Matchweek 12 was an odd one in the Canadian Premier League, thanks to the whims of Mother Nature. In four games across two days, a couple of them delayed or rescheduled thanks to various weather conditions, the general theme was stifling defensive performances — or, in one case, a lack thereof.
Saturday's only match saw the Halifax Wanderers take down Vancouver FC, as Thomas Meilleur-Giguère scored the game's only goal with a great header off a corner, collecting a tricky three points in Nova Scotia.
We began in Sunday in the tropical climate of Toronto, Ontario, where temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius and stifling humidity at kickoff meant neither York United nor Atlético Ottawa could play at the tempo they'd like. Ultimately, though both sides fought well and did what they could, it wasn't a surprise when this one ended 0-0 at York Lions Stadium.
Later that afternoon we had a stop-start contest in Winnipeg, where lightning in the area caused multiple delays, both before and during the match. That didn't bother Forge, though; they scored early and often in a 5-0 win over Valour that finished over four hours after the scheduled kickoff time. Brian Wright in particular had quite the afternoon, scoring a first-half hat trick to put it well out of reach for the home side.
Finally, Cavalry hosted Pacific on Sunday evening — a day later than they were supposed to, after the ATCO Field pitch became unplayable due to stormy weather on Saturday.
Ali Musse put the Cavs on the board pretty quickly in this one, and that was the only scoring the Cavs would need as they held onto a 1-0 win and Pacific found themselves shut out again.
So, with five clean sheets and three wins for clubs in the top four, here's how the table looks this week:
Atlético Ottawa remain up top, but suddenly their lead is a little less secure than it was; with a two-point gap above Forge, plus an extra game played, technically they don't control their destiny at the moment. Of course, all could change if Atleti pick up a win in a week Forge don't, or the Hammers don't win their game in hand. Lots of time left.
The top four continues to pull away, with Cavalry and Halifax both winning this week. At this point, it would be a shock if anybody manages to breach that group; the closest trailer is York United, who sit seven points behind the Cavs and Wanderers, which even at this point just before the halfway mark feels insurmountable.
Speaking of almost insurmountable, York likewise have quite the cushion between themselves and the playoff line. Pacific and Valour both sit seven points behind York, with Vancouver trailing two points beyond them.
Much could change this week, though. If Pacific beat Vancouver, and York lose in Hamilton, then perhaps there's a glimmer of hope. Likewise, Saturday will offer a major test for Atlético Ottawa against Cavalry; that's a moment where they could make a statement and tighten their grip on first, or falter and lose their position.
Outside the CPL world, the international football calendar keeps rolling. The Canadian men's national team plays El Salvador on Tuesday night in their final group stage game of the Gold Cup; they're already likely to advance, but a win would allow them to top the group.
The women's team, meanwhile, is back on home soil this week, to take on Costa Rica at Toronto's BMO Field on Friday night in their Pride celebration match.
Awards Watch
Well, Brian Wright has certainly thrown his own hat in the ring for the Golden Boot chase. He's up to six goals now after his hat-trick in Winnipeg.
Speaking of the Golden Boot, here's a bizarre stat: Every single Boot winner in CPL history (in a full 28-game season) has had exactly seven goals at the halfway point of the season. Sam Salter currently has eight and Julian Altobelli has seven, after just 12 games; both are well on pace to break João Morelli's record of 14 in a season.
In the coaching realm, the award battle will heat up more toward the end of the season, but it's hard to look past Bobby Smyrniotis right now. While it's no surprise for Forge to continue operating as an efficient, deadly machine, they deserve credit for their consistency. They've made it 11 games into the season without losing, and have maintained their Forge identity despite incorporating so many new faces into their starting XI.
U-21 Minutes Update
Pacific and Cavalry are now in touching distance of the 2,000-minute mark, and could even hit that threshold in their next match if they continue as they have been. They both had multiple U-21s in the starting XI on Sunday evening, with Mihail Gherasimencov and Max Piepgrass making an impact for Cavalry while Max Anchor, Christian Greco-Taylor and Matteo Schiavoni (making his first start of the year) playing a big role for Pacific.
At York United, 20-year-old goalkeeper Ivan Pavela is making headlines after holding Atlético Ottawa off the scoresheet. He has now started three games in a row for the Nine Stripes, and it's possible he'll keep his starting role even when Diego Urtiaga comes back from injury.
| Team | U-21 Minutes |
|---|---|
| Atlético Ottawa | 3,643 |
| Vancouver FC | 3,087 |
| Pacific FC | 1,914 |
| Cavalry FC | 1,884 |
| Halifax Wanderers FC | 1,412 |
| York United FC | 1,135 |
| Forge FC | 940 |
| Valour FC | 931 |
Coming up next…
Friday, June 27
Pacific FC vs. Vancouver FC — 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Saturday, June 28
Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa — 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Sunday, June 29
Forge FC vs. York United — 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
Monday, July 1
Halifax Wanderers vs. Valour FC — 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
(Watch all games live on OneSoccer.)
Photo of the Week
It really was a scorcher at York Lions Stadium on Sunday. Shola had the right idea.
