AGR's High Press: The importance of goalkeeping to York's surge | Dan Nimick catches fire offensively for Halifax
The Canadian Premier League table continues to shift, in many different ways.
Now, the league has a new leader, as York United’s big 1-0 road victory over Valour was enough to push them two points ahead of Atlético Ottawa, who fell 3-0 to Forge. Given that Ottawa has spent most of the season in first, it’s a big surprise to see them surpassed by York, the team to beat in the CPL this summer, but it’s a key example of how the table has shifted over the past few weeks.
Yet, that could quickly change. Quietly, the CPL’s top two teams historically, Cavalry and Forge, have started to heat up and look set to make a push over the last couple of months, while others all remain in the mix.
Certainly, one has to imagine Ottawa will have something to say in this title race, too, as they’ll want to show that their hot start wasn’t a mirage and instead an example of their credentials as a trophy contender, so don’t forget them, either.
They’ll get a chance to prove that this weekend, as they travel away to Pacific in a battle of two slumping sides in one of many crucial matches on the schedule for this next matchday.
Before looking too far forward, however, here’s everything that stood out from the latest week of CPL action, in “High Press”.
Thomas Vincensini’s role for York:
While York was able to climb to the top of the table with a big road win over Valour, that victory didn’t always look likely to happen.
In particular, Valour looked likely to find a breakthrough in the 51st minute, when Shaan Hundal won a penalty off a clumsy challenge from goalkeeper Thomas Vincensini with the game still at 0-0.
There, Hundal stepped up to take the spot kick, and looked likely to score it, giving Valour a lead they would’ve felt confident in holding onto.
Yet, that goal didn’t come, as Vincensini redeemed himself with a massive stop on Hundal, keeping the game at 0-0. That allowed York to eventually grab a victory, as they found their winner in the 77th minute thanks to Austin Ricci and then saw the rest of the game over the line from there.
Thomas Vincensini with a huge stop to deny Hundal from the spot🧤
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 12, 2024
That is the @AllstateCanada Save of the Match 👏 #CanPL | 📺 @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/iKPJgNBWmq
With that, Vincensini can add another key highlight reel to a season filled with them, as he’s stepped up as a reliable option in goal for the new league leaders.
He hasn’t needed to be the busiest goalkeeper in the league, as York have done a good job of keeping things tidy in front of him, especially after the arrival of Benjamín Mora as a head coach, but he’s done well to step up when called upon.
Plus, his impact has been felt in other ways, too. For example, he’s been tidy in possession, helping York play out of the back, and he’s been an excellent sweeper-keeper, doing well to shut down attacks with quick bursts off the line.
Because of that, while the stats might not immediately jump off the page for Vincensini, who has just three clean sheets in 18 games, is tied for fourth in prevented goals in the CPL with -1.31, and is third in saves with 48, his impact has been felt in other ways.
This Valour game was a prime example of that, as he was only asked to make three saves, but he made sure they were key ones, such as with the penalty, and he snuffed out several dangerous opportunities with some strong sweeping actions elsewhere in the game.
And that’s been exactly what York needed from him. Having done well to tighten up their defensive play, ensuring that Vincensini faces fewer shots, all they’ve wanted for him is to be ready when called upon, and to play aggressively.
He’s done that, and that’s played a key role in York’s recent rise up the table, settling in as one of many who have seemed to step up in a big way as of late. 
Dan Nimick continues to find offence for Halifax:
Unfortunately for the Halifax Wanderers, they were unable to pick up a crucial away win over Cavalry this past weekend, as they fell 3-2 in an entertaining match, one that went just down to the wire.
There, an interesting storyline emerged, as Dan Nimick picked up a goal and an assist, the second straight match in which he generated a helper and scored a penalty goal.
Thanks to that, he’s now up to seven goals and three assists on the season, which now makes him tied for fourth in the CPL’s Golden Boot race and tied for third in overall goal contributions.
GOAL ⚓️@HFXWanderersFC equalize quickly vs. @CPLCavalryFC as Tiago Coimbra also gets on the end of a set piece, and it's 1-1 in this one!
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 10, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/iDtHC9BQwY
Given that he’s a centre back, it’s remarkable to see from him, as he’s stepped up as one of Halifax’s main sources of offence this season, especially as of late.
To be fair, a large chunk of credit for that has to his ability to take penalties, as six of his goals have been via that avenue, but it remains impressive that he’s been so good at them, scoring 10 and missing one of the 11 attempts he’s now taken in CPL play over the past two years, which is a strong conversion rate.
As a result, he’s already bettered his 2023 offensive output, having generated six goals (four via penalties) and three assists last season.
Given that he started 2024 with just one goal and one assist in his first eight CPL games, he’s found his form again, and that’s helped Halifax slowly pick up points, putting them within touching range of a playoff spot.
GOAL ⚓️⚓️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 10, 2024
And just like in the first half, @HFXWanderersFC find a quick goal to respond to @CPLCavalryFC and it's now just a 3-2 lead for the home team, as Dan Nimick converts from the penalty spot
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/iOrosIFlih
To see a centre back helm that playoff push with his play at both ends is remarkable to see, yet it is a credit to Nimick’s style of play, as he’s able to impact the game in many ways. Be it through his passing, his threat off set-pieces or his defending, he can be dangerous at both ends for Halifax, which is key.
Interestingly, he’s not the only centre back who has done that in the CPL this year, either, and one of them was on the other side of this most recent Wanderers game - Cavalry’s Daan Klomp.
The 2023 CPL Player of the Year, he’s had a quieter start to the year offensively but has heated up as of late, as shown by the brace he scored in this win, which combined with his consistently solid defensive play, has been key for Cavalry as they’ve caught form lately.
But that’s not surprising to see from him or Nimick, who have proven since last year that centre backs can impact the game at both ends, and both of their sides are enjoying the fruits of that. 
What to make of the last stretch of games:
It’s about to be crunch time in the CPL, as every team has at least 10 games remaining, with six sides set to hit the single digits in that category by the end of this matchday.
Quietly, we’re nearing the last quarter of the season, where it’ll be “now or never” regarding the ambition of teams.
Before reaching that stage, however, which is usually sometime in the middle of September, the next few weeks will be crucial, allowing teams to find a bit of form and put themselves in a strong position ahead of the stretch run.
And in that regard, there are a few trends to keep an eye on over the next few weeks, which will be intriguing to see play out.
Are @CPLCavalryFC back in the hunt for a regular season title?
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 13, 2024
Or does @YorkUtdFC have a better claim to the crown?
▶️ Watch OneNation Ep. 47 presented by @tonybet_Canada on OS YouTube, up next (7PM ET / 4PM PT) pic.twitter.com/oTa78Fw4uW
First, there’s the offensive side of the game, where a couple of teams enter this stretch in a unique position.
For example, York United are currently outperforming their xG by nearly eight goals and Atlético Ottawa are outperforming theirs by nearly six goals, which is something to keep an eye on, especially when seeing how much Ottawa has slumped as of late.
On the flip side, keep an eye on Halifax and Pacific, as the Wanderers have underperformed their xG by four goals, while Pacific have underperformed theirs by over six goals. In particular, that could lead to a big Wanderers outburst, as they’ve got the second-best xG in the CPL, only behind Forge, showing that they could be due to score a couple of goals.
Then, on the other side of the pitch, keep an eye on Pacific, who have overperformed their xG by over four goals, which suggests that while they might be due for an outburst of goals, they could start to leak a bit more, too, even if they’ve done well to keep their xG per shot low, limiting the quality of the looks they’ve faced.
On the flip side, Ottawa, Halifax and Vancouver could all look to earn boosts defensively, given that they’ve all underperformed their defensive metrics, which could be worth keeping an eye on, with Ottawa the big one to watch in that regard.
Yet, that shows why this next stretch could be so fascinating for all eight of the CPL’s teams. When seeing the stats from Halifax and knowing they’ve got two games in hand, for example, it feels like the Wanderers could be primed to shake up the table over the next stretch, and they’re not the only one who will feel that way.
And that’s just one factor to watch, as the schedule is another big one, with teams like Valour, Halifax and York set to play a home-heavier stretch over the next bit while sides like Ottawa and Vancouver prepare for a road-heavier set, which could also impact the table.
All of this to say - more movement is on the way in the table, so brace yourselves for what’s to come in that regard.
(All stats via WyScout). 
Who caught my eye? Juan Cordóva
There have been lots of fun stories to follow during York’s push up the table, and Cordóva’s been one of the best, as he’s been excellent as a midfielder for Benjamín Mora’s side.
Brought in as a full back after mostly playing at that position, he’s transitioned over to playing centrally without much issue, and that’s been key for York, who have relied upon him heavily this season.
This Valour game was another prime example of that, as he put in a shift in the midfield and then later as a wing back, and he’ll look to continue to build on that going forward. 
What I’m watching: Pacific vs Atlético Ottawa
It’s always fascinating to see two red-hot teams face off, but it can also be just as exciting to watch two struggling outfits do battle, as will be the case when Pacific and Ottawa meet this weekend - and for good reason, too, as this game will be massive for both teams' respective campaigns.
For Pacific, they’ll need a win to keep pace in the playoff race, as they’ll want to avoid letting the gap between them and fifth-place Vancouver get too wide, especially after Vancouver defeated them in the Salish Sea Derby this past weekend.
Meanwhile, Ottawa will want to grab a win to stick near the top of the CPL race, one they once led, but are now fighting to stay in. A win would be the perfect way for them to get on track, so they’ll look to put the frustration of three straight losses behind them now.
Safe to say, there’s lots to watch out for in this game, which should make it quite the battle.
