CPL 2021 Opening Weekend Review

All eight teams opened a new season the Canadian Premier League, with its first set of fixtures all being played at IG Field in Winnipeg. Everyone was in action in the opening quartet of matches and provided an entertaining weekend of football in the Manitoba capital.

Events were not kind to FC Edmonton in the opening match against Atletico Ottawa. A twenty-third minute goal was was ruled offside and disallowed and their only shot on target by Easton Orango was denied by Atletico keeper Dylon Powley. Ottawa were content to bide their time and on the eighty-first minute they swarmed Edmonton's box, where Victor Manrique blindsided their defence with a twenty-five yard strike. It would be the CPL's first goal of 2021 and got Ottawa's season off to a winning start.

This was followed by dramatic early scenes from Pacific FC against 2020 finalists HFX Wanderers. A series of precision passes sixteen minutes in by Pacific saw the ball end up with Marco Bustos in the box, who fought off his mark and beat the keeper to get his team off the mark.

HFX went looking for an equaliser straight away but were denied every time by Callum Irving in the Pacific goal. In the thirty-sixth minute, when a Pacific attack seemed to come to nothing, Oliver Bassett struck the ball powerfully from distance right into the back of the Wanderers' net.

HFX had the entire second half to get back into it but Irving proved too hard for them to overcome. Stefan Karajovanovic had the best chance for the Wanderers, finding himself unmarked at the edge of Pacific's box, but Irving got a hand on the ball and denied his goal attempt. This saw Pacific finish with a clean sheet against the Wandereres, beating them 2-0 on day one.

Austin Ricci proved to be a key component for Valour FC in their opener against returning champions Forge FC. Minutes in he was brought down by Forge's Dejan Jakovic in the box, which led to Moses Dyer stepping up to the penalty spot and getting the home team off the mark. Not long after Ricci caught Forge's defence off-guard and made a run for the goal, which ended with Valour's second in the match. He nearly made it three at the hour mark, but was off target on an open goal attempt.

Forge tried to get back into it but saw plenty of chances from set pieces fall short, Chris Nanco had their best shot on goal but his late attempt hit the crossbar. With that, CPL's only champions begin their 2021 season with a loss at the hands of Winnipeg's own Valour FC by a margin of two goals to nil.

Finally it was Cavalry FC facing the rebranded York United and, after early point-blank chances denied on both ends, Cavalry's Sergio Camargo would break the deadlock with a diving header off the cross by Jose Escalante with just over half-an-hour played.

In the second half Escalante shocked and surprised everyone, coming out of nowhere to intercept a pass by York defender Roger Thompson and direct the ball straight into their goal for the second Cavalry goal. York now needed a response but couldn't convert any attempt until a free kick from thirty-five yards that Diyaeddine Abzi curved around the wall and into the Cavalry goal.

Monopolizing possession for the final ten minutes, Cavalry prevented any further attempts on goal by York and saw out victory 2-1. With that the CPL's opening weekend went by without a draw and strong showings from the four victors, with potentially a lot more to come. For more, follow this link to the official CPL website.

Picture Credit: Canadian Premier League