The CPL Shield could be won as early as this Sunday, after a full round of draws in the Canadian Premier League in matchweek 26.
That's right, all eight clubs banked exactly one point over the weekend, starting with the Halifax Wanderers and York United battling to a 1-1 in Nova Scotia on Saturday. Later that afternoon, Forge FC didn't manage to hold onto a 1-0 lead against Vancouver FC, conceding in the second half as Emrick Fotsing nabbed a point for the Eagles.
Sunday's double-header saw a pair of goalfests, beginning in Winnipeg where Atlético Ottawa missed a chance to go level with Forge at the top of the table. Atleti fell behind early to Valour FC, then took the lead twice, only for youngster Erik Pop to snatch a point in the 94th minute for Valour in a 3-3 draw.
Out on Vancouver Island, we got another 3-3, and this one between Pacific and Cavalry had its share of drama too. Pacific equalized twice and then went ahead with 20 minutes to play, only for Cavalry hero Daan Klomp to score the final leveller in the fourth minute of added time.
So, all that action, and absolutely nothing in the standings changed.
On to week 27... with a table that looks like this:
Forge and Atlético Ottawa remain separated by two points, with just two weeks left to play.
Because there's so little time left in the regular season, Forge could actually clinch the CPL Shield this weekend, if they beat Cavalry FC and Atlético Ottawa lose or draw against Vancouver FC. Essentially, Forge are four points away from a second straight regular season title.
That's easier said than done, but Forge will be hoping Vancouver can keep up the fight they showed against the Hammers themselves this weekend. Don't look now, but Martin Nash's Eagles are unbeaten in their last four CPL games.
Plus, who could forget what happened last time they were in Ottawa? Although the memories of that CanChamp semifinal loss might motivate Atleti even more on Sunday.
The battle for third place, meanwhile, looks increasingly like it could come down to the final weekend. Cavalry are three points ahead of York, who are a point ahead of Halifax; anybody could do it, but the Wanderers would need outside help.
York, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cavalry, would take over third place if they can beat Pacific FC on Thursday night at York Lions Stadium.
Also, watch out for some managers to get a little creative with their lineups this weekend, particularly Cavalry and Halifax. The Cavs are down three players to international duty, as Ali Musse (Somalia), Shamit Shome (Bangladesh) and Mihail Gherasimencov (Moldova) all got senior call-ups. Plus, Michael Baldisimo is suspended for one game after he was sent off in Langford.
Meanwhile, the Wanderers will be missing Trinidad and Tobago internationals Ryan Telfer and Andre Rampersad as well as goalkeeper Rayane Yesli for Algeria, and Wesley Timoteo is suspended. Patrice Gheisar will have a tricky job filling out his team sheet, especially with Tiago Coimbra and Jason Bahamboula probably still not quite fit to start.
If the playoffs started today...
Cavalry, York and Halifax will all be desperate to finish third, especially considering how big home field advantage is right now. Only two CPL matches in the last eight weeks have been won by away teams...
Plus, under the current format, only one elimination game in the CPL Playoffs has been won by the visitors — that being Pacific FC's triumph over Halifax in the 2023 Semifinal Qualifier.
So, Cavalry are keen to win their last regular season home match, as are York, because both sides would love to avoid the knockout match and host the qualifier.
Breaking down the run-in
Just two weeks left, and each side has one home and one away game remaining.
In the title race, both Forge and Ottawa have a tough pair of games. Atleti will be under pressure to beat Vancouver at home on Sunday, knowing that VFC are in better form than ever and have also had success against Ottawa this year. Forge lost heavily when they last visited Calgary, and if they stumble again, Atleti absolutely have to capitalize on the opportunity after failing to do so this week.
Meanwhile, York won 5-1 last time they hosted Pacific; knowing they need to go to Hamilton the final day of the season, they have to take full advantage of this Thursday night clash.
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Awards Watch
Could Ballou Tabla be sneaking his way into the awards conversation? After being named September's Player of the Month, he had another two goal, one assist performance against Valour FC. It'd be hard for him to break into the group of five Player of the Year nominees, particularly with David Rodríguez and Sam Salter pretty much locks, but it's not impossible.
Meanwhile, the Defender of the Year race feels wide open, as far as nominees go. It's likely that Dan Nimick is the front-runner, with at least one Atlético Ottawa defender likely to join (Noah Abatneh?). However, the third spot might be up for grabs; Thomas Meilleur-Giguère has seemed a likely candidate, but strong performances lately from Frank Sturing and Callum Montgomery might push him. Or could a full-back get a nod, like Rezart Rama or Adam Pearlman?
U-21 Minutes Update
York United need to pick up 125 U-21 minutes over the last two games to meet their 2,000-minute requirement. Shola Jimoh got 27 off the bench for them in Halifax, which helped them inch closer, but look for Jimoh to get the start at least once in the next couple of games.
Meanwhile, some other great U-21 contributions across the league this weekend: Erik Pop had the 94th-minute equalizer for Valour, and Emrick Fotsing scored a great one for Vancouver — who started a pair of teenagers in Fotsing and Kevin Podgorni.
| Team | U-21 Minutes |
|---|---|
| Atlético Ottawa | 8,059 |
| Vancouver FC | 7,353 |
| Cavalry FC | 3,086 |
| Pacific FC | 2,895 |
| Valour FC | 2,673 |
| Halifax Wanderers FC | 2,138 |
| Forge FC | 2,106 |
| York United FC | 1,875 |
Coming up next…
Thursday, Oct. 9
York United vs. Pacific FC — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Friday, Oct. 10
Cavalry FC vs. Forge FC — 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (Live on TSN)
Saturday, Oct. 11
Valour FC vs. Halifax Wanderers — 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Sunday, Oct. 12
Atlético Ottawa vs. Vancouver FC — 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
(Watch all games live on OneSoccer. Plus, this week, watch Cavalry vs. Forge on TSN.)
Photo of the Week
They were movin' fast in Halifax this weekend.
(Photo by Trevor MacMillan)
