✍️ Ivan Sørensen
“And so this is Christmas and what have you done…”
Wait, no, wrong holiday; it's Decision Day! We are through the last matchday of the 2026 Canadian Premier League season, so let us huddle one last time before the playoffs and chat about where things ended up.
Decision Day!
On the final day, all four games kicked off at the same time, so I watched one game while constantly checking scores on my iPad, since every game could decide the fate of someone not playing.
Well, that was every game but Inter Toronto vs Atlético Ottawa.
Both teams were in positions where nothing of significance could happen: Toronto were already out, and Ottawa were safe in third place, the only question being who they would face in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, I think mostly the diehards ended up tuning in here, which is a pity because it turned out to be a neat little finish to Toronto’s season as Almagro and Altobelli both got goals, and even a dying-minutes penalty for Ottawa could not spoil Toronto getting a home win to round off a difficult season.
For everybody else, the drama was high: Forge and Cavalry were fighting for the Shield. Forge needed to get a win while Cavalry drew or lost, or a draw while Cavalry lost.
In the middle of the table, Vancouver and Supra battled for fourth place (and thus the playoffs): a win for either team would carry the day if the other lost, while Vancouver could get through on a loss if Supra drew.
Because the games took place simultaneously, I am going to cover them a bit differently than usual, in 10-minute chunks, to capture the day's chaotic mood.
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cavalry | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 60 |
| 2 |  Forge | 28 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 58 |
| 3 |  Ottawa | 28 | 13 | 4 | 11 | -3 | 43 |
| 4 |  Supra | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | -3 | 38 |
| 5 |  Vancouver | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 37 |
| 6 |  Inter Toronto | 28 | 7 | 9 | 12 | -23 | 30 |
| 7 |  Halifax | 28 | 7 | 7 | 14 | -6 | 28 |
| 8 |  Pacific | 28 | 2 | 9 | 17 | -29 | 15 |
Minute by minute
It was pure chaos, with the standings shifting often throughout the day.
Supra struck inside the opening five minutes against Halifax, and with Vancouver unsurprisingly still scoreless in Alberta, the Eagles suddenly found themselves on the outside looking in. By the 20th minute, Forge had taken a 1-0 lead of their own, briefly lifting them to the top of the table. Cavalry answered quickly, scoring to go 1-0 up by the half-hour mark and restoring their place at the summit, while Vancouver's job had just become ten times harder.
Supra doubled their lead by the 40th minute, leaving Vancouver needing either two goals of their own or three from Halifax. The Wanderers fought back, and by the 50th minute it was 2-1 in Halifax, with one more goal enough to put the Eagles back in the playoff places. Ten minutes later it was 2-2, and if that scoreline held, Vancouver would be through regardless of their own result.
By the 70th minute, the match in Halifax had become a 3-3 thriller, keeping Vancouver's hopes alive. Then came the decisive blow a few minutes later. Supra went ahead 4-3 with a great strike from Sean Rea, while Pacific pulled level at 1-1 against Forge, meaning Cavalry had virtually secured the Shield before the final whistles across the country.
Neither scoreline moved over the final 20 minutes and stoppage time. Forge finished 2nd (and would've finished 2nd even if they beat Pacific), Cavalry lifted the CPL Shield, and FC Supra du Québec battled into the playoffs in their first-ever season—a CPL first.
Playoff dates
The playoffs will be played as two-legged ties. Atlético Ottawa host Forge in the capital on November 1, with the return leg in Hamilton on November 7.
Meanwhile, Supra will host Cavalry in Laval on November 1, before the second leg in Calgary on November 7.
For the single-leg final, the higher-ranked team will host:
- Cavalry
- Forge
- Atlético Ottawa
