This first Canadian Premier League Finals have been nothing if not entertaining thus far.
Forge FC are ahead in the tie, if only just. A 1-0 home win over Cavalry FC last weekend sets up a Leg 2 on Saturday at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows in Calgary (3:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. MT, available on OneSoccer).
There is just so much to talk about. Too much, in fact.
To cut through the usual talking points of away goals and tactical analysis, we present some alternative talking points around Finals 2019 – thoughts that have hovered around the main discourse that are still worth mentioning.
You know, the kind of pub discussion that makes your friends go “huh, good point.”
Who doesn’t like making a good point?
These crowds have gone under-appreciated
We’ve barely had a chance to talk about that big crowd we saw in Leg 1.
With 10,486 packing Tim Hortons Field, last Saturday featured the biggest CPL attendance in Year 1 outside of the Inaugural Game. Both sides of the stadium offered an incredible atmosphere and a great showcase for those watching on CBC and OneSoccer. People are coming out in droves.
Forge likely benefited from the long lead-in, having weeks and weeks to sell the match in the community. And how about the many Cavalry supporters that traveled cross-country to be in Hamilton?
Meanwhile, ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows is already a sellout.
Chris Nanco was the best player on the pitch in Leg 1
Something mentioned by CanPL.ca’s Steven Sandor on this week’s Centre Circle LIVE! Podcast was Chris Nanco’s play in Leg 1.
“If it ended after Leg 1, he’d be my Finals MVP,” Sandor proclaimed.
Nanco didn’t start the season well, despite being one of Forge’s inaugural signings. The speedy winger quickly fell out of the Forge spotlight, save for the odd goal against York9 FC, as the likes of Tristan Borges, Anthony Novak and Kyle Bekker led the charge for the Hamilton-based club.
But last Saturday was much different. Nanco was an absolute beast, shredding Cavalry’s right side like buffalo chicken in a slow cooker.
Nanco is one of the best CPL wingers at combing raw speed with ball control. Watch the Borges goal and his controversial spin in the lead-up. Heck, re-watch the whole match.
There was his attempt of Kwame Awuah’s cross, and the play he set up that led to Bekker’s crossbar rattler in the first half … Nanco was everywhere.
It was great to see the 24-year-old get his day in the sun.
No one likes talking about the weather
Look, it’s the Canadian Premier League. It might be cold sometimes.
Canadians have this weird tendency to brag about their region’s winter weather. Atlantic Canada? Lots of snow. Southern Ontario? So much snow and ice storms. Western Canada? Anything from chinooks to minus-40. The Territories? Cold early and often.
We know Fall weather is unpredictable in every province. That didn’t stop pundits from speculating: Will Finals 2019 be played in a blizzard? Oh, no, think of the children! All that leads to Calgary on Nov. 2. The forecast calls for a high of seven degrees with sunny skies – similar conditions to Leg 1 in Hamilton.
Without a serious threat of extreme weather, all this chatter went for not.
Now, this should be qualified: We all agree a game with snow would be fantastic … just as it was in Cavalry’s inaugural match.
But is it worth forecasting the weather over discussing Canada’s first professional final in decades? Player, coach and match talking points all go to the wayside, making way for predictions on which single-digit temperature it will be at kickoff.
It will be kinda cold. What’s the big deal?
