Welcome back as we take a look at the match week just gone by in the Canadian Premier League. Get a coffee and let's see how it went:
The games
Saturday was a day of draws and level scorelines, as Halifax and Toronto played to a 1-1 result, while Vancouver and Supra also finished 1-1.
Sunday, meanwhile, featured last year’s “clash of the titans” as Ottawa hosted Forge and pulled off a 2-1 win in the closing minutes, handing Forge their first loss of the season in Diego Mejía's final home match in charge of Atlético Ottawa.
Finally, Pacific, under interim coaching, travelled to Calgary and returned home with the sound of a 3-0 defeat still ringing in their ears.
Standings
From bottom to top, we find:
Pacific (8th). Last week I asked when it was time to sound the alarm. It turns out the answer was last week. As I write this article, it remains an open question who will take over the reins as the club continues its search for a first win of the season. It is still early enough that a new manager bounce, combined with a renewed focus on morale and tactics, could help them make up ground.
Vancouver FC (7th). A draw brings the Eagles to five points. Home fans may have hoped for a little more, but the club did not lose any ground and remains one win away from jumping both Supra and the Wanderers if things break the right way.
Halifax Wanderers (6th). The draw against Toronto brings the Wanderers to six points, keeping pace but not gaining ground. What must be frustrating is that Halifax has actually scored more goals than Ottawa or Supra, yet still has just one win.
Supra du Québec (5th). Seven points leave Supra just outside the playoff spots. After a promising start to the season, fans were likely hoping the Vancouver match would be a statement win, but instead, they had to scramble for it in the final moments. Supra is not scoring many, but they are not conceding many either. I feel pretty good about their upcoming matches.
Atlético Ottawa (4th). With another manager moving on to new things, Ottawa finds itself facing questions about its immediate tactical future, with 10 points helping calm the nerves while that gets sorted out. The fact that the win came against Forge must be an extra feather in the cap. Morale counts for a lot in football. The start of a climb?
Inter Toronto (3rd). Toronto fans no doubt hoped to be sitting on 14 points this week, putting them within striking distance of Forge, but an away draw brings them to 12. They are now one of only two teams still unbeaten in league play.
Forge (2nd). The Hammers take a step back, dropping into second place on 16 points. On top of that, their unbeaten run comes to an end. That must sting a little, but Forge supporters know how steady this squad really is. Inter Toronto and Cavalry look like the most obvious challengers right now, and both know they will need to be clinical to pull this off.
Cavalry (1st). Cavalry is the other team still enjoying an unbeaten season as they climb to 17 points, overtaking their rivals from Hamilton. A +9 goal difference also shows just how much firepower they have up front.
What comes next?
Friday sees Inter Toronto travel to Laval to face Supra in a match that already feels close to “must-win” territory for both sides as they look to cement their place in the standings and create some separation from the teams below them. A draw could reasonably feel like a loss here.
Saturday brings the Wanderers back home as they host Vancouver. Both Sartini and Nash can argue that their squads are better than the results they have produced so far.
The second match on Saturday sees Pacific host Ottawa. There is plenty of pressure on Pacific here, but being at home could make a difference, and if they can pick up points before Ottawa really hits its stride this season, it would be massive for them.
Then on Sunday afternoon, you can try to relax with the Forge-Cavalry matchup. Or not, because with the league’s top two sides going head-to-head, it is almost guaranteed to be a nail-biter.
See you soon!
