✍️ Ivan Sørensen
After a break for the Canadian Championship, CPL action is back!
We take a look at the games, the standings and what is coming up ahead of us.
The games
We were treated to a midweek match as Forge followed up their Canadian Championship win with another victory over Supra du Québec, this time by a more modest 1-0 scoreline.
On Sunday, Ottawa and Halifax met with very different Canadian Championship results behind them, as the Wanderers were eliminated in the preliminary round while Ottawa pulled off a statement win over a depleted Toronto FC side. The showdown at TD Place ended in a 1-0 victory for Ottawa.
Inter Toronto travelled to Starlight Stadium and returned home with a win over Pacific thanks to a single late goal.
Cavalry took some time to break through, but ultimately came away with a 2-0 victory over the Eagles.
Standings
From bottom to top, we find:
8. Pacific: Six games played and a single draw is the best they have managed so far. Reaching the playoff spots is not impossible, but every week without points only makes the gap larger. Their last league win came on August 10th against Vancouver FC. So when do you sound the alarm? And what happens once you do? Maybe it is time to press the button and find out.
7. Vancouver FC: They remain on four points and are still close enough that a single win could launch them into the playoff spots. Despite four losses in six games, the mood around VFC still seems fairly positive. But that optimism will not last forever. Then again, this fanbase is certainly familiar with difficult stretches.
6. Halifax Wanderers: Five points and only a single win to their name. Sartini seems relatively unconcerned, but some media voices have already started discussing a potential “rebuild” under him. Was that really the expectation heading into the season? I do not think the entire year needs to be written off, but there are clearly issues that need to be addressed.
5. Supra du Québec: With only five matches played, two wins already give them six points. It is still early, of course, but Supra is showing itself to be, at worst, a solid mid-table side. Is this only the beginning with more growth to come? Or will questions about long-term endurance begin to surface?
4. Atlético Ottawa: The weekend win moves Ottawa back into the playoff spots, but after a slow start and with a gap already forming between them and the top contenders, there are still plenty of eyes on Mejía. On the other hand, a statement win in the Canadian Championship followed by a league victory is exactly the type of momentum boost a club wants at this stage of the season.
3. Inter Toronto: The first of the unbeaten teams on this list, the Nine Stripes still feel slightly overlooked in league conversations. But they are scoring goals at the same rate as Cavalry and still have a game in hand. I may need to rethink some earlier doubts because this side is starting to look like a genuine contender.
2. Cavalry: Neck and neck with Toronto’s performances, though with one extra game played. Cavalry is playing attractive, attack-minded football, and they are getting the kind of results that style produces when executed properly.
1. Forge: Six games, no losses, and only a single goal conceded. One fan online suggested it might be possible for the team to go the entire season without conceding from open play. Will that actually happen? Probably not. But if there is going to be a real Shield race this year, opposing coaches need to start finding answers for this Forge side quickly.
What comes next?
Next week brings a return to a more regular schedule, as Halifax hosts Inter Toronto while Vancouver FC welcomes Supra.
On Sunday, Ottawa and Forge will meet, with the Hammers no doubt looking to repeat the 2-0 result from the season opener.
Finally, Pacific will travel to Alberta to take on Cavalry. The two sides last met at Starlight Stadium in the Canadian Championship, where the Cavs came away with a 3-1 victory.
