Monday’s OneSoccer Player & Pundit Hangout session saw Cavalry FC midfielder Nik Ledgerwood join the show to talk about a variety of topics.
Ledgerwood chatted with OneSoccer hosts Adam Jenkins, Kurt Larson, and Oliver Platt, who asked him about Cavalry winning the 2019 CPL Spring and Fall seasons, but falling short against Forge FC 2-0 on aggregate in the two-legged finals.
“You have to give your respects where they’re due, and Forge won both the final games. It wasn’t a tie or a game where they got through; they won both games and at the end of the day we didn’t score a goal in the finals. So, are they the champions with the format that was (used) in the first year? Yeah, they were the champions” Ledgerwood stated.
“But I think everybody in our our locker-room doesn’t feel that way, and I don’t think our fans felt that way either given the dominance that (we showed) through the whole season. There’s a part of it that we feel like we’re the overall champions. But no, at the end of the day, we didn’t get to lift the (North Star Shield).”
To watch the OneSoccer’s Player & Pundit Hangout with Nik Ledgerwood in full, click here.
In addition to engaging in some CPL talk, Ledgerwood discussed his highs and lows with the Canadian national team ever since making his debut for the senior side in 2007.
“I never played for any massive club in Europe… but I always brought into (Canadian) camps. I played in three World Cup qualifying cycles under five of six coaches, so there was always something there where the coaches wanted to bring me in,” said Ledgerwood, who has one goal in 50 caps for Canada.
“We never accomplished anything great when I was with the national team … so it was bittersweet time with the national team.”
Ledgerwood talked about his playing days in Sweden from 2012 to 2013 with Hammarby, where he was coached by current U.S. national team manager Gregg Berhalter.
“I had an amazing time there… I played together with Greg at 1860 Munich, and the season was over in Germany, and he got his first coaching gig in Stockholm and he asked me to join,” Ledgerwood recalled.
“The fans there were unbelievable. All of our home games were packed with 35,000 fans, people would march to the games all the time. … I just had a really enjoyable time there.”
Ledgerwood and the panel also discussed what the 2020 CPL season might look like once it kicks off, the ascent of Cavalry defender Dominick Zator, and much more.
“That’s the biggest hurdle right now — just the unknown of when is this going to pass and when we can get back to (normal) and get back training,” Ledgerwood said about the current period of self-isolation.