Tuesday was schedule release day in the Canadian Premier League, as fans from coast to coast pore over their respective clubs’ fixture lists in search of key matchups, homestands and potentially a few away days (with discounted flights courtesy of WestJet, of course).

It also sets the stage for what promises to be another highly competitive campaign for the league in its sixth season, with several clubs already making massive splashes in the transfer window. At this point in the off-season, it’s anyone’s guess who will rise above the rest in 2024.

“I think one of the things that makes this league very special is that on any given day, anyone can win,” said Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi of this past campaign.

That was one of the biggest stories of an enthralling 2023 season in the league: on any given matchday, any club could win at any venue. While it made for incredible drama and parity, changing that latter fact especially — putting together a better home record — will be near the top of most teams’ goal-setting boards heading into 2024.

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This past campaign, only two sides had a winning record at home: regular season winners Cavalry FC, and the Halifax Wanderers. A further four clubs, in fact, had their worst home campaigns in club history: Forge, Pacific, Valour and York United. In total, home sides won just six more matches more than they lost in 2023.

That resulted in the lowest win percentage for home teams in league history, at just 40.2 per cent. This ranks well below the English Premier League, for example, which has averaged a roughly 46 per cent home win percentage (not including matches played behind closed doors), during the past five seasons. Even for leagues with similar geographical travel challenges to the Canadian Premier League, home teams tend to win a lot more. Major League Soccer has averaged a 50.2 per cent home win percentage since 2018, while the Australian A-League, which also features lengthy road trips, is at 45.4.

The CPL has always averaged below that, at just 43.5 per cent for home sides throughout the league’s history (not including neutral venue matches during the Island Games and Winnipeg bubble). That number drops even further during the postseason, where home clubs have won just 37.5 per cent of matches, with Forge becoming the first club in the league’s five year history to win the CPL Final at their home ground just this past season.

Why it has been so challenging for hosts in CPL matches is a bit of a mystery but, according to Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos, it likely comes down to several different factors.

In 2023, one of the biggest issues for home sides was starting slow. Only three clubs — Halifax, Pacific and Forge — didn’t have a negative goal differential in the opening half of matches at home, and hosts were overall outscored 59-76 in the opening half of matches.

The nature of the league, which sees clubs visit the same seven away venues, twice per season, while playing opponents four times per season both home and away, creates a familiarity with opposing clubs and their home grounds.

“You have places where I think it’s more difficult to go to,” said Dos Santos. “I think the size of the pitch in Pacific, the type of grass you find in Halifax, it’s a heavier field, so there are some places that you go to that are different when it comes to the whole setup that is created, that brings challenges to certain teams, but after that everywhere else is the same — you always play on similar turfs, similar-sized fields.”

Another aspect to consider is the organized defensive style of many of the league’s clubs, particularly away from home.

Atlético Ottawa famously perfected this during the 2022 regular season title-winning campaign, during which they set a league record for points away from home with 28. At TD Place in Ottawa, where visiting opponents tended to be a little more cautious themselves, they had the fifth-best home record in the league, managing just five wins. This year, in particular, it felt like many teams perfected the art of being difficult to break down on the road, with 28 clean sheets put up by away sides (tied for the league record), just one fewer than the 29 home sides managed in 2023.

“Every single team is capable of closing a game, capable of playing compact, capable of being solid tactically, capable of defending high, and capable of defending low,” said Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González last season. “And the [form] they’re in doesn’t matter”

Being away from home also gives players more time together and with their management staff. This can be critical in the lead-up to matches in terms of preparation — something that several CPL coaches mentioned over the course of this past season.

“Sometimes I actually feel that going on the road where you have that control around your players, what they eat, how they’re going to sleep and you’re hands-on there, sometimes you actually like that better,” said Dos Santos. 

Whatever the explanation, clubs are incredibly aware that a winning record at home is imperative to their success in 2024 and beyond. It is not just about their position in the standings, but the experience they provide their home supporters as well. Dos Santos’ Valour won a league-low three of their 14 home matches last season, the club knows that improving on that this coming season will be central to them climbing from a last-place finish in 2023.

“Home is vital for any team in any sport and we can’t deny that,” said Dos Santos. “[Your fans] will come with you as you win, you will get closer to your fans. It’s just how sports works, so for us winning at home is a must.” 

While perhaps not at the expense of his team when they are travelling, Dos Santos would love to see the league as a whole trend more toward home grounds being fortresses — that one day, CPL venues are mentioned with the same reverence, or disdain, by away teams as, say, Stoke City.

“I do want to see more of that competitive advantage,” said Dos Santos. “I grew up in Portugal and even the refereeing, every time you were the home team, those 50-50s seem to come your way, and that’s something I never see here.” 

As crowds continue to grow, with league-wide attendance climbing by 19 per cent this past season, away days are likely to become increasingly difficult. Supporters’ groups like the Barton St. Battalion, Red River Rising, Privateer 1882, Capital City Supporters’ Group, the Foot Soldiers, the Northern Corridor, the Lake Side Buoys and the Fraser Valley Fanatics are adding atmosphere and a healthy dose of intimidation to opposing players as they grow in numbers and voice.

It’s now on each of the league’s eight clubs in 2024 to carry that support onto the pitch, and make sure they give those supporters plenty to cheer about.