CanPL Power Rankings: Atlético Ottawa living up to "Superteam" tag through six weeks | Presented by tonybet
It’s been a busy month of May, one that has seen many teams navigate tough travel, midweek cup matches and more as they continue to tackle their first round of Canadian Premier League matches.
Now, nearing the end of that first round, with just one week to go until all but two teams will have played each other at least once (except Forge and Halifax), it’s given some clarity to the table. Teams who have started strong can now feel confident in what they’ve shown to date, while those who are struggling can officially start to worry.
That’s perhaps why York United pulled the trigger this week and became the first team since 2022 to move on from a manager, parting ways with Martin Nash after two and a bit seasons with the club.
Plus, the tougher tests are looming, too. As many different coaches have stressed over the last few weeks, the first round of matches can be easy, but where things get challenging is when you start to face teams multiple times, as is the case in a league like the CPL where sides play each other a minimum of four times across the regular season.
That’s already started to slowly manifest itself as some sides have faced each other multiple times due to the Canadian Championship, so don’t be surprised to see things get even tighter as the others start to play each other for a second and third time in league play.
With that in mind, here’s a look at how teams are trending heading into the second round of games in the latest Power Rankings, presented by tonybet. 
> Atlético Ottawa have been the class of the CPL so far in 2024 and were finally able to carve out a lead atop the table this past weekend with a gritty road win away to Pacific in a top-of-the-table clash. It feels like everything is clicking for Ottawa right now, too - their offence has been consistent, as they’re the only side to score in every CPL game they’ve played, they’ve been locking things down defensively, and are getting contributions from across their lineup and off the bench. Plus, Rubén del Campo has been on fire up front, scoring in four straight matches to sit tied in the Golden Boot race, giving Ottawa a key name to rely on up front. All-in-all, those are factors that have helped Ottawa win four and draw two of their first six games, leaving them as the lone remaining undefeated CPL side through six weeks.
GOAL 🏡@AtletiOttawa's Ruben Del Campo opens the scoring vs. @PacificFCCPL, as the Tridents concede their first goal in the 2024 #CanPL season
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 18, 2024
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/YV0udYibWf
> Despite their home loss to Ottawa, Pacific FC can be proud of their start to the year, as they still remain second in the table, and have conceded just one goal in six games, which came in that Ottawa loss. Given that the loss came in extreme circumstances, as they had to make three injury subs inside 35 minutes of that game to run out of substitution windows by half time, and then were stunted by the woodwork late, it was a game they’ll look to wash out and put behind them. Given that they’ve remained elite defensively, they’ll aim to now find their feet offensively, as that’s been their one worry behind their start, sitting with just five goals in six games. They’ve been giving themselves a chance at winning each game due to their defence, but scoring goals could be the difference for them going forward if they want to keep pace with Ottawa.
> It’s been a strange start to the CPL season for Cavalry FC, who after their most recent 2-2 draw with York United, are now undefeated in five straight league games. Despite that, they’ve only won once this year, but have only lost once, as most of those results have been draws. Because of that, it feels like they’re yet to show their true level, which they offered a glimpse of in an impressive road win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2nd leg of their Canadian Championship quarter-final tie this week (where they were only eliminated on away goals). Yet, after what they showed last year, where they survived a slow start to go and win the regular season title in dominant fashion, it feels like they’re about to pick up steam, especially based on their performances. In particular, keep an eye on their squad depth, which could be a huge asset over the next few weeks as they welcome back some key pieces back from injuries.
GOAL 🐎🐎@CPLCavalryFC find the equalizer in this back-and-forth 2-2 battle vs. @YorkUtdFC as Malcolm Shaw capitalizes on a corner kick!
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 19, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/9pXocmR4fY
> Vancouver FC made a big statement this week, as they beat Forge FC on the road to hand them their first defeat of the year. Given how Vancouver’s season had done to date, as they’ve been very good at home and have struggled on the road, it was a surprising but well-deserved win, as Vancouver put those past road struggles behind them in an efficient performance. Yet, this may be a sign of Vancouver’s improved mentality - they didn’t get too down after back-to-back losses and bounced back to draw Ottawa at home and beat Forge on the road, which are two tough games to emerge with four points from. One thing to keep an eye on, however - Kadin Chung missed out on the two losses with an injury, but returned for the Ottawa game, where he was arguably the player of the match. Since arriving at Vancouver FC last year, they’ve usually done well to pick up points when he’s been healthy, so his return from injury could see them push up the table in weeks to come.
GOAL 🦅🦅
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 18, 2024
OLIMPICO IN THE #CANPL, DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU READ THIS 💫
Vasco Fry has scored straight from the corner kick to put @vanfootballclub 2-0 ahead. Wow.
Watch LIVE on OneSoccer 🔴 pic.twitter.com/xzFBtL1TxA
> Balancing their Canadian Championship duties has seen Forge FC’s form dip, as they were unable to break open a tough 0-0 draw with Pacific, and then suffered a home loss to Vancouver FC. In particular, it was a surprise to see them go quiet offensively, which combined with some unfortunate goals from Vancouver, including a Vasco Fry Olimpico, was enough to see them fall on the day. For what it’s worth, Forge shouldn’t be too worried about those results, as they’ve got the roster to overcome this stretch, especially while balancing their Canadian Championship duties. Plus, they’ve dealt with some availability issues at the #9, as Terran Campbell and Jordan Hamilton weren’t even in the squad against Vancouver, which is certainly a factor in those goalscoring struggles, given how important Forge’s #9s are to open up space for their wingers and midfielders to push forward.
> Surprisingly, York United were coming off a pair of decent back-to-back games after they came from behind to beat Valour at home and then drew Cavalry on the road, making it surprising that they let Martin Nash go. Yet, with new owners on board, it’s not that unsurprising to see them make a move, as one can only wonder if they were looking to bring their own name in. Whoever that ends up being should have plenty to work with, too - Brian Wright has been in good form to start the year and is tied in the Golden Boot race, while there is depth at each position. Injuries and inconsistencies have slowed them down to start the year, while struggles defensively will be the big goal for a new coach, but there’s still a good foundation left behind by Nash to work with.
.@yorkutdfc president & GM Ricardo Pasquel is sticking by his ambitious goals for the club this season 👀
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) May 22, 2024
Read more: https://t.co/P5FNJ4Ha9g#CanPL I ✍️ @charliejclarke pic.twitter.com/CoAUICDnJ4
> Valour FC earned their first win of the year in dramatic fashion this weekend, beating Halifax to get on the board in 2024. It’s been coming, though - they’ve been right there in each of their matches in CPL play, but have been let down by mistakes defensively and some missed chances offensively. They cleaned that up in the Halifax win, however, even recovering from a questionable penalty against them to grab a victory. That could be huge for their confidence, with a return home finally on the horizon after a lengthy road trip, which could allow them to string some results together.
GOAL 🎖️🎖️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 20, 2024
Jordi Swibel restores the lead for @ValourFootball vs. @HFXWanderersFC and Winnipeg is now up 2-1 with 15 minutes to go in this one! ✨
Can they secure their first W? 👀
🔴 Watch the @tonybet_canada #CanPL Match of the Week on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/YJXCaTlCnc
> The Halifax Wanderers can now officially push the panic button after their home loss to Valour, as they now sit with just one point in five games, and have been outscored 9-3 in those matches. Their offence has struggled, they’re giving up cheap goals, and they haven’t been able to settle on a regular lineup. To be fair, they’ve missed Lorenzo Callegari, who has been suspended, but it’s hard to imagine he would’ve made a big difference with what’s ailed the Wanderers. Right now, they’ll have to get back to basics, as it feels like everyone’s confidence is shot in the group, from the players to the staff, as the weight of expectations has gotten to them. If not, this slump won’t end anytime soon, which could prove to be catastrophic as the gap widens between them and those in front of them.
