8 CPL Thoughts: transfer window to open as clubs fight to keep pace with Pacific FC

Pacific FC — sitting comfortably atop the league table — are having a phenomenal season.

The Vancouver Island-based club has looked confidant and organized through their first 11 matches and have amassed an impressive 24 points to separate themselves from the pack.

Looking down from their lofty perch, Pacific will feel further comforted that they have two games in hand on both the Nine Stripes and Forge FC, who have 17 and 19 points respectively.

It's a cool five point cushion just over a third of the way through the season.

For context, seven points currently separates third from last, meaning any club other than Pacific can't afford to stumble for any reason.

Add in the spice of the transfer window, which opens on July 5, and you've got some intriguing storylines heading into the meat of the season.

8 CPL Thoughts:

1. The return of João Morelli is perhaps the league's best storyline heading into July as the former Golden Boot winner and CPL Player of the Year is set to suit up for the Halifax Wanderers again. Although his first match remains up in the air, the moment will be must watch television for any CPL fan and a wild celebration for the Wanderers faithful. Having said that, when the press release was announced, Halifax already had 23-roster players, meaning someone needed to have their contract terminated or to be sold before Morelli could officially be activated. Well, the club later announced Kosi Nwafornso — one of the players head coach Patrice Gheisar had coached and recruited from Vaughan Azzurri — had asked for his contract to be terminated. Given Nwafornso's pedigree, I found it surprising to learn he had wanted out. I'll admit that he hadn't cracked the starting XI in the way he might have imagined but the big forward had shown good work ethic and a nose for the net coming off the bench and looked engaged in training. I had the chance to ask Gheisar if he was surprised by Nwafornso's request: "Yeah, for sure. I've known Kosi for more than a few years and we're really sad to see him go . . . We respect everyone's wishes, we support him and sometimes those decisions aren't favourable to us." I very much got the sense that Gheisar was surprised by Nwafornso's decision, especially when it was a player he was close with and who had shown themselves capable of playing at this level. I confirmed with the club's communications manager that Halifax has the roster flexibility to now activate Morelli. However, they won't have room to bring anyone else on without playing with their squad, something I think they'll be hesitant to do with their recent form. Morelli's return is itself like a free transfer.
2. Atlético Ottawa is a club mired in transfer rumours and for good reason given they have fallen far short of expectations. Now, fans are salivating at the report from MARCA that 38-year old Alberto Zapater could be on the move to the national's capital after finishing his season with  Real Zaragoza. Given Ottawa's need for a sturdy defensive midfielder, Zapater's track record playing amongst some of Europe's best could be the season defining move they need to make to get things back on track. Although reports continue to be published from Europe, the club remains mum on any transfers, which is not surprising as the window doesn't open for another 10 days and a lot can go wrong between now and then. In an emailed statement, Ottawa's media relations manager had the following to say for comment: "Atletico Ottawa is currently pursuing multiple avenues to strengthen the squad during the mid-season transfer window and will ensure the roster is compliant with the 2023 Canadian Premier League regulations. The club can't comment further as to ongoing negotiations, nor confirm or deny their veracity." Long story short: they are working the phones and we'll see if they can close the deal.
3. As an aside, Ottawa put out a release on June 13 announcing a new business partnership with Dymon, an Ottawa-based storage business. On the surface, it may not seem that exciting to the average fan but what's important is that clubs are able to leverage corporate partnerships. It's integral to the survival of the league because without sponsorship dollars, the CPL cannot function. The fact that Ottawa continues to navigate multi-year partnerships with strong, local businesses is a sign of the health of the club and speaks to community standing. Having worked on the sponsorship side of Atlantic Canada's largest independent news organization, I can attest to the difficulty of getting such deals over the line.
4. Reporter John Jacques of the Northern Tribune published a piece reporting that Cavalry FC's Jose Escalante is set to leave for FC Motagua. The Honduras national's departure will be a huge lose for Cavalry as he has played all 11 matches for them this season and has featured in five CPL campaigns. Having said that, Jacques reported Escalante is still under contract for the rest of this season, with a club option for 2024, so Cavalry should get a transfer fee. This also means they will have space and cash to add once the transfer window opens. I'll be digging a little bit into the Escalante speculation this week but we'll see if the club announces something first. As an aside, he just played his 100th match for Cavalry.
5. I had the chance to send a note out to Vancouver FC to ask about their upcoming deadline plans and they did not confirm that they were in talks to recruit someone to solidify their midfield. They did comment to say the club has "shown that we have belief in younger players to perform and execute game plans while also providing them with meaningful professional playing time." What this says to me is that the club is happy with its contributions from younger players (can you say T.J. Tahid three times fast?) but is underwhelmed by its veterans, which is fair. I haven't heard or seen anything pop up but that doesn't mean they aren't desperately trying to inject some fresh talent to try and make a push so as to avoid the bottom of the table.
6. I also asked Vancouver's media manager about the club's attendance record to date. As an expansion club in a young league, Vancouver had its work cut out for them to stand out in the noisy B.C. sports landscape. As of their week 10 numbers, the club has been averaging 3,662 fans, which isn't bad and ranks in the middle-tier of CPL clubs. Their home opener, on May 7, stands as the highwater mark. "We know we are still working to build brand awareness which will come with time and help to boost the attendance numbers overall," wrote public relations and communications coordinator Katelyn White in an emailed statement. "However, the reception we have received thus far has really proven that this project is worth it."
7. How about a York United ownership update? Well, things are still quiet from the league but when contacted, they were able to confirm that conversations are still ongoing to find a new owner for the Ontario-based club. "With regard to an update on York United, I can tell you that the discussions between Canadian Soccer Business and potential new owners mentioned at the time of the announcement in April are continuing. That's the only update I'm able to provide at the moment," said Laura Armstrong, the CPL's senior director for communications. I expect things will continue to be quiet as the league navigates suitors. I could be wrong but I feel like this is something that will get resolved in the offseason.
8. Just a final thought on Forge FC's cold streak: it won't last. They broke their goalless drought at 273 minutes and, after a series of disappointing results, beat Atlético Ottawa 4-3 on Sunday. Look for this win to kick-start Forge's core as all the right players got on the board (here's looking at Terran Campbell). To be honest, it's been strange to see them falter to start the season after their years of brilliance but even dynasties make a faux-pas occasionally. And despite a frustrating campaign thus far for Forge fans, they still sit second on the table. Bobby Smyrniotis and his squad are just getting started.

Cover Photo Credit: John Jacques / Northern Tribune