2021 Canadian Premier League season explained

Competition:Canadian Premier League
Season:2021
Dates:June 26 – November 16
(regular season)
Winners:Pacific FC (1st title)
Shield:Forge FC (1st title)
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Forge FC
Continentalcup2:CONCACAF League
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Pacific FC
Matches:112
Total Goals:282
League Topscorer:João Morelli
(14 goals)
Best Goalkeeper:Jonathan Sirois
(9 clean sheets)
Biggest Home Win:
(August 25)

(October 26)
Biggest Away Win:
(September 7)

(October 3)
Highest Scoring:7 goals

(October 12)
Longest Wins:3 matches
Valour FC
(June 27 – July 3, July 11–18)
Pacific FC
(July 21 – August 4,
August 29 – September 9)
Forge FC
(September 25 – October 6, October 30 – November 9)
Longest Unbeaten:10 matches
HFX Wanderers
(August 22 – October 3)
Longest Winless:8 matches
Atlético Ottawa
(August 18 – September 19)
Valour FC
(August 29 – October 5)
Longest Losses:4 matches
Valour FC
(July 24 – August 12)
Highest Attendance:12,064

(August 14)
Prevseason:2020
Nextseason:2022

The 2021 Canadian Premier League season was the third season of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian soccer. Forge FC were defending champions, after defeating HFX Wanderers FC in the 2020 final.[1]

The season was planned to commence on May 22, the Victoria Day weekend, pending the approval of government authorities and the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[2] However, on May 14, it was announced that the start was to be pushed back to mid-June or early July.[3]

On June 5, the league committed to a full 28-match season, but that the season would begin in a single-site bubble at IG Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, promoted as "The Kickoff", with each team playing eight matches between June 26 and July 24. All matches were played behind closed doors and in compliance with Manitoba public health orders.[4] On July 30, the CPL began to play matches at home venues.[5]

Pacific FC defeated two-time champions and title holders Forge FC in the final to win their first title.

Team and rule changes

The same eight clubs that participated in the 2020 Canadian Premier League season competed in 2021. York United FC participated under their new name for the first time, having previously been known as York9 FC.

Teams were required to play Canadian players aged 21 years or younger for a minimum of 1,500 minutes this season, increased from 1,000 minutes.[6] The maximum team compensation for this season was $1.2 million split between players and coaching staff. The required spend on player compensation was $650,000 to $850,000.[7]

Teams

Stadiums and locations

ClubLocationStadiumCapacity
Atlético OttawaOttawaTD Place Stadium24,000
CavalryFoothills CountyATCO Field6,000
FC EdmontonEdmontonClarke Stadium5,100
ForgeHamiltonTim Hortons Field23,218
HFX WanderersHalifaxWanderers Grounds6,500
PacificLangfordStarlight Stadium6,000
ValourWinnipegIG Field33,000
York UnitedTorontoYork Lions Stadium4,000

Personnel and sponsorship

TeamHead coachCaptain(s)Shirt sponsorKit manufacturer
Atlético Ottawa Mista Milovan KaporComeOn!
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. Nik LedgerwoodWestJet
FC Edmonton Alan KochSwoop
Bobby Smyrniotis Tim Hortons
HFX WanderersVolkswagen
Pacific Pa-Modou Kah
Phillip Dos Santos Daryl FordyceOneSoccer
Jimmy Brennan Roger ThompsonMacron

Number of teams by province or territory

RankProvince or territoryNumber Teams
13Atlético Ottawa
Forge
York United
22Cavalry
FC Edmonton
31 Pacific
Valour
HFX Wanderers

Coaching changes

!Team!Outgoing coach!Manner of departure!Date of vacancy!Position in table!Incoming coach!Date of appointment
FC Edmonton Jeff PaulusResigned[8] September 21, 2020Pre-season Alan KochNovember 24, 2020[9]
Valour FC Rob GaleSacked[10] September 23, 20215th Phillip Dos SantosSeptember 23, 2021

Regular season

Format

Between June 26 and July 24, teams played their first eight games at IG Field in Winnipeg. Teams from Eastern Canada and Western Canada played two matches against each of the four teams in the opposite region to reduce travel when teams return to home stadiums.[11] For the remainder of the season, teams played 16 games against opponents from their own region and 4 against opponents from the opposite region.

Table

Results

Combined

Playoffs

The top-four teams in the regular season qualified for the league playoffs. The first-place team hosted the fourth, and the second-place team hosted the third in a single match round. The winners advanced to the CPL Final, a single match hosted by the higher-seeded team.[12]

If a match was level at the end of normal playing time, extra time would be played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. If a match reached extra time, each team was allowed to make an additional substitution.[13]

Matches

Final

See main article: 2021 Canadian Premier League Final.

Awards

Canadian Premier League Awards

On December 4, 2021, the Canadian Premier League revealed the nominees for the four individual awards that would be voted on by the media. These four awards plus the Golden Boot award are given based on performance over the whole season including Finals. The awards are Inuit soapstone sculptures designed by artists from Cape Dorset, Nunavut.[14] The winners were announced at a ceremony on December 14.[15]

2021 Canadian Premier League Awards
Award Recipient Finalists
Golden Boot (Hunter) João Morelli (HFX Wanderers)N/A
Golden Glove (Qimmiq or Canadian Inuit Dog) Jonathan Sirois (Valour FC) Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
Triston Henry (Forge FC)
Coach of the Year (Owl) Pa-Modou Kah (Pacific FC) Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC)
Player of the Year (Nikisuittuq) João Morelli (HFX Wanderers FC) Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)
Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year (Polar Bear) Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC) Max Ferrari (York United FC)
Victor Loturi (Cavalry FC)

Team of the Week

The Gatorade Team of the Week is selected by OneSoccer staff.

Statistical leaders

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals[36]
1 João MorelliHFX Wanderers14
2 Easton OngaroFC Edmonton12
3 Terran CampbellPacific FC11
4 Alejandro DíazPacific FC10
Malcolm ShawAtlético Ottawa
6 Moses DyerValour FC9
7 William AkioValour FC8
8 Molham BabouliForge FC7
Marco BustosPacific FC
Joe MasonCavalry FC
Woobens PaciusForge FC

Top assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1 Tobias WarschewskiFC Edmonton7
2 Tristan BorgesForge FC6
Marco BustosPacific FC
4 Fraser AirdFC Edmonton5
Terran CampbellPacific FC
Ben FiskCavalry FC
Michael PetrassoYork United
Zach VerhovenAtlético Ottawa
94 players tied4

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets[37]
1 Jonathan SiroisValour FC9
2 Triston HenryForge FC8
3 Marco CarducciCavalry FC7
Callum IrvingPacific FC
5 Nathan InghamYork United5
Christian OxnerHFX Wanderers
7 Kieran BaskettHFX Wanderers4
Connor JamesFC Edmonton
93 players tied3

Hat-tricks

Player transfers

See main article: List of 2021 Canadian Premier League transfers.

U Sports Draft

The 2021 CPL–U Sports Draft was held virtually on January 29. Draftees are invited to team preseason camps, with an opportunity to earn a developmental contract and retain their U Sports men's soccer eligibility. FC Edmonton selected Thomas Gardner with the first overall pick. Two players were selected by each CPL team, with a total of 16 players being drafted including 12 Canadians.[39]

Foreign players

Canadian Premier League teams could sign a maximum of seven international players, out of which only five could be in the starting line-up for each match. Starting this season, teams were required to carry a minimum of four international players, either signed through or approved by the league's scouting partner, 21st Club.[40] The following players were considered foreign players for the 2021 season. This list does not include Canadian citizens who represent other countries at the international level.[41]

Club! Player 1! Player 2! Player 3! Player 4! Player 5! Player 6! Player 7! Former Players
Atlético Ottawa Viti Martínez Vashon Neufville Tevin Shaw Miguel Acosta Rafael Núñez Alberto Soto Raúl Uche
Cavalry José Escalante Richard Luca Tom Field Daan Klomp Joe Mason
FC Edmonton Jeannot Esua Ramón Soria Sharly Mabussi Tobias Warschewski Hunter Gorskie Roberto Avila Azriel Gonzalez Raúl Tito
Forge Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson Elimane Cissé Daniel Krutzen Paolo Sabak Joshua Navarro Omar Browne
HFX Wanderers Akeem Garcia Andre Rampersad Peter Schaale Alex Marshall João Morelli Eriks Santos Cory Bent
Pacific Alejandro Díaz Ollie Bassett Gianni dos Santos
Valour José Galán Arnold Bouka Moutou Andrew Jean-Baptiste Amir Soto Moses Dyer Rafael Galhardo Rodrigo Reyes
York United Álvaro Rivero Nicholas Hamilton Julian Ulbricht Gerard Lavergne Osvaldo Ramírez Sebastián Gutiérrez
Players in italic denote players new to their respective clubs for the 2021 season, sorted chronologically by their announcement.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: September 19, 2020. Forge FC beats HFX Wanderers FC in Island Games final to repeat as CPL champions. September 21, 2020. Canadian Premier League.
  2. Web site: Davidson . Neil . Canadian Premier League set to open 3rd season on Victoria Day weekend . CBC . January 22, 2021 . January 19, 2021.
  3. Web site: CPL 2021 season update: Clanachan committed to 'June or early July' start at single site, full 28-game season . Canadian Premier League . May 14, 2021 . May 14, 2021.
  4. Web site: June 6, 2021. 'The Kickoff' is coming: Winnipeg chosen as hub city for Canadian Premier League. live. June 10, 2021. CTV News Winnipeg. https://web.archive.org/web/20210606163838/https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/the-kickoff-is-coming-winnipeg-chosen-as-hub-city-for-canadian-premier-league-1.5458470 . June 6, 2021 .
  5. Web site: July 12, 2021. CPL reveals remainder of 2021 season schedule presented by WestJet. August 9, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  6. Web site: CPL increasing U-21 minutes threshold to 1,500 for 2021 season . Canadian Premier League . January 21, 2021 . January 19, 2021.
  7. Web site: Davidson . Neil . Canadian Premier League opens up about finances, saying it's time for transparency . CBC Sports . March 20, 2023 . March 8, 2021.
  8. Web site: Jeff Paulus steps down as FC Edmonton coach - Sportsnet.ca. September 22, 2020. www.sportsnet.ca.
  9. Web site: John Molinaro . FC Edmonton names Alan Koch new coach, Director of Football Operations . . November 24, 2020 . November 24, 2020.
  10. Web site: Valour FC parts ways with Rob Gale, appoints Phillip dos Santos coach & GM . Canadian Premier League . 23 September 2021 . 23 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Thompson . Marty . 2021 CPL 'Kickoff' schedule presented by WestJet: View all 32 matches . Canadian Premier League . June 12, 2021 . June 9, 2021.
  12. Web site: CPL reveals 2021 season format: 28-game schedule to conclude with four-team playoff for championship . Canadian Premier League . June 24, 2021 . June 24, 2021.
  13. Web site: November 17, 2021. 2021 CPL Final: Tentative dates set for championship match next weekend. November 18, 2021. Canadian Premier League.
  14. Web site: CPL Awards 2021: Nominees unveiled, ceremony set for December 14. Thompson. Marty. December 4, 2021. Canadian Premier League. December 4, 2021.
  15. Web site: Jaques . John . 2021 Canadian Premier League Awards Roundup . Northern Tribune . December 14, 2021 . December 14, 2021.
  16. Web site: June 28, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 1). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  17. Web site: July 5, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL week 2). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  18. Web site: July 12, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL week 3). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  19. Web site: July 19, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 4). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  20. Web site: July 26, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL week 5). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  21. Web site: August 3, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 6). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  22. Web site: August 9, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 7). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  23. Web site: August 16, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 8). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  24. Web site: August 23, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL week 9). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  25. Web site: August 30, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 10). September 2, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  26. Web site: September 7, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 11). September 8, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  27. Web site: September 13, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 12). September 14, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  28. Web site: September 20, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 13). September 22, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  29. Web site: September 27, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 14). October 7, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  30. Web site: October 4, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 15). October 7, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  31. Web site: October 12, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 16). Marty . Thompson. October 13, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  32. Web site: Gatorade Team of the Week (CPL Week 17). October 18, 2021. October 19, 2021. Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  33. Web site: Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 18). October 25, 2021. October 26, 2021 . Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  34. Web site: November 1, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 19). November 1, 2021 . Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  35. Web site: November 8, 2021. Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 20). November 11, 2021 . Canadian Premier League. en-CA.
  36. Web site: 2021 CPL players statistics. Canadian Premier League . November 21, 2021.
  37. Web site: 2021 CPL goalkeepers statistics . Canadian Premier League. November 20, 2021.
  38. Web site: Pacific FC 4-2 Atlético Ottawa. Canadian Premier League . July 21, 2021. July 22, 2021.
  39. Web site: January 29, 2021. FC Edmonton take UBC's Thomas Gardner 1st overall in CPL-U SPORTS Draft. February 1, 2021. Canadian Premier League.
  40. plattoli. 1326265053159583745. November 10, 2020 . One interesting feature of this CanPL offseason: clubs are now being required to carry at least four international players, all of whom must either come through or be approved by the league and the 21st Club's centralized scouting..
  41. Web site: CPL 2020 roster tracker: How all eight teams are shaping up. March 11, 2020. Canadian Premier League. May 30, 2020.