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CPL Matchweek 20 Recap – Mind The Gap
By The Labour Day Long Weekend started off with some tight results but exploded as the weekend went on, closing out with five- and four-goal affairs that might just carry big postseason ramifications.
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This week saw Pacific come close to a second straight win, while Cavalry extended their lead at the top of the table and Vancouver made big gains as the club fights to keep hold of its playoff spot for what could lead to the Eagles’ first-ever playoff finish.
Of course, there are still eight rounds left to go, and a lot can happen in that time. For now, let’s recap the long weekend:
Atletico Ottawa 0 – 0 Pacific FC
Freshly buoyed from landing their first win in over a year, an energized Pacific went into TD Place and embarked on what was an entertaining, back-and-forth match that defied the odds to remain scoreless throughout.
The first half took some time to heat up, though both sides exchanged chances, with Antinoro forcing a great stop from Melvin, who retained his starting spot after last week’s win.
The second half saw Ronan Kratt – who we’ve long felt has been an offensive firecracker – nearly score a peach of a goal from the edge of the box. While he’s never afraid of audacious attempts, this one rattled the crossbar and the score remained level. No late birthday gift for the Pacific man this time around.
Kratt was once again involved in another dangerous move from Pacific, collecting the ball and sending it into the wide-open run of Marco Bustos in the Tridents’ box. Typically a clinical finisher, Bustos sent his shot straight into Kalongo, who happily collected it to end the chance.
Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau would have a great chance at the opposite end, but had his opportunity stifled by a nice challenge from Diego Konincks, who is in a great bit of form at both ends of the pitch.
By the final whistle, both teams had let a et a fair few chances slip through their fingers, leaving them with a scoreless draw that neither side will be entirely happy about – Atletico Ottawa could have made ground on Forge, while Pacific will perhaps be a little happier having landed a point on the road against the reigning champions.
Forge FC 1 – 1 Inter Toronto
Read the full match recap here.
The third 905 Derby of the season ended in a draw, with Inter Toronto snatching their first derby point of the season much to the chagrin of Forge – who missed a great opportunity to win it at the death.
Things started off in favour of the visitors, who took an early lead through a great run from youngster Ty Clarke, who was able to sneak in a looping shot that went over Dmitry Bertaud and into the Forge net in the twelfth minute:
Forge were uncharacteristically slow to generate chances, but nearly bagged a goal forty minutes in through the boot of Marko Jevremovic. The Serbian sent in a powerful shot from distance that forced debutant goalkeeper Antonio Campos into a fine save to tip the effort out of danger:
The second half saw Forge pile on the pressure that was missing in the first 45, testing Antonio Campos much more. The goalkeeper produced a fine double save midway through, giving the son of Jorge Campos a fine opportunity to show what he can do in high-pressure moments:
The Hammers would not be denied an equalizer, even if it wasn’t pretty. They’d get it over the line through Hoce Massunda, who didn’t produce great contact on the ball but evidently put enough on it to get beyond the scrambling figure of Campos:
Bobby Smyrniotis will have had some words to say about the missed opportunity at the death, as it’s a moment Forge should have secured all three points. Maxime Bourgeois sent a nice ball in for Tristan Borges, who ran into the box and had space, but ultimately skied his shot.
Vancouver FC 3 – 2 FC Supra du Quebec
In a battle with huge playoff implications, Vancouver completed an astounding comeback against an FC Supra du Quebec side that should have rendered themselves untouchable after going up by two goals. Things started off well for the visitors, who took just ten minutes to move in front after Matisse Chretien nodded home a pinpoint header following a corner from Sean Rea:
The theme of impeccably-placed goals would continue just minutes later after a Supra attack saw Choiniere loop the ball into the middle of the box, where Ibrahim Conde produced his third goal of the season with an incredible turning shot that left Callum Irving hopelessly diving in an effort to keep it out of the far corner:
The hosts would gain one back through a moment of brute force on the left wing, where Mohamed Amissi took on two Supra men from inside his own half and forced the ball all the way down the left before sending in a cross that bounced off of Keesan Ferdinand and into the FC Supra net.
Vancouver would complete the comeback just before half-time after a direct, route one aerial ball from Tom Field floated towards Lys Mousset. The former Premier League baller was surrounded in white, but beat his markers to nod home an equalizer at the perfect time for Martin Nash’s side:
David Choiniere came inches from restoring the Supra lead early in the second half, striking the post as the Quebecois visitors restarted play on the stronger foot. It would be Thierno Bah, however, who would score the game’s fifth and final goal midway through the second half.
Capitalizing off some loose defending from Supra – a running theme in the expansion side’s first season – the attacker was given a sniff of the ball just within the box, and that was all he needed. Taking one touch to fire a heated left boot, he blasted it beyond Joakim Milli to put his side 3-2 up.
That would be all she wrote between the two sides, with Vancouver FC extending their grip on the fourth and final playoff spot to an eight-point gap ahead of Supra. The Eagles have never neared the end of the season as a playoff contender before, and while things are far from finished, it’s a great moment in time if you’re a Vancouver FC fan.
Halifax Wanderers 1 – 3 Cavalry FC
The fans at Wanderers Grounds knew goals were in the air as Adonijah Reid and Jason Bahamboula both struck the posts in the opening twenty minutes, though a slow first half meant they would have to wait – and they wouldn’t like the bulk of what was to come.
Cavalry took less than three minutes to procure a lead in the second half with some of the best one-touch buildup to be seen in the league being finished off by Nathaniel Edwards. While the Twitter goal highlight only catches the end, this is one worth seeing on YouTube.
The Wanderers were not going to go out without a fight and created opportunities of their own, with young Whitecaps loanee Liam Mackenzie coming off the bench for his Halifax debut.
Yet, it would be the visitors who scored next. Pearlman collected the ball out wide on the right with time and space, floating in a nice ball that went right into the feet of Tobias Warschewski. After an awkward moment, the clinical German was able to chip the ball over the onrushing Carducci to make it 2-0 for the visitors, while putting himself at nine for the season – just one behind Loic Kwemi in the golden boot race.
Cavalry would start running away with the game ten minutes later following a defensive collapse from Halifax which saw a fairly routine clearance rebound off one of their own, sending the ball right into the path of an unmarked Sergio Camargo. The veteran was happy to oblige, quickly firing the ball beyond Marco Carducci to put the result out of reach at Wanderers Grounds.
The fans in attendance would be treated to a goal, at least, with Isaiah Johnston converting a penalty three minutes from time to take away Nathan Ingham’s clean sheet. The 24-year-old now has eight goals to his name, two back from top in the golden boot race.
Cavalry would hand a debut to their youngest player in club history, 16-year-old Kacper Plocinski, and would ultimately carve out their lead at the top of the table despite a heated finish to round out the Labour Day weekend:
In a week that could have some big postseason ramifications, Cavalry extended their lead at the top of the table to four points, while Vancouver FC extended their hold to the fourth and final playoff spot to eight points. With the CPL switching from five playoff spots to four, the clubs outside the playoff spots have their work cut out – though it’s worth pointing out that Inter Toronto has three games in hand over Vancouver FC, whom they play next weekend.
The next matchweek will kick off earlier with a midweek clash between Inter Toronto and Pacific, two sides in curious moments of form. Both sides will also play on the weekend, marking a busy week of action for them.
There will be two double-headers over the weekend as Saturday sees FC Supra du Quebec take on Halifax, and Forge host Ottawa. Sunday sees Inter Toronto’s homestand continue against Vancouver FC, followed by Pacific rounding out the action against Cavalry back on Vancouver Isle.
