Error message

  • Warning: Undefined array key "nid" in views_handler_field_term_node_tid->pre_render() (line 98 of /var/www/html/docroot/sites/all/modules/views/modules/taxonomy/views_handler_field_term_node_tid.inc).
  • Warning: Undefined array key "nid" in views_handler_field_term_node_tid->pre_render() (line 98 of /var/www/html/docroot/sites/all/modules/views/modules/taxonomy/views_handler_field_term_node_tid.inc).
×

News

The Canadian Premier League Kicked Off Inaugural Season Saturday And It Was Very Canadian

By Travis Yoesting April 27, 2019
Featured Image
Forge FC and York 9 FC played to a 1-1 draw in the first match of the Canadian Premier League, the new top tier of Canadian soccer.
@CPLsoccer | Twitter

The Canadian Premier League finally kicked off on Saturday just shy of two years after the league was sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association. Featuring seven teams across the second-largest country in the world, the CPL is a big deal for Canadians, the Canadian national team and soccer fans in general.

Canada has had three teams in Major League Soccer for some time now and Canada has had leagues of varying quality in the past, but this is the first time Canada has started its own top-flight professional league in earnest. The Canadian Premier League will be the top of the Canadian league pyramid, with its clubs competing alongside those from MLS and the United Soccer League in the Canadian Championship, the U.S. Open Cup or FA Cup of Canada. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was compelled to tweet about Saturday’s inaugural match between Forge FC and York 9 FC.

All matches this season will be streamed by OneSoccer, with the service free for “a generous period of time.”

The first Canadian Premier League match was played in Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field, because this is Canada, of course Tim Hortons was involved. The home of the Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League was pumped for some real football. 

It didn’t take long for the first CPL goal to be scored.

Ryan Telfer, on loan from Toronto FC, latched onto a through ball and stroked home a shot in the third minute to give York 9 the first CPL lead.

Both teams were more than ready for the start of play as three minutes later Emery Welshman nearly equalized with a bicycle kick attempt that zipped just wide.

Forge FC’s Tristan Borges forced a big save from Nathan Ingham in the first half and struck the post in the second half, but the home side struggled to find a break through. 

Borges did draw the first yellow card in CPL history. In typical Canadian fashion he immediately got up and shook the hand of the man who fouled him, Manny Aparicio. 

Forge FC finally gave its home fans something to cheer about when Kadell Thomas equalized in the 78th minute.

Thomas was composed in the box after some good work on the right wing from Welshman, who is not, in fact, Welsh; the striker on loan from FC Cincinnati is from Guyana.

Late in the match, Aparicio, a 23-year-old Canadian midfielder who has already played for six different clubs, including in Spain’s second division, earned the first red card in CPL history after picking up a second yellow card in the 95th minute.

Ultimately, the historic match ended in a 1-1 draw.

More than the points earned and goals scored, the real highlight of the day is the start of the Canadian Premier League in general, which could mean so much to the Canadian national team.

Canucks head coach John Herdman was on hand to watch the first CPL match and talked about how important it is to a country that has only qualified for one World Cup (1986) but has loads of youth talent coming through the ranks, including Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies. 

The18 Recommends For You

Bookmark/Search this post with

Videos you might like

Trending On The18