Welcome back: 2021 CPL season opening weekend roundtable!

New season, new newsroom!

In the latest episode of the CanPL.ca Newsroom, the CanPL.ca editorial crew of Kristian Jack, Charlie O’Connor Clarke, Brady Reid, Benedict Rhodes, and Marty Thompson cap off the first week of action from the 2021 Canadian Premier League season played out in Winnipeg, Manitoba at IG Field.

First up, the gang recaps Atletcio Ottawa’s late win over FC Edmonton in the season opener – did Ottawa’s “M, M, and M” midfield deliver? What positives can we take from Alan Koch’s first match in charge of the Eddies?

Next up was Pacific FC’s comprehensive 2-0 win over HFX Wanderers FC. Marco Bustos’ blast and a Steven Gerrard-like thump from Ollie Basset stole the show on the pitch.

Valour FC taking down two-time defending Forge FC Sunday was another highlight – especially with Rob Gale’s cagey comments to the media afterward. Did we underestimate Winnipeg? The gang reacts to Gale’s clips.

Finally, the gang caps things off with Cavalry FC taking down a new-look York United side… but all the talk revolves around Jose Escalante, who played a big part in both Cavs goals. Welcome back to the CPL, Jose!