The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is the leading professional football tournament in Canada, established in 2017 and officially starting from the 2019 season. With the appearance of CPL, Canadian football has had a A great step forward in developing and improving the quality of this king sport in North America. In this article, SEAGames PH 2019 will learn about this tournament, from its history to interesting side information.
What is the Canadian Premier League?
The Canadian Premier League is the leading professional soccer tournament in Canada, organized by the Canadian Football Federation (Canada Soccer). This tournament was established in 2017 and officially started in the 2019 season. However, the idea of establishing a professional football league in Canada was proposed long before that.
Before the birth of the CPL, Canadian football had only one professional tournament, Major League Soccer (MLS) – a tournament organized by the American Football Federation (MLS). However, with MLS focusing on teams in the United States, Canadian soccer was unable to fully develop and achieve great success. Therefore, the establishment of a separate professional football league for Canada was proposed many years ago.
After many efforts and negotiations, finally in 2017, the Canadian Football Federation decided to establish the Canadian Premier League with the goal of serving as a foundation for the development of professional football in Canada. This tournament not only provides opportunities for talented young Canadian players, but also contributes to improving the quality and bringing Canadian football to new heights.
History of formation and development of the Canadian Premier League football tournament
History begin
As mentioned, the idea of establishing a separate professional football league for Canada has been proposed a long time ago. However, the implementation is not easy. First, the Canadian Football Federation must find investors and partners to financially support the tournament. After that, they also have to build a detailed plan and convince the teams to participate.
After many efforts, finally on May 6, 2017, the Canadian Football Federation officially announced the establishment of the Canadian Premier League. This tournament was expected to start from the 2018 season, but due to financial and organizational problems, it was postponed until the 2019 season.
Development process
The first season of the Canadian Premier League took place in 2019 with the participation of 7 teams. These are newly established teams and do not have much experience in professional tournaments. However, with support from the Canadian Football Federation and investors, the tournament was successful and attracted the attention of many fans.
The second season of CPL takes place in 2020 with the participation of 8 teams. Among them, there is the presence of a new team, Atlético Ottawa – a subsidiary team of the Spanish football club, Atlético Madrid. This season also witnessed the outstanding development of the tournament with the appearance of many famous and experienced players.
Form of participation in the Canadian Premier League football tournament
Participating football teams
Currently, the Canadian Premier League has a total of 8 participating teams, including:
- Atlético Ottawa
- Cavalry FC
- FC Edmonton
- Forge FC
- HFX Wanderers FC
- Pacific FC
- Valor FC
- York United FC
These teams were all established in 2017 and do not have much experience in professional tournaments. However, with support from the Canadian Football Federation and investors, they are gradually asserting their brand and improving their quality.
Competition format
The Canadian Premier League season runs from April to October each year. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, in which each team will meet each other twice (one at home and one away). Scores will be calculated based on the total score of the matches.
After the round robin ends, the 4 teams with the highest scores will enter the semi-finals. The semi-finals and finals will be held in a two-match format (first leg and second leg), with the total score of the two matches deciding the championship team.
Canadian Premier League soccer tournament schedule for the 2023-2024 season
The 2023-2024 season of the Canadian Premier League is expected to take place from April to October 2023. Below is the detailed schedule of this tournament:
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Latest rankings of the Canadian Premier League football tournament
After 14 rounds, the Canadian Premier League rankings for the 2023-2024 season are currently:
Teams participating in the Canadian Premier League football tournament
Cavalry FC
Cavalry FC is one of the first member teams of the Canadian Premier League. Founded in 2017, this team is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta province. The name “Cavalry” is inspired by the Canadian military and is also the symbol of the city of Calgary.
In the first season of CPL, Cavalry FC played very impressively, winning the runner-up position. In the second season, they continued to assert their strength by topping the rankings after 14 rounds.
Forge FC
Forge FC is the second member team of the Canadian Premier League. Founded in 2017, this team is headquartered in the city of Hamilton, Ontario province. The name “Forge” means “forge”, representing the team’s development and self-assertion.
In the first season of the CPL, Forge FC won the championship after defeating Cavalry FC in the final. In the second season, they continue to maintain impressive results and are ranked second on the rankings.
Atlético Ottawa
Atlético Ottawa is the newest team to join the Canadian Premier League. Established in 2020, this team is headquartered in Ottawa city, Ontario province. The name “Atlético” is inspired by the Spanish football club, Atlético Madrid – their subsidiary team.
Atlético Ottawa’s first season had many difficulties, finishing only 6th on the rankings. However, with support from their parent club, they are achieving better results in their second season.
HFX Wanderers FC
HFX Wanderers FC is the fourth member team of the Canadian Premier League. Founded in 2018, this team is headquartered in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia province. The name “Wanderers” means “wanderers”, representing the team’s adventure and discovery.
In the first season of the CPL, HFX Wanderers FC achieved runner-up position. However, they have struggled in their second season and are currently ranked 7th in the rankings.
Outstanding players in the Canadian Premier League football tournament
Dominick Zator (Cavalry FC)
- Dominick Zator is one of the best midfielders in the Canadian Premier League. He joined Cavalry FC since 2019 and has had impressive performances in this team’s shirt. With experience and great fighting ability, Zator has helped Cavalry FC become one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
- Kyle Bekker is one of the most talented midfielders in the Canadian Premier League. He joined Forge FC since 2019 and has had impressive performances in this team’s shirt. With excellent technique and football vision, Bekker has made an important contribution to Forge FC’s success.
Ben Fisk (Atlético Ottawa)
- Ben Fisk is one of the best attacking players in the Canadian Premier League. He joined Atlético Ottawa in 2020 and had impressive performances for this team. With speed and skillful technique, Fisk scored many important goals for his team.
Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers FC)
- Akeem Garcia is one of the best strikers in the Canadian Premier League. He joined HFX Wanderers FC since 2019 and has had impressive performances in this team’s shirt. With great speed and finishing ability, Garcia has scored many important goals for his team.
What does the Canadian Premier League football tournament mean?
The Canadian Premier League is not only the first and only professional football tournament in Canada, but also has great significance for the development of domestic football. Before the CPL, Canadian players had to go to other countries to play professionally, causing great damage to the development of domestic football.
With the establishment of the CPL, talented young Canadian players can train and compete professionally in their home country, giving them better opportunities to develop and contribute to the success of their national team. . In addition, CPL also creates opportunities for foreign players to compete and help improve the quality of the tournament.
CPL also has great economic significance for Canadian cities and provinces. Organizing matches and tournament-related activities creates many jobs and attracts tourists, contributing to local economic development.
Interesting side information about the Canadian Premier League football tournament
The Canadian Premier League was established on May 6, 2017.
The first season of the CPL took place from April to November 2019.
As of 2021, CPL has 8 teams participating in the tournament.
CPL matches are held in newly built or upgraded stadiums to meet professional standards.
During the 2020 season, CPL was paused due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but returned in 2021 with the participation of all 8 teams.
Famous Canadian player, Dwayne De Rosario, is the brand ambassador for CPL.
This tournament also has the participation of famous foreign players such as Didier Drogba and Jermaine Defoe.
The CPL also has a women’s soccer league, the Canadian Premier League Women’s Championship, established in 2020.
Conclude
To summarize, the Canadian Premier League is Canada’s first and only professional soccer tournament. With the participation of 8 teams from all provinces and cities of the country, CPL has created opportunities for talented young players to develop and contribute to the success of the national team. In addition, the tournament also has economic significance and brings exciting matches to football fans. Hopefully in the future, CPL will continue to develop and become a leading football tournament in the region.