As July turns to August, we look back at the matchdays that brought us here. Settle down, get the coffee going - iced may be preferable right now - and let's take a look around the Canadian Premier League.
The matches
Friday saw the final match of July as Pacific hosted FC Supra du Québec.
Raise your hand if you've heard this one before: Pacific took an early lead through Bustos in the 30th minute. By the final whistle, they had lost 2-1.
Special mention should go to Pacific finishing with nine men. The first dismissal came for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, a story as old as time: don't bring down an attacker from behind when you're the last defender. The punishment was a red card and a penalty kick. The second sending-off came late in regulation when Bustos became involved in an altercation and was dismissed. That one appeared to be born out of frustration and poor discipline. By then, the game was already gone, but missing both Bustos and Heard for the next match is hardly going to improve Pacific's fortunes.
Saturday was a goalfest, with nine goals scored across two matches. A high-flying Vancouver welcomed Atlético Ottawa to Langley and sent them packing with a convincing 3-1 victory. One goal came from the penalty spot, but the Eagles would have won regardless. Ottawa comfortably outshot Vancouver but could only pull one back in the second half.
Meanwhile in Calgary, Cavalry delivered a statement performance, dismantling Inter Toronto 5-0 with five different players finding the scoresheet. Toronto managed just five shots all match. It was about as decisive a result as you could ask for, and hardly what a struggling Inter side needed.
Sunday saw Forge visit the Wanderers Grounds, where the league leaders were held to a rare scoreless draw by Halifax. Goalless matches are uncommon in the CPL, and both teams created enough chances to win. On another day, this scoreline could easily have been 3-2 either way, but in the end, neither side could find the breakthrough.
The standings and what lies ahead
Pacific (8th)
Pacific's fortunes show no signs of improving as they prepare to host Inter Toronto with two players suspended. On paper, this has to be considered a winnable match, but it's difficult to say that with much confidence. The bigger question is who steps up in the absence of two key contributors.
Inter Toronto (7th)
The ATCO Field massacre leaves Inter slipping further from the playoff places. The positive is that they have an opportunity to take advantage of Pacific's struggles and close some of that gap. What should concern Toronto supporters, however, is that both their attack and defence have been only marginally better than Pacific's. The difference so far has largely been that the results have fallen their way a little more often.
Halifax Wanderers (6th)
Taking a point from a difficult fixture against Forge is certainly something to build on, but the Wanderers now sit four points adrift of the playoffs, with Supra equally determined to climb the table. Halifax were comfortably beaten the last time they faced Ottawa, and this rematch comes away from home, making the challenge even greater.
FC Supra du Québec (5th)
Supra capitalized on the weekend to leapfrog Halifax and move into fifth. Saturday brings another huge test against Cavalry, and they can ill afford to drop points if they hope to stay in the playoff race. The two clubs have already met twice this season, with Cavalry coming out on top both times.
Atlético Ottawa (4th)
A battle for the final playoff spot against Vancouver is probably not where either club expected to find itself at this stage of the season. Ottawa will likely fancy their chances of bouncing back at home against Halifax, particularly with Vancouver facing the daunting task of taking on Forge in Hamilton.
Vancouver FC (3rd)
Seeing Vancouver in third place is still unfamiliar territory for Eagles supporters, but they've earned it through an impressive run of form.
Their next challenge is Forge.
Then again, if Vanni Sartini's Halifax side could take a point off the league leaders, why couldn't Martin Nash's Eagles?
Cavalry (2nd)
The Cavs strengthened their position with the league's best goal difference, helped considerably by Saturday's emphatic win over Inter Toronto. Forge unexpectedly dropping two points has opened the door slightly. If Cavalry can beat Supra this weekend, they'll continue applying pressure at the top of the table.
Forge (1st)
It wasn't a defeat, but dropping two points against a team outside the playoff positions has to sting.
The objective this weekend is simple: beat Vancouver and make sure Cavalry remain at arm's length in the standings.
Hope to see you soon!
