All the Action From an Eventful CPL Round 4

The 2021 CPL season is still young but the fourth round of matches, again all coming from IG Field in Winnipeg, had what will surely go down as some of the best sights of the season total.

The first match of the week between Atletico Ottawa and Pacific was low on attempts that were on-target from both sides, but a sixty-third minute play from Pacific - off the pass from Kadin Chung, Marco Bustos powered through the Ottawa defence and handing the ball off to an unmarked Josh Heard - made up for the low score line.

In the following match, Andrew Jean Baptiste continued his scoring streak for Valour FC, heading in a corner kick after just five minutes against York United. Diyaeddine Abzi responded shortly after with a long-distance cross which found the head of Lowell Right inches from goal for York's equaliser.

After many more off-target chances by York, Dominick Zator headed the ball over the Valour keeper for the United lead. Valour sought a response but a spectacular sight - an eight-second minute free kick Ryan Lindsay directed straight into the York goal - was ruled out for offside. This sealed Valour's first loss of the 2021 and the first of the season for York United.

Kyle Bekker was the hero for Forge against their biggest rivals Cavalry FC: after lobbing a high-arcing cross into the top left hand corner of Marco Carducci's net, he was left unmarked and open after a mistake by the Cavalry defence for his and Forge's second goal with just over half and hour played. The Cavs were left with plenty of time to find a goal of their own but every one of their chances either fell short or were denied by tough Forge defence. Forge were victorious in the latest chapter of the rivalry between these two teams by a score of 2-0.

Next up, seven minutes in against FC Edmonton, Joao Morelli converted a cross by Morey Doner for the early first goal for HFX Wanderers, who went looking for another immediately after but they would have to wait until the second half and another moment of inspiration from Morelli. After keeping control of the ball amongst the Edmonton defence, he fired into into the top of their goal.

With just over an hour played a Fraser Arid strike on the edge of the box gave FCE their first goal,

but up coming up against consistently tough goalkeeping by Christian Oxner, it would be their only one. By a margin of 2-1, the Wanderers get their first win of the season, the last team to do so in 2021.

In the following match an early error by Nikolaos Giantsopoulos in York United's goal allowed in an attempt by Pacific FC's Matteo Polisi, which was followed by a precision strike from an unmarked Marco Bustos to put Pacific up 2-0 in the first ten minutes.

Chris N'Sa came closest for York with a strike off a free kick, but hit the goal post, keeping them scoreless in the face of the onslaught by Pacific. On the hunt for another goal, Bustos received a long pass, took it to right hand corner of the box and fired the ball in for his second and Pacific's third of the match. Giantsopouls prevented a fourth from Terran Campbell in the last few minutes, but at the final whistle it was still a heavy loss for York and big win for Pacific, their second of the week.

On Sunday, Forge came agonisingly close when Mo Babouli's missed shot came off the post and to Chris Nanco, who beat Valour keeper Jonathan Sirios but was denied by defender Andre Jean Baptiste on the line. The only goal was from a wonder strike by Valour's Austin Ricci that stunned everyone as it unexpectedly hit the back of the net, the only moment of inspiration that would get Valour back to winning ways and back to the top of the CPL table.

In the last match of the round, Cavalry and Atletico Ottawa were evenly matched in their scoring chances though neither were able to convert any until the seventy-fifth minute. A long pass reached Zach Verhoven ahead of the Cavalry defence and he handed off to an unmarked Malcolm Shaw to get Atletico off the mark late on.

Forge tried to find an equaliser but were denied by both the Ottawa defence and the officials, who ruled off an Anthony Novak goal for offside. In the dying seconds of extra time Victor Martinez instigated a counter-attack and Antoine Coupland was wide open to receive the ball and hammer home the goal that would put the final result beyond doubt: a win for Atletico, two goals to none.

It's shaping up to be non-stop excitement for the CPL in 2021, with plenty more still to come. For more, follow this link to the league's official website.