international named Ollie Bassett. In the 37th minute, Bassett introduced himself to the league. Picking up a loose ball outside the box, he took a touch and curled a stunning strike past Christian Oxner. It was one of the goals of the season across the league that year, and an early sign of Bassett’s incredible capabilities. The Tridents went on to win the match 2-0. Things didn’t entirely work out for Bassett at Pacific, even if he did win a CPL championship with the club later that year. But a move to the nation’s capital the following season ignited his dominance within the Canadian Premier League. In 2022, Bassett led Atlético Ottawa to a regular season title, winning the league’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year honours for that campaign. Bassett would go on to win the CPL’s Golden Boot award the following season as well.
‘CPL Busquets’: Lorenzo Callegari’s midfield masterclass vs. Atlético Ottawa (April 15, 2023)
When Lorenzo Callegari signed with the Halifax Wanderers during the 2023 off-season, his profile turned heads. A French youth international midfielder, he had come through the famed academy of PSG, even making a first-team appearance for the French giants. From his very first appearance in the Canadian Premier League, that class was on full display. On April 15, 2023 he stepped onto the pitch for the first time as a Wanderer against Atlético Ottawa in the nation’s capital in a 1-1 draw and absolutely bossed the midfield in that match. Callegari’s 118 passes attempted on that day is the fifth most by any player in a match in Canadian Premier League history. He also contested a stunning 19 duels, and won possession eight times. It was the start of an outstanding first Canadian Premier League season, with Callegari nominated for the league’s Player of the Year award and quickly proving himself to be one of the best midfielders in league history.
Dom Zator scores winner for Cavalry FC in their inaugural match (May 4, 2019)
On May 4, 2019, Cavalry FC kicked off for the very first time in Canadian Premier League history against York at a snowy ATCO Field. Of course, a lot of players made their CPL debuts that day, including club legends like Marco Carducci. However, one debut in particular stood head and shoulders above the rest. In the 78th minute, on a curling José Escalante corner kick, Dominick Zator headed home what ended up being the winning goal in a 2-1 victory on the day for Cavalry. It was the first of an incredible seven-game winning streak to begin Cavalry’s history during a dominant 2019 season, with Zator quickly establishing himself as one of the most important players on that team. Later that year, he scored the winning goal as Cavalry became the first CPL team to defeat an MLS opponent in a 2-1 Canadian Championship victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Zator played one more season with Cavalry FC before joining York United in 2021, and playing two subsequent seasons in the CPL for the Nine Stripes. In 2023, he signed with Korona Kielce, where he has become a mainstay ever since in the Polish top flight. He has since been capped three times by the Canadian men’s national team, with that journey largely starting from that special moment of history he made in his first CPL match.
Callum Irving saves penalty in Pacific FC debut (August 25, 2020)
One of the best goalkeepers in Canadian Premier League history, Callum Irving made his debut for Pacific FC against Valour at the 2020 Island Games. Coming in for Nolan Wirth, who started the first three matches of that season, Irving earned his first CPL clean sheet, making six saves in a 2-0 victory on the day — Pacific’s first of that season. The most memorable moment of his CPL debut came in the 86th minute, when he dove to his right to save a Dylan Carreiro penalty kick. He was a little lucky the midfielder didn’t bury the rebound, but it was the first highlight-reel save of the countless that have since followed. Irving went on to win a CPL championship with the Tridents the following season and is a three-time nominee for the league’s Golden Glove award. In 2023, he became the first-ever signing of Vancouver FC, and remains the Eagles captain to this day.