2020_Canadian_Premier_League
2020 Canadian Premier League season
2nd season of top-level Canadian soccer league
The 2020 Canadian Premier League season was the second season of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top level of Canadian soccer.
| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 13 – September 6, 2020 (first stage) September 9–15, 2020 (group stage) September 19, 2020 (final) |
| Champions | Forge FC |
| Regular season winners | Not awarded |
| CONCACAF League | Forge FC |
| Matches played | 35 |
| Goals scored | 92 (2.63 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Akeem Garcia (6 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Triston Henry (5 shutouts) |
| Biggest home win | HFX Wanderers 0–5 Pacific FC (September 15) |
| Highest scoring | 5 goals York9 FC 3–2 Forge FC (August 26) HFX Wanderers 0–5 Pacific FC (September 15) |
| Longest winning run | 3 matches Cavalry FC (August 16–23) Forge FC (September 12–19) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 6 matches York9 FC (August 15 – September 1) HFX Wanderers FC (August 26 – September 12) Forge FC (August 30 – September 19) |
| Longest winless run | 7 matches FC Edmonton (August 16 – September 6) |
| Longest losing run | 4 matches FC Edmonton (August 26 – September 6) |
← 2019 2021 → | |
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPL announced a 14-day hold on all pre-season training on March 13, 2020.[1] On March 20, the league announced that it would be postponing the start of the season from the previously scheduled date of April 11.[2]
A shortened 2020 season tournament, branded as The Island Games, was played at the University of Prince Edward Island from August 13 to September 19. All players were required to self-isolate for 14 days before travelling, self-isolate for five more days upon arrival, and receive two negative COVID-19 tests before being allowed to play. As of July 29, PEI had the lowest number of COVID-19 cases among provinces, at 36.[3][4][5]
Initially, all matches were held behind closed doors. On August 8, the league announced a partnership with the province and PEI Soccer to allow 50 minor soccer players per game to attend matches.[6]
Atlético Ottawa joined the league as its first expansion team, bringing the total number of teams to eight. Hamilton's Forge FC defended their inaugural CPL title, blanking HFX Wanderers FC 2–0 in the final.
Teams
The seven teams that participated in the inaugural 2019 Canadian Premier League season were set to compete in this season. They were joined by Atlético Ottawa, an expansion team who were created after USL Championship side Ottawa Fury FC suspended operations after being unable to secure approval from USSF and CONCACAF.[7][8][9]
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Head coach | Captain(s) | Shirt sponsor | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Ottawa |  Mista |
 Ben Fisk |
OneSoccer | Macron |
| Cavalry |  Tommy Wheeldon Jr. |
Nik Ledgerwood |
WestJet | |
| FC Edmonton | Jeff Paulus |
Tomi Ameobi |
Swoop | |
| Forge | Bobby Smyrniotis |
Kyle Bekker |
Tim Hortons | |
| HFX Wanderers |  Stephen Hart |
Andre Rampersad |
Volkswagen | |
| Pacific |  Pa-Modou Kah |
Marcel de Jong |
Volkswagen | |
| Valour | Rob Gale |
Dylan Carreiro |
OneSoccer | |
| York9 | Jimmy Brennan |
Manny Aparicio |
Macron |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy |
Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | James Merriman |
end of interim period | January 14, 2020 | pre-season | Pa-Modou Kah |
January 14, 2020 |
| Atlético Ottawa | N/A (inaugural season) | January 29, 2020 | Mista |
February 11, 2020 | ||
Original format
Before being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was intended to be played from April 11 to October 4. The split-season format of the inaugural season was to be replaced by a single table and full double round-robin. The eight teams would have met their rivals twice at home and twice away for a total of 28 games, the same number as in 2019.[10] The top ranked team in the regular season would have qualified for a spot in the championship final and would have been joined by the winner of a playoff between the second and third ranked teams.[11]
The eight teams played against each other once each for a total of seven matches. The top four teams advanced to the group stage.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavalry | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 13 | Advance to group stage |
| 2 | HFX Wanderers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 12[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 3 | Forge | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 12[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 4 | Pacific | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 11 | |
| 5 | York9 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | |
| 6 | Valour | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 8[lower-alpha 2] | |
| 7 | Atlético Ottawa | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 8[lower-alpha 2] | |
| 8 | FC Edmonton | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) total wins; 6) U-21 minutes; 7) coin toss or drawing of lots.[12]
Notes:
Results
Source: CanPL.ca Legend: Blue = left column team win; Yellow = draw; Red = top row team win. |
Results by round
Source: CanPL.ca Notes: Cavalry and Forge played two matches in round 1 but did not play in round 6. |
|
The four group stage teams met their opponents once each. The top two teams advanced to the final.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forge | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 | Advance to final |
| 2 | HFX Wanderers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 4 | |
| 3 | Cavalry | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 4 | Pacific | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 3[lower-alpha 1] |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) total wins; 6) U-21 minutes; 7) coin toss or drawing of lots.[13]
Notes:
Results |
Results by round
Source: CanPL.ca |
|
| Forge FC | 2–0 | HFX Wanderers FC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Statistical leaders
Top scorersSource:[14] |
Top assistsSource:[14] |
Shutouts
| Rank | Player | Club | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triston Henry |
Forge FC | 5 |
| 2 | Marco Carducci |
Cavalry FC | 3 |
| 3 | Nathan Ingham |
York9 | 2 |
| Christian Oxner |
HFX Wanderers | ||
| James Pantemis |
Valour FC | ||
| Nacho Zabal |
Atlético Ottawa | ||
| 7 | Callum Irving |
Pacific FC | 1 |
| Nolan Wirth |
Pacific FC |
Source:[14]
Player transfers
U Sports Draft
The 2019 CPL–U Sports Draft was held on November 11 in Montreal, Quebec. Draftees were invited to team preseason camps, with an opportunity to earn a developmental contract and retain their U Sports men's soccer eligibility. HFX Wanderers selected Cory Bent with the first overall pick. Two players were selected by each returning CPL team, with a total of 14 players being drafted including 10 Canadians.[15] Ottawa had not yet joined the league and did not participate in the draft.
Foreign players
Canadian Premier League teams may sign a maximum of seven international players, out of which only five can be in the starting line-up for each match. The following players are considered foreign players for the 2020 season. This list does not include Canadian citizens who represent other countries at the international level.[16]
Players in italic denote players new to their respective clubs for the 2020 season, sorted chronologically by their announcement.
Awards
Canadian Premier League Awards
The nominees for the four CPL awards were announced on September 18, one day before the league final.[17] The awards take into account all matches from The Island Games and are voted on by reporters across Canada. The winners were announced at a ceremony on November 26, 2020.[18]
| Award | Recipient | Finalists |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers) | N/A |
| Golden Glove | Triston Henry (Forge) | Christian Oxner (HFX Wanderers) Callum Irving (Pacific) |
| Coach of the Year | Stephen Hart (HFX Wanderers) | Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge) Mista (Atlético Ottawa) |
| Player of the Year | Kyle Bekker (Forge) | Marco Bustos (Pacific) Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers) |
| Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year | Mohamed Farsi (Cavalry) | Chrisnovic N'sa (HFX Wanderers) Julian Dunn (Valour) |
Team of the Week
The Gatorade Team of the Week is selected by OneSoccer staff.[19]
| Dates | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 13–16 |
Henry (Forge) |
Awuah (Forge) Krutzen (Forge) Zator (Cavalry) Northover (Cavalry) |
 Acuña (Ottawa) Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge) Bekker (Forge) |
Bustos (Pacific) Haber (Cavalry) Farsi (Cavalry) |
[19] |
| August 18–23 |
Pantemis (Valour) |
Mavila (Cavalry) Boskovic (Cavalry) Dunn (Valour) Chung (Pacific) |
 Sissoko (HFX) Acuña (Ottawa) Bekker (Forge) |
Boakai (Edmonton) Brown (Cavalry) Garcia (HFX) |
[20] |
| August 25–30 |
Oxner (HFX) |
Haynes (Pacific) Krutzen (Forge) Schaale (HFX) Chung (Pacific) |
Di Chiara (York) Rampersad (HFX) Dixon (Pacific) |
Blasco (Pacific) Díaz (Pacific) Bustos (Pacific) |
[21] |
| September 1–6 |
Oxner (HFX) |
Levis (Valour) Geffrard (HFX) Zator (Cavalry) Chung (Pacific) |
Aparicio (York) Dyer (Valour) Acuña (Ottawa) |
Riggi (HFX) Garcia (HFX) Bustos (Pacific) |
[22] |
| September 7–13 |
Henry (Forge) |
N'sa (HFX) Krutzen (Forge) Zator (Cavalry) Restrepo (HFX) |
Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge) Sabak (Forge) Simmons (Cavalry) |
 Morelli (HFX) Garcia (HFX) Farsi (Cavalry) |
[23] |
| September 14–20 |
Henry (Forge) |
Awuah (Forge) Krutzen (Forge) Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific) Samuel (Forge) |
Baldisimo (Pacific) Bekker (Forge) Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge) |
Riggi (HFX) Babouli (Forge) Bustos (Pacific) |
[24] |
Media
OneSoccer broadcast all matches of the tournament. CBC Television televised nine matches on Saturdays, and CHCH-TV in Hamilton broadcast Sunday matches.[25] To visually enhance the venue for broadcast as it is only a pitch, an augmented reality "virtual stadium" was employed by host broadcaster Mediapro, rendering CGI grandstands with virtual sponsor placements. An AI-based automated camera system was used for 19 matches, using similar technology to what was used for the CEBL Summer Series.[26]
See also
References
- "Canadian Premier League Statement: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocol for Pre-Season Training". Canadian Premier League. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- "Canadian Premier League Commissioner Statement: Start of season postponed". Canadian Premier League. March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- "Canadian Premier League's Island Games: Everything you need to know". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "CPL players, coaches, staff in P.E.I. bubble all test negative for COVID-19". CBC News. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "P.E.I. to host Canadian pro soccer league season starting Aug. 13". CBC News. July 29, 2020.
- Canadian Premier League [@CPLsoccer] (August 29, 2020). "With approval from the Province of PEI and in partnership with @peisoccerassoc, the CPL hosted the 1st fan zone for minor soccer players. Starting today, groups of up to 50 people will begin to share in the excitement of The Island Games while following public health measures. https://t.co/lA8xPxRPpK" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
- "Canadian Premier League awards 1st Expansion Team to Ottawa". Canadian Premier League. January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- "Ottawa's Soccer Team Was Just Cancelled But Fans Want Them To Switch Leagues". www.narcity.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- Jacques, John (January 15, 2020). "Rumour: Ottawa On Fast-Track To CPL Expansion". Northern Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- "Canadian Premier League announces 2020 home dates; Ottawa's home opener set for May 16". Global News. February 20, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- Bedakian, Armen (February 21, 2020). "CPL announces balanced schedule, new league and playoff format for 2020". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- Thompson, Marty [@martythompson_] (August 13, 2020). "Confirmed: #CanPL tiebreakers for The Island Games... 1. Head-to-head 2. Goal diff. 3. Goals for 4. Total # of wins 5. *Most U-21 minutes* in round 6. Coin toss or drawing of lots" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Thompson, Marty [@martythompson_] (August 13, 2020). "Confirmed: #CanPL tiebreakers for The Island Games... 1. Head-to-head 2. Goal diff. 3. Goals for 4. Total # of wins 5. *Most U-21 minutes* in round 6. Coin toss or drawing of lots" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "2020 CPL statistics". Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- "TRACKER: All 14 picks from the 2019 CPL-U SPORTS Draft". Canadian Premier League. November 11, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- "CPL 2020 roster tracker: How all eight teams are shaping up". Canadian Premier League. March 11, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Molinaro, John (September 18, 2020). "Bustos, Bekker and Garcia finalists for CPL Player of the Year award". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- Jaques, John (November 26, 2020). "2020 Canadian Premier League Awards Roundup". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "Gatorade Team of the Week: Forge, Cavalry dominate Week 1". Canadian Premier League. August 17, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- "Gatorade Team of the Week: Bekker and Acuña return in Week 2". Canadian Premier League. August 25, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- "Gatorade Team of the Week: Pacific FC dominates CPL's top selections". Canadian Premier League. September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- "Gatorade Team of the Week: HFX Wanderers take over CPL best XI". Canadian Premier League. September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- "Gatorade Team of the Week: Wanderers, Forge dominate Week 5". Canadian Premier League. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- Canadian Premier League [@CPLsoccer] (September 22, 2020). "Presenting...our final @GatoradeCanada Team of the Week for the 2020 CPL Season. 👏 #CanPL https://t.co/BY7JMiiBwn" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
- "CPL/Island Games Sunday matches to be broadcast on CHCH TV". Canadian Premier League. August 13, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- Kerschbaumer, Ken (August 19, 2020). "Canadian Premier League Returns: Mediapro Canada Odyssey 4K Truck Onsite; WT Vision Builds Virtual Stadium". Sports Video Group. Retrieved October 8, 2020.