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Gatorade Team of the Week 2025 (Week 3)

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:57:00 +0000

The Gatorade Team of the Week for the third week of Canadian Premier League action in 2025, brought to you by Kristian Jack and OneSoccer’s Oliver Platt.

Goalkeeper

Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)

The Cavalry keeper made some game-saving stops in his side's 1-1 draw with Vancouver FC on Friday, including an incredible diving effort on a cross-goal strike from Alejandro Díaz.

Defenders

Zachary Fernandez (Valour FC)

In his Valour FC debut, Fernandez was brilliant down the right flank. He had a great chance to open his account for the season, but was especially impressive on the defensive side of the ball, winning six of seven duels, four tackles and making a stunning five interceptions.

Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa)

On Saturday, Abatneh scored the winner in a thrilling contest against his former side, York United. It was the highlight of an outstanding performance, where the 20-year-old central defender completed 91.5 per cent of his passes, won eight of nine duels, including all three in the air and made three interceptions.

Allan Enyou (Vancouver FC)

Playing as a central defender who covered at left-back when Elage Bah moved forward, Enyou proved critical to Vancouver FC's defensive effort against Cavalry. He made eight clearances and won two tackles, while winning three of five duels.

Wesley Timoteo (Halifax Wanderers)

Timoteo scored a stunning strike to open the scoring in Halifax on Saturday. He was dangerous throughout, finishing the match against Pacific with four shot attempts, and a chance created. He also won six of 12 duels and made five clearances. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1913684450619056349

Midfielders

Emrick Fotsing (Vancouver FC)

The 17-year-old midfielder in just his second start was one of the best players on the pitch against Cavalry FC on Friday. He won possession eight times, seven of 10 duels and completed 22 of 28 passes.

Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa)

Aparicio scored an absolute screamer against York United on Saturday. He got stuck in during a fierce physical battle in midfield, with 15 duels contested, and four tackle attempts, as well as four fouls. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1913661520074195139

Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers)

Probo makes a second consecutive appearance in the CPL team of the week after another match where he was a key cog in Halifax's attack. He created four chances, including assisting on Ryan Telfer's match winner and played 19 passes in the final third.

Nicolás Mezquida (Vancouver FC)

Mezquida opened his CPL account with his first goal and was the heartbeat of Vancouver FC's effort against Cavalry on Friday. Mezquida also created three chances, played six crosses and won three tackles during an energetic performance.

Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers)

Rea hardly put a foot wrong during a dynamic performance against Pacific on Saturday. He had three shots, two of which were on target, created two chances, 19 of 20 passes and played a big role in Halifax's second goal.

Forwards

Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)

The defending Golden Boot winner scored his first goal of the 2025 campaign in second-half stoppage time to rescue a point for Cavalry. Active throughout the match, he won possession four times in the final third, created two chances and had four shots, three of which were on target. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1913398303540064309

Form Guide: Quinn makes history; Jonathan, Promise David both bag braces

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:52:05 +0000

A historic first weekend in the Northern Super League saw several Canadian women's national team players write their names in the history books. Plus, Canadian men's national team strikers are in top form, and Alistair Johnston hit a special milestone this season with Celtic, showing just how excellent he has been for the Scottish club. Here are the biggest stories for Canadian footballers this week:

Jonathan David ends mini-slump with huge performance against Auxerre

In the midst of his stunning goal for the Canadian men's national team against the United States, Jonathan David had quietly gone four matches without appearing on the scoresheet for Lille. It was only the second time this season he's gone that long without a goal. Well, that dam certainly burst on Sunday against Auxerre, when David exploded for two goals and an assist during a 3-1 victory. David's first goal was particularly impressive, a left-footed strike which curled into the top corner. The win was also huge for Lille, who move within a single point of Monaco for the third and final Champions League spot in France with four matchweeks remaining. Fellow Canadian striker Theo Bair started for Auxerre, and was removed in the 66th minute. David, meanwhile, now has 16 goals and four assists on the Ligue 1 campaign, and sits third in the Golden Boot race.

Quinn, Boychuk make history in the NSL

Quinn has made a few entries in the history books over their already impressive career, but this past week they added another: first ever goalscorer in the NSL. When the Vancouver Rise won a penalty in the league's inaugural match against the Calgary Wild this past Wednesday, only one player who was ever stepping up. The Canadian national team midfielder calmly converted their effort and the Rise held on for a 1-0 victory, and after 106 matches and six goals for their country, Quinn is certainly already living up to their 'face of the league' status. Then on Saturday, former Canadian youth international striker Tanya Boychuk scored in a 1-0 victory for her Montréal Roses against AFC Toronto at BMO Field. Boychuk is one of many players who moved home to join the fledgling league and could parlay a strong NSL performance into some national team buzz. For the 24-year-old, it's an excellent start.

Alistair Johnston hits double digits in assists on the season with Celtic

On Sunday, Celtic Football Club moved one step closer to another piece of silverware as they booked a spot in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen after a comprehensive 5-0 victory over St. Johnstone. The match featured a milestone moment for Canadian Alistair Johnston, who earned his tenth assist in all competitions with a stunning ball on Celtic's fifth goal of the match, scored by Jota. It has been really promising for both club and country to see Johnston progress this much in the attacking area of his game, and certainly will be welcome for the Canadian attack to see him chip a few more of those lethal crosses into the box during this summer's action.

In other action…

CanMNT

Promise David scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Genk in Belgium. He now has 21 goals in all competitions. Theo Corbeanu opened his MLS account with a lovely goal in Toronto FC's 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Dayne St. Clair picked up his fifth clean sheet of the MLS season, tied for the league lead, after making four saves against FC Dallas. Moïse Bombito did not appear for Nice in their 2-1 victory against Angers on Sunday. Derek Cornelius was an unused substitute in Marseille's 5-1 victory over Montpellier on Saturday. Stephen Eustáquio played 90 minutes as a central defender in a 2-1 victory over Famalicão on Friday. Mathieu Choinière was an unused substitute for Grasshopper in a 1-0 loss to Winterthur on Saturday. Ismaël Koné was an unused substitute for Rennes in a 2-1 victory over Nantes. Jonathan Osorio went 87 minutes for Toronto FC in their 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Ali Ahmed went 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in a 0-0 draw with St. Louis FC on Saturday. Jacob Shaffelburg came on as a half-time substitute in a 3-0 loss for Nashville SC to the Seattle Sounders. Cyle Larin had the start and went the full 90 for Mallorca in a 0-0 draw with Leganes on Saturday.

CanWNT

Olivia Smith scored in the second minute of a 2-1 victory for Liverpool over Brighton & Hove Albion, but came off at the half with an injury after being on the end of a horror tackle. Vanessa Gilles played 90 minutes in a Champions League semi-final first-leg 2-1 victory over Arsenal for Lyon. Kailen Sheridan only needed to make a single save in a comfortable 4-1 victory for San Diego Wave over Racing Louisville on Saturday. Sabrina D'Angelo started for Aston Villa in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Tottenham, making three saves. Jayde Riviere went 90 minutes for Manchester United in a 0-0 draw with West Ham on Saturday. Shelina Zadorsky also went 90 for West Ham in that match. Ashley Lawrence was an unused sub in Chelsea's 4-1 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. Gabriel Carle went the full 90 at left-back in a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pride for the Washington Spirit on Saturday. Emma Regan captained AFC Toronto and went 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Montréal Roses on Saturday in the club's inaugural match. Julia Grosso started and played 79 minutes for Chicago Stars in a 1-0 loss to the Utah Royals on Friday. Bianca St-Georges played 84 minutes for Utah in the victory. Jessie Fleming started and went 90 minutes for the Portland Thorns in a 1-0 loss to Seattle Reign FC. Marie-Yasmine Alidou was a 78th-minute substitute for the Thorns. Nichelle Prince played 70 minutes for KC Current in a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dash. Adriana Leon started and played the first half in a 4-1 victory for San Diego Wave over Racing Louisville. Janine Sonis came on as a substitute for Louisville in the 56th minute.

Fiery five-goal thriller in Ottawa, and is Halifax the real deal? 👀 I CPL Newsroom by Volkswagen

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:37:46 +0000

After an explosive third matchweek in the CPL, the Newsroom crew got together on Monday to chat about some of the biggest storylines around the league. This week: Is Atlético Ottawa vs. York United the new best rivalry in the CPL? Are the Halifax Wanderers more resilient than ever? And could a young Atleti star be the next CPL player on the move? Charlie O'Connor-Clarke, Mitchell Tierney and Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic chatted all that and more, on this week's CPL Newsroom presented by Volkswagen.

The CPL Newsroom will be available on Mondays all season long, at YouTube.com/CPLSoccer, as well as in an audio format on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

AS IT STANDS: Kitchen Party in Halifax, fireworks in the capital & heroics in Hamilton

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:55:43 +0000

Welcome to As It Stands. At the start of each week through the end of the season, we’ll bring you this easy-to-digest wrap-up of everything you need to know from the weekend that was in the Canadian Premier League, and keep tabs on how each team is progressing in its hunt for silverware.

Goals? Late drama? Crunching tackles? A 30-yard screamer? A team's former young star turned heel against them? Week 3 had a little bit of everything in the Canadian Premier League, and there's a lot to talk about. First we saw reigning champs Cavalry FC return to ATCO Field for the first time in 2025, only for the previously 0-0-2 Vancouver FC to steal the show -- mostly. The Eagles were broadly excellent in Calgary on Friday night's nationally-televised match on TSN, and took a 1-0 lead almost all the way, until Tobias Warschewski dictated otherwise. The 2024 Golden Boot winner opened his 2025 CPL account with a lovely strike in the 95th minute, saving a point for the home side. Then, Saturday gave us a heart-stopping triple-header. At TD Place, Atlético Ottawa went 1-0 down against York United, but the sides traded blows en route to a 2-2 scoreline by the 90th minute -- thanks in part to Manny Aparicio's outrageous goal from well outside the penalty area. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Atleti took all three points as former York defender Noah Abatneh fired in a shot for his first goal for Ottawa as the hosts won 3-2 at the death. In Halifax, the faithful at the Wanderers Grounds were treated to a resounding win in their club's home opener, as the Wanderers downed Pacific FC 3-1. Wesley Timoteo scored a lovely strike to open things up, and Ryan Telfer finished a well-worked passing sequence for the winner, cancelling out the consolation goal Dario Zanatta would grab for Pacific. Yohan Baï also scored his first for Halifax right at the end, and the fans in the newly-expanded Kitchen went home thoroughly satisfied. Finally, we ended in Hamilton where Valour were the more impressive side on the day, as Shaan Hundal gave them an early lead, but Brian Wright's first Forge goal -- a strange one, albeit -- allowed the Hammers to get away with a point. They nearly had all three, but Jonathan Viscosi denied Dan Nimick from the penalty spot late to seal a 1-1 result. All that's to say, we've got a three-way tie at the top now:

A note on that Viscosi penalty save: Dan Nimick has now taken 14 penalty kicks in his professional career, and only missed two of them. Both of those two were saved by Viscosi -- the first being in a strange match in Halifax last year, where Nimick scored two spot kicks only to be denied on a third. Also, don't look now but Atlético Ottawa have quite the diverse attack on their hands. They lead the league with nine goals scored in 2025, and they've got eight different goalscorers. It seems like Ottawa versus York United is quickly becoming the unmissable fixture in the CPL. A rivalry seemed to spring up last year with a few heated exchanges, culminating in that classic playoff quarter-final. Saturday's game suggested they still aren't fond of each other, despite new head coaches in both technical areas. This match had the most fouls in CPL history, with 47 (25 for Ottawa, 22 for York). Also, how's this for a quote from Bobby Smyrniotis after his team's lacklustre performance against Valour? "[At halftime] I put two numbers on the board: one was 60, one was 100. The hundred was the workrate of Valour, and 60 was ours. And I was being generous, just because we still had 45 minutes to go; I didn’t want to tell the guys it was 30." I don't think he was thrilled with that one. Finally, congratulations to the Northern Super League, whose inaugural season kicked off last week. Welcome to the Canadian soccer scene!

Monday Reading

Stoppage time Warschewski equalizer denies brilliant Vancouver FC first-ever win over Cavalry	Abatneh the hero for Atlético Ottawa in instant classic against former side York United
Wanderers show off newfound versatility in home opener win vs. Pacific	Hard-working Valour earn first point of 2025 vs. 'bang-average' Forge

Awards Watch

Julian Altobelli got his first start of the year, and scored again to bring him up to three on the season. Meanwhile, a couple of players with Golden Boot aspirations -- Brian Wright and Shaan Hundal -- got off the mark for 2025. Let's give some recognition to 17-year-old Emrick Fotsing, who delivered a man-of-the-match performance against Cavalry on Friday. The youngster was exceptional, and has a very bright future with Vancouver FC; could he be an early candidate for Best U-21 Canadian? Finally, Forge have played three games and conceded just one goal. It's hard to single out any of their defenders individually, but surely if they're as solid as they usually are all year then Alex Achinioti-Jönsson -- or perhaps Dan Nimick -- will probably be in the Defender of the Year conversation come year's end.

U-21 Minutes Update

Vancouver FC are almost half of the way to 2,000, thanks in part to Fotsing's outstanding 90 minutes in Calgary. Meanwhile, Ottawa got a heroic contribution from one of their U-21 stars, as Noah Abatneh scored the last-minute winner for them against York United. So far, Valour are the only team a little behind the pace, but they got Myles Morgan on the pitch late in Hamilton, and will surely pick up minutes more easily once Erik Pop gets up to full fitness.

Club	Total U-21 Minutes
Vancouver FC	968
Atlético Ottawa	727
Pacific FC	642
Cavalry FC	306
Halifax Wanderers FC	305
York United FC	285
Forge FC	240
Valour FC	30

Coming up next…

Friday, April 25

Valour FC vs. Halifax Wanderers FC -- 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET

Saturday, April 26

Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa -- 3 p.m. MT/5 p.m. ET (Live on TSN) Vancouver FC vs. Pacific FC -- 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET

Sunday, April 27

York United FC vs. Forge FC -- 2 p.m. ET (Watch all games live on OneSoccer, and this week catch the Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa match on TSN.)

Photo of the Week

I imagine this is the face every Cavalry fan makes when Tobi Warschewski picks up the ball.

MATCH ANALYSIS: Hard-working Valour earn first point of 2025 vs. ‘bang-average’ Forge

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 01:53:47 +0000

Final Score: Forge FC 1-1 Valour FC Goalscorers: Wright 50'; Hundal 11' Game of the 2025 season: 11 CPL match: 607

Match in a minute or less

Jonathan Viscosi was the late penalty-saving hero for Valour FC on Saturday at Hamilton Stadium, as the Winnipeg club claimed a 1-1 draw with Forge FC for their first point of the 2025 season. Shaan Hundal opened the scoring for Valour early in the first half, and the visitors came close to adding to their advantage before Forge regrouped after halftime. Forge striker Brian Wright was the beneficiary of a fortuitous bounce off the crossbar that landed at his feet, and he made no mistake burying the equalizer for his first goal in an orange shirt. Forge looked likely to win it in the 84th minute, as they won a penalty thanks to a handball in the box, but the usually-deadly Dan Nimick saw his attempt from the spot parried by Viscosi (who remains the only keeper to deny a Nimick penalty in the CPL, now twice).

Three Observations

Hard-working Valour show signs of developing identity in well-deserved draw

The prevailing sentiment in the Valour camp after their season-opening loss at Pacific was that the toothless, sloppy side that lost that game was not an adequate representation of their team's identity this season. Saturday's game in Hamilton? That was closer. Valour were at least on par with last year's regular season winners for most of this game, and in the first half especially they were definitely the harder-working side. In the opening 45 minutes Valour made eight tackles to Forge's three, intercepted the ball seven times, and produced 1.36 expected goals, limiting Forge to 0.65. When the Winnipeg side took a 1-0 lead into halftime, they were absolutely the side more deserving to be ahead. Daryl Fordyce, who manned the touchline for this game with head coach Phil Dos Santos still suspended, pointed out on Saturday that Valour has always been a club that values being hard to play against, and they absolutely were in this match. The visitors were decisive and aggressive with the ball at Hamilton Stadium, pushing it forward quickly every time they won it and attempting to end every attacking move with a ball into the box. Although Forge often pressed Valour high, the Winnipeggers found ways to break the press. Fullbacks Zachary Fernandez and Themi Antonoglou had license to roam, occasionally tucking inside or pushing high up the pitch to stretch Forge wide and open lanes through the middle. There's a hunger in this Valour side, and a decisiveness that will serve them well this season. Kris Twardek was eager to create a chance every time the ball came to him -- even if he had to get on his bike to do so, as he did for his assist. Diogo Ressurreição is a threat to play a through ball or shoot from pretty much anywhere on the pitch. Meanwhile, newcomer Bruno Figureido looked very promising in his first start for Valour. A point may have been saved by Jonathan Viscosi's penalty save on Nimick, but anything less than a draw would've been cruel for Valour.

'Bang-average' Forge claw back a point with second-half improvement

Bobby Smyrniotis was, probably rightly, disappointed in his team's performance on Saturday, and he put it down to a simple disparity in effort between Forge and Valour. The home side were ultimately outworked on home turf in this game, especially in the first half, and they were sluggish going forward which allowed Valour to reassemble their defensive shape on most of the occasions where Forge did break forward. Of course, had they scored the late penalty, Forge would have gotten away with a mediocre day at the office and taken all three points. In fact, they've been tested by Valour a few times at home the past couple of years, and still managed to win somehow. This time though, it wasn't Forge's day. The Hammers were sloppy at times, and although they had a few excellent chances from set-pieces, the ball didn't find the net as easily as it did a week ago. Smyrniotis said after this game that he thought his team had been "bang-average," which is a serious criticism of a side that is usually so far above average when it comes to the Canadian Premier League. In fact, Brian Wright used the exact same wording to describe the effort -- because that's exactly what Smyrniotis had told his dressing room. "Effort wise, we were bang-average, as I told the guys," Smyrniotis told the media. "You can't do that, that's not who we are." Truly though, this was an uncomfortable game for Forge, who saw the tempo of the match getting away from them in the first half. They managed to re-establish some control, and by the late second half they did seem the more likely team to score a winner -- particularly in the last 10 minutes, the penalty notwithstanding. But that late surge was too little, too late; Forge will need to come out stronger, and earlier, to maintain the high standard they've set for performances at Hamilton Stadium.

Brian Wright finally in the goals for Forge, relieving early pressure

Finishes don't come much easier than that, but Brian Wright's goal in this game could be a monumental one for Forge's 2025 campaign. Perhaps the most important thing to come out of this match for the home side is that their new number nine, who arrived from derby rivals York United in the winter, has opened his account for the club. This was Wright's fifth game in Forge colours, after the first two of the CPL campaign plus the two Concacaf Champions Cup matches against CF Monterrey back in February. In each match, he has found himself in dangerous positions in the box, but he had yet to put the ball into the net -- in conspicuous fashion, considering his miss in Leg 1 against Monterrey, and a couple others in successive matches. Over Wright's CPL career, his form has taken various turns upward and downward; last year at York United, his nine goals and six assists landed him the Players' Player of the Year award. A year before, he scored just twice in 26 games. Wright has 24 career CPL goals, which puts him among the league's all-time leaders, but he's mostly effective when in a patch of confidence. After a tough start to life at Forge, Wright might've been in danger of losing that confidence, but fortune came to him on Saturday and allowed him to fire in his first of the year. That marker should lift a weight off his shoulders and allow him to play a little more comfortably, now that it's off his mind. Of course, Smyrniotis and his staff had not been unhappy with Wright, even before he'd scored. Having a striker of his profile is a major boon to Forge, who suffered in last year's playoffs for not having a proper focal point at the tip of their attack. Wright's physicality, runs in the box, and hold-up play make Forge much more dangerous, even if he's not the one scoring; the simple fact that Wright can push a defensive line backward, or receive to feet and lay it off to a winger, will create more goals for the likes of Mo Babouli, or even Tristan Borges and Kyle Bekker coming from midfield. All strikers love to score goals, though, and the opportunity to score a lot of them with such good service will be part of what attracted Wright to Forge in the first place. Now that he's got one, expect more to follow in the coming weeks.

What They Said

“[At halftime] I put two numbers on the board: one was 60, one was 100. The hundred was the workrate of Valour, and 60 was ours. And I was being generous, just because we still had 45 minutes to go; I didn't want to tell the guys it was 30. But if you stay in those numbers in the second half, then the result will be what the result is, simple. Along with that, tactically, we had to be better.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis “Last game at Pacific, it wasn't us. That wasn't what our team's made of; the energy levels, top to bottom, everything we showed that day, it wasn't us. It kind of sucked that we had that week off, I think everyone wanted to come out and show what we can do. I think this is just a building block for the next game, we're just excited to go home and play our first home game.” — Valour FC forward Shaan Hundal

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Zachary Fernandez, Valour FC

Making his debut for the club, the former Halifax right-back was excellent for Valour, adding a spark of energy and battling well against Forge's left side. Fernandez won all four of his attempted tackled and made five interceptions, winning six of seven duels and leading his team with 64 touches and 10 successful passes in the final third.

What’s next?

Valour now return home to play their home opener, which kicks off at Princess Auto Stadium next Friday, April 25 against Halifax Wanderers FC (7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET). Forge, meanwhile, have a short trip to northern Toronto to play York United on Sunday, April 27 (2 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

MATCH ANALYSIS: Wanderers show off newfound versatility in home opener win vs. Pacific

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 23:26:30 +0000

Final Score: Halifax Wanderers FC 3-1 Pacific FC Goalscorers: Timóteo 19', Telfer 65', Baï 90+5'; Zanatta 71' Game of the 2025 season: 10 CPL match: 606

Match in a minute or less

The Halifax Wanderers kicked off their 2025 slate of home games in style on Saturday, as they defeated Pacific FC 3-1 in their home opener at the Wanderers Grounds. After surviving an early wave of Pacific pressure, the Wanderers opened the scoring in the 19th minute, as Wesley Timóteo curled a shot off the crossbar and in from the edge of the box. Then, they doubled their lead in the 65th minute, as Ryan Telfer scored with a cool finish after some great build-up play from Giorgio Probo and Sean Rea. Pacific made things interesting late, as Dario Zanatta scored to make it 2-1 in the 71st minute, but the Wanderers called game in the 95th minute, as Yohan Baï scored his first CPL goal after a great individual run to seal the victory for his team.

Three Observations

Aggressive Wanderers show different side in entertaining victory:

The Wanderers didn't exactly hide their intentions heading into this one - they wanted to entertain. Having had one of the best home records in the CPL over the past few years, a big reason for that has been due to their style of play, as they look to control games at home, making them uncomfortable by playing right on top of them with and without the ball. Coming off two solid road performances to kick off the year, in which they grabbed four points, that set the tone for them to come out strongly in their return to the Wanderers Grounds for the first time in 2025. It took a while for them to get going in this one - Pacific came out strongly before the Wanderers broke open the game with their 19th-minute goal - but once the Wanderers got that lead, they started to play with the energy that they had promised in the build-up to this game. Interestingly, they did so by slightly modifying their approach - they held far less of the ball than usual in this game, finishing with just 44.6% of possession, and they were more passive in their press, but they were lethal when they got on the ball. As a result, they generated an impressive 18 shots, including seven on target, for a total of 1.7 Expected Goals (xG), doing a great job of being dangerous in the moments they pushed forward. In particular, Sean Rea and Giorgio Probo had excellent games for the Wanderers, doing a great job of finding spaces between the lines to attack. There was no better example of that than on the Wanderers' second goal, which stood as the winner, which came to be after some brilliant work from Probo and Rea. After having won the ball in a dangerous area in Pacific's half, the pair of Wanderers' attacking midfielders came alive, doing well to drift into a dangerous area, before combining nicely with some quick passing to create the chance for Telfer. Yet, that might be the best example of what this new-look Wanderers team is about. Having spent a lot of time in the offseason working on their pressing, as Patrice Gheisar took a page out of Jesse Marsch's book after spending some time with the Canadian Men's National Team head coach last year, they want that to be a pillar of their game in 2025. A goal like that second one shows why that is the case, as they were able to recover the ball in a great area, and that gave more space for their dangerous attackers to get to work. In a game like this, where Pacific were able to get on the ball a bit more, the Wanderers' press allowed them to stay involved in the match, knowing that it took just one moment to unlock a dangerous moment. Otherwise, another big thing that will stand out for the Wanderers? How they closed out this game, as they did a great job of weathering a late Pacific storm after the visitors had cut the lead to 2-1. Unlike in week #1, where the Wanderers drew 2-2 away to Atlético Ottawa after going up 2-0, they didn't want to waste their lead this time around. Thanks to the insertion of some fresh legs, and an emphasis on being patient on the ball, they kept composed and even got an insurance marker to properly see out the game. Details that they often struggled with in 2024, it's encouraging to see that early growth in 2025, as that can pay off throughout a long season, where wins like this can be immensely valuable.

Lapses in both boxes cost Pacific despite an improved showing:

Early on, it looked like Pacific might get off to a strong start, as they came out of the gates with energy in the early minutes. In particular, they did a great job of finding space down the flanks, as Ronan Kratt kept finding himself open on the left, and Marco Bustos on the right. Not only that, but they did a good job of turning those attacks into dangerous attempts, too - Pacific had a couple of glorious chances to go up early, as they managed to filter the ball into some good areas in and around the Wanderers' box. Unfortunately, they were not as composed with those attempts as they would've hoped, as they sent a few of those dangerous shots well wide of the mark, but it was encouraging to see the areas they were occupying. That ended up being the story of their game, however - Pacific were a lot better in this game on the ball, having struggled in their last match against Forge, which was positive to see. Given that they held 55.6% of possession, completing 81.8% of their passes, that's a good sign, as that's what they want to do in games - have control. Plus, it's not as if that control was completely without purpose, either - they also had 15 shots and 1.37 xG, as they certainly tested the Wanderers goal. Where Pacific let themselves down, however, was with their execution in those moments. For example, they had three big chances, compared to the Wanderers' two, but the Wanderers scored both of theirs, whereas Pacific finished just one. Not only that, but Pacific didn't have a shot worth more than 0.27 xG, whereas the Wanderers had two worth 0.42 and 0.44 xG, respectively, as the hosts ensured that their big chances would yield quality scoring chances - something Pacific struggled with, as they'd often seem to overthink the chances they got in good areas. Overall, however, that was the big takeaway for Pacific in this game - they need to be better in both boxes, as that feels like it's where they lost this match. Be it from the goals they conceded, with one coming off a set-piece, another a sloppy turnover and the other a strong individual effort, ones they'll all want back, or their lack of finish, they just weren't good enough in either box. Therefore, while they'll take some solace in the performance being much improved, look for improved execution to be their focus going forward, as this team knows that you can't waste performances like this if you want to finish high up the table at the end of the year.

Timóteo's versatlity a perfect example of 2025 Wanderers success:

Wesley Timóteo has been asked to play several different positions during his stint in the Canadian Premier League, as he's picked up a reputation of being a Swiss Army Knife for coaches to work with. When he burst onto the scene with FC Edmonton in 2022, for example, he was a dangerous winger, scoring three goals and adding five assists in his lone season in Alberta. Then, since his arrival in Halifax, he's had to fill a few other positions for the Wanderers after starting as a winger in 2023, including as a full back and even as a ball-playing centre back. Now, he's being asked to fill another role in 2025, and that's to play as a wing back, a role that seems to suit him perfectly. To his credit, he's been pretty comfortable in every role he's had to play, even as a centre back, but there's no doubt that he can best impact a game when he's high up the field. As a wing back, he's getting to do that, and this game was another example of how. On the ball, he plays a big role in the build-up play, helping provide an outlet for the Wanderers to play through, while also proving to be an important asset in the final third. In particular, he does a great job of overlapping and providing width for his team, which can be extremely valuable given how narrow the likes of Probo and Rea will play, as he'll give them an option out wide to use when they drift into those central channels. Off the ball, however, he's no slouch - he has no problem getting stuck in defensively, even when dealing with a tricky winger like Marco Bustos, which was his main assignment in this game. "I think it's a perfect balance," Timóteo said of his new role. "I think it's where I can help the team the most." Yet, Timóteo is the perfect example of what has worked for this Wanderers team so far in 2025 - they're a much more versatile group than before. Of course, at their best, they'll want to be that team that dominates the ball, but they know that they won't be able to do that all season - there will be moments where they need to sit back and defend, or play more directly in possession. To do that, you need players like Timóteo, who can help you on both sides of the ball, and the Wanderers have them in spades, especially among their new-look midfield and backline. That's helped them massively through the first few games, and they'll look to use that to their advantage going forward.

What They Said

"It was incredible. It's my third home opener, and the commitment of the people here never dies - you've seen it with the expansion in the stadium, that took incredible work by the people here. This is the earliest that we've ever had a home opener, and the field was in great condition, but people haven't slept for weeks (to make this happen), so we can only thank them so much for what they did to set up this scene and stage. ” — Halifax Wanderers FC head coach Patrice Gheisar.

"In the last few games, we've shown a lot of maturity, we know we're going to suffer at some points, and we went through that phase (early), at half time we spoke about what we had to change, and then we showed a lot of energy in the second half.” — Halifax Wanderers FC wing back Wesley Timóteo

"It was frustrating to start the game the way we did, and to still walk away from here with nothing. It's frustrating to give up another goal on a set piece because I thought momentum was with us, but again, we need to respond quicker from that, as well. It took us too long to get back into the game, we then went down 2-0 before getting back to 2-1, so yeah, we walk away very frustrated with the result.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Wesley Timóteo, Halifax Wanderers FC

Timóteo was excellent on both sides of the ball for the Wanderers in this victory. On the ball, he completed 25 out of 33 passes (76%), including three out of six long balls and 10 passes into the final third, to go along with four shots along with one chance created, while also chipping in with two tackles, five clearances, three recoveries and winning six out of 12 duels defensively.

What’s next?

The Wanderers will head out on the road for their next match, as they get set for a clash against Valour FC at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Friday, April 25th (7:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. AT). Meanwhile, Pacific will return to British Columbia, but for a road game, as they make the short trip to Langley to take on Vancouver FC in the Salish Sea Derby at Willoughby Community Park on Saturday, April 26th (5:00 p.m. PT). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

MATCH ANALYSIS: Abatneh the hero for Atlético Ottawa in instant classic against former side York United

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 21:37:29 +0000

Final Score: Atlético Ottawa 3-2 York United FC Goalscorers: Salter 51', Aparicio 56', Abatneh 90+5'; Altobelli 11', Ferrazzo 83' Game of the 2025 season: 9 CPL match: 605

Match in a minute or less

A stoppage time goal from Noah Abatneh won an instant CPL classic for Atlético Ottawa over his former club York United on Saturday afternoon, in a chaotic, back-and-forth thriller at TD Place. Julian Altobelli opened the scoring for York eleven minutes in, diving to head home a cross from Max Ferrari and give the Nine Stripes an early lead on the road. Altobelli and the York attackers nearly scored again later in the half as they fired away several shots in a row but could not find a second in the opening 45 minutes. It didn't take long for Ottawa to find the back of the net when play resumed, though, scoring twice in quick succession to take the lead out of nowhere. First, Sam Salter scooped a shot over the York goalkeeper from close range after it pinballed around the penalty area, before Manny Aparicio fired a long-distance rocket into the top corner following a well-worked set piece. Riley Ferrazzo thought he rescued a point late for York when his attempted cross soared into the back of the net, but Noah Abatneh was the hero for Ottawa when his late strike deep into stoppage time saw them pick up a dramatic 3-2 victory to move to the top of the table.

Three Observations

York squander another halftime lead, then dealt crushing late blow after equalizing

After letting a halftime lead slip last weekend at home against Halifax, York United came into this match speaking about the need to string together a complete 90 minutes, and hold on to leads when they get them. Like last week's game, they scored first, with Julian Altobelli heading home a cross into the box from Max Ferrari eleven minutes in. The Nine Stripes took that one-goal advantage into the break, and the question immediately became whether or not they can do what they were preaching for three big points on the road. The answer to that question turned out to again be no, with Sam Salter and former club captain Manny Aparicio both scoring within the first eleven minutes of play resuming. York head coach Mauro Eustáquio commented ahead of the match about his team's mentality and the need to come out for the second half with the same intensity that they were going to have in the first, but that was again an issue on Saturday. They were stunned a bit by the first goal, and then the second came five minutes later as they tried to compose themselves and get back into the game. To York's credit, they were able to limit the damage from there as Ottawa sent waves of attacks at them following their goals. It was that resilience that kept them in the game long enough for Riley Ferrazzo to tie the game with an errant cross that found itself striking the inside of the far post and ending up in the back of the net. They likely would have been content but not happy with a single point had they held on, but in the fifth minute of stoppage time it was another former player who came back to bite them. After Ferrazzo committed a foul along the sideline, a cross was hoisted into the penalty area and fell to Noah Abatneh, who stepped up and fired the ball into the bottom corner to win the game for the hosts with one of the last kicks of the match. Moments before that Shola Jimoh almost found the top corner of the Ottawa net, which would have also surely been the game-winner. It won't get any easier for York from here, as they get set to host high-flying Forge FC next weekend. They have been starting matches well, but Forge is another ruthless team that will punish them if they get the chance. The challenge for York is to again start the game well, and then maintain it over the full 90 minutes.

Ottawa getting goals from different sources as attacking overhaul continues

A lot has been made of Atlético Ottawa's fresh attack-minded identity under new head coach Diego Mejía, and while it wasn't as free-flowing as it looked against Vancouver FC in the club's previous match, they still managed to find the back of the net three times to improve to a 2-1-0 record on the season. Against the Wanderers in week one, David Rodriguez and Aboubacar Sissoko scored in a comeback draw to start the season, before Rodriguez led the charge last weekend in Vancouver, scoring again alongside Kevin Dos Santos, Ballou Tabla and Monty Patterson. This time it was Sam Salter, Manny Aparicio and Noah Abatneh finding the scoresheet. That's nine goals in total already, the most in the league, from eight different players and scored in a variety of ways. Rodriguez has shown an ability to dribble through an entire team to set up a goal for himself or a teammate, Abatneh scored in the second phase of a set piece, Aparicio scored a long range screamer, and Salter pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area, among others. That versatility, combined with the mental strength shown so far this season to compete from the first whistle to the last, will give them the ability to pick up results in any match they play. With the way they are attacking at the moment, they have a chance to cement themselves among the very best teams in the CPL, which was a target and expectation coming into 2025. Cleaning up the defensive side of things a bit is the next step for them, although the second goal they conceded was something of a fluke for York. This has the makings of a CPL Shield contending team, even if the three goals per game will be impossible to maintain over 28 matches.

Altobelli stays hot with brilliant diving header

Julian Altobelli's Canadian Premier League debut could not have gone much better in York's opening match of the season, with the forward scoring twice off the bench in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver FC and being named the CPL Player of the Week. While he was limited to half an hour off the bench again last weekend in a losing effort against the Halifax Wanderers, Altobelli was in from the start for Saturday's match in Ottawa, and made another immediate impact. In the 11th minute, against the run of play, Altobelli scored his third goal of the season, diving to head a cross from Max Ferrari past Nathan Ingham to give his side an early lead. It was the kind of goal that a confident striker would convert, or even attempt, and confidence is something that the York striker has exuded so far this season since re-joining York. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1913644669352763740 Another thing worth noting is that Altobelli's three goals this season have all come in different ways. His first goal was a reactionary turn and fire into the roof of the net from close range after being in the right place at the right time. The second was picking up the ball and carrying it toward goal before curling it to the back post and in, and the third was a diving header after a great run into the box to avoid the defenders. That creativity will serve any striker well, particularly a player like Altobelli looking to seal his place in Mauro Eustáquio's starting lineup and have a big season after moving clubs. He is off to a flying start to begin 2025, and will look to continue his strong start to the season next weekend when the Nine Stripes host Forge FC and arguably the league's best backline at York Lions Stadium.

What They Said

“Obviously we have the firepower going forward, I think we need to work on some things defensively because we are conceding goals. That comes with with more games, gelling as a team. We're confident going forward and obviously we're pushing for the title. That's what we're here to do.” — Atlético Ottawa defender Noah Abatneh “I think again we gotta look at ourselves. I think, once again, we showed up in the first half, do what we have to, do what we plan, and then I feel like there's an emotional disconnection to the game in the second half and they were able to change the game around.” — York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Manny Aparicio, Atlético Ottawa

Ottawa's midfield dictated play all afternoon, with Manny Aparicio in particular key to their comeback in the second half, and scoring a brilliant goal from distance to give the hosts their initial lead.

What’s next?

Atlético Ottawa visit Cavalry FC on Saturday, April 26 (7 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET), while York United return home to host Forge FC in the first 905 Derby of the season on Sunday, April 27 (2 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

‘Think about what’s next’: Valour raring to go vs. Forge after early bye week

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 13:07:29 +0000

They've had days to reflect, to stew on the negative result and then, hopefully, to fix it. And now after a lacklustre effort in a 2-nil loss to Pacific FC in their Canadian Premier League 2025 opener back on April 5, Valour FC has been fixated for almost two weeks on getting its game right this Saturday in Hamilton against powerhouse Forge FC. "We lacked energy. Look, it's the first game, you're on the road, you need to manage your emotions," said Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos after training on Thursday. "The guys were extremely anxious about that first game. But you can't just flush it. We know there were too many characteristics that the team had not been during the preseason. We need to understand why we were so flat -- I'm not even talking defensively; offensively we lacked aggression. "When you look at it (the bye week in the schedule) actually came at a good time for us. It allowed us to approach things differently. Nobody was happy with a bad first game. It allowed us to be a little bit harder on the guys and bring everyone back to reality and not be too concerned about the effects it could have on the immediate next game because we had a bit of time." Part of the collective disappointment comes from the solid preseason the club had experienced leading up to the trip to Victoria. Yet, against the Tridents Valour wasn't just flat, it generated just five shots, with only one on target. "I always tell them when we deviate from what we want to be this year we're going to suffer," Dos Santos said. "I look at that first game and for whatever the reasons were we just felt we were so outside what we want the team to look like when it comes to the effort, the intensity, the aggression with which we want to play. I felt we did have territorial control and the bulk of the possession but that can be also be your worst enemy if you don't finish an action with a shot, with a cross, with a bit of aggression, especially against a team that is known to be strong in transition on a field where if you put two passes forward you're at the opposition's net. "Now we have to think about what's next." There will be changes for Valour on Saturday, what with new fullback Zach Fernandez available to make his Valour debut after serving a suspension in Match 1 from his time last season with Halifax Wanderers. Attacker/midfielder Kian Williams is also on the mend, while gritty midfielder Dante Campbell -- who also missed the opener -- is available. The club also saw a boost in energy in the opener from substitutes like Myles Morgan, Bruno Figueiredo and Jevontae Layne after they entered the match. That will be critical going forward as this Valour squad has more depth than in years past and no one's spot in the starting lineup is guaranteed. "I tell the guys the spots are there," said Dos Santos. "I have to put 11 players on the field, but (the spot) doesn't belong to anyone. The danger is when player come to you and say, 'How come I'm out?' What, the spot is yours? It has to be every day that you show up. The games are going to require certain characteristics the coaches need to be attentive to. I want this to be a team that understands we're here to make decisions and they're here to play and execute. "I don't want it that every time I make two, three, four changes to the lineup that it's perceived a player is performing. I want them to understand we choose based on what the next game could look like and how we can exploit or what we have to be attentive to in bringing different characteristics to different moments. There's a strategical component to it." Fernandez, meanwhile, didn't make the trip to Victoria while he served his suspension and watched the match here in Winnipeg. "It wasn't our best game, and I couldn't contribute which was frustrating to me as a competitor," he told valourfootball.club Thursday. "We have a lot to learn from that game and I think everything can be positive. There's a lot we can change. It's about the mentality. We have dawgs on this team, and we need to show it when we step on the pitch -- that's the main point we learned from the first game. "I've been around the league. This team has shown a lot. The mentality is good here and we have good players. At the end, I'm really excited to start this weekend."

MATCH ANALYSIS: Stoppage time Warschewski equalizer denies brilliant Vancouver FC first-ever win over Cavalry

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 02:49:43 +0000

Final Score: Cavalry FC 1-1 Vancouver FC Goalscorers: Warschewski 90+5'; Mezquida 19' Game of the 2025 season: 8 CPL match: 604

Match in a minute or less

Vancouver FC came painfully close to earning a first-ever victory over Cavalry FC on Friday night, only to be denied by a late equalizer from Tobias Warschewski in a thrilling 1-1 draw. In Cavalry's first home match at ATCO Field since winning the 2024 CPL Final, it was the Eagles who impressed. Playing an exciting and energetic brand of football, especially in the first half, they forced several brilliant saves from Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci after opening the scoring in the 19th minute through Nicolás Mezquida. Both Vancouver FC and Cavalry are still in search of their first victory of the 2025 season, but this was the first point for both sides. Cavalry FC remain undefeated (3-3-0) in home openers at ATCO Field.

Three Observations

Vancouver FC's aggressive press, workrate causes all kinds of issues for Cavalry FC

Since the start of the 2025 season, Vancouver FC manager Afshin Ghotbi has been clear in the way he wants his young team to play: energetic and aggressive. Citing the Canadian men's national team as inspiration, Ghotbi envisions his team pressing relentlessly and playing with directness and a high tempo from opening whistle until the final whistle. On Friday, they came painfully close to making that happen during an outstanding performance at ATCO Field where they nearly pressed the defending CPL Champions Cavalry FC to perfection. It began up front, with Alejandro Díaz leading the line and Terran Campbell tucking in from the right wing and aggressively closing down Cavalry's central defenders. A marauding Nicolás Mezquida consistently and tirelessly got forward from midfield and added a third prong to the initial press. The trio combined exceptionally on the opening goal. From the right wing, Campbell closed down Cavalry defender Callum Montgomery's passing lane, allowing Díaz to step in and strip the ball. Campbell then took the loose ball and carried it toward the box before sliding a pass into the path of Mezquida who scored his first CPL goal. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1913375157663433047 In possession, in a tactic that would certainly be familiar to Cavalry faithful, given Daan Klomp's time with the club, Vancouver central defender David Norman Jr. stepped forward into midfield. This allowed Mezquida the license to get further forward, and offered Emrick Fotsing further support in the centre of the park -- who himself was direct and dangerous when winning the ball back. Meanwhile, Elage Bah on the left, and Kunle Dada-Luke on the right, gave Vancouver critical width both in terms of attacking moments -- and put in a shift defensively to take time and space away from Cavalry's wide attackers. The chart below of Vancouver's average positions during the first half shows just how high their line of engagement was in aggressively pressing Cavalry's backline.

Particularly in the first half, this system was tremendously effective, denying Cavalry the ability to play through the middle, while also limiting the time and space of their dangerous technicians out wide. Vancouver could use more work in their decision making after winning the ball back, but their instincts to go forward quickly are positive. That system was matched with an outstanding workrate, with Vancouver winning 55.6 per cent of the duels on Friday night. In the end, for 90+ minutes they fought, and on most days they leave ATCO Field with three points after that effort. But the next step in their evolution will be seeing out a match like that. Still, Friday's performance was a significant step in the right direction for the Eagles.

Cavalry FC rescue point despite sluggish start after more Warschewski magic

For Cavalry FC fans who had waited 160 days to watch their side play at ATCO Field, Friday's team looked a far cry from the group that played Forge off the park for large parts of the 2024 CPL Final. Instead of being the aggressors, as they were on that Nov. 9 day, Cavalry were sluggish in possession, failing to break through the Vancouver lines and instead gifting the opposition plenty of opportunities in transition. They needed to be bailed out on multiple occasions by Marco Carducci, who finished the match with four saves, a few of them game-saving. Particularly when trying to play through the middle of the park, and out of the back, Cavalry struggled. This improved slightly when Michael Baldisimo was inserted at the half, as he did a good job of dropping between the central defenders and helping the team progress the ball. But they still struggled to parlay that into clear-cut attacking opportunities. In the end, Cavalry needed their German talisman to bail them out. In the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, Warschewski collected a ball won by Caniggia Elva just outside the Vancouver box, shifted to his right, and took a low driven shot across goal that fooled Vancouver FC goalkeeper Callum Irving. It was Warschewski's fourth goal in six all-time matches against the Eagles in all competitions. Cavalry need not apologize for having a player like the 2024 CPL Golden Boot winner who can deliver a moment of magic like that to earn a point. But they leave ATCO Field on Friday knowing they were miles off their usual standard.

17-year-old Canadian midfielder Emrick Fotsing dominant in midfield during second-ever professional start

The words "football factory" find their way into the lexicon quite often at this point around Vancouver FC circles, and the latest talent on the assembly line looks to be 17-year-old midfielder Emrick Fotsing. The Mascouche, Québec native, who joined the Eagles during the off-season after multiple years with CF Montréal's youth system, including captaining their U-17 side, was making just his second professional start on Friday. In his first, during last week's disaster against Atlético Ottawa, he lasted just 45 minutes. Against Cavalry FC, however, Fotsing delivered a performance well beyond his years, which offered a clear glimpse at his immense potential. On the ball, he consistently and confidently looked to play forward, whether that was dribbling the ball up the pitch himself or playing vertical passes. He completed a solid 22 of his 28 attempted passes, showing good decision-making in the process in order to keep his team in possession. Defensively, he used his size and strength brilliantly against some of the league's top midfielders and attackers, winning seven of ten duels, and possession ten times. "It's his second start as a professional player, and I feel he was one of the best players on the park," said Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi. "He has such a high ceiling. He has so much potential, he's such a great student of the game, and his aptitude to learn and develop tactically and to play within the role. We've always known he's going to be one of the new stars of Canadian football, and I'm hoping that in a very short period of time, he'll be playing in a top club in Europe. I'm certain of that."

What They Said

“I think that was a really poor first half, especially by our standards. And I think that's what I challenged at half-time, good response, but you can't give a team 45 minutes of football. It just doesn't make sense to me. So we have to be better in our start. The only solace, really, is we're still undefeated in all our home openers.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

"I think the most important thing we can take out of this game is the confidence that the players gain from the fact that they can achieve anything, anywhere, against any opponent. Cavalry is as good as it gets in this league, and for us to come here and outplay them, and I feel we outplayed them and deserved a win today. I think that gives our players a lot of confidence.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Emrick Fotsing, Vancouver FC

In just his second ever professional start, Fotsing was outstanding in the centre of the park. At just 17, the sky is the limit for this player if he can continue to get minutes on a young Eagles team.

What’s next?

Cavalry FC remain at home, where they host Atlético Ottawa on Saturday, April 26 (7 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET). Vancouver, meanwhile, are also in action on April 26, back in Langley for the first Salish Sea Derby of 2025 against rivals Pacific FC (5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

PREVIEW: Forge FC vs. Valour FC — CPL Match #11

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 18:38:30 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #11 Forge FC vs. Valour FC April 19 at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m CT Hamilton Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

The Canadian Premier League's only perfect team to start 2025 returns home this weekend, as the 2-0-0 Forge FC take to Hamilton Stadium to host a well-rested and motivated Valour FC on Saturday. The Hammers come back to Ontario after a resounding 2-0 win at Pacific FC last weekend, which put them on top of the league table with six points and zero goals conceded through the first two matches. Last year's CPL Shield winners are therefore off to a raring start, opening the year with back-to-back victories for just the second time in club history -- after doing so last season as well. Valour, meanwhile, had last weekend off, which gave them an early chance to regroup following their 2-0 loss to Pacific on opening day. After an impressively strong preseason, Valour's confidence took a severe hit as they were outmatched by the Tridents, but with almost two weeks' time to prepare for this trip to Hamilton, they're ready for a second chance at a strong start. There's plenty to be excited about with both these sides; Forge are the perennial title contenders, and this year their usual stars are complemented by newcomers to the side like Dan Nimick, Marko Jevremović and Mo Babouli, who have all made a major impact in the first two games. Valour, meanwhile, have their eyes on a first ever playoff appearance this year, having built a talented squad led by coach Phillip Dos Santos. Returning players like Themi Antonoglou and Shaan Hundal lead a side that's now also joined by Kris Twardek and the returning Kian Williams to add some attacking punch. Despite the stark difference in these two clubs' fortunes over the years, this has always been a competitive fixture. In fact, no CPL team has more regular season wins against Forge than Valour FC, who have eight in 22 meetings. Forge did win both times Valour came to Hamilton last season, but only twice in the last five years have these sides been separated by more than a goal -- one two-goal win for each of them. The Hammers have been almost unstoppable to begin the 2025 season, but could a well-prepared Valour side be the first to topple them?

All CPL matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980) as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, through the OneSoccer app and on the fuboTV Canada platform.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Forge adding lethal set-pieces to arsenal: As if Forge needed more ways to be dangerous after scoring the most goals in the league last year, they unlocked something different against Pacific last week. Both of their goals were clever set-piece routines: the first was an intricate designed play involving a dummy run and a couple of deliberate balls across the defence to eventually wind up on Khadim Kane's head. The second goal was a simpler move, but still required an excellent front-post run and flicked header from Alex Achinioti-Jönsson to pull off. Both seemed to be routines straight off the training ground, and Bobby Smyrniotis was thrilled to see them executed so well. This week, Valour will have done their homework to try and neutralize Forge's creative set-piece threat, but the main priority will be avoiding giving up free kicks in those dangerous areas.

Valour hopeful for better restart after early break: Getting almost two weeks off right at the start of the season, as Valour did, can be disruptive for some teams, for whom establishing a rhythm early is crucial. However, a little extra time to reflect on the loss on Vancouver Island, and to prepare specifically for Forge, might be useful for Phil Dos Santos and his team. If Valour treat this game as, in essence, a second chance at starting their season after a false start in game one, then they could set themselves up well to build some momentum ahead of next weekend's home opener. Against Pacific, Valour were beaten in transition a little too easily and struggled to create chances despite a healthy amount of possession. They'll have been studying Forge this week, looking for ways to get the ball to Williams and Hundal in dangerous areas inside the penalty area.

Eyes on Forge youngsters: Early in this season, Bobby Smyrniotis has not been afraid to hand big minutes to young players. On opening day, he gave 18-year-old Zayne Bruno his professional debut as the starting right-back against Cavalry. It wasn't quite a dream debut for Bruno, who picked up two yellow cards and was sent off in the 72nd minute, but the fact Smyrniotis trusted him with the start is a testament to the faith he has in Bruno's potential. Last weekend, it was 19-year-old Khadim Kane who got the start at right-back, and he scored the winning goal in a Team of the Week-worthy performance. Might Kane get the nod again this week? That could depend on the health of likely first-choice right-back Rezart Rama, who came off the bench at Pacific but hasn't been fully match-fit yet. Another youngster who could be in line for his spotlight moment is Keito Lipovschek, a highly-touted 20-year-old who's expected to make a significant contribution this year.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Nimick, Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremović; Bekker, Hojabrpour, Borges; Ampomah, Wright, Babouli

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Romeo, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Campbell, Ohin; Twardek, Williams, Ressurreição; Hundal

ALL-TIME SERIES

Forge FC wins: 12 || Valour FC wins: 8 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

Oct. 10, 2024 — Valour FC 0-1 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“We remain humble as a team, and have full respect in who they are, because it's too early in the season to know what an opponent is going to be like. ... [Valour] have played one game away at Pacific on a small field; that's a lot different a situation than coming here to play. One thing we know over history is Valour play some very good matches, they're tactically sound against Forge.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

"[Valour] had their game against Pacific; I think they're a good team, they're dangerous. Any team, when they come to Forge, they're a dangerous team, they seem to up their game, and it's going to be no different this weekend. I think if we just keep doing what we're doing, stay locked in and limit those transition moments, then it'll be a good game for us." -- Forge FC defender Dan Nimick

“[The break] was good for us it allowed us to approach things a bit differently. ... It allowed us to maybe be a bit hard on the guys and bring everyone back to reality, and not be too concerned with the effects it could have in the immediate next game, because we had a little bit of time. You go through a preseason where the team was looking very sharp, and I always tell them, when we deviate from what we want to be this year we're going to suffer.” — Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos

"It's going to take our best effort in terms of maximum focus and attitude to apply our game plan as well as we can, and give ourselves the best chance of getting a positive outcome of the game. But learning from the first game, managing expectations around the result is important. We're more focused on what we want to do and how we want to do it, rather than just focusing on the end result." -- Valour FC goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi

PREVIEW: Halifax Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC — CPL Match #10

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 18:12:43 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #10 Halifax Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC April 19 at 12:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. AT Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

For the first time in 2025, the Halifax Wanderers are back at home, as they get set to host Pacific FC at Wanderers Grounds on Saturday. After starting the season with two straight road games, the Wanderers will be ecstatic to be back on their home pitch, having last played there in mid-October. As for Pacific, they face a similar milestone in this game, but in a different way - this marks their first road game of the season after starting 2025 with two matches at Starlight Stadium. Having last visited Halifax in September of last year, where they picked up a crucial 2-2 draw amid a late push to the playoffs that saw Pacific sneak into that last spot, four points ahead of the Wanderers, they’d love for another similar result (or better) this time around. Despite having different starts to the year in terms of travel, both sides have achieved similar results in their first few matches - Pacific won their first game vs. Valour before falling in their second game vs. Forge, while the Wanderers drew their first game vs. Atlético Ottawa before defeating York United in their second game - making this an important one in terms of the quest to establish early positioning in the CPL standings. The Wanderers do come into this one with more momentum - their victory against York was a massive one, given that they came from behind to win on the road, picking up an impressive 2-1 result in a game that York looked likely to run away with early. Seeing that the Wanderers only won once on the road in all of 2025, they’ll be happy to be on the board early in that category this year. Now, they want to build on that momentum, turning this into a dream start. After having failed to win a game until their 10th match of 2024, they’ve wanted to start strongly in 2025, and a victory here would certainly put them on the right track. "It's really important to focus on ourselves," Wanderers' head coach, Patrice Gheisar, said this week. "We know that (Pacific) are a terrific team, they've added a lot of new players, as we have, but I think we have to come out and play the way we do at home - we have to come out and be willing to take chances to get goals."

RELATED: ‘He has every attribute’: Halifax Wanderers’ Tiago Coimbra ready for breakout CPL season

As for Pacific, they’ll want to have short memories after their loss to Forge, where they didn’t put in a bad performance, but got undone by two set-piece goals and failed to create enough to break down a solid Forge defensive unit on the day. Following a comprehensive win vs. Valour, their showing vs. Forge felt flat by comparison, as they just never seemed to get any rhythm in their play. Because of that, their big goal will be to find that rhythm again, especially on the ball, which will help them get more involved in the game. Given that they’ve won three and drawn three of their 10 visits to the Grounds, they’ll feel they have what it takes to surprise the home fans, even against a Wanderers team that wants to make this place a fortress. "'It's going to be a big crowd, it's always a great atmosphere to play in," Pacific head coach, James Merriman, said this week. "I think as much as (the Wanderers) are always going to enjoy being at their home, our players enjoy it, as well. We've had some good matches here, it's always a good game." "We expect a big match, and I believe we'll be up for it." In terms of roster availability, Halifax had nothing to note in their pre-match availability, while Pacific looks to be without Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt for this match as he works his way back from a knock, with the goal being to have him ready for their next game vs. Vancouver FC.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Wanderers looking to continue home dominance: For two straight years, the Wanderers have been one of the best in the CPL when it comes to playing at home, as they had the second-best home record in both 2023 and 2024. Sitting with a record of 15W-7D-6L across those 28 games, that gives them 52 points - for context, that would’ve been enough to finish 2nd in the table in 2023, and would’ve won them the league in 2024. Of course, that isn’t a far comparison to make, as the real challenge in the CPL is to be able to consistently win on the road, especially for a side like the Wanderers who has to travel a bit extra compared to most teams due to their location, but it just gives an idea of how dominant they’ve been at home. Because of that, look for them to continue that strong play at the Grounds in their 2025 home opener. Given that it’s a long weekend and the weather looks good, the crowd will be lively and energetic - now, it’ll be up to the Wanderers to put in a performance to match that. "We can't take that for granted," Gheisar said of his team's home record. "Just because you're at home, it doesn't mean that someone's going to roll over and just give you the three points - we have to work for it."

Can Bustos ignite Pacific’s attack? While it’ll be easy for Pacific to look at their offensive performance from their loss to Forge and be frustrated with the fact that they failed to score, there are still a lot of positives for them to take away from that game. A big one was how involved Marco Bustos was, as he had 70 touches, which is a positive sign, even if he wasn’t able to find a goal or assist. Given that he’s still adjusting back to this league and team after a stint in Sweden, one has to imagine it’s only a matter of time before he’s back to his usual best, having scored 14 goals and added 15 assists across three seasons for Pacific in CPL play before transferring to IFK Värnamo in 2023. Pacific are certainly banking on that - that’s why they brought him back, as they lacked a player like him last year, in which no one had more than three assists for them in CPL play - Bustos alone has had at least three assists in four different CPL seasons, including years of six assists in 2021 and 2022 with Pacific. Because of that, look for him to get the ball rolling in terms of this year’s assist haul in this game. "We know the quality that he brings to us and what he can add in the final third," Merriman said of Bustos. "We need to be cleaner and more decisive as a group in the attack; we were a bit hesitant and indecisive in good moments (last week)."

Will Halifax find a rhythm on the ball despite Pacific’s counter threat? Even though they played both of their first two games on the road, Halifax have made it clear - they want to be aggressive on the ball, breaking teams down with their possession play. That they were able to keep an average of 50.3% of possession in those two matches, despite going up against two strong ball-dominant sides in Atlético Ottawa and York United, shows that. Because of that, expect them to be aggressive on the ball against a Pacific side that held an average of just 44.3% of possession in their first two matches, despite being at home. That’s not a figure Pacific wants long-term, as they’re also comfortable holding the ball, but they want to be efficient with their possession, as the first few weeks showed. The balance, however, will be to find moments where they can get on the ball and dictate the tempo, ensuring they don’t wear themselves out by defending all game, while also realizing that the Wanderers' aggression can also be their own biggest enemy. That’s not lost on the Wanderers, who have tried to improve their counter-press this offseason to help overcome that, but as York learned last week, there are still moments where Halifax’s ambitions on the ball can put themselves into trouble, something they’ll want to limit given Pacific’s proficiency in those dangerous transition moments.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timoteo; Callegari, Johnston; Telfer, Probo, Rea; Coimbra

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Young, Ndom; Kratt, Bustos, Zanatta; Heard

ALL-TIME SERIES

Halifax Wanderers wins: 5 || Pacific FC wins: 10 || Draws: 8

Last meeting:

Sep 18, 2024 — Halifax Wanderers 2-2 Pacific FC

KEY QUOTES

“It's always exciting to be here for the home opener, it's always exciting to be home, it's great to be in front of our fans - it's just always good to see the Grounds again. It's been quite some time since we've been here, but we've got to make sure that we manage that excitement and make sure that it doesn't overwhelm us, but at the same time, (enjoy) those jitters, as there's that excitement aspect, as well.”— Halifax Wanderers FC head coach, Patrice Gheisar

“We need to be strong in our mentality. If there are moments we're without the ball, we need to stay together, stay composed and work together... we weren't clean in our transitional moments last match, and that's something that we've been very strong at in preseason, so we want to be tidy here, and we want to make sure that we take advantage of those situations and those actions. Then, on the ball, in possession, I think we can show our personality, and have a bit more confidence.”— Pacific FC head coach, James Merriman

PREVIEW: Atlético Ottawa vs. York United FC — CPL Match #9

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:55:37 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #9 Atlético Ottawa vs. York United FC April 19 at 1 p.m. ET TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

After the rivalry between Ontario clubs Atlético Ottawa and York United reached new heights in 2024, they will battle it out at TD Place on Saturday in their first meeting of 2025. The game will kick off a Saturday tripleheader in the Canadian Premier League, which will also feature the Halifax Wanderers FC home opener against Pacific FC and Forge FC hosting Valour FC in Hamilton. Diego Mejía is off to an undefeated start to his first year as Ottawa's head coach, drawing his opening match against the Wanderers at home before thrashing Vancouver FC 4-1 in Langley last weekend. David Rodríguez was the star of the show in both matches, scoring in each, but against Vancouver in particular he cemented himself as a player that fans need to turn on their televisions to watch. He's rapid, and the ball seems to be glued to his feet as he runs at defenders, often leading the new-look Ottawa attack into goalscoring opportunities. For Ottawa, continuing this attacking resurgence will be key, while also balancing out the defensive stability that teams with their trophy ambitions require. So far, so good for the capital city club, but they will face another tough test on Saturday against a rebuilt York United side.

RELATED: David Rodríguez a perfect fit for new-look Atlético Ottawa: ‘He can be one of the best players in the league’

The Nine Stripes have a new head coach as well after promoting Mauro Eustáquio to head coach, and he too has had a decent start to 2025. After a 2-0 away win against Vancouver in week one, thanks to a brace off the bench from Julian Altobelli, they took a lead into halftime in their home opener against Halifax last time out. A poor second half, however, saw them lose their lead within ten minutes of play resuming, before Tiago Coimbra stole three points for the Wanderers late in the game. Eustáquio stressed in his media availability on Thursday the importance of his side having a stronger mentality, especially when they have the lead like that, and that will be put to the test on Saturday. With three out of four good halves of football under their belt, there are signs that this York United team could be poised to challenge the top clubs in the Canadian Premier League this season, so the the next evolution is finding consistency and continuing to raise their level as a group. Both sides are expected to be at full strength in terms of player availability for this match, with the exception of York United defender Frank Sturing, who is still carrying a minor injury.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Will Player of the Week David Rodríguez continue to shine?: Through two weeks, it is difficult to argue that the best player in the Canadian Premier League has been Atlético Ottawa midfielder David Rodríguez. Rodríguez, who is on loan from Mexican affiliate club Atlético de San Luis, has been a breath of fresh air for an Ottawa side that is undergoing a tactical evolution under new head coach Diego Mejía to become more attacking. Rodríguez might just embody that as much or more than anyone in CPL history, often picking up the ball in midfield and immediately charging at the defenders to try and create an opportunity for himself or his teammates -- as seen by his goal and assist last weekend against Vancouver. Few players in the CPL combine his level of ruthlessness and ability, and if he can maintain it over a full season, will be in the conversation come the CPL Awards at the end of the year.

Is there any bad blood from the 2024 Playoffs still?: The leadup to the 2024 CPL Playoffs was a feisty one for Atlético Ottawa and York United, with head coaches Carlos González and Benjamín Mora trading jabs in the media in the final weeks of the regular season, and not backing down as an eventual playoff quarter-final loomed. The intensity rubbed off on the players as well, and the match itself was a thriller that resulted in Ottawa advancing from the league's first-ever penalty shootout, but a lot has changed for both clubs since then. Both sides have new coaches, although York promoted assistant Mauro Eustáquio to the top job, and York in particular overturned a lot of its roster. Will the remaining players and coaches bring that same intensity that made last year's run-in so entertaining? We're about to find out on Saturday.

Shola Jimoh returns to the site of his biggest-ever goal: Shola Jimoh's breakout 2024 campaign in the Canadian Premier League perhaps peaked late in York United's aforementioned playoff quarter-final in Ottawa, when the then-16-year-old attacker scored one of the biggest goals in club history to tie the match late and send it to extra time. As the now-17-year-old Jimoh looks to build on last year's successes, he is already off to a strong start, with an assist on the winning goal in York's opening match of the season two weeks ago amongst two substitute appearances. He could be due for his first start of the season on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa, or perhaps saved for late in the game again when he can strike fear into tired defenders.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Walker, Didic, Abatneh, Levis; Aparicio, Castro, Rodriguez; Antinoro, Salter, Tabla

York United: Pavela; Singh, Higgins, León; Ferrari, Adekugbe, Yeates, Ferrazzo; Bitar, Reid, Ferrin

ALL-TIME SERIES

Atlético Ottawa wins: 2 || York United 7 || Draws: 11

Last meeting:

Oct. 27, 2024 — Atlético Ottawa 2-2 York United (5-4 on penalties) -- 2024 CPL Playoff quarter-final

KEY QUOTES

“I think it will be a tough game. They are a very good team, they have very good players, so I think that the match will be very good for the fans. We work in our model to try to find the the weakness of the of the rival and try to attack them, so I think that you will watch a good game.”— Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía

“We're trying to build a different type of identity and a different type of playing style this year. So far in, I would say a game and a half, it's looking good and we have to keep on building and learning the new style, learning what the coach wants, and trying to implement it every weekend.”— Atlético Ottawa midfielder Manny Aparicio

“I think the focus is on ourselves. There's no easy games in the CPL, we all know how balanced each squad is and how the quality is pretty much the same. Every team, they're going to have their tools to try and expose us, and we just have to stick to ourselves.”— York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio

‘He has every attribute’: Halifax Wanderers’ Tiago Coimbra ready for breakout CPL season

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:10:08 +0000

Less than a minute after his number nine had been lit up in green on the substitution board, Tiago Coimbra latched onto a perfectly weighted long pass from Kareem Sow and burst into the York United penalty area. The Halifax Wanderers' striker let the ball bounce a few times, and deftly lifted it over York goalkeeper Ivan Pavela with the outside of his right boot. The ball bounced once more, before nestling in the bottom right corner. Peeling off in celebration, and peeling off his Wanderers kit, Coimbra was quickly engulfed by ecstatic teammates. As the group walked back toward the halfway line, Coimbra paused for a second, clutching his hamstring, a pained grimace flashing across his face. Just as quickly, he replaced that grimace with a sly grin, as he and teammate Adam Pearlman began high-stepping toward the centre circle. It was a celebration that Coimbra had planned with the Wanderers' medical staff since pre-season, but one that he nearly forgot to execute in the moment until a reminder from Pearlman. "Me and Adam were talking about it in the locker room before the game, that I was gonna come in and I was gonna score, and we were gonna do that celebration," the Halifax striker told CanPL.ca. The goal, which officially hit the back of the net a minute and two seconds after Coimbra stepped onto the pitch for the first time in the 2025 CPL season, stood as the winner in a 2-1 victory over York United. The moment perfectly encapsulated Coimbra's experience in the Canadian Premier League thus far. When the 21-year-old is on the pitch over his past two seasons with Halifax, he has been among the league's most lethal strikers. Limited to just 796 minutes last season through injury, however, as that celebration referenced, Coimbra's immense potential has yet to be fully realized. But with a renewed approach to his fitness, and having gained a wealth of experience and confidence this off-season, the Canadian youth international is primed for a breakout season.

After again suffering an injury in pre-season this year, one which saw him miss Halifax's season opener against Atlético Ottawa and be limited to a substitute role this past Sunday, starting his 2025 campaign with such an important goal was a significant boost of confidence. "Very emotional for me because, like, I didn't really have a pre-season," said Coimbra. "I came back to train with the team and I got hurt right away, missed all the games that we had in England, all that stuff. It was just very emotional and very satisfying for me to be able to come in, and help the team right away like that. So just a very important moment for me." Critical to making sure there are many more moments like that this season is the club's hiring of Nick Edwards as Head of Performance. Edwards brings experience from the Nottingham Forest organization and is already revolutionizing the way the Wanderers approach fitness and recovery. Coimbra says the team has already been in the gym more consistently before and after training, focusing on doing extra work and activation to make sure their bodies are prepared for the rigours of a long season. "I feel like this year is going to be very different," said Coimbra. "Just myself as well, just being able to take care of myself off the field, going to the chiropractor, doing other physio work or other gym work for myself. I feel like it has already helped me come back quicker than expected. Hopefully, this year I can stay healthy and keep helping the team." A new fitness regimen isn't the only notable change for Coimbra this season. When he pulled on his kit this season, it had the number nine on the back, a sign of the club's belief in him after two campaigns of wearing the #19. "Having that number nine shirt comes with a little bit of weight, of some kind of pressure," said Coimbra. "But I've been asking for the number nine ever since after my first year." Coimbra also spent this off-season training with West Ham United's U-21 team, even getting a week of training in with the first team. That experience built his confidence in the way he was able to compete with players at a big professional club in Europe, and some crucial lessons which he will take into this coming CPL season, and beyond. "Just consistency," says Coimbra. "The amount of errors they make or mistakes they make it's very little. I feel like just being consistent, just being consistent with what I do off the field, on the field, I feel like will be the main thing that will help me get there one day." For Halifax coach Patrice Gheisar, Coimbra finding that consistency this year is crucial, because he says the 21-year-old is incredibly important to the way the Wanderers want to play. He says Coimbra provides the team balance, a player who can get in behind and get on the end of crosses from their multiple attacking number tens. "You look at his physicality, his size, his pace, power, he has every attribute," said Gheisar. "I think he's gained experience, he's sharp, he's confident, and now we just need to keep him healthy and look forward to seeing him play week in and week out."

Last season, Coimbra finished sixth in the CPL in goals per 90, with 0.45, ninth in touches in the box per 90, with 5.9 and first in aerial duels won per 90 at 3.62 among all positions, showing his incredible dominance in the air. If he can put all of that together over a full season, the sky is the limit. That is certainly where Coimbra is setting his ambitions and goals this season. "This year I would like to win the Golden Boot, and U-21 Player of the Year, that's my two main goals for myself," said Coimbra. "And being able to get a move outside of North America, or maybe MLS, maybe Europe." On Saturday, the Wanderers return home to Halifax for the first time in the 2025 season. For Coimbra and his teammates, any chance they get to play at the Wanderers Grounds is a memorable moment. "I feel like no stadium in the CPL has the type of environment that the Wanderers Grounds has," says Coimbra. "I just feel like, the last two years, once we get a rhythm going, we're just unbeatable at home." After a disappointing 2024 season for the Wanderers, where they failed to win in their first nine matches and finished a disappointing sixth, missing the playoffs, optimism has returned. Things are already off to a better start in 2025, with four points already collected on the road in the first two matchweeks. The mission is to make sure Saturday is the first of many meaningful matches played at the Wanderers Grounds this year, including deep into the fall. So far, the stadium has only ever hosted one playoff match, a 1-0 loss to Pacific FC in 2023. "At this point, the fans deserve it," said Coimbra. "Like the fans deserve it more than the club does. Because, man, like they really bring it every game. "Last year I had a chance to go to the CPL awards, and I was telling the commissioner, I was telling everybody to be ready, because this year the finals are going to be in Halifax." If Coimbra's bold prediction from Calgary comes true, he will play a critical role. With the number nine on his back, and a new spring in his step, a healthy Coimbra is a game-changer for the Wanderers.

All highlights courtesy of OneSoccer

PREVIEW: Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver FC — CPL Match #8

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:09:12 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #8 Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver FC April 18 at 5 p.m. MT/ 4 p.m. PT ATCO Field in Calgary, Alberta Watch Live: TSN3, OneSoccer // Tickets available here

For the first time since lifting the North Star Cup at ATCO Field in November, Cavalry FC return to Spruce Meadows for their 2025 home opener on Friday night. It is sure to be a celebratory occasion at the grounds as Cavalry FC supporters welcome their team home following that 2024 triumph, as well as a historic victory in the home leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie with Liga MX side Pumas in February. That match was played at Starlight Stadium. But Vancouver FC come to town looking to ruin the celebratory mood, and pick up their first victory of the 2025 season. Cavalry remain the only club in the Canadian Premier League who the Eagles have not defeated, still winless in their nine all-time meetings. They are also scoreless against Cavalry FC in their past three matches. Following a difficult start to the 2025 season, with back-to-back home losses to York United (2-0) and Atlético Ottawa (4-1), the Eagles head on the road for the first time this campaign. Despite scoring just once through those first two games, they have been getting into good positions offensively -- just lacking the final product. Through two matches, Vancouver sit tied for second in the league in touches in the opposition box, with 44, and a league-leading 58 passes into the box. Their first road trip of the season, however, couldn't be more difficult as the Eagles land in arguably the most treacherous away ground in the league. Cavalry have lost just twice at ATCO Field in CPL action over the past two seasons combined. They have collected 15 victories and a league-leading 56 home points in that time, three more than rivals Forge FC. Much of that home dominance has been built on defensive performance, as Cavalry have conceded just 26 goals in 28 home matches over the past two campaigns -- the fewest in the league. However, after a 1-0 loss in opening weekend Cavalry still have never won a CPL match in the month of April. They are, however, undefeated in home openers at ATCO Field, with three victories and two draws.

RELATED: Levi Laing ‘hungry to win trophies’ after securing transfer to Cavalry FC

Vancouver FC remain without midfielder Vasco Fry, who is serving the final match of his suspension on Friday. The Eagles are still waiting for visa approval for multiple of their international signings, while Mehdi Essoussi missed this past Sunday's match with Atlético Ottawa due to school commitments. Cavalry, meanwhile, have a few injury questions. Diego Gutiérrez and Eryk Kobza are out with longer-term injuries, while Jesse Daley will also be unavailable on Friday. New signing, central defender Levi Laing will come into the 18 and could potentially make his debut, according to Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Can Vancouver FC's Elage Bah continue his strong start to the season?: Vancouver FC has no shortage of exciting young players, but through two weeks, winger Elage Bah has quickly established himself as one to watch. The tireless attacker had a lovely assist on VFC's first goal of the season as he curled a ball in behind perfectly into the path of Terran Campbell. Through two matchweeks, he has been heavily involved on both sides of the ball for Vancouver FC, leading all players in the CPL in dribbles completed (6), and duels won (15). "He has such a great mentality, first player in the clubhouse, a lot of activation after training, and I feel he's going to have a big season," said Vancouver FC manager Afshin Ghotbi after last weekend's game against Atlético Ottawa.

How will Levi Laing's addition aid Cavalry FC's backline?: Cavalry FC's backline was always going to be a source of discussion this season following the departure of back-to-back CPL Defender of the Year Daan Klomp, but it was only exacerbated by an early-season injury to Eryk Kobza. This week, Cavalry FC got some crucial reinforcement with the signing of 22-year-old English central defender Levi Laing. A product of the Arsenal and West Ham youth academies, who made a first-team appearance with the Hammers in the UEFA Conference League, Laing brings an exciting profile to the Calgary club. "He's a big lad, he brings a great deal of athleticism, power, but he can play," said Wheeldon Jr. "You don't come through Arsenal's academy and through to West Ham, even making an appearance in the first team, with you can't play as well...he's a highly intelligent lad, that is going to be a terrific defender and a great addition."

The pros and cons of Cavalry FC's week off: Cavalry FC have had a rather unique start to 2025, dating back to opening training camp on Jan. 6 to prepare for their Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Pumas in early February. Then, after kicking off the league season on April 5 in Hamilton, they had another week off, in what Wheeldon Jr. described as a bit of a "false start" to the 2025 CPL campaign. That doesn't come without its benefits as well, however, particularly when it comes to integrating new players, and the general health of the squad. "It gives us an extra week to work on some things," said Wheeldon Jr. "Get [Shamit Shome] back to full fitness, get Michael Baldisimo a few more minutes, get Levi Laing through the door."

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Montgomery, Field, Kamdem; Shome, Baldisimo; Musse, Camargo, Herdman; Warschewski

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna, Enyou, Gee; Tahid, Norman Jr., Mezquida, Bah; Campbell, Díaz

ALL-TIME SERIES

Cavalry FC wins: 6 || Vancouver FC: 0 || Draws: 3

Last meeting:

Sept. 28, 2024 — Cavalry FC 0-0 Vancouver FC

KEY QUOTES

“They always give us a good game. I know they've yet to beat us, but it's never one that we lessen the respect we have for them. Afshin's a good coach. They try to play a nice brand of football. And they've got a nice blend of young players that they're bringing through to move on, and also some old heads. Like they're bringing back two of the most potent, if not the most potent -- Terran Campbell and Alejandro Díaz, two of the best this league's seen.”— Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

“The last time we were here was the final, and the celebrations there. So it's exciting to be back home. I think it's an opportunity for the team. We have a job at hand first and foremost, which is three points on the line tomorrow. ”— Cavalry FC goalkeeper Marco Carducci

“Obviously, we're playing the champion of last season, we're playing a team that has enormous experience and balance, and they even had a different preparation, as did Forge, because they played in the Champions Cup. So we're the big underdogs going into the match but I think football has to be played, it's decided on the day... we go there for victory, we go there for surprise and we go there to give our best, but it's going to be a massive challenge for our group.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

“I think our defensive shape has been really lacking recently. Obviously, we are still pretty early on in the season but we've got to get that straightened out before things get worse. I think overall we've been decent, we've had our fair share of chances but we can't put it into the net. But obviously defensively we're lacking, that's the thing we've been working on in training and hopefully we'll be ready for the next game.” — Vancouver FC defender Kunle Dada-Luke

By the Numbers: Defending CPL champs Cavalry FC host Vancouver FC in home opener on TSN

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 15:03:07 +0000

On Friday, the Canadian Premier League's 2024 champions return to ATCO Field, where they are sure to get a heroes' welcome in their 2025 home opener. A young Vancouver FC side, however, will be keen to spoil the party as they look for their first win of the season, and first-ever victory over Cavalry FC. The marquee match will be broadcast on TSN3, as well as OneSoccer. Kick-off is set for 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET. Here are nine key statistics to note ahead of Friday's clash: 41 -- Regular season victories for Cavalry FC at ATCO Field, the most home wins in Canadian Premier League history. 0 -- Vancouver FC have never defeated Cavalry FC in nine previous meetings (six losses, three draws). They remain the only club in the CPL who the Eagles did not defeat in their first two seasons in the league. 2 --Cavalry FC have lost just twice in 28 matches at home over the past two seasons in regular season play. 58 -- Vancouver FC lead the CPL in passes played into the opposition box this season. 0 --Cavalry FC have never won a match in the month of April in club history, a stat which continued to haunt them during their season-opening 1-0 loss to Forge FC on April 5. 608 -- U-21 Canadian minutes accumulated by Vancouver FC, who lead the league in this category. They've already given professional debuts this season to 17-year olds Kevin Podgorni, Emrick Fotsing, 16-year-old Dominic Joseph, and 19-year-old Henri Godbout. 40 -- Goals scored by Vancouver FC's Terran Campbell, the most in CPL history. He opened his account for Vancouver FC in a 4-1 loss to Atlético Ottawa this past week. That puts him two ahead of Vancouver FC teammate Alejandro Díaz. 3-2-0 -- Cavalry FC have never lost their home opener (first match at ATCO Field) in club history with three wins, and two draws. 3 -- Three of Cavalry FC's five goals against Vancouver FC last season in all competitions were scored by 2024 CPL Golden Boot winner Tobias Warschewski.