Atlético Ottawa and Forge face off in the biggest match of the Canadian Premier League season so far, with five games left in the race for the CPL Shield.
Forge sit first, Ottawa second; Just two points separate them, and on Sunday they’ll meet for the final time in this year’s regular season.
Forge can extend their lead to five points, while Ottawa have the chance to leapfrog the Hammers for the first time in months.
But this isn’t just a six-pointer. There’s another crucial detail in the CPL Shield race: the tie-breakers.
If the two sides finish level on points, the first tie-breaker is total wins—Forge currently lead by one.
The second tie-breaker is head-to-head points, which Forge also lead. Right now, Forge have 5 points to Ottawa’s 2.
If Ottawa win Sunday’s match, they’ll pull level at 5 points each in the head-to-head. That’s when head-to-head goal difference comes into play.
Forge currently lead that with +2. So, if Ottawa win by just a single goal, Forge would still take the tie-breakers—and, ultimately, finish first if the sides end up tied on points.
Forge have a chance to almost put the race to bed if they win on Sunday: They'd be five points clear in the table, and technically, six.
Last time out
In August, the Hammers comfortably defeated Ottawa 2-0 thanks to goals from Kyle Bekker and Brian Wright.
How Atlético Ottawa and Forge come into Sunday's match
Both clubs are coming off tough exits in the Voyageurs Cup.
Ottawa beat Vancouver FC 1-0 at home but lost on aggregate, while Forge were dismantled 4-0 by the Whitecaps.
Projected XIs
Atlético Ottawa: Nathan Ingham; Noah Abatneh, Loïc Cloutier, Roni Mbomio; Gabriel Antinoro, Manuel Aparicio, Juan Castro, Kevin dos Santos; Ballou Tabla, David Rodriguez; Samuel Salter.
Forge FC: Jassem Koleilat; Marko Jevremovic, Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, Dan Nimick, Rezart Rama; Kyle Bekker, Alessandro Hojabrpour, Noah Jensen; Hoce Massunda, Victor Klonaridis, Nana Ampomah.
Game information and how to watch
📆 Sunday, September 21
⏰ 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PT
📺 OneSoccer, FuboTV, Telus Optik Ch. 980
👤 Scott Bowman
🏟 TD Place, Ottawa, Ontario
The list of CPL Shield winners since the league's inaugural season
- 2024: Forge FC (2)
- 2023: Cavalry FC (2)
- 2022: Atlético Ottawa
- 2021: Forge FC
- 2020: No CPL Shield winner due to the format of the league
- 2019: Cavalry FC
