CPL playoff push expected to be tense in final month of games
Posted September 12, 2022 4:53 pm.
Last Updated September 14, 2022 3:04 pm.
The Canadian Premier League has reached the final month of the 2022 regular season, and the end of the season is lined up to be the most exciting push for the playoffs the league has seen since it began.
Following this weekend’s games, five points separate top seed Atletico Ottawa and defending CPL champions Pacific FC who sit in fifth place.
Pacific FC and Atletico Ottawa are joined in the playoff hunt by Winnipeg’s Valour FC — who along with Ottawa are looking to clinch their first playoff appearance in league history — as well as the only two teams to have qualified for every playoff so far — Calgary’s Cavalry FC and two-time league winners Hamilton’s Forge FC.
The gap between the front runners and fifth place closed massively over August and the first few games of September.
Valour FC was the league’s hottest team in August, as they pulled out a pair of scrappy 1-0 wins against Forge FC, defeated Pacific FC 1-0, and took down Cavalry and York United 2-0 as well.
Shocking losses and draws also plagued the front runners. Cavalry were 2-0-2 in August after dropping three straight in July. The club hasn’t been able to string a pair of wins together since late June.
Ottawa went 3-1-1 through August while Forge went 1-1-3, dropping games to Cavalry, York, and Valour.
While Pacific went 1-0-2, having to play Waterhouse FC (from Jamaica) and C.S. Herediano (from Costa Rica) in the CONCACAF League.
Valour FC will be hoping to not repeat 2021 when they missed out on the playoffs by one point after drawing their final game of that season 3-3 against FC Edmonton.
They along with Cavalry and Atletico Ottawa have four games remaining, while Pacific FC and Forge FC have five games remaining as a match between the pair earlier in the season was pushed back as Pacific FC took part in the CONCACAF League.
As of Monday, Sep. 12 the league standings are as follows:
Team (Wins-Draws-Losses — Points — Goal Difference)
- Atletico Ottawa (11-8-5 — 41 — 4)
- Forge FC (12-3-8 — 39 — 20)
- Cavalry FC (11-5-8 — 38 — 5)
- Valour FC (10-6-8 — 36 — 7)
- Pacific FC (10-6-8 — 36 — 1)
- York United (8-5-11 — 29 — (-6))
- HFX Wanderers (8-4-12 — 28 — (-10))
- FC Edmonton (3-7-14 — 16 — (-22))
Games remaining for each club in the playoff hunt:
Atletico Ottawa:
- @ Valour FC – Sep. 18;
- @ Cavalry FC – Sep. 24;
- @ HFX Wanderers – Oct. 01;
- Vs. York United – Oct. 09.
Forge FC:
- @ Pacific FC – Sep. 18;
- @ FC Edmonton – Sep. 25;
- Vs. York United – Oct. 01;
- Vs. Pacific FC – Oct. 05;
- Vs. HFX Wanderers – Oct. 09.
Cavalry FC:
- @ FC Edmonton – Sep. 17;
- Vs. Atletico Ottawa – Sep. 24;
- Vs. Valour FC – Oct. 02;
- Vs. Pacific FC – Oct. 08.
Valour FC:
- Vs. Atletico Ottawa – Sep. 18;
- @ York United – Sep. 23;
- @ Cavalry FC – Oct. 02;
- @ FC Edmonton – Oct. 08.
Pacific FC:
- Vs. Forge FC – Sep. 18;
- @ HFX Wanderers – Sep. 24;
- Vs. FC Edmonton – Sep. 30;
- @ Forge FC – Oct. 05;
- @ Cavalry FC – Oct. 08.
Previous CPL playoffs:
- 2019 – Two leg final between Cavalry FC and Forge FC (Forge FC won 2-0 on aggregate).
- 2020 – CPL Island Games – HFX Wanderers, Cavalry FC, Forge FC and Pacific FC played in a round-robin to determine the finals. Forge FC won their second title with a 2-0 win over HFX Wanderers.
- 2021 – Forge FC defeated York United 3-1 in the semifinals advancing to play Pacific FC who defeated Cavalry FC 2-1 in extra-time. Pacific won their first title with a 1-0 win in the final over Forge.
