High-Scoring First Week Back Home for the CPL
For the first time since the end of the 2019 season, all CPL teams were back at their home grounds, where the efforts of all eight this week were buoyed by the change of scenery from Winnipeg and the presence of fans. Here's the run down on all seven of the week's matches:
It was not a very happy return home for York United - four minutes in they were caught off-guard by Mo Babouli, who converted the long-distance pass from Kwame Awuah into the opening goal for Forge. They couldn't follow it up but fortunately York, who were down to ten players after Dominick Zator was sent of just before half-time, made even less of their chances. A second Forge goal was ruled out for offside, but they still came away with the 905 derby win.
A three-minute goal by Pacific FC's Marco Bustos after powering through the Cavalry defence and a late breakaway, tight-angled Dos Santos goal bookended a commanding performance - in which they had many more chances in between and Cavalry saw their equaliser ruled out for offside - getting their first win back at home.
FC Edmonton went searching early on and after eleven minutes they had their goal with Easton Ongaro finding his way through the Valour defence and putting the ball past Jonathan Sioris. A subsequent goal by Tobias Warschewski was ruled out but come the second half he made up for it, directing the pass from Ramon Soria past Sioris for his first Edmonton goal. Not long after a thunderous header from Amer Didic fired the ball directly into the back of the Valour net and FC Ed were 3-0 up.
Conversely it was a rotten one for Valour, who saw every goal attempt fall short of the target or scooped up by Connor James in goal. With minutes to go a long-range strike by Andy Baquero was aided by a mistake by James, allowing Valour a consolatory late goal for the hard-done-by visiting team, recipients of Edmonton's biggest win of the season so far.
Under heavy rain at the Wanderers Grounds, Atletico Ottawa's Ryan Telfer was perfectly placed to receive the corner kick from Chris Mannella and head the ball home for the opening goal. Four minutes later, the Wanderers found their way through nine Ottawa players in the box and Joao Morelli netted the equaliser. Hakeem Garcia almost immediately got another for HFX with Dylon Powley goalkeeper fortunate to not see a red card with a dangerous diving save.
Morelli was then on the receiving end of a Cory Bent pass and left open to put the Wanderers up 2-1 with thirty-five minutes played. All of the action ended up being in the first half in this match-up, with neither team making any further progress in the last forty-five minutes, HFX came away with the home win.
A nice run by Fraser Arid was followed by an equally nice lob pass to Easton Orango for a perfectly timed opening goal for FC Ed at Spruce Meadows. Orango went looking for a second goal but was repeatedly denied by the Cavalry defence and the goal posts.
An uncharacteristically sloppy Cavalry could not find an on-target scoring chance and would have to wait until deep into the second half, where Joe Mason redeemed himself for another bumbled chance by collecting the loose ball and firing it into the back of the net. Now playing with new purpose, a well-organised attempt saw Mohamed Farsi get the ball over the Edmonton defence and to Mason, whose missed attempt found Daan Klomp for the second and game-winning Cavalry goal.
Forge and York United met for the second time this week, the second time in Hamilton. The home team had the more attempts on goal in the first half - including a Tristan Borges penalty that was stopped. Tempers flared in the second half, after Alvaro Rivero scored a goal in heavy traffic, he was sent off, one of many cards handed out here. Wasting plenty of good goal scoring chances, Forge gifted the win to York United, their second 1-0 victory over Forge in the week.
After both Pacific FC and Valour prevented each others' attackers from getting too near the goal, a corner by Sean Rea found Rocco Romeo in a crowded box, Romeo headed it home for the opener for Valour in the last minutes of the first half.
After falling far off target at the top of the second half, Pacific saw a moment of inspiration by Lukas McNaughton, who found a gap through the Valour defence and to the goal from thirty yards out, emphatically levelling the scores. The teams started spinning their wheels until the 87th minute when Terrin Campbell found who else but Marco Bustos unguarded in the Valour box, it was no hassle for him in scoring the game winning goal for Pacific, now perfect since returning to BC.
Three wins in a row for Pacific put them top of the league, with Valour now in second after three straight losses. After unsteady results Cavalry and Forge sit at third and forth respectively, above York, Edmonton and the Wanderers whose standings have all changed after encouraging results this week. Atletico Ottawa are lagging behind and will need more results to go their way to get off the foot of the table.
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