Ottawa – We’re down to just three match weeks left in the 2023 Canadian Premier League regular season, with the playoffs set to begin in less than 20 days on Oct. 11. Cavalry FC and Pacific FC have officially booked their tickets to the postseason, and sadly Vancouver FC and Valour FC have been mathematically eliminated from contention — Valour being officially out after losing to Vancouver on Wednesday.
In Week 24, two more teams could join the Cavs and Tridents in the playoffs. Also, another exciting possibility for fans in Alberta: Cavalry FC could clinch the regular season title on Saturday evening, if things go their way. They’ll have their eyes on becoming the first team to lift the brand-new CPL Shield as regular season champions, also locking up the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it (as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs).
A reminder: all teams have to pass the 2,000 U-21 minute threshold in order to be eligible for the playoffs. So far, four teams have gotten there — Vancouver FC, Valour FC, Pacific FC and Atlético Ottawa, with Pacific the only one of those to clinch a playoff spot. The remaining four sides will likely play a few of their youngsters this weekend to keep making progress in that category. We’ll break down all the scenarios below. A reminder of the table entering the weekend, first:
Cavalry FC: Regular season title in their grasp
The CPL Shield could be locked up as early as 9 p.m. ET on Saturday evening, if everything goes Cavalry’s way. There’s only one scenario this weekend that could see them clinch the title, and it requires some help from Forge in that match between the two sides closest to Cavalry.
If Cavalry beat York United at York Lions Stadium on Saturday afternoon, they’ll have it all but sealed, but to officially call themselves champions they need Pacific FC to fail to win at Tim Hortons Field. A Forge win or a draw would be enough, because with the Cavs then on 49 points, even if Forge win they’d be at 42 with two games to play so nobody could catch Cavalry.
If you’re a Cavalry fan, you might not love the idea of rooting for Forge to help you out here; certainly, if the Cavs beat York they’ll have a chance to clinch the title on their own next Friday at home.
It’s possible that Cavalry officially clinch the title while flying home to Calgary on Saturday night after their game. If things go their way, players might arrive home as champions.
Source: https://canpl.ca/