The 2019 Canadian Premier League season was the inaugural season of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian professional soccer. The regular season began on April 27 and ended on October 19, with seven teams competing.[1] The inaugural match of the Canadian Premier League took place between Forge FC and York9 at Tim Hortons Field on April 27, 2019, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[2]
| Season | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 27 – October 19 (regular season) |
| Champions | Forge FC |
| Regular season winners | Cavalry FC |
| 2019 CONCACAF League | Forge FC[a] |
| 2020 CONCACAF League | Forge FC[b] |
| Matches played | 100 |
| Goals scored | 250 (2.5 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Tristan Borges (13 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Marco Carducci Triston Henry (9 clean sheets each) |
| Biggest home win | York9 6–2 HFX Wanderers (July 27) York9 4–0 Forge FC (October 12) |
| Biggest away win | Valour FC 0–8 Cavalry FC (September 2) |
| Highest scoring | York9 6–2 HFX Wanderers (July 27) Valour FC 0–8 Cavalry FC (September 2) |
| Longest winning run | 7 matches Cavalry FC (May 4 – June 19) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 14 matches Forge FC (July 13 – October 6) |
| Longest winless run | 10 matches FC Edmonton (August 16 – October 5) HFX Wanderers (August 10 – October 9) |
| Longest losing run | 5 matches HFX Wanderers (July 13 – 31) |
| Highest attendance | 17,611 Forge FC 1–1 York9 (April 27) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,729 York9 0–0 FC Edmonton (June 19) |
| Total attendance | 419,314 |
| Average attendance | 4,279 |
2020 → | |
The CPL Finals were contested between the Spring and Fall season champions, Cavalry FC, and the Spring and Fall season runners-up, Forge FC, in October and November. Forge FC won 2–0 over two legs to win the inaugural Canadian Premier League title.
Overview
Background
On May 6, 2017, the Canadian Premier League was unanimously approved and sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association.[3] Seven teams competed in the first Canadian Premier League season, leaving four professional Canadian teams playing in United States-based leagues (Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer and Ottawa Fury FC in the USL Championship). The CPL teams competed in the 2019 Canadian Championship with the Canadian MLS and USL teams, and the champions of the Ontario and Quebec tier three leagues.
Teams
Seven teams competed during this season – six newly-formed teams and one existing team which joined the CPL. The six new teams were Cavalry FC, Forge FC, HFX Wanderers FC, Pacific FC, Valour FC, and York9 FC. FC Edmonton announced their move to the CPL having previously ceased professional operations following their 2017 season in the North American Soccer League.
Stadiums and locations
Personnel and sponsorship
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific FC |  Michael Silberbauer | Fired | October 18, 2019 | 6th in Fall, 6th overall |  James Merriman (interim) | October 18, 2019 |
Format
The Canadian Premier League season ran from late April to October.[5][6] Each team played 28 games, split between a spring and fall season. The 10-game spring season began on April 27 and ended on Canada Day, July 1. The 18-game fall season began on July 6 and ended on October 19. The winner of each season gained a berth into the 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals.[7]
Spring season
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavalry | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 24 | 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals |
| 2 | Forge | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 19 | 2019 CONCACAF League preliminary round[a] |
| 3 | FC Edmonton | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 14 | |
| 4 | HFX Wanderers | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 11 | |
| 5 | Pacific | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 11 | |
| 6 | York9 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 11 | |
| 7 | Valour | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 9 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals for; 7) home goal differential; 8) home goals for; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots.
Notes:
2019 CONCACAF League qualification
One Canadian Premier League team qualifies annually for the CONCACAF League tournament. For the 2019 edition only, this slot was granted to one of the league's 'inaugural teams' (FC Edmonton, Forge FC, or Valour FC) based on their home and away matches in the 2019 spring season.[8] In subsequent years, CONCACAF League qualification is awarded to the previous year's CPL champion.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FOR | FCE | VAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forge FC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | 2019 CONCACAF League | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | FC Edmonton | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 6 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | ||
| 3 | Valour FC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | 0–2 | 1–2 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals for; 7) home goal differential; 8) home goals for; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots.
Results
Fall season
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavalry | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 12 | +23 | 38 | 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals |
| 2 | Forge | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 37 | |
| 3 | York9 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 23 | |
| 4 | Pacific | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 31 | −7 | 20 | |
| 5 | Valour | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 19 | |
| 6 | FC Edmonton | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 24 | −5 | 18 | |
| 7 | HFX Wanderers | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 24 | −11 | 17 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals for; 7) home goal differential; 8) home goals for; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots.
Results
Finals
The winners of the spring and fall seasons gained berths to the two-legged CPL Finals. As a contingency implemented this year because a single team won both halves of the season, the second berth was given to the team with the second-best overall record. The two games were played on October 26, 2019 and November 2, 2019, with the winner of the Fall season choosing which leg to host.
Overall table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavalry (S) | 28 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 51 | 19 | +32 | 62 | 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals[a] |
| 2 | Forge (C) | 28 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 45 | 26 | +19 | 56 | 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals[b] |
| 3 | York9 | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 37 | +2 | 34 | |
| 4 | FC Edmonton | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 33 | −6 | 32 | |
| 5 | Pacific | 28 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 35 | 46 | −11 | 31 | |
| 6 | Valour | 28 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 30 | 52 | −22 | 28 | |
| 7 | HFX Wanderers | 28 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 35 | −14 | 28 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) goal differential; 4) goals for; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals for; 7) home goal differential; 8) home goals for; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots.
(C) Champions; (S) Regular season winner
Notes:
Results
The first leg was held on October 26, and the second leg on November 2, 2019.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forge FC | 2–0 | Cavalry FC | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Attendance
| Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forge FC | 92,228 | 17,611 | 3,864 | 6,588 | n/a |
| 2 | HFX Wanderers | 84,860 | 6,244 | 5,387 | 6,061 | n/a |
| 3 | Valour FC | 74,694 | 9,699 | 3,173 | 5,335 | n/a |
| 4 | Cavalry FC | 46,091 | 4,697 | 1,938 | 3,292 | n/a |
| 5 | Pacific FC | 43,426 | 5,103 | 2,017 | 3,102 | n/a |
| 6 | FC Edmonton | 40,663 | 4,238 | 2,021 | 2,905 | n/a |
| 7 | York9 | 37,352 | 4,260 | 1,729 | 2,668 | n/a |
| League total | 419,314 | 17,611 | 1,729 | 4,279 | n/a |
Statistical leaders
Statistics include regular season and Finals.
Source:[9]
Top assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kwame Awuah | Forge FC | 5 |
| Kyle Bekker | Forge FC | ||
| Tristan Borges | Forge FC | ||
| Ben Fisk | Pacific FC | ||
| Michael Petrasso | Valour FC | ||
 Blake Smith | Pacific FC | ||
| 7 | 6 players tied | 4 | |
Source:[9]
Source:[9]
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rodrigo Gattas | York9 | HFX Wanderers | 6–2 (H) | July 27 | [10] |
Awards
Premier Performer
The Premier Performer presented by Volkswagen Canada is presented to the CPL's top player based on an algorithm developed by the league and its data analysis provider. The winner receives a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, handed out at the Canadian Premier League Awards ceremony.[11]
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) | 77.36 |
| 2 | Nathan Ingham (York9 FC) | 76.47 |
| 3 |  Ryan Telfer (York9 FC) | 76.46 |
| 4 | Tristan Borges (Forge FC) | 75.79 |
| 5 |  Dominique Malonga (Cavalry FC) | 75.43 |
Canadian Premier League Awards
On November 1, 2019, the Canadian Premier League revealed the five individual awards to be given based on performance over the whole season including Finals.[13] The awards are Inuit soapstone sculptures designed by artists from Cape Dorset, Nunavut. The recipients of the awards were announced at a ceremony in Toronto on November 26.
| Award | Recipient[14] | Finalists[15] |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot (Hunter) | Tristan Borges (Forge FC) | N/A |
| Golden Glove (Qimmiq or Canadian Inuit Dog) | Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) | Nathan Ingham (York9 FC) Connor James (FC Edmonton) |
| Coach of the Year (Owl) |  Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC) | Jim Brennan (York9 FC) Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC) |
| Player of the Year (Nikisuittuq) | Tristan Borges (Forge FC) | Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) Dominique Malonga (Cavalry FC) |
| Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year (Polar Bear) | Tristan Borges (Forge FC) | Diyaeddine Abzi (York9 FC) Terran Campbell (Pacific FC) |
Fan Awards
The Canadian Premier League allowed fans to vote for a series of Fan Awards for a chance to win various prizes. The winners were announced on December 16.[16]
| Goal of the Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Opponent | Date | Time |
| Kadell Thomas (Forge FC) | Valour FC | July 20 | 90+4' |
| Save of the Year (Allstate Good Hands Award) | |||
| Player | Opponent | Date | Time |
| Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) | Forge FC | October 26 | 39' |
| Team of the Year | |||
| Player | Position | ||
| Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Morey Doner (York9 FC) | Right back | ||
 Daniel Krutzen (Forge FC) | Left centre back | ||
| Dominick Zator (Cavalry FC) | Right centre back | ||
| Kwame Awuah (Forge FC) | Left back | ||
| Elijah Adekugbe (Cavalry FC) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Tristan Borges (Forge FC) | Right centre midfielder | ||
| Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) | Left centre midfielder | ||
| Nico Pasquotti (Cavalry FC) | Right wing | ||
| Marco Bustos (Valour FC) | Left wing | ||
| Dominique Malonga (Cavalry FC) | Striker | ||
Player transfers
U Sports Draft
The 2018 CPL–U Sports Draft was held on November 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Draftees were invited to team preseason camps, with an opportunity to earn a developmental contract and retain their U Sports men's soccer eligibility. Cavalry FC selected Gabriel Bitar with the first overall pick. Three players were selected by each team, with a total of twenty-one players being drafted including fifteen Canadians.
Foreign players
Canadian Premier League teams may sign a maximum of seven international players, out of which only five can be in the starting line-up for each match. The following players are considered foreign players for the 2019 season. This list does not include Canadian citizens who represent other countries at international level.[17]
