Football in Canada has been booming recently.
From a sport that has been considered foreign and niche in the Great White North, this decade signifies its rise in popularity and climb in ranks as a top sport in the country.
The 2020s have been marked with huge achievements: The Women’s national team winning the gold medal in the 2020 Olympics, the Men’s national team’s amazing 2022 World Cup qualification campaign and rise in FIFA rankings, the flock of players moving to big European clubs, and of course - hosting the 2026 World Cup.
But that's not all. Football is the sport with the most registered players at youth levels in the country, even more than Hockey. The cultural mosaic in Canada, heavily influenced by immigration from all over the world, has brought football into more and more provinces and cities.
Ballou Tabla in the build-up for the Ottawa’s goal. (Photo courtesy: Philippe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa)
The CPL: Filling the Professional Gap
However, what Canada always lacked is a structured and stable league of its own. With just three local teams playing in the MLS and some amateur and semi-professional leagues spread around the country, there were simply not enough opportunities for local young players.
The Canadian Premier League was founded in 2019 for that exact reason. One of the league’s main goals is to provide a professional environment for Canadian players from all over the country, who previously had to move across the border to the US or search for opportunities in Europe at a very young age. Currently at its sixth season, the league consists of eight teams from eight different cities, with plans to expand even further in the future.
High Stakes Showdown: Forge FC vs Atlético Ottawa
With five games remaining in the current regular season, the stakes could not get any higher than they were on Sunday afternoon - a direct clash for first place between the two runaway sides, Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa.
Forge entered the match with a two-point cushion over their Ontario counterparts, in perhaps the most exciting battle for the top seed (also known as the CPL Shield) in the league’s six-year history.
Although the regular-season first spot doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of winning the championship itself, it does have its own prestige, similar to the MLS’s Supporters Shield. But arguably even more importantly, the winner qualifies for the next CONCACAF Champions Cup edition.
In addition, both teams shared a similar disappointing ending to their Canadian Championship campaign, after suffering semi-final eliminations in midweek.
Forge could not keep up with MLS opposition Vancouver Whitecaps, losing 4-0 in BC Place and 6-2 on aggregate. Atlético did not manage to turn around a 3-1 deficit against CPL side Vancouver FC, only winning 1-0 at the return leg in Ottawa.
First Half: Atlético Takes Control
The first half went Atlético’s way. In the 25th minute, they had something to show for: Ballou Tabla created space on the flank with a great burst of pace, and provided the cutback pass to Gabriel Antinoro, who slotted it home. 1-0 hosts, and a first place as things stood.
Five minutes later, Forge were close to equalising as Brian Wright tried to bend it past goalkeeper Nathan Ingham from close range, but Atléti’s newly record appearance holder denied his former teammate to keep the one-goal advantage at the half.
Second Half Drama: Forge's Bench Makes the Difference
As the second half progressed, Forge took over control and applied heavy pressure. Coach Bobby Smyrniotis used his deep and experienced bench to overwhelm the young Ottawa team, and it paid off towards the end.
In the 81st minute, three of his substitutions combined for the equaliser: Ben Paton found Viktor Klonaridis in the box, but the former AEK Athens prodigy could only hit the post, yet the quickest to respond was Hoce Massunda who controlled the rebound and beautifully found the far corner. It’s 1-1 in the nation’s Capital. Atlético players seemed to be upset about a non-call in the build-up, feeling there was a foul earlier in the play.
Forge’s equaliser. (Photo courtesy: Philippe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa)
Post-Match Tensions and Reactions
As referee Scott Bowman blew the final whistle, things got heated up between the two teams - with some pushes, shoves and words exchanged between players and coaches. Diego Mejía, Atlético’s coach, seemed especially agitated with Forge’s Marko Jevremović, but Smyrniotis acted as peacemaker between the two.
After the match, Mejia spoke highly of Smyrniotis: “He is a true gentleman”, but did not elaborate on what was said between him and Jevremović, noting that “you just need to watch the video of how he celebrated Forge’s goal and then afterwards when the match ended”.
On the somewhat disappointing result, Mejia noted: “I care more about developing players and winning the right way. Atlético is not playing just for the Cup or Shield, we care about the path and creating a good culture”.
Smyrniotis, on the other hand, claimed he didn’t hear what was said in the aftermath of the game, but offered some insight about how his privilege to have such a deep squad: “It's a blessing, obviously, and it's a curse at the same time, because I don't sleep well sometimes the day before the game”.
Title Race Implications and the League's Future
Sunday’s draw keeps the gap at two points, with four more games to play. Atlético will now need to scoreboard-watch on Forge, hoping the Hammers will stumble and thus give them a chance to take over first place.
“It's a game you want to win, but you can't afford to lose.” said Smyrniotis, which perfectly captured the game’s dynamics and subsequent result.
As for the CPL as a whole, this race for first place can signify the start of a new rivalry, and that is always a sign of a healthy and competitive league. With the 2026 World Cup just months away and with the sport being on the verge of its biggest moment ever in the country, it would be worth following how this will influence the development of Canadian grassroots football and the CPL in particular.
High tensions in the end between Ottawa and Forge’s players. (Photo courtesy: Philippe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa)
As soccer surges in Canada, Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa's 1-1 draw highlights CPL's growth.