CPL’s Golden Boot Race Hits Double Digits Through Dubious Penalty Call

The Canadian Premier League’s top goalscorers are in a tight-knit battle for golden boot bragging rights.

The 2024 CPL season doesn’t have any miles-ahead frontrunners, with six players all within a two-goal margin as the final six rounds come into view.

Last night saw Atletico Ottawa’s Ruben Del Campo take the pole position, bagging his tenth league goal of the season from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw against Valour – but what led to the spot kick has triggered renewed discourse on refereeing decisions seen in the league.

GOAL 🦖@atletiOttawa ties things up! Rubén del Campo converts the pen ⚽️

But was it a pen though? 👀

🔴 Watch the #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/jrJor9NftW

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 10, 2024

While Del Campo will be happy to have converted his penalty shot, replays of the decision have sparked a contentious response from viewers after defender Dante Campbell was called out for a handball despite his hands being placed behind his back.

“It’s never a penalty,” said Valour head coach Phillip Dos Santos after the match. “It doesn’t matter the interpretation [or] the report of the referee that might support a decision. Me, I’ve been in football and it’s not only them that know the rules. We also know the rules, and the truth is that today it was not a penalty.”

A win would have put Valour FC within touching distance of a playoff spot that has, so far, eluded the club entirely. Dos Santos says last night’s penalty decision could have an impact on that chase, and – with Atletico Ottawa higher up – potentially on the regular season title race, too.

“People have to understand that you can’t just go about it and think that there’s no responsibility. In some leagues of the world when you make this type of mistake, it takes quite a few weeks if not months before you’re reffing another game. I don’t wish that for anyone, because I don’t think mistakes are made because they want to be made – but it’s still a mistake that conditions a game.”

The moment is far from the only time officiating has been recently called out. Cavalry’s Tommy Wheeldon Jr took aim at refereeing disparity in Hamilton just this weekend, while Atletico Ottawa’s own gaffer was fined after a strong rant about officiating bias and claims of collusion.

Swiss centre-forward Ruben Del Campo has enjoyed a fruitful campaign thus far, scoring in five matches in a row earlier this year whilst finding himself in ‘a sweet moment’ all season long.

Just behind him is York United’s Brian Wright on nine goals. The former Ottleti man led the league in big chances missed during his first, but has brought a much more clinical nature to accompany his hold-up play this year.

Behind the duo – who have traded golden boot frontrunner status through the season – is no less than four others on eight goals apiece. We can count Kwasi Poku out of the race given his move to Belgium, but his Forge teammate Tristan Borges (who won the golden boot in 2019) is still in the running.

So too is another former golden boot winner in Vancouver’s Alejandro Diaz, while – incredibly – centre-back Dan Nimick is right in the mix, having proven to be a prolific penalty conversion specialist.

For Dos Santos, the golden boot race wasn’t remotely on his mind last night: he wants officials to be held to a higher standard, and he went as far as to directly call out the officiating team yesterday.

“I know that Mr. Ben Hoskins has had no intention of coming here and impacting the result, but he did,” added Dos You’re given a position of responsibility and you have to, amongst the three or four officials, make sure that you get this type of call right, because when I see the replay the linesman is right there too.”