Canadian Premier League - Feed https://www-archive.canpl.ca Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:17:18 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC 1-1 Valour FC — 2025 Match #11 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-1-1-valour-fc-2025-match-11 Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:08:20 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-1-1-valour-fc-2025-match-11 Valour FC have their first point of the 2025 season, as they and Forge FC split the points at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday evening in an entertaining 1-1 draw. The home side opened the match with a few dangerous ventures into the attacking half, but Valour quickly became more comfortable, stringing together a series of chances. They produced five shots in the first 10 minutes, and in the 11th minute their sixth attempt found the back of the net. Kris Twardek managed to bring the ball down at the edge of the six-yard box with a challenge in the air and an overhead kick to send it rolling across goal. Shaan Hundal was in good position on the doorstep to redirect it over the line, as Valour took an early 1-0 lead. Valour continued to probe throughout the first half, although they did not seriously trouble the Forge goal again before the break; the two sides traded jabs and attempted to adapt to the swirling wind in Hamilton, which carried a number of long balls along unpredictable trajectories. Coming out of the break, a reinvigorated Forge sought to get back into the game. They needed just five minutes to find their equalizer, as the ball fell in the box to Mo Babouli who tried to shoot but had his attempt blocked. The ball deflected vertically and descended toward the crossbar, where goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi was unable to push it back up and out of play. Instead, it dropped right at the feet of Brian Wright, who made no mistake smashing the ball into an open net to make it 1-1. The match was fairly disjointed through the remainder of the second half, neither side looking particularly comfortable in possession. Forge had the better of the opportunities, including one around the hour mark that Wright headed just wide, but Valour continued looking for chances to stretch the hosts in transition. With less than 10 minutes to play, Forge thought they'd found their winning moment, as a bouncing ball in the box found the arm of Dante Campbell, earning the home side a penalty kick. Dan Nimick, who had such a strong record from the spot in his time in Halifax, stepped up to take it, and he drove a low shot to his left -- but Viscosi dived and knocked the ball away, saving Valour's hopes of a result. Forge remained dangerous in the dying stages, and David Choinière put one just inches over the bar with his head deep into stoppage time, but neither they nor Valour could break the deadlock. So, the draw became the first blemish in Forge’s record as their unbeaten streak to start the season nonetheless continued. Valour, meanwhile, added their first point to their ledger ahead of next weekend’s home opener in Winnipeg.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Forge FC: Koleilat; Kane (Rama 78'), Nimick, Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremović; Jensen (Paton 78'), Hojabrpour, Bekker; Ampomah (Borges 67'), Wright (Filion 78'), Babouli (Choinière 53') Valour FC: Viscosi; Fernandez, Romeo, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Ohin, Figueiredo (Campbell 71' (Mlah 90+5')); Twardek, Ressurreição (Venâncio 71'), Faria; Hundal (Morgan 88')

Goals

12' -- Shaan Hundal (Valour FC) 50' -- Brian Wright (Forge FC)

Discipline

37' -- Yellow: Alessandro Hojabrpour (Forge FC) 45' -- Raphael Ohin (Valour FC) 82' -- Shaan Hundal (Valour FC) 89' -- Myles Morgan (Valour FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Halifax Wanderers FC 3-1 Pacific FC — 2025 Match #10 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-halifax-wanderers-fc-3-1-pacific-fc-2025-match-10 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 21:39:52 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-halifax-wanderers-fc-3-1-pacific-fc-2025-match-10 The Halifax Wanderers have continued their strong start to the 2025 CPL season, as they defeated Pacific FC 3-1 in their home opener at Wanderers Grounds on Saturday. After picking up a win and a draw in their first two games of the season, this is a big result for the Wanderers, who started slowly in 2024, something they've done well to put behind them so far this season. As for Pacific, they lost their second straight game after winning their season opener, continuing a tough start to 2025 for them. Returning to the game, Pacific almost got on the board inside the first minute, as Daniel de Pauli recovered the ball high up the field after a turnover by Halifax's goalkeeper, Rayane Yesli, but de Pauli would be unable to squeeze his shot attempt past Yesli, who made up for his mistake by quickly closing down the angle to make the save. Soon after, Pacific had another great attempt, as Marco Bustos found Pedro Machado with a great cross on the second phase of a corner, but Machado's header would be denied by a strong stop from Yesli. Having survived that early wave of Pacific pressure, the Wanderers started to grow into the game, and that led them to find their opener in the 19th minute. After a Wanderers corner, the ball fell to Wesley Timóteo at the edge of the box, and after his first attempt was blocked, Timóteo curled a strike into the top corner with his right foot, with his shot going off the crossbar and in for the Wanderers' first home goal of 2025. The Wanderers then almost made it 2-0 right before half time, as Sean Rea found the run of Thomas Meilleur-Giguère at the back post on a free kick, but Meilleur-Giguère was unable to punish his old team, with his header lopping just over the crossbar from close range. On the other side of the break, the Wanderers nearly scored on another set-piece, as they caused havoc in Pacific's box on a 57th minute corner, There, the ball fell to Giorgio Probo, who had an acrobatic kick attempt blocked, before Adam Pearlman sliced a shot just wide from close range on the ensuing rebound. Right after, the Wanderers continued to push, as Rea had a great chance to score on a counter-attack, as he curled a perfect shot towards goal, only finding himself denied by a fine stop from Pacific's Max Anchor. Still just one shot away from tying things up, Pacific almost found that moment in the 63rd minute, as the ball fell to Ronan Kratt inside the box, but he'd be unable to keep his curled shot below the crossbar. At the other end, however, the Wanderers finally found their second goal in the 65th minute. After some nice combination play between Rea and Probo at the edge of the box, Probo teed up a wide-open Ryan Telfer, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. To Pacific's credit, they didn't get too discouraged by conceding that goal, however. As a result, they managed to halve their deficit in the 71st minute, as Bustos picked out Dario Zanatta, who had just come off the bench into the game, with a nice cutback, and Zanatta did the rest with a tidy finish into the top corner. That seemed to give Pacific some momentum - they almost tied things up just moments later in the 73rd minute, as Sami Keshavarz had a great chance on a cross, but his shot was saved by Yesli. Then, on the ensuing corner, Aly Ndom found himself unmarked for a header, but his attempt sailed just wide of the goal. Eager to regain their two-goal lead, the Wanderers had a great chance to do so in the 80th minute, as Timóteo flashed a dangerous free kick towards goal, forcing an acrobatic save out of Anchor to keep it out. Then, on that subsequent corner, Tiago Coimbra sent a dangerous header towards goal, but his shot would be blocked on the goal line by Zanatta. Eventually, the Wanderers would get their insurance marker in the dying moments of the game, having survived another wave of late Pacific pressure up until that point. Following a stunning individual run from Yohan Baï, he curled the ball into the back of the net with his right foot, securing all three points for his team, giving the home fans one last thing to cheer about on the day.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timóteo; Callegari (Biello 88'), Johnston; Bahamboula (Baï 69'), Probo (Dias 69'), Rea (Rampersad 78'); Telfer (Coimbra 78') Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Daniels (Ndom 71'), Young (Mukumbilwa 75'), de Pauli (Keshavarz 26'); Bustos, Heard, Kratt (Zanatta 71')

Goals

19′ — Wesley Timóteo (Halifax Wanderers FC) 65′ — Ryan Telfer (Halifax Wanderers FC) 71′ — Dario Zanatta (Pacific FC) 90+5′ — Yohan Baï (Halifax Wanderers FC)

Discipline

27′ — Yellow: Kadin Chung (Pacific FC) 43′ — Yellow: Juan Quintana (Pacific FC) 45+1′ — Yellow: Pedro Machado (Pacific FC) 45+5′ — Yellow: Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers FC) 45+6′ — Yellow: Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers FC) 79′ — Yellow: Rayane Yesli (Halifax Wanderers FC) 84′ — Yellow: Yohan Baï (Halifax Wanderers FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Atlético Ottawa 3-2 York United FC — 2025 Match #9 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-atletico-ottawa-3-2-york-united-fc-2025-match-9 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 19:09:53 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-atletico-ottawa-3-2-york-united-fc-2025-match-9 Atlético Ottawa won an instant classic at TD Place on Saturday afternoon, beating York United 3-2 thanks to Noah Abatneh's game-winning strike with one of the last kicks of the game. The hosts spent a lot of the first ten minutes on the front foot, but it was the Nine Stripes who opened the scoring early on the road. After running onto a long diagonal pass from Elijah Adekugbe, Max Ferrari took a touch to beat his defender before floating a cross into the penalty area. Julian Altobelli dived to get his head on the ball, redirecting it past Nathan Ingham to give his side the lead in the eleventh minute. It was Altobelli's third goal already on the season, through just three weeks after also scoring a brace in his CPL debut against Vancouver in matchweek one. The game was back-and-forth as Ottawa opened up even more following the goal being conceded, as the two sides took turns running at each other, neither able to to assert much dominance. York nearly doubled their lead with ten minutes left in the opening half, firing several shots at Ingham in quick succession but failing to convert any of them. Gabriel Bitar hit the target first, before Riley Ferrazzo's attempt on the rebound hit the woodwork. Altobelli swung his foot at the second rebound, but it was blocked and the hosts charged the other way up the pitch. Altobelli had another attempt moments later but skied a volley from close range when he might have had time to take a touch first. At the other end of the pitch, Iker Moreno had a shot blocked as well in the 38th minute, a few minutes before Gabriel Antinoro had a shot stopped by York goalkeeper Diego Urtiaga, who was making his Canadian Premier League debut. The score remained 1-0 to the visitors after 45 minutes, despite several chances for both sides to add to Altobelli's early opener. Loïc Cloutier came agonizingly to tying the game moments after play resumed. Juan Castro fired a cross into a crowded York penalty area, where Cloutier met it at the back post. He redirected a low shot back across goal in the direction it came from, but it dribbled inches wide of the far post. Sam Salter did get the home side on the scoresheet a couple of minutes later, though. Antinoro raced to the goal line to keep the ball in play, then cut in from the left side and played a low ball into the box, which eventually fell to Salter. The Ottawa striker turned and scooped the ball over Urtiaga to knot things up at a goal apiece with most of the second half remaining. Ottawa wasn't done there, though. Manny Aparicio gave his side the lead five minutes after Salter's goal with a perfectly struck shot from distance following a free kick that sailed into the top left corner of Urtiaga's net. In the blink of an eye Ottawa were in front, and for the second match in a row York quickly squandered the lead they took into halftime. The momentum swung in Ottawa's favour after the first goal of the half, but after Aparicio's in particular they started to dominate possession and It seemed like Atlético Ottawa was destined for the three points until Riley Ferrazzo found the back of the net in the unlikeliest of circumstances to rescue a point for the visitors. He tried to fire a cross into the penalty area but mishit it, and it sailed right into the top right corner of Ingham's net, off the post and in. The goal deflated the energy inside TD Place as the home players and fans were equally stunned by it, but they immediately got back to work to try and regain their lead. They almost got that late go-ahead goal when Cloutier got his head on a corner kick, but his redirected effort went over the crossbar. Both sides had young stars come inches away from winning the game in the final moments, before one finally did. David Rodriguez rounded the goalkeeper before sending his shot into the side netting, moments before Shola Jimoh smashed a shot off the upright at the other end of the pitch. Finally, with one of the last kicks of the game, Noah Abatneh won it for Ottawa against his former side, smashing a shot into the bottom right corner following a set piece to win the game 3-2. His first goal for the capital city club was the one that secured three massive points to keep them unbeaten at 2-1-0 on the season and move them, at least temporarily, to the top of the CPL table.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Abatneh, Didic, Cloutier; Moreno (Sissoko 76'), Castro, Aparicio (Zapater 76'), Antinoro (Dos Santos 64'); Rodriguez, Salter (Patterson 71'), Tabla (Ortega 76') York United: Urtiaga; Singh (Voytsekhovskyy 76'), Higgins, Leon; Ferrari, Adekugbe (Zeppieri 76'), Yeates, Ferrazzo; Reid (Kibato 58'), Altobelli, Bitar (Jimoh 58')

Goals

11′ — Julian Altobelli (York United) 51' -- Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa) 56' -- Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa) 83' -- Riley Ferrazzo (York United FC) 90+5' -- Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

2′ — Yellow: Oswaldo León (York United) 21' -- Yellow: Gabriel Bitar (York United) 31' -- Yellow: Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa) 43' -- Yellow: David Rodriguez (Atlético Ottawa) 53' -- Yellow: Luke Singh (York United) 59' -- Yellow: Elijah Adekugbe (York United) 66' -- Yellow: Shola Jimoh (York United) 68' -- Yellow: Kembo Kibato (York United) 73' -- Yellow: Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa) 90+5' -- Yellow: Riley Ferrazzo (York United)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC 1-1 Vancouver FC — 2025 Match #8 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-cavalry-fc-vancouver-fc-2025-match-8 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 01:08:13 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-cavalry-fc-vancouver-fc-2025-match-8 A stoppage-time equalizer from Tobias Warschewski denied Vancouver FC what would have been a first-ever victory over Cavalry FC in a thrilling 1-1 draw on Friday at ATCO Field. Nicolás Mezquida opened the scoring in the 19th minute for Vancouver FC with his first Canadian Premier League goal. The match was the first time Cavalry had played a match at ATCO Field since lifting the North Star Cup after defeating Forge 2-1 in the 2024  Canadian Premier League Final. Cavalry FC's starting eleven featured just two changes from the side that won the 2024 CPL Final. Tom Field drew into the centre of defence for the departed Daan Klomp, while 19-year-old Niko Myroniuk replaced the injured Diego Gutiérrez. The visitors came out with a good energy and organization, making it difficult for Cavalry to play through their compact lines, and then going forward quickly in moments where they won the ball back. In the 19th minute, the Eagles stunned the home crowd by finding the opener. Callum Montgomery was stripped of the ball by Alejandro Díaz, who poked the ball to Terran Campbell. The CPL's all-time leading goalscorer turned provider, as he calmly played the ball into the path of Mezquida, who opened his CPL account in just his second match to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead. The Eagles pressed their advantage, and nearly doubled the lead in the 26th minute on a decisive counterattack, but Campbell's strike was blocked well by Cavalry's Myroniuk. Campbell had another great opportunity on the ensuing corner kick, but couldn't connect well enough with his strike and it was easily collected by Marco Carducci. Carducci was forced to make a much more challenging save just six minutes later, as again Vancouver found their way into the Cavalry box. This time, Díaz struck an effort across goal, denied by the Cavalry keeper. The ascendent Eagles held that 1-0 lead heading into the locker rooms at half-time, easily their best half of the season so far. Needing a response, Cavalry made a pair of substitutions at the half, bringing on former Eagle Maël Henry, and new signing Michael Baldisimo into the match. Henry quickly proved himself to be a threat down the left flank, getting in behind just five minutes into the half, but his shot from a wide angle was off target. The field began to tilt heavily in Cavalry's favour, as the hosts looked to avoid just their third defeat at home in CPL regular season action since 2022. Vancouver, meanwhile, were content to sit back in their shape and make it difficult for Cavalry to play through them. Henry had another strike at goal for Cavalry in the 76th minute, but his teasing shot from distance was caught comfortably by Callum Irving. Five minutes later, Mezquida again tested Carducci from a free kick in a dangerous area, but his low strike was caught by the Cavalry keeper. The moment seemed to embolden the visitors, who stayed on the front foot and created a few more dangerous opportunities in the next few minutes. Díaz came close on a corner kick in the 84th minute, but his attempt was blocked by Warschewski. Cavalry were given a boost late in the match when the fourth official held up eight minutes of stoppage time. Moments later, however, Vancouver had yet another outstanding chance as substitute Kevin Podgorni broke in behind. He tried to round Carducci but the Cavalry keeper got a hand to it and denied the chance. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, however, Warschewski rescued a point for Cavalry. After Caniggia Elva took down a long ball, the German striker set himself and sent a low driven strike across goal that nestled into the bottom left corner of the net. Cavalry FC remain undefeated in home openers with the draw. Both them and Vancouver continue to search for their first win of the 2025 regular season. BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Montgomery (Gherasimencov 62'), Field, Kamdem; Myroniuk (Baldisimo 46'), Shome (Wähling 79'); Musse, Camargo (Elva 62'), Herdman (Henry 46'); Warschewski  Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna, Enyou (Navarro 88'), Bah; Norman Jr., Fotsing; Campbell (Powell 78'), Mezquida, Godbout (Podgorni 61'); Díaz 

Goals

19′ — Nicolás Mezquida (Vancouver FC) 90+5' -- Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC) 

Discipline

21′ — Yellow: Matteo Campagna (Vancouver FC) 27' -- Yellow: David Norman Jr. (Vancouver FC) 38' -- Yellow: Shamit Shome (Cavalry FC) 50' -- Yellow: Maël Henry (Cavalry FC) 85' -- Yellow: Elage Bah (Vancouver FC) 90+7' -- Yellow: Alejandro Díaz (Vancouver FC) ]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver FC 1-4 Atlético Ottawa — 2025 Match #7 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-vancouver-fc-1-4-atletico-ottawa-2025-match-7 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:03:35 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-vancouver-fc-1-4-atletico-ottawa-2025-match-7 It was four goals and three points for the first time in 2025 for Atlético Ottawa, who earned their first victory of the season in a dominant 4-1 win over Vancouver FC in Langley. David Rodríguez continued his brilliant start to the campaign as he scored the opener on a stunning effort in the 20th minute, before setting up Kevin Dos Santos in the 37th. Ballou Tabla and Monty Patterson also scored for Atleti, while Terran Campbell scored his first goal for the Eagles. In the fourth minute, Atlético Ottawa's Gabriel Antinoro forced an excellent stop from Callum Irving, who got a hand to his cross-goal strike from the right flank. The ball bounced dangerously across the net but was cleared by Vancouver before Atleti could open the scoring. Vancouver came even closer in the 13th minute, as a great attacking sequence saw a lovely ball across goal played by Allan Enyou to find Alejandro Díaz at the back post. The Vancouver attacker volleyed the ball back across goal, which fell to the boot of Henri Godbout, in his first professional start. But the Vancouver winger's point-blank shot was brilliantly blocked off the line by Atlético's Noah Abatneh. It was a moment of individual brilliance that created the match's opening goal, however. Rodríguez picked up the ball in the middle of the park and ran at the Vancouver FC defence. After beating a few players on the dribble before finding a pocket of space at the top of the box and unleashing a driven shot that beat Callum Irving to put Atlético Ottawa up 1-0. It was Rodríguez's second goal in as many matches since joining Atlético Ottawa, and he quickly establishes himself as one of the most exciting players in the league early in the 2025 season. Atleti nearly had their second of the match in the 26th minute, as Dos Santos sent a lovely ball across the goal to Samuel Salter, but his shot was denied by Callum Irving. In the 37th minute, Atlético added a second. Again, it was Rodriguez who created the moment, as he dribbled across the top of the box, and played the ball wide for Dos Santos, whose curling strike nestled in the far side of the net. Atlético Ottawa added a third in the 42nd minute on a rare error from Irving. Attempting to clear a ball over the top, he shanked his effort, and the ball fell to Ballou Tabla, who had a wide-open net to slide in his first of the season. Vancouver looked like they had an excellent opportunity to get one back before half-time through Elage Bah, but his effort from in close was hit wide before the offside flag came up. Atlético Ottawa held a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the half. The hosts made a pair of changes at the half, looking to find some sort of spark, bringing off youngsters Emrick Fotsing and TJ Tahid, replaced by Campbell and David Norman Jr. Ottawa had some great chances to do even more damage early in the second half, including when Noah Abatneh hit the post from close range in the 51st minute. In the 61st minute, Irving was forced to make another great save on another great strike from Tabla. Díaz had a great chance to get Vancouver on the board in the 62nd minute after a ball over the top, but Nate Ingham did well to stop his initial effort and then dive on the rebound before Campbell could pounce. The CPL's all-time leader goalscorer wouldn't be denied, however. Bah played a lovely ball into the box, and Campbell slotted home his first goal since August 12, 2023 -- but his league-leading 40th in Canadian Premier League history to make the score 3-1. Atleti's Sam Salter had a number of great opportunities to open his account thereafter, but Irving seemed to have his number on the day, denying several good chances before the Ottawa striker's removal from the match in the 78th minute. His replacement, Patterson, added a fourth for Ottawa after latching onto the rebound of an Aboubacar Sissoko strike in the 83rd minute. For Vancouver FC, their struggles at home continue, as the Eagles have now gone ten straight matches, dating back to last season, without a victory.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Enyou, Campagna, Gee; Godbout (Podgorni 67'), Fotsing (Norman Jr. 46'), Mezquida, Bah (Powell 78'); Tahid (Campbell 46'), Díaz Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Kozlovskiy (Cloutier 64'), Didić, Abatneh; Dos Santos, Aparicio, Castro (Sissoko 64'), Rodriguez (Verhoeven 64'), Antinoro; Tabla (Moreno 70'), Salter (Patterson 78') 

Goals

20′ — David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa) 37' -- Kevin Dos Santos (Atlético Ottawa) 42' -- Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa) 66' -- Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC) 83' -- Monty Patterson (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

45+1′ — Yellow: Juan Castro (Atlético Ottawa) 54' -- Yellow: Amer Didić (Atlético Ottawa) 90+1' -- Yellow: Alejandro Díaz (Vancouver FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: York United FC 1-2 Halifax Wanderers FC — 2025 Match #6 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-york-united-fc-1-2-halifax-wanderers-fc-2025-match-6 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 21:06:15 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-york-united-fc-1-2-halifax-wanderers-fc-2025-match-6 The Halifax Wanderers claimed a well-earned three points away from home on Sunday at York Lions Stadium, as they fought back from a goal down at halftime to beat York United 2-1. After both clubs started the season with strong results on the road last week, the two sides lined up with the exact same starting XIs they deployed in week one to such effect. The hosts started the game the stronger of the two sides, cutting into the Wanderers' half regularly and winning the ball repeatedly high up the pitch, and after 20 minutes of pressure they found their reward. Gabriel Bitar recovered possession just outside the box and left it for Adonijah Reid, who took the attention of a defender before knocking a clever backheel pass into the path of Bitar. The Ottawa native fired a shot from the top of the penalty area, and though Halifax keeper Rayane Yesli got a hand to it, he couldn't prevent the ball from finding the back of the net. Halifax started to find their way in the game as it progressed, threatening the York goal a handful of times, but the Nine Stripes did well to get men back and block the Wanderers' attempts. The visiting side's fortunes finally turned shortly after halftime. They won a free kick a few meters outside the penalty area to the left of the goal, and Giorgio Probo curled an outstanding ball toward the far bottom corner. It sailed through traffic, and Ryan Telfer ducked at just the right time for the ball to carry over him and into the net, levelling the match at 1-1. Both sides traded blows as the second half continued, with a couple of excellent chances for York -- especially after Julian Altobelli entered the game around the hour mark. However, the Wanderers proved up to the test, and began probing for more chances of their own. With about 10 minutes to play, it was Halifax who found another breakthrough. Tiago Coimbra, who had just come in as a substitute, made a blistering run behind York's defence to get on the end of a well-weighted long ball from Kareem Sow. Coimbra carried it into the box and drew Ivan Pavela out off his line before chipping it over the Wanderers keeper, watching it roll into the bottom corner to put the visiting side in front. York attempted to get into the Wanderers' penalty area late in the match to find an equalizer, but the visitors proved to be well drilled in the closing stages, ultimately holding on for an impressive comeback away result.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

York United: Pavela; Singh, Higgins, León; Ferrari, Adekugbe, Yeates, Ferrazzo (Kibato 64'); Bitar (Accettola 74'), Reid (Altobelli 64'), Ferrin (Jimoh 64') Halifax Wanderers: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow; Bahamboula (Baï 65'), Johnston (Rampersad 69'), Callegari, Timoteo; Probo (Coimbra 79'), Telfer (Biello 79'), Rea (Dias 69')

Goals

22' -- Gabriel Bitar (York United) 53' -- Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers) 81' -- Tiago Coimbra (Halifax Wanderers)

Discipline

42' -- Yellow: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers) 44' -- Yellow: Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers) 71' -- Yellow: Gabriel Bitar (York United) 71' -- Yellow: Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers) 78' -- Yellow: Nyal Higgins (York United) 82' -- Yellow: Tiago Coimbra (Halifax Wanderers) 86' -- Yellow: Max Ferrari (York United) 86' -- Yellow: Elijah Adekugbe (York United) 86' -- Yellow: Nassim Mekideche (Halifax Wanderers) 90+4’ — Yellow: Rayane Yesli (Halifax Wanderers)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC 0-2 Forge FC — 2025 Match #5 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-pacific-fc-0-2-forge-fc-2025-match-5 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 23:03:40 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-pacific-fc-0-2-forge-fc-2025-match-5 For a second straight year, Forge FC have opened their Canadian Premier League season with consecutive wins, as they defeated Pacific 2-0 at Starlight Stadium on Saturday. After lifting the CPL Shield as regular season champions in 2024, it's a strong sign of intent from Forge, who took care of business against a Pacific team who themselves were looking to make it two wins from two after also winning on opening day. Returning to this game, Forge came out strongly from the first minute, as they looked to build off their 1-0 win vs. Cavalry last weekend. Because of that, Brian Wright had a glorious chance to open the scoring for Forge in the 4th minute, as Nana Ampomah found him with a perfect ball into the box, but Wright sent his shot well over the goal from close range. Soon after, Mo Babouli had a great chance in the 21st minute, as Tristan Borges found him with a nice ball into the box, but he sliced his half-volley wide of the goal from the edge of the six-yard box. Then, Ampomah almost found a goal on an attempt of his own, as he sent a cross that nearly snuck in the near post, forcing a good save out of Pacific's Max Anchor. Attempting to punish Forge for their earlier misses, Pacific nearly capitalized on one of their mistakes in the 31st minute. After picking off a sloppy pass from Khadim Kane in Forge's half, Marco Bustos decided to attempt a chip on Jassem Koleilat, but his shot would sail harmlessly over Forge's goal. Eventually, Forge's pressure would result in an opening goal, however, and it came at a perfect time for them. After a creative set-piece routine at the edge of the box, the ball was headed into the path of Khadim Kane by Dan Nimick, and Kane did the rest from there, slotting home his first professional goal with a cool finish to make it 1-0. Doing well to pick up where they left off in the first half, Forge almost made it 2-0 in the 60th minute. After a nice run by Ampomah, he found Kyle Bekker at the edge of the box, and Bekker fired a thunderous shot that clattered onto the crossbar, before Anchor swatted the subsequent rebound out for a corner. Forge would make the most of that resulting set-piece, however - there, Borges found Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson at the near post with a perfect ball, and Achinioti-Jönsson did the rest, heading the ball into the top corner of the goal to make it 2-0. To Pacific's credit, they made things interesting late - a late flurry of set-pieces nearly yielded a goal, with Juan Quintana coming closest on a header in the last moments of the game, but Forge would hold on from there to get the victory.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Young (Keshavarz 74'), de Pauli (Ndom 74'); Bustos, Zanatta (Daniels 61'), Kratt (Toualy 74'); Heard Forge FC: Koleilat; Kane (Rama 80'), Nimick; Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremović; Hojabrpour, Bekker (Lipovschek 90'); Ampomah (Massunda 90'), Borges (Jensen (68'), Babouli; Wright (Filion 68')

Goals

44' -- Khadim Kane (Forge FC) 60' -- Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC)

Discipline

26' -- Yellow: Dario Zanatta (Pacific FC) 27' -- Yellow: Daniel de Pauli (Pacific FC) 75' -- Yellow: Juan Quintana (Pacific FC) 75' -- Yellow: Marko Jevremović (Forge FC) 86' -- Yellow: Rezart Rama (Forge FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver FC 0-2 York United FC — 2025 Match #4 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-vancouver-fc-0-2-york-united-fc-2025-match-4 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 01:03:55 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-vancouver-fc-0-2-york-united-fc-2025-match-4 York United are off to a winning start to the 2025 Canadian Premier League season, as they defeated Vancouver FC 2-0 at Willoughby Community Park on Sunday, capping off the CPL's opening weekend slate with an important road victory. Led by a brace from substitute Julian Altobelli, it was nearly a perfect road performance from York, too, which allowed them to grab a crucial early win. York had two glorious chances to open the score in quick succession in the 11th minute, as Steffen Yeates was denied in-tight by Callum Irving on a breakaway, before Massimo Ferrin had his rebound blocked by a flying kick save from Irving right after. Then, they had another glorious opportunity in the 17th minute, as Adonijah Reid tried to curl a trivela shot in the top right-corner, but Irving stepped up with another incredible stop to keep the game tied. Having absorbed that early wave of York pressure, Vancouver had a great chance of their own in the 29th minute. There, Elage Bah snuck behind the York backline, latching onto the end of a dangerous long ball, but his cutback attempt to Alejandro Díaz was palmed away by York's goalkeeper, Ivan Pavela. After a quiet end to the half, things started to pick up again in the second half. Following a couple of half-chances, Vancouver almost opened the scoring in the 61st minute, as Díaz fired a cannon of a shot from distance, but Pavela narrowly managed to palm his shot over the crossbar. Then, on the subsequent corner, David Norman Jr. had a dangerous header from close range, but Pavela was also able to get his body in front of that shot. At the other end, however, York finally opened the scoring soon after. After having been denied by Irving on their previous eight shots on target, the ninth would finally find the goal, as Julian Altobelli, who had just come onto the field, scooped up a loose ball in the box and sent it into the roof of the net for his first CPL goal. Having opened that account, Altobelli was eager to add to it, too, which he then did in the 84th minute. After a great dribble, he found the space to fire a shot from a tight angle, and he made the most of it, curling it into the top corner to make it 2-0. To Vancouver's credit, they nearly made the game interesting late, as Henri Godbout fired a dangerous shot from the edge of the box, but just curled his shot past the post. From there, however, York did well to hold on to their two-goal lead the rest of the way, allowing them to get off to a winning start to the season.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna (Gee 60'), Norman Jr, Enyou; Tahid (Godbout 60'), Fry, Essoussi, Bah (Podgorni 90'); Díaz, Campbell (Fotsing 71') York United FC: Pavela; Ferrari, Singh, Higgins, Léon, Ferrazzo (Lopez 90'); Adekugbe, Yeates; Ferrin (Kibato 78'), Reid (Altobelli 65'), Bitar (Jimoh 65')

Goals

66' -- Julian Altobelli (York United FC) 84' -- Julian Altobelli (York United FC)

Discipline

21' -- Yellow: Massimo Ferrin (York United FC) 54' -- Yellow: Vasco Fry (Vancouver FC) 70' -- Yellow: Luke Singh (York United FC) 75' -- Yellow: Shola Jimoh (York United FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC 2-0 Valour FC — 2025 Match #3 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-pacific-fc-2-0-valour-fc-2025-match-3 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 02:06:16 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-pacific-fc-2-0-valour-fc-2025-match-3 Pacific FC opened their 2025 Canadian Premier League season on a winning note Saturday, as they beat Valour FC 2-0 at Starlight Stadium in the last match of an opening day tripleheader. That continues a strong run of opening-day games for Pacific, who have now won their first game of the season five years in a row, and have an all-time record of 6W-1D-0L in their season openers. After an even start to the match, Pacific found an early marker in just the 18th minute. Following a nice run from Ronan Kratt, who latched onto the end of a Josh Heard through ball, he fired a dangerous shot right at Jonathan Viscosi, and all Viscosi could do was parry the ball right to an onrushing Dario Zanatta, who slotted into an empty net from close range to give his team the 1-0 lead. Soon after, Zanatta almost had a brace in the 29th minute, as he got on the end of a dangerous Kadin Chung shot, but his header would be saved by Viscosi, who used his quick feet to get himself in front of the powerful attempt and parry it out for a corner. Pacific would find their second just minutes later, however. After a bit of chaos in midfield, the ball fell to Christian Greco-Taylor, who fired a hopeful ball towards Kratt on the right wing. There, instead of taking a touch, Kratt decided to take the shot on first time, and he caught it perfectly, looping it over Viscosi and into the top corner of the goal for an early goal-of-the-season candidate. Continuing their strong start, Pacific almost made it three right before half time, as Marco Bustos cut inside and fired a shot from distance, almost sneaking it past Viscosi, who had to get down quickly to keep his team in the game before the break. Despite the break, Pacific didn't show any signs of wanting to slow down in the second half, as they chased for that third goal. They almost found it in the 58th minute, as Kratt came close to finding a brace, doing well to nearly squeeze a low header past Viscosi, who made an excellent save. Then, in the 63rd minute, Greco-Taylor almost added a goal to his earlier assist, firing what appeared to be a goalbound shot from close range, but that shot would be deflected over by Valour's Rocco Romeo on a nice defensive play. Eager to get back into the game, Valour mounted a late push, as they tried to get something out of this one. As a result, they had a good look in the 85th minute via a volley from Jevontae Layne that was saved nicely by Pacific's Max Anchor, and had a few other good looks at goal, but were unable to breach Pacific's target. As a result, Pacific were able to cruise to victory, allowing them to bank three crucial points to start their season.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado (Lajeunesse 65'), Greco-Taylor; Browning Lagerfeldt (Keshavarz 70'), Young; Kratt (de Pauli 65'), Bustos (Mukumbilwa 88'), Zanatta; Heard (Toualy 88') Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Romeo, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Mlah (Figueiredo 63'), Ohin; Twardek (Venâncio 77'), Williams (Morgan 63'), Faria (Ressurreição 63'); Hundal (Layne 82')

Goals

18' -- Dario Zanatta (Pacific FC) 30' -- Ronan Kratt (Pacific FC)

Discipline

4' -- Yellow: Roberto Alarcón (Valour FC) 25' -- Yellow: Rocco Romeo (Valour FC) 34' -- Yellow: Gianfranco Facchineri (Valour FC) 51' -- Yellow: Kadin Chung (Pacific FC) 88' -- Yellow: Josh Heard (Pacific FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC 1-0 Cavalry FC — 2025 Match #2 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-1-0-cavalry-fc-2025-match-2 Sat, 05 Apr 2025 23:35:10 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-1-0-cavalry-fc-2025-match-2 A 10-man Forge FC held on to pick up a 1-0 win over Cavalry FC at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday as the 2025 regular season winners got the better of last year's North Star Cup champions to secure all three points on opening week. The two combatants from the 2024 Canadian Premier League final, now locked in this season-opening rematch, didn't let off even one bit when it came to the sort of fiery football we've come to expect from this rivalry, with both sides trading early jabs and looks at goal in their hunt for an opening effort. Almost predictably, it was Cavalry FC striker Tobias Warschewski who got the first great look at goal of the match, getting on the end of a cross for an unmarked header, which Jassem Koleilat heroically saved off the line in the 27th minute. Brian Wright also had a sniff at Marco Carducci's goal moments later, but his shot hit the side netting. So, 45 minutes and change of opening half football could hardly separate these two title contenders, with the state line shared in a near 50-50 split in almost every category, and the crowd at Hamilton Stadium turned their attention to the second half in the hope of seeing a match winner – or, at least, avoiding a goal conceded without answer. Though both teams stayed in the referee's good books in the first half, it would take just three minutes into the second before the first yellow card was brandished as young Zayne Bruno hit Jay Herdman with a crunching tackle. Ten minutes later, and the advantage was found, as Marko Jevremović sent in an inch-perfect cross for Mo Babouli, whose glancing header sailed right past the fingertips of an outstretched Carducci to give Forge FC a 1-0 lead over Cavalry FC. Forge's confidence took a hit in the 72nd minute as Bruno picked up a second yellow for bowling over Sergio Camargo on a challenge for an air ball and was ejected from the match, giving Cavalry FC a man advantage for the final stanza of this back-and-forth battle. Yet, ironically, it was a Forge player who came closest to undoing their 1-0 lead as substitute Ben Paton failed to clear a cross and tested his 'keeper into making a huge save to prevent an own goal in the 87th minute. Try as Cavalry might to find an equalizer, Forge's backline held firm for the 1-0 win, even surviving a late flurry as Koleilat stood on his head and preserved his clean sheet in dramatic fashion. And so, head coaches Bobby Smyrniotis and Tommy Wheeldon Jr. co-signed the latest chapter in this historic Canadian soccer rivalry with an all-too-familiar customary handshake – Bobby getting the last laugh on this day... but just for now.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Forge FC: Koleilat; Bruno, Nimick, Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremovic; Hojabrpour, Bekker, Jensen (Paton, 81'); Choinière (Ampomah, 81'), Wright (Filion, 81'), Babouli (Kane, 81') Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Montgomery, Field, Kamdem (Gherasimencov, 77'); Shome (Elva, 77'), Myroniuk (Baldisimo, 65'); Musse, Camargo, Herdman (Wähling, 65'); Warschewski

Goals

58' -- Mo Babouli (Forge FC)

Discipline

48' -- Yellow: Zayne Bruno (Forge FC) 53' -- Yellow: Bradley Kamdem (Cavalry FC) 72' -- 2nd Yellow (Red): Zayne Bruno (Forge FC) 90' -- Yellow: Nana Ampomah (Forge FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Atlético Ottawa 2-2 Halifax Wanderers FC — 2025 Match #1 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-atletico-ottawa-2-2-halifax-wanderers-fc-2025-match-1 Sat, 05 Apr 2025 20:04:49 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-atletico-ottawa-2-2-halifax-wanderers-fc-2025-match-1 The 2025 Canadian Premier League campaign opened with a bang on Saturday in a rainy nation's capital, as Atlético Ottawa fought back from two goals down in the second half to snag a 2-2 draw against the Halifax Wanderers. This first match of the season provided a first look at two significantly changed teams, with a total of nine club debutants between the two sides. Diego Mejía's first starting XI with Ottawa offered several surprises, including Manny Aparicio and Amer Didić starting on the bench, as Atleti played with a back three of Tyr Walker, Noah Abatneh and Loïc Cloutier with Kevin Dos Santos and Brett Levis as wing-backs. Meanwhile, Halifax played to their strengths with a packed midfield, including a double pivot of Lorenzo Callegari and Isaiah Johnston, while Giorgio Probo played further up as a second striker. Goalkeeper Rayane Yesli got the nod in goal for the Wanderers, making his club debut against his former team. On the wet pitch, both sides played quickly in the opening stages, and the Wanderers proved the more dynamic side early on, creating a wave of chances. The reward arrived in the 20th minute for Halifax. Jason Bahamboula held off a defender to keep the ball near the top of the box and slipped it to the left for Ryan Telfer, who threaded a cross between two centre-backs to find an unmarked Giorgio Probo. The Italian hit it first time on the half-volley, and although Nathan Ingham may have gotten a piece of it, Probo's strike was powerful enough to carry into the top corner and give the Wanderers the first goal of 2025. The teams traded jabs through the rest of the first half, with Bahamboula not quite able to corral a chance in transition while Ballou Tabla stung Yesli's palms at the other end before halftime, but ultimately both defences stood firm and the sides headed into the break with Halifax ahead 1-0. Barely a minute into the second half, Halifax pounced again. Collecting the ball from a throw-in, Probo whipped a cross toward the six-yard box, where Sean Rea brought it down with his back to goal, taking a touch off the defender. Rea turned quickly and connected with his left foot, driving the ball into the bottom corner as the Wanderers doubled their advantage. After making a couple of changes, Ottawa found new life around the hour mark. They drove forward with pace, and Sam Salter picked up the ball at the top of the box, flicking it over the top to David Rodríguez. The Atlético San Luis loanee brought it down and took a touch around Yesli, scoring into an open goal for Atleti's first goal of the year. With just over 10 minutes to play, Ottawa's attack found joy once again. A cross came into the box and chaos ensued, the ball bouncing between various Atleti feet as Halifax couldn't find a way to clear it. At last, it fell nicely for Aboubacar Sissoko, who threaded it into the net for the equalizer. The match's closing stages offered a frenetic energy; Bahamboula hit the post for Halifax shortly after the equalizer, but the home side were spared that late dagger. Ottawa did have a tougher final few minutes, as with five minutes to play, defender Tyr Walker kicked the ball away in a stoppage and was shown a second yellow card, putting the hosts down to 10 men. Halifax did not manage to capitalize on the late advantage though, as the sides went on to share the points.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Walker, Abatneh, Cloutier (Coulanges 78'); Dos Santos (Antinoro 57'), Verhoeven (Aparicio 57'), Zapater (Sissoko 72'), Levis; Rodríguez, Salter, Tabla (Patterson 78') Halifax Wanderers: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timoteo; Rea, Callegari, Johnston (Baï 85'); Probo (Rampersad 76'), Bahamboula (Dias 85'), Telfer

Goals

20' -- Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers) 47' -- Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers) 60' -- David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa) 79' -- Aboubacar Sissoko (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

42' -- Yellow: Tyr Walker (Atlético Ottawa)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC crowned CPL Champions with 2-1 win vs. Forge FC in Final https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-cavalry-fc-2-1-forge-fc-2024-cpl-final Sat, 09 Nov 2024 22:28:02 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-cavalry-fc-2-1-forge-fc-2024-cpl-final At long last, Cavalry FC are North Star Cup Champions after a 2-1 victory over rivals Forge FC at ATCO Field on Saturday. After previously falling in the 2019 and 2023 CPL Finals to Forge, a dominant first half was the difference for Cavalry. They took a two-goal lead into the break on a penalty from Tobias Warschewski followed by a goal from Sergio Camargo. Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson had the lone goal for Forge early in the second half. Cavalry instantly put Forge under pressure, and won a corner just a few minutes into the match. Off a delivery from Ali Musse, the ball fell to Diego Gutiérrez close to goal but he could not get his strike on target. The Cavs continued to find all kinds of joy down the right flanks as Ali Musse had several good one-on-one opportunities. In the 19th minute, one of his crosses fell to Jay Herdman, who took a lovely touch and cut inside before seeing his shot well saved by Jassem Koleilat. Forge were forced to make a change in the 30th minute when Nana Ampomah had to be removed due to injury, and they brought on 2023 CPL Final hero Tristan Borges. Seconds later, Cavalry created their well-deserved moment. Warschewski was wrestled down in the box, winning a penalty kick. The German striker stepped up and smashed it into the top right corner past Koleilat to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead. Forge went the other way a few minutes later and forced a great save from Marco Carducci on a rocket from Noah Jensen, their only shot on target of the half. In the 38th minute, Cavalry doubled their lead. After Warschewski's initial shot was blocked, he played in Camargo down the left of the box, and the day-one Cavalry player made no mistake, slotting the ball to the right of Koleilat to make it 2-0. The hosts held that commanding lead going into the half. Forge gave themselves life early in the second half, as a bouncing ball in the Cavalry box was directed into the path of Achinioti-Jönsson by Alessandro Hojabrpour, who sent it past Carducci to make the score 2-1. With the goal, the Swede became the fourth player to score in two CPL Finals, having also scored in the 2020 Final. The goal seemed to add nerves back into the stadium, as Forge began to see more of the ball and create more chances. In the 61st minute, Borges was narrowly beaten to a ball in behind by  Carducci as the Hamilton club searched for an equalizer. Carducci was called into action again in the 78th minute as Bekker sent a threatening ball across his box, but he was able to collect it in the moments before any other Forge player could get a foot on it in the box. Musse nearly put the match to bed early into the seven minutes of stoppage time as he broke away on a counterattack, but his strike across goal was brilliantly stopped by Koleilat. The Forge goalkeeper again denied Lowell Wright in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but that would be the final kick of the match. As the full-time whistle went, Cavalry FC players across the pitch sunk to their knees in celebration as all their years of heartbreak had finally been washed away. Cavalry become the third different CPL Playoff champion, joining Forge FC (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) and Pacific FC (2021).

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Cavalry FC:   Carducci; Aird (Kobza 82'), Klomp, Montgomery, Kamdem; Gutiérrez, Shome; Musse, Camargo (Shaw 58'), Herdman (Trafford 71'); Warschewski (Wright 82') Forge FC: Koleilat; Duncan (Campbell 81'), Samuel, Achinioti-Jönsson, Owolabi-Belewu; Hojabrpour, Bekker, Jensen (Parra 69'), Choinière, Ampomah (Borges 30'), Badibanga

Goals

32' -- Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC) (Penalty) 38' -- Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC) 52' -- Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC)

Discipline

15′ — Yellow: Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC) 47' -- Yellow: Béni Badibanga (Forge FC) 51' -- Yellow: Diego Gutiérrez (Cavalry FC) 75' -- Yellow: Malcolm Shaw (Cavalry FC) 88' -- Yellow: Tristan Borges (Forge FC) 90+4' -- Yellow: Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) ]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC 1-0 Atlético Ottawa — 2024 CPL Playoffs https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-atletico-ottawa-2024-cpl-playoffs Sat, 02 Nov 2024 22:01:05 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/highlights-forge-fc-atletico-ottawa-2024-cpl-playoffs Forge FC have booked a spot in a sixth straight Canadian Premier League Final after a 1-0 victory over Atlético Ottawa in Saturday's semi-final. Malik Owolabi-Belewu scored the winner for the Hamilton club early in the second half, and goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat was outstanding, making multiple big stops to keep the clean sheet. In the final, Forge will meet a familiar foe, as they travel to Calgary to take on Cavalry FC in the second consecutive final, and third overall as the two sides also met in the inaugural final in 2019. Forge won on both of those occasions, and have won four of the league's five CPL Finals. This year's finale will take place on Nov. 9, available to watch on CBC and OneSoccer. Atlético Ottawa started with good intensity and had a decent chance in the 10th minute as Ballou Tabla broke in behind. Dom Samuel, however, who was starting in place of the injured Garven Metusala for Forge, closed down the Atleti attacker brilliantly. Atleti came close again in the 23rd minute, as Jesús del Amo got on the end of an Ollie Bassett corner kick and header goalward from the back post, but the chance was cut out by a combination of Samuel and Owolabi-Belewu. Atleti had another great chance on the second phase of a free kick, but Forge goalkeeper Koleilat did brilliantly to punch the ball away. The Atleti fluid midfield three of Manny Aparicio, Ollie Bassett and Aboubacar Sissoko were brilliant in allowing the visitors strong spells of possession and to break the Forge lines with some lovely passing and movement. In the 40th minute, Forge responded with their first big chance when some lovely control on a ball in the air from Kyle Bekker created space in the box. His blocked effort fell into the path of Noah Jensen, whose first effort was brilliantly blocked by Matteo de Brienne before he sent the rebound wide. The visitors opened the second half with a warning shot, as Amer Didić sent a rocket from well out less than a minute in that went just wide of Koleilat's net. Forge started to have some joy early in the second half. Bekker came close to connecting on a ball played to the back post in the 51st minute. On the ensuing corner kick, their fourth already in the second half, the Forge captain picked out Owolabi-Belewu who headed the ball past Nate Ingham in the Atleti net. The goal seemed to wake up Ottawa, who quickly came forward looking for an equalizer. First de Brienne sent a volley from the top of the box narrowly wide. Then Sissoko forced a save from Koleilat. In the 57th minute, the Forge goalkeeper then made an outstanding point-blank stop to deny Aparicio. The chances continued to pile up, as a pair of clearances off the line for Alessandro Hojabrpour spared Forge in the 68th minute. The Forge midfielder had a similar clearance against Cavalry the week prior, demonstrating his outstanding defensive instincts. Badibanga nearly put the match to bed in the 88th minute with a low curling effort that forced Ingham to make a save at full stretch. There were some late close calls for the visitors, including Ingham coming forward and forcing a stop for Koleilat in stoppage time. The victory was Forge's 14th at Tim Hortons Field in 2024, making it the most successful home season in all competitions in club history. For Atleti, this was the first time they have lost a road match in the CPL playoffs. Forge advancing to the final also means that Cavalry FC have qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup as the regular season's second-place finisher.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Forge FC: Koleilat; Duncan, Samuel, Achinioti-Jönsson, Owolabi-Belewu; Hojabrpour, Bekker, Jensen (Kane 89'); Choinière (Benitez 89'), Ampomah (Koné 90'), Badibanga Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Morer (Torres 74'), Walker (Santos 83'), Didić, Del Amo, de Brienne; Bassett, Sissoko, Aparicio; Tabla (Salter 74') , del Campo 

Goals

53′ — Malik Owolabi-Belewu (Forge FC)

Discipline

69' — Yellow: Nana Ampomah (Forge FC) 78' -- Yellow: Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa) 81' -- Yellow: Malik Owolabi-Belewu (Forge FC) 82' -- Yellow: Béni Badibanga (Forge FC) 90+4' -- Yellow: Jassem Koleilat (Forge FC) ]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC 0-1 Cavalry FC — 2024 CPL Playoffs https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-forge-fc-cavalry-fc-2024-cpl-playoffs Sun, 27 Oct 2024 22:12:30 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-forge-fc-cavalry-fc-2024-cpl-playoffs The 2024 CPL Final is headed to Alberta, as Cavalry FC defeated Forge FC 1-0 at Tim Hortons Field in Sunday’s qualifying semi-final clash. For the third time in club history, Cavalry will play in the league’s championship match, as they’ll look to win their first North Star Cup. After a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes, the first big chance of the game presented itself for Forge, as Béni Badibanga curled in a cross to the back post. Kyle Bekker got his head on it to direct it goalward, but his attempt hit the post and bounced away. Moments later, Tobias Warschewski tested Forge keeper Jassem Koleilat, but the shot was saved -- and on the ensuing corner, the Cavs again came close to scoring, but Alessandro Hojabrpour was stationed on the goal line to clear the ball away just in time. Just before the half-hour mark, Cavalry found the opening goal. Goalkeeper Marco Carducci sent a long ball down the pitch to Warschewski, who brought it down well and fought off Garven Metusala to bear in on goal. The German forward managed to dribble past an oncoming Koleilat and slotted it into an open goal to put the visitors in front. Forge had the better of the chances in the rest of the first half, including one goalmouth scramble that seemed destined to end in the back of the net, were it not for a foul as Carducci took a boot to the head. So, the half ended with Cavalry ahead by a goal. Early in the second half, Forge spent a good deal of time buzzing around the penalty area, and had a great chance to equalize about 10 minutes in, but Alessandro Hojabrpour's shot went straight at Carducci for a straightforward save. Forge continued to probe, desperately searching for an equalizer. Head coach Bobby Smyrniotis went to his bench for reinforcements, bringing on the likes of Noah Jensen, Jordan Hamilton and Dominic Samuel, attempting to add some attacking firepower. They generated a handful of excellent chances; Kyle Bekker took a well-driven shot from the top of the box in the 84th minute, but put it just over the bar. Forge continued peppering the box through the seven minutes of stoppage time, but Cavalry’s defence continued to hold firm. The final whistle sent the Cavs bench into jubilant cheers, as the Calgary side confirmed that they’ll host the CPL Final for the first time since 2019.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Forge FC: Koleilat; Duncan (Samuel 80'), Achinioti-Jönsson, Metusala (Hamilton 80'), Owolabi-Belewu; Bekker, Hojabrpour, Borges (Jensen 64'); Choinière, Ampomah, Badibanga Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird (Kobza 87'), Klomp, Montgomery, Kamdem; Shome, Gutiérrez; Musse (Shaw 87'), Camargo (Wähling 90'), Herdman (Trafford 71'); Warschewski

Goals

27' -- Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)

Discipline

90+4’ — Yellow: Malik Owolabi-Belewu (Forge FC)]]> 10 HIGHLIGHTS: Atlético Ottawa 2-2 York United FC (5-4 pens.) — 2024 CPL Playoffs https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-atletico-ottawa-york-united-2024-cpl-playoffs Sun, 27 Oct 2024 19:54:27 +0000 https://www-archive.canpl.ca/video/recap-atletico-ottawa-york-united-2024-cpl-playoffs In an instant classic in the nation's capital, Atlético Ottawa defeated York United 2-2 (5-4) on penalty kicks to book a spot in the CPL Playoff semi-final on Sunday. It was the first time a CPL playoff match had been decided by penalty kicks in league history. The two sides cancelled each other out during the initial 90 minutes, as an Ollie Bassett Olimpico was nullified by a stunning strike from Shola Jimoh, before a Rubén del Campo penalty was equalized by a Mo Babouli header in extra time. Atlético Ottawa will now await the result of Sunday's qualifying semifinal between Forge FC and Cavalry FC, as they will travel to face the loser of that match in the CPL semi-final on Nov. 2. It was Atleti's first-ever home playoff victory. Atlético Ottawa went to work early, getting into dangerous attacking positions inside the opening 15 minutes. That included a ball over the top down the left flank which Matteo de Brienne got on the end of, before getting tangled up with York defender Nyal Higgins in the box. There were appeals for a penalty but they went unheard. The visitor's first big chance came in the 17th minute, when Babouli had a free-kick opportunity in a very dangerous spot at the top left of the York box. His initial chance was blocked by the wall, before he put the rebound narrowly wide of Nate Ingham's goal. As the half wore on, Atleti looked to use balls over the top to create chances, pushing fullbacks Matteo de Brienne and Dani Morer high up the flanks to create width in attack. They forced a last-ditch headed clearance from Frank Sturing in the 41st minute when Ballou Tabla and Manny Aparicio combined well down the right. Aparicio's cross was destined for Rubén del Campo in the middle before the York defender's intervention. When the whistle signalling half-time sounded, however, it brought to an end a half where clear-cut chances were lacking during a well-contested defensive contest. All three shots on target during the half, each of which came from Atlético Ottawa, were taken from outside of the box and didn't really threaten Thomas Vincensini in the York net. At the half, York United manager Benjamín Mora made a pair of substitutions, bringing on 16-year-old Shola Jimoh and Mexican midfielder Josué Martínez. Just two minutes into the half, Atleti found the opener. Bassett curled a corner kick directly at the York net, which Vincensini was unable to keep out as the hosts took a 1-0 lead. It was just the latest of an incredible number of Olimpicos which have been scored in the Canadian Premier League this season, and in the league's history. Ballou Tabla had a great chance to double the lead eight minutes later, as the ball fell to him in the York box but his shot was well over the net. Bassett then nearly turned provider in the 62nd minute with a great cross to del Campo, but a brave punch from Vincensini denied the opportunity. Needing a goal to get back in the match, and keep their season alive, York shifted to a back four and looked to get more aggressive. In the 72nd minute, they had a decent chance on a ball over the top, but Ingham claimed the ball moments before substitute Max Ferrari could get his head on it. York then brought on leading scorer Brian Wright in the 77th minute, who was surprisingly playing his first minutes of the CPL Playoffs after having not appeared against Pacific FC on Wednesday. It was Atleti, however, who kept pushing for an insurance goal to put the match to bed on the counterattack. In the 82nd minute, Tabla nearly did just that as he spun and hit a dangerous strike in the box, but it was well stopped by Vincensini. York did put the ball in the net in the 85th minute on an Elijah Adekugbe header, but he was ruled to be in an offside position. With seconds remaining, and all looking lost for the Nine Stripes, 16-year-old Jimoh got on the end of a bouncing ball in the box and smashed it into the top corner for an absolutely stunning equalizer to force extra time. Seconds into the first extra time period, Atlético Ottawa went forward and added another twist to the tale. Sam Salter got himself into the box and was brought down by Elijah Adekugbe, earning a penalty kick. Rubén del Campo stepped up to the spot, and smashed home his 14th goal in all competitions for the capital club to give them a 2-1 lead. The visitors, however, were not at all keen to go away. Shortly after the kickoff following Ottawa's goal, York went the other way and a lovely cross from Jimoh found the head of Nine Stripes' captain Mo Babouli who equalized once again, 2-2. In the 98th minute, Amer Didić looked like he had given the hosts another lead when the ball fell to him at the back post. But he hit the crossbar on a vicious strike from close range. Del Campo's follow-up effort was blocked. After so much excitement in the first half of extra time, the two sides were more pragmatic to begin the second half -- knowing that one mistake could mean the end of their season. Babouli had perhaps the best chance, but once again the Atleti wall stood tall on his free kick effort. With neither side able to solve the other for a third time, the match went to a penalty shootout. In the second round of the shootout, Ingham got his hand to a poorly struck effort from Babouli to give Atlético Ottawa the advantage. Atleti then stepped up and scored all five of their penalties to secure a dramatic victory. It took them 120 minutes plus penalties to do so, but Atleti held on for their first-ever playoff victory at TD Place.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Morer (Zapater 79'), Walker, Didić, del Amo, de Brienne (Tissot 119'); Aparicio, Sissoko (Twardek 91'), Bassett (Iliadis 90+3'); del Campo, Tabla (Salter 87')  York United: Vincensini; Higgins, Sturing (Ferrari 70'), León (Márquez 90+2'); Botello, Kibato (Wright 77'), Adekubge, Baldisimo (Martínez 46'), Córdova; Babouli, Salanović (Jimoh 46') 

Goals

47' — Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) 90+4' -- Shola Jimoh (York United) 92' -- Rubén del Campo (Atlético Ottawa) (Penalty) 94' -- Mo Babouli (York United)

Discipline

29' — Yellow:Dani Morer (Atlético Ottawa) 74' -- Yellow: Nyal Higgins (York United) 90' -- Yellow: Rubén del Campo (Atlético Ottawa) 90+2' -- Yellow: Sam Salter (Atlético Ottawa) 91' -- Yellow: Elijah Adekugbe (York United) 109' -- Yellow: Orlando Botello (York United)

Penalty Shootout

  1. York: Juan Córdova (GOAL) Ottawa: Amer Didić (GOAL)
  2. York: Mo Babouli (MISS) Ottawa: Maxim Tissot (GOAL)
  3. York: Brian Wright (GOAL) Ottawa: Rubén del Campo (GOAL)
  4. York: Orlando Botello (GOAL) Ottawa: Alberto Zapater (GOAL)
  5. York: Josué Martínez (GOAL) Ottawa: Ilias Iliadis (GOAL)
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