The Canadian Premier League is looking to the future with an eye on the present with plans for its third season in operation.
CPL commissioner David Clanachan released a letter on Jan. 19 to supporters outlining the plans for a full season to begin in May, a renewed emphasis on Canadian youth in the beautiful game and a commitment to creative solutions to bringing the games home as evidenced by the Island Games Tournament put on last summer.
"As we enter 2021, the Canadian Premier League remains excited about this new year. We recognize that we must remain as patient - as we did in 2020 - but we see a number of possibilities which will bring us back onto the field in our home markets," Clanachan said.
"Innovation, creativity and adaptability remain at the forefront of our minds as we plan for the new season - utilizing the same approach that we demonstrated while creating our successful Island Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island last year. This year, we will build on the success created by demonstrating our resolve to deliver the 2021 season that our supporters and fans deserve."
The league indicated it intends to have its games back in home arenas rather than in a bubble set-up, giving Cavalry FC the opportunity to once again play out of picturesque ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows should the plans go ahead.
Clanachan added the league is working diligently behind closed doors to put together a full 28-game season, with action to begin on the May Long weekend, should the health authorities say that it is safe to do so adding that planning for different contingencies and scenarios is also happening.
"To that end, we will remain flexible but also adaptable in our planning," Clanachan said. "To be clear, our ultimate goal is to see our supporters in the stands as we take to the field."
When fans do return to the stands they will see Canadian youth prioritized by the league to its greatest degree to date.
Rule changes for the 2021 season included having the minimum number of minutes played by Canadian U21 players increased from 1,000 to 1,500 minutes.
Canadian youth breaking through has been a major theme of the first two seasons of CPL action with a number of players making the most of the their national spotlight.
The Cavalry have benefited from the talented young Canadians on its roster, highlighted by Mohamed Farsi's star turn at the 2020 CPL Island Games, culminating in the Montreal native's Best U21 Canadian Player of the Year award.
"This direction is a testament to our commitment to development of young players - the likes of Tristan Borges, Emilio Estevez and Tyler Attardo - who benefited from these rules and moved to other international markets to showcase their talents," Clanachan said. "Our focus on player development has created an impact on quality of play and continues to garner attention. Canadian Premier League players are drawing invites to the national team training camps in advance of an important U23 Concacaf Olympic qualifying competition this year."
The CPL was launched in 2019 and features eight teams. The Cavalry won the league's inaugural spring and fall seasons before bowing out in the league championship match to Hamilton's Forge FC, who also took home the Island Games title in 2020.
Cavs add veteran goalkeeper
The last line of defence has been solidified for the Cavalry with the addition of CPL veteran goalkeeper Tyson Farago.
The 29-year-old Winnipeg native is a familiar name in Canadian soccer circles, having made 19 appearances with hometown Valour FC in the CPL's inaugural season of 2019 highlighted by a pair of clean sheets. Prior to that, Farago played four seasons with FC Edmonton's NASL side from 2014-2018.
“Tyson is a very good goalkeeper with valuable professional experience under his belt, that we felt would be a good addition to our side," said Cavalry head coach and general manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. "We’ve kept track of him for a while through his FC Edmonton and Valour days and in terms of attitude and ability, he ticks both boxes for us.
"He’s a good shot stopper with terrific reflexes and possession wise, has very good distribution skills.”
Farago joins Cavalry shotstopper Marco Carducci, the 2019 CPL Golden Glove Award Winner as the league's top goalkeeper, to form a formidable partnership in between the posts.
For more information go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca
