The 2022 Canadian Premier League playoffs are upon us, and four clubs are set to square off for the right to lift the North Star Shield.

Each of Pacific FC, Cavalry FC, Forge FC, and Atlético Ottawa has a good shot at winning it all this year, with two evenly-matched semifinals set to kick off on Saturday.

On Wednesday’s CanPL Newsroom show, the panelists made the case for why each of the four teams remaining could go all the way. Here, in a written format, is an argument for why your CPL side might find themselves champions at the end of October.

RELATED: CanPL.ca Newsroom: Playoff preview, Top 10 goals of 2022 & Team of the Year picks

Pacific FC

By Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic

To become champions, you must often take down those who currently sit atop the mountain.

Just ask the current defending champions, Pacific FC, whose road to 2021 glory saw them have to go through Forge FC, who they downed in their own stadium last year to lift the North Star Shield.

Unlike Forge, however, they will be unable to get that same opportunity to defend their title at home this year, as the route to another ‘North Star Shield’ will see them have to win a final on the road — but having already done that once, they believe they can repeat that trick once again. And why not?

Despite some mid-summer adversity, Pacific have been in great form of late, undefeated in five of their last six games, which included a three-game winning streak in September to vault them from the outside of the playoff picture to comfortably in it. In strong form defensively, having conceded just nine goals in their past 12 league games, they’ve done well to stem some of the issues that plagued them all summer, and have adjusted to life sans Alejandro Díaz offensively. Considering that strong defences and timely goals typically win championships, those are positive developments to see. 

With Manny Aparicio, Marco Bustos, Gianni Dos Santos and Josh Heard healthy and available in the attack, Sean Young and Jamar Dixon ready to go in midfield, and Amer Didić, Thomas Meilleur-Giguère and Callum Irving locked and loaded in defence, Pacific have seen everything come together at the right time.

Even though they enter this playoffs as the fourth seed, they know that any champion will need to knock them down to achieve glory, and will now look to tap into that championship mentality as they embark on the journey to defend their title.

Cavalry FC

By Benedict Rhodes

Cavalry FC are entering the playoffs in good form, having won three of their final four regular season matches. Entering the playoffs with momentum is vital, and Cavalry have that. Their key players are also playing well of late, which is a good sign, with Joe Mason and Ali Musse on the scoresheet recently, the Traffords playing well (Charlie is also set to return from suspension for leg one of the semifinals) and Marco Carducci at his brilliant best.

Their depth is also important. No matter who starts the match or comes off the bench, every player on the roster is capable of playing an important role and making a difference. They’ll need everyone to contribute in order for them to lift the North Star Shield, and there are no reasons to believe they won’t.

As a team who has been so close but so far from winning the North Star Shield thus far in their short history, the desire to prove that they can take that next step to become the bride instead of the bridesmaid will be even more motivating.

Forge FC

By Mitchell Tierney

For Forge FC, their most significant advantage heading into the 2022 CPL Playoffs is experience. They have been to all three of the league’s finals, winning twice. They have exponentially more knockout competition experience than any other club in the league. This year alone, that includes playing in the Concacaf Champions League at Estadio Azteca against Cruz Azul, and taking Toronto FC to penalties in the 2020 (you read that correctly) Canadian Championship Final.

Forge have a core group of players with significant experience within the Canadian Premier League. The Hamilton side had five players make their 100th appearance as a CPL player this season, and 2019 league Player of the Year Tristan Borges is not far behind on 93. Statistically speaking, goal difference is also a good indicator of how a team will fare in knockout football. Forge’s incredible +22 over the course of this season, coupled with the fact that they scored more goals, while allowing fewer, than any other team in the league is a positive indicator heading into the postseason.

Atlético Ottawa

By Charlie O’Connor-Clarke

Simply put, Atlético Ottawa have been the most consistently good team in the Canadian Premier League this year. They finished top of the table for a reason; they didn’t blow a lot of teams away, but they were tremendously hard to beat — Ottawa lost just five times, and no other side had fewer than eight.

Carlos González’s well-drilled Atleti side enter the playoffs on a nine-game unbeaten run dating back to Aug. 17. In playoff football, the form with which you enter is imperative; we’ve seen in leagues all over the world how a team can enter a knockout round with some momentum and surge through to the final like a juggernaut.

The defensive structure of this team will also help them through these playoffs, especially on the road against Pacific — especially considering they set a CPL record with 28 points away from home this year. Ottawa conceded more than one goal in just five of their 28 games this year in what was an outstanding defensive season from a team that allowed more than any other side just a year prior.

Nobody wants to play this Ottawa side right now, and that’s why they seem poised for a massive postseason run.