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Photo Credit: John Jacques
CPL In Review: Matchweek 2 – Away Sides Rally
By The 2025 Canadian Premier League season produced a really entertaining second matchweek, racking up ten goals from just three games. We’re getting a better look at which clubs are building momentum – or recovering it – from week one, and which sides might be in for a long season.
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This recap offers an at-a-glance look at all the action, including every goal and a quick description of what you missed from each CPL match. Let’s dig in:
Pacific FC 0 – 2 Forge FC
With the way these two sides play, it’s always a chess match: Forge is happy to hold the majority of possession, with Pacific’s counter-attacking game seeing the Tridents absorb pressure but break quickly.
While both teams enjoyed opening week wins, Pacific would falter in the face of a sturdy defensive effort from Forge, who capitalized on two set-piece opportunities to kick off their campaign with two wins right off the bat.
York United 1 – 2 Halifax Wanderers
If was a real Jekyll-And-Hyde performance from Halifax: the first half saw several backline miscommunications put the visitors in trouble aplenty, with a high-pressing York United making the pressure count through a wonderful Gabriel Bitar strike.
The Wanderers looked fresh in the second half, however, and as what became a very physical match progressed, Patrice Gheisar smartly dug into his bench and ultimately dug his side out of a deficit: the Wanderers produced two unanswered goals, including one with substitute Thiago Coimbra’s first touch, landing the club an away win to wrap its road trip with four points out of a possible six. For YUFC, they continue some unwanted history with a lack of success at home openers.
Vancouver FC 1 – 4 Atletico Ottawa
Last season saw Vancouver FC soar out of the gates, but this year they’re looking like a fledgling bird afraid to take flight. After nearly going ahead, the Eagles succumbed to three first-half goals from a sharp-looking Atletico Ottawa attack, with David Rodriguez looking like an exemplary addition to the red-and-white.
The second haft saw Terran Campbell get off the mark for Vancouver FC…only for Monty Patterson to get off the mark for a dominant Ottleti, making it a hefty 1-4 defeat for the hosts.
With two clubs that lost in week one having a bye this week, the league table has three flat zeroes lining out the bottom. Cavalry will be expected to rise, but whether the league’s two perennial struggling VFC clubs mister a rise up the ranks remains to be seen.
This week saw away clubs put in strong shifts, with all three claiming wins against their hosts. In a league with a relatively tough travel schedule, we don’t often see that.
The Easter long weekend will see all eight clubs in action. It all starts with a Good Friday matchup, with Cavalry’s home opener coming against Vancouver FC. Saturday will have a triple-header, with Atletico Ottawa taking on York United, Halifax’s home opener taking shape in a coast-to-coast clash against Pacific, and Forge back at Hamilton Stadium to host Valour.
Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques
