Cavalry FC and Ottleti go head-to-head on ATCO Field with new CPL rewards

amonpetragliaSeptember 24, 2022

Cavalry FC’s Ali Musse put his foot on the cross during their match against Atlético Ottawa at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows on August 21, 2022. Atlético won him 3-0. Photo by Jim Wells /post media

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The Canadian Premier League will honor regular season champions starting this year.

finally.

After much debate and the past three years of uncommon feats in the world of footies, the Canadian Premier League has come to the conclusion that the games leading up to the playoffs deserve official celebration. In most locations overseas, the club that scores the most points during the regular season schedule is crowned league champion.

“When you hit 28 games in a season, you have to recognize the team that is performing best every day,” newly appointed CPL Commissioner Mark Noonan told canpl.ca. “We don’t do it as a league, but we felt it was really important to do it. Any team that qualifies for the playoffs can put it into action. They’re not necessarily your best.” They may not be the best team at the moment, but they are the best team at the moment.

“So we want to make sure regular season champions are properly recognized and rewarded in the same way playoff champions are.”

Regular season rewards aren’t just about trophies and bragging rights.

The top team at the end of the regular season on Sunday, October 9th will pocket cash equal to the playoff champion’s winnings. In previous seasons, monetary rewards were only given to the loop playoff his champion.

“I think this fits with the 28-game purist (winner) North American playoff mentality,” said Tommy Wheeldon Jr., Cavalry general manager and head coach. And why is he holding two exciting competitions and not three if you include the Canadian Championships?”

Unfortunately, for the two-time regular season champions Cavs, who won both 2019 and 2020, the financial rewards cannot be traced back.

But the future will bring even more candy to regular season champions. This means that every year two teams from the league will play in the international tournament due to the change in Concacafe level.

“It’s a big incentive,” Wheeldon Jr. continued.

So we’re all set to win the regular season championship.

Of course, Saturday’s game between Atlético Ottawa and host Cavalry on ATCO Field (3:30pm, OneSoccer, OneSoccer.ca) will go a long way in determining this year’s regular season winner.

With just three games left in the regular season at Cavalry, the table is tight.

O’Tretti leads the league with 42 points (11-9-5), just one point behind the 12-5-8 Cavaliers.

Next are Forge FC (12-4-8) with 40 points, Valor FC (10-7-9) and Pacific FC (10-7-7) with 37 points. Points at the end of the regular season schedule do not qualify for the CPL’s four-team playoffs.

The winner of the Cavs-Ottleti competition will earn the first of these four postseason spots.

Otleti coach Carlos González said: “It’s a great opportunity. “(It’s) a natural opportunity, because from the beginning we’ve worked hard to be in this position and in this situation. We know it’s a very important game. I know, so I play with that intention.”

The final three games are all very important for Cavalry given the closeness of the standings.

All three are at home — against Ottawa, Sunday, October 2 (1:30pm) against Valor, and Saturday, October 8 (4:00pm) Finale v. Pacific.

“It gives us a slight edge,” added Wheeldon Jr., who will close out the schedule on his home pitch at Spruce Meadows. “We have the best home record of any team (8-0-3) so we will rely on that. We know the fans will help us get over it. They’ve done it before and we’re going to really enjoy these moments.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

http://www.twitter.com/Todd Saelhof PM