CanPL Power Rankings: Pacific finds success on the road while the Wanderers' woes continue | Presented by tonybet
10 weeks have already come and gone in the Canadian Premier League, as the league reached double digits in matchdays this past weekend.
With that, the league table has started to stabilize, as 10 games is a big enough of a sample size to see who is legit, and who still has work to do, as they reach the halfway mark of the campaign next month.
Interestingly, the biggest trend that has emerged? The logjam of teams between second and sixth in the table, with three points separating those teams as of writing.
Given that the difference between finishing second and sixth could be to be eligible to host the final and missing out on the playoffs altogether, that’s a narrow precipice to balance. One good week and a side can be in the top two, while a big loss could push a team out of the playoff picture, putting a lot of pressure on those in the middle to pick up results.
That continues to manifest itself on the pitch, where a high level of intensity has started to settle into matches, making for some entertaining battles. And it should lead to an intriguing few weeks of action as teams push to put themselves on the right side of that playoff line.
With that in mind, here’s a look at who’s rising and who’s falling in the latest CPL Power Rankings, presented by tonybet.
>It finally happened - Atlético Ottawa have lost a CPL game in 2024, as they fell 2-1 to York United this past weekend to snap a nine-game undefeated streak to start the year. At the same time, that won’t bother Ottawa too much, as they knew this could happen. Now, what’s key is how they bounce back to this game. As seen across the league, momentum can be a fickle thing, so it’s important not to get too high after wins and too low after losses. After doing well not to do too much of the former during their streak, in which they won six games and drew three, maintaining that mentality after their first setback will be key if they’re to keep their hold atop the CPL standings.
>Once again, Cavalry aren’t losing games, as they’ve now gone nine games undefeated since losing to Forge on opening day. At the same time, wins remain elusive. After beating Forge in matchday #9 to snap a streak of four straight draws, it appeared they might get back to winning ways, but then drew Vancouver 0-0 in Kelowna on matchday #10. Despite that, Cavalry remains in a strong position, sitting in a playoff spot thanks to their draws, but with just two wins in 10 games, they’ll want to start turning draws into those wins soon, especially if they want to keep pace with Ottawa in the title race, sitting eight points behind them at the moment, as their lack of losses show they could very well be in that mix at the end of the year.
>After a string of early-season home games, Pacific have tackled a road-heavy stretch of their schedule, and to their credit, they’ve done well. After earning a gritty 0-0 road draw against Halifax despite going down a player, they did one better in their most recent game, beating Valour 3-2. In particular, that game could be a big turning point for Pacific, who scored three goals in a game for the first time all year. Their defence continues to remain solid despite their ongoing struggles to put out a healthy roster (third-string goalkeeper Daniel Zadravec was called in for the Valour win, for example), but scoring has been their biggest challenge. A three-goal outburst like that one could help them change that, however.
GOAL🔱🔱🔱@Pacificfccpl have regained their lead over Valour on an own goal, as Shaan Hundal heads the ball into the wrong net on a free kick to make it 3-2 for Pacific
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 15, 2024
Watch #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer🔴 pic.twitter.com/rXVI7xLpPK
>Vancouver FC continues to pick up points, as they remain third in the table, doing well to keep pace in that race for the playoffs. With four of their next six games at home, where they’ve been at their best, they could push up the table here. Given that they’ve hardly been able to use their full squad as of late, with injuries and suspension denying them some key players, this stretch could be key for them to push up the table and find some form, as they’ve continued to put in tough performances. No matter the game, they’re always tough to beat and can break games open offensively on their day. Speaking of, keep an eye on them in the next game, as they could’ve scored at least four in their 0-0 draw with Cavalry in Kelowna, so they’ll be hungry for goals in their next match.
>York United have gotten off to a good start under new head coach Benjamín Mora, drawing one game and winning their first game this past weekend. Considering that win came over Ottawa, snapping their undefeated run in just Mora’s second game in charge, that’s impressive. Yet, that’s a credit to him, as York have looked quite organized tactically in his two games in charge, especially defensively. Already able to score goals, as they showed once again in this game, figuring out the defensive side was always going to be Mora’s big objective, and so far his team has shown impressive progress in that regard, which is something to watch going forward. As the saying goes, defence wins championships… so York stepping up that side of their game could be key as they push up the table.
GOAL 👑👑
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 15, 2024
Brian Wright strikes again for @YorkUtdFC early in the second half to give his team a 2-0 lead over @AtletiOttawa ✌️
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/rntolbRY0n
>Forge did well to bounce back from a loss to Cavalry by picking up a gutsy late draw in Halifax, but it’s been a weird stretch from the Hammers, who have three losses and two draws in their last six CPL matches. In particular, they haven’t been as solid defensively as they usually are, as they showed against Halifax, where despite going up 1-0, they went down 2-1 and had to claw back a point late. Naturally, the Canadian Championship hangover continues to hit them, but they’ll want to put that behind them as soon as possible, as they’re in a position to push up the table with a game in hand on everyone else in the top five, but continuing to drop points will turn that game-in-hand into a “must-win” game instead of a “bonus win” game when it comes around, which would be less than ideal.
>After a strong run of form, Valour has come down to earth with a pair of home losses, yet despite that, it’s hard to look too negatively at either performance. The first loss was one to Ottawa where a controversial penalty call sunk what was an otherwise solid Valour showing, while their most recent loss to Pacific came after they did well to pull back a 2-0 deficit only to lose 3-2 on an own goal. Yet, that has been the story of Valour’s season - they continue to be right there in every game, and as they showed on their streak, they can win games with timely goals and strong defending. But as seen in the last two games, where they’ve conceded five, their defence has been key to their success, as they’re yet to score more than two goals a game this year. Returning to that strong defensive formula will be key if they’re to pick up wins in the coming weeks.
>The Halifax Wanderers’ nightmare season continued, as they’re now without a win in nine games after Forge’s late equalizer this past weekend. After it looked like they’d channel some 2023 magic in a strong performance, another late goal cost them a win, as they continue to leak goals at inopportune times. Yet, it once again shows - the Wanderers' biggest battle at the moment is with themselves.
GOAL 🔨🔨@ForgeFCHamilton break @HFXWanderersFC hearts in the 93rd minute as Kwasi Poku finds a late equalizer; Only minutes away from their first win, and only minutes left before splitting points now for Halifax 🥲
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 15, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/BUADMsus0y
They continue to be right there in games and are close to winning, but then snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It feels like they just need to get one and go from there, although a tough few weeks await them - away to Vancouver, home to Cavalry and away to York, but perhaps that’s the challenge they’ll need to find that elusive first victory. One thing is for sure, though - they’re in “must-win” territory now.
