CPL: Four Moments of Week One

Eight teams, four matches and the best from each of them in this rundown of all the action from the start of a new season of Canadian Premier League soccer.

1. The Opening Goal

Who better to get the 2022 season underway than the reigning CPL player of the year. Away to York United, Joao Morelli stepped up to the spot when a hard foul on HFX's Cory Bent by Roger Thompson earned the Wanderers a penalty. Morelli confidentially struck the ball home to open the scoring for the whole league and also net the Wanderers their first win of 2022.

2. More Wins Coming from the Spot

It wasn't just the season opener that was won in such a fashion. Over in the capital another close call between the home team Atletico Ottawa and visiting Cavalry FC was decided by a spot kick. When Jose Escalante committed a handball in the box ten minutes from time, Brian Wright stepped up the penalty spot and opened the scoring for Atletico for the season and got 2022 off to a winning start for his team.

3. Already the Equalizer of the Year

The CPL season was only three days old but already this moment is sure to be one of the most spectacular produced in all of 2022. After Andy Ruiz ended the first half with a goal for Valour, FC Edmonton went the entire second half looking for an equalizer. Tobias Warcheswski left it to the very last second to snag a point for FCE and he did it in some style:

4. Spectacular Set Pieces at Starlight Stadium

Set pieces paid dividends for both teams in the game of the week, which was also a rematch of the 2021 championship final between Forge and the home team Pacific FC. After the opening goal from Josh Herd after four minutes, Amer Didic headed in a Marco Bustos free kick in the second half for his first CPL goal which doubled Pacific's advantage.

Forge kept looking for one back but to no avail until the dying minutes when Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson blindsided the home team, directed a corner kick over Callum Irving, denying the Pacific goalkeeper a clean sheet. Yet the home team came away with the biggest win so far.

All in all an eventful start to the new CPL season with each match an indication there is a lot more sights to come in Canada this year. Check back here for regular updates and find more over on the official CPL website.