2021 Canadian Premier League final
The 2021 Canadian Premier League Final was a soccer match which determined the winner of the 2021 Canadian Premier League season. It was played on December 5, 2021, in Hamilton, Ontario, between Forge FC and Pacific FC. Those teams qualified as the winners of their first round playoff matches.[2] Forge FC were the defending champions.
| Event | 2021 Canadian Premier League season | ||||||
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| Date | December 5, 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ontario | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC) | ||||||
| Referee | Yusri Rudolf | ||||||
| Attendance | 7,488 | ||||||
| Weather | Cloudy / Windy 1 °C (34 °F) 75% humidity[1] | ||||||
Pacific FC defeated Forge FC 1–0 to claim their first CPL title.[3] Alessandro Hojabrpour scored the game's only goal in the 59th minute and was named man of the match.[4] Winning the championship earned the club the right to compete in the 2022 CONCACAF League where they ultimately reached the round of 16.[5]
Path to the Final
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forge (S) | 28 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 39 | 24 | +15 | 50 | Advance to playoffs |
| 2 | Cavalry | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 50 | |
| 3 | Pacific (C) | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 45 | |
| 4 | York United | 28 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 35 | 39 | −4 | 36 | |
| 5 | Valour | 28 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 38 | 36 | +2 | 35 | |
| 6 | HFX Wanderers | 28 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 28 | 34 | −6 | 35 | |
| 7 | FC Edmonton | 28 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 34 | 41 | −7 | 28 | |
| 8 | Atlético Ottawa | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 30 | 47 | −17 | 26 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins.[6]
(C) Champions; (S) Regular season winner
Playoff semi-final results
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cavalry FC | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Pacific FC |
| Forge FC | 3–1 | York United FC |
Forge FC
Forge FC entered the Final as the two-time defending league champions, having defeated Cavalry FC in the 2019 Finals and HFX Wanderers FC in the 2020 Final. On October 26, Forge clinched a playoff berth while inactive and then secured 1st place in the regular season following a win on November 9.[7] Forge advanced to the finals by defeating 4th ranked York United FC at home in the semi-finals.[2]
Pacific FC
This was Pacific FC's first Final, improving from a fourth place finish in 2020. On October 24, they became the 2nd team to qualify for the playoffs by virtue of a York United draw against Atlético Ottawa. Pacific finished 3rd in the regular season and advanced to the finals by defeating 2nd ranked Cavalry FC on the road in the semi-finals.[8]
Head-to-head
This was the fourth meeting of the year between the two clubs with Forge having won all of the previous three games. Forge had the advantage in the all-time series with 8 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses.[9]
Forge earned the right to host the Final by having the better overall record in the regular season.[10] Pacific entered the match on two weeks of rest since their previous match in the CPL semi-final. Forge had played two CONCACAF League matches following the semi-final, including an away match in Honduras four days before the CPL Final.[9]
Match details
Details
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    Pacific
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Man of the Match:[4]
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Assistant referees:
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Match rules[11]
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References
- "Weather History for CYHM". Weather Underground. The Weather Company. December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- Jacques, John (21 November 2021). "Forge Hammers Way To Final In Playoff 905 Derby". Northern Tribune. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (December 5, 2021). "HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC crowned Canadian Premier League champions with 1-0 win vs. Forge". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- @CPLsoccer (December 5, 2021). "The @Gatorade Man of the Match is @ahojabrpour" (Tweet). Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Twitter.
- O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (August 23, 2022). "RECAP: 10-man Pacific fall to Herediano on penalties in gutsy Concacaf League performance". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- Jacques, John (24 October 2021). "Pacific Procures Back-To-Back Playoff Positions". Northern Tribune. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
With the CPL tiebreaker defaulting to the number of wins
- Urciuoli, Anthony (November 10, 2021). "Vying for 3rd straight title, Forge FC Hamilton guaranteed home-field advantage throughout Canadian Premier League playoffs". insauga. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- Jacques, John (November 20, 2021). "Pacific Powers Way To 2021 CPL Final". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (4 December 2021). "PREVIEW: Forge FC vs. Pacific FC -- 2021 CPL Final". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- "CPL reveals 2021 season format: 28-game schedule to conclude with four-team playoff for championship". Canadian Premier League. June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- "2021 CPL Final: Tentative dates set for championship match next weekend". Canadian Premier League. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
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