This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 27.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

•  an interview with economist Dr. Duane Rockerbie. 

• The first-ever CanPL finals are set!
• Forge FC will take on Cavalry FC in a two-legged tie
• Oct. 26 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, with the decisive second leg slated for Nov. 2 at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows in Calgary.
• Cavalry won the spring season
• Forge and Cavalry are now guaranteed to finish 1st and 2nd
• “Even though the winner of the Fall season should choose their home match according to CPL rules, and that winner hasn’t been decided as of yet, the League office and the two clubs agreed on the match dates because of a scheduling conflict that exists with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, the primary tenant at Tim Hortons Field,” Clanachan explained.
• Only 14 games left as of September 30

• Congratulations to Montreal Impact for winning the 2019 Voyageur's Cup!
• Montreal beat TFC on penalty kicks 3-1 after going 1-1 on aggregate.
• Interesting to note that Montreal only beat York 9 by one goal on aggregate, and that both legs against Cavalry FC were 1 goal games.

• Up next for Canada is a two-leg tie against the United States.
• Canada host the Americans in Toronto on Oct. 15
• Next, they play in Orlando on Nov. 5.
• This will likely determine who wins Group A and advances to the finals

• FIFA 20
  • FIFA 20 is out, but the only CanPL player represented is David Norman Jr., who's with PFC on loan from Inter Miami. He's got an overall rating of 53.
  • No sign of Ryan Telfer or Blake Smith who are also on loan from MLS teams, so hopefully we'll see them soon.
  • Thanks to the Northern Tribune for digging into that - check them out at NorthernTribune.ca.

• Tell us about yourself
• How did you get into sports economics?
• How did you get involved with the CanPL?
• I understand you were asked to complete two reports. What were they?
• What did you think of the project before you really did your analysis?
• How has the league compared to your expectations?
• What do you think the league needs to do next in order to ensure long-term success?
• Where should we be by the time we co-host world cup 2026?
• How do you envision promotion and relegation working?
•  

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

Jeff responded to last episode's QOTW:

Best and most promising is Jonathan David. Most will say Phonzie, and yes,
he's a phenom, but David's ceiling is winning the Champions League as a
starting striker. Not sure the same can be said of Phonzie.

Crystal wrote via email:

I've been collecting the podcast episodes since it started, and decided that it was time to start actually listening to them. While the season is not finished, it's been interesting to listen back to the excitement that we had, with the eyes of what we've since experienced.

Sep 11 - Wednesday

Sep 11 - Wednesday

Sep 12 - Thursday

Sep 14 - Saturday

Sep 15 - Sunday

Sep 15 - Sunday

Sep 18 - Wednesday

• Next game is September 18 at Stade Saputo

• No more games in September.

• Thank you to everyone who signed up for the Northern 90 Premium Channel - I love you guys.
• Credit to my very first supporters
  • Adam
  • Blair
  • Josh

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 26.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• A round-up of CPL players playing international games
• Canada's performance in CONCACAF Nations League
• A special interview with FC Edmonton's Jeff Paulus

• Forge at the top of the table with 20 points, with the fewest games played at 9.
• Terran Campbell now leads the league with 10 goals

• No action
• Next game is September 18 at Stade Saputo

• Forge FC lost their last match to CD Olimpia 4-1
• Lost 4-2 on aggregate
• SV Robinhood also lost 3-2 on aggregate.

• Canada got underway on Saturday night while Hurricane Dorian was trying hard to prevent me from watching the game
• Beat Cuba 6-0
• Junior Hoilett - Hatrick
• Jonathan David - Beautiful goal
• Jonathan Osorio - Finished a nice pass from Hoilett
• Doniel Henry with his first goal for Les Rouges
• Important because:
  • Qualifying for Qatar 2022 is a function of FIFA rankings as of June 2020.
  • Top 6 go into a hexagonal round, top three automatically qualify
  • The fourth-place team plays against the winner of a tournament between teams ranked 7-35.

• Forge FC Assistant Coach Peter Reynders To Appeal CSA Ruling - Northern Tribune (https://northerntribune.ca/forge-fc-assistant-coach-racial-allegations/)
• Rumour: CPL Ownership Group Targeting Fraser Valley - Northern Tribune (https://northerntribune.ca/canadian-premier-league-fraser-valley/)
• National Team Action
  • Ryan Telfer is now cap-tied for Trinidad and Tobago
  • Abdelaziz Youssef - First start for Somalia
  • Quillian Roberts was called up again to represent Guyana
  • Marco Carducci - First CanPL player to get called up to CanMNT

• Jeff Paulus is someone I've wanted on the show for a very long time
• Today, my wish comes true - kind of
• Thomas Nef, a brand-new journalism student at NAIT reached out to see if we could collaborate
• Win-win - I get great CPL content, and Thomas gets to build up a portfolio. It's great!
• Next up, an interview with Jeff Paulus of FC Edmonton
• Thanks Thomas, thanks Jeff!
• You'll be hearing more from Thomas over the coming months - thanks, again!

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

James from the N90 Premium Channel asked: Thoughts about Ottawa Fury joining the CPL for the 2020 season?

Ed Johnson wrote on the N90 Facebook Page: Kurt Larson said the 8-0 score "will never be repeated in the CPL". Do you agree or disagree?

Liam Pritchard had some great comments on the N90SG Facebook Group about a survey that was being circulated suggesting that Canadian MLS clubs join the CanPL. He said:

Yeah not a good idea yet. Maybe one day. Just need to look at Scotland to see what good two teams dominating the league would look like... Being a Brit, I love North American sports because of the parity. I love that anyone can win each year because anyone can beat anyone.

QOTW: Who is Canada's best player? Most promising player?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode26
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Sep 11 - Wednesday

Sep 11 - Wednesday

Sep 12 - Thursday

Sep 14 - Saturday

Sep 15 - Sunday

Sep 15 - Sunday

Sep 18 - Wednesday

• Next game is September 18 at Stade Saputo

• No more games in September.

• Thank you to everyone who signed up for the Northern 90 Premium Channel - I love you guys.
• Credit to my very first supporters
  • Adam
  • Blair
  • Josh

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 25.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode: a review of Canada's top young talent in the CanPL.

• Thanks for supporting the Northern 90 Premium Channel!
• Lots more to come on that, including some lower-priced tiers later on.

• Forge lead the league with 16 points
• HFX Wanderers the only team under 1 PPG at 0.88.
• Neither York 9 nor Halifax have earned a point on the road during the fall.
• Approaching the 50% mark of games played. Not quite there yet.

• Cavalry FC lost to Montreal Impact 3-1 on aggregate
• TFC beat Ottawa Fury 5-0 on aggregate
• 401 Derby for the final

• Forge FC beat out Antigua GFC 2-1 on aggregate.
• Recently played CD Olympia at home to a 1-0 win.
• Nice goal by Chris Nanco who beat 'keeper Edrick Johnson short side
• Next leg will be played behind closed doors in Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula.
  • 6 hour drive from Olympia's regular home stadium
  • This was a CONCACAF decision after riots broke out in advance of the Classico Capitalino between Olympia and cross-town rival Montagua.
  • Reported that four people died and at least 10 injured during the riots.
  • Could be a major boost for Forge.
  • During the last episode I predicted that Olympia's fans would be hostile. Turns out I was right.

• Canada Soccer have ruled on the allegations of racial slurs being used during a Canadian Championship match between Cavalry FC and Forge FC.
• Forge FC Assistant Coach Peter Reynders has been found guilty of breaching Canada Soccer’s Code of Conduct and Ethics and has been suspended for 45 days, and cannot participate in any soccer-related activities. (https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-soccer-disciplinary-committe-rules-on-canadian-championship-qr2-allegations-of-racial-comments--p162338)
• The hydro pole will disappear in 2020!
  • Congratulations to Max Mowbray @PFCOntario
  • Condolences to Xav Ouellette @TheHydroPole
  • Check out the Purple Reign podcast on the NSXI Network if you're a Pacific FC supporter

Next up - the power of Youth

• I've noticed you find young Canadians at the top of most important metrics in the league.
• Today, I'll go through some stats and talk a bit about the young Canadian talent that is shining.

Goals

• Lots of young Canadian talent
• 2 top goal scoreres are Tristan Borges and Terran Campbell.
• Both 20-year old Canadians
• Easton Ongaro is 21, and tied for 4th in the league with 5 goals.

Assists

• Elijah Adekugbe is 23 years old, tied for first with Kyle Bekker at 4 assists
• Kwame Awuha also 23 and tied for 2nd with 3 assists

Minutes

• Diyaeddine Abzi - top 10 minutes played as a 20-year old Canadian
• Many Aparicio - top 10 as a 23-year old Canadian

Shots Taken

• Tarran Campbell - top 10
• Tristan Borges - top 10

Chances Created

• Marco Bustos - 28 chances created, good for 4th place. 23 year-old Canadian.
• Manny Aparicio - 23 chances created. 6th in the league
• Tristan Borges - 21 chances
• Louis Beland-Goyette and Kwame Awuha both had 19, tied for 10th. Both 23.

Tackles

• Zoom Langua - 21 year-old Canadian leads the league with 63 tackles and 45 tackles won
• Diyaeddine Abzi - 20, ranked 8th in tackles
• For the record - Tristan Borges is tied for 11th with 36 tackles.

1. Canada's got talent
2. The "Play your kids" rule has value
   1. Teams are giving kids a chance
   2. Terran Campbell asked to play as a 9 and was given the chance
   3. Easton Ongaro has worked his way into a starting role - after getting a spot on the roster in the first place.
3. Success of youth will determine the success of the league and of Canadian soccer
   1. CanPL will want to strive to become a selling league
   2. Players will see opportunity to go on to bigger clubs and will develop in CanPL
   3. The men's national team's performance will improve as more young Canadians get their chance.

See also: Terran Campbell interview on Young Gaffers

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

Michael Elder wrote on the Northern 90 Supporters' Group FB Group:

Forge FC has a really tough run of games in the next couple months. They play something like 7 in the next three weeks including away to Olimpia. Then they have a break before playing another 6 in just over 2 weeks. Less than half are home games as well. And that's assuming they don't advance further in the CONCACAF League.

I honestly wonder if they can keep their pace up; that's just an exhausting series of matches. If they do hold on and win the Fall season kudos to them; they'll definitely deserve it. One advantage they have is no other team behind them really seems to be making a push at the moment.

Carlos Barrera wrote, also on the N90SG FBG:

At the beginning, and without a #CanPLteam in Ottawa, I liked #HFXWanderersFCand still support them. But as the games keep coming, I really, really like #ForgeFC. I enjoy watching them play in the #CanPL. #ForgeFC go for goals. I like their style, passing and possession with purpose. Their games are entertaining. Very talented, unselfish, and creative players. They create spaces, look for channels and the teammate who's in better position to take a shot. The beautiful game! #ValourFCis giving #ForgeFC a good test right now. The games are very entertaining.

This week's question: What does Forge FC's success in CONCACAF league tell us about the CanPL's place in the world of soccer?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode25
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Aug 28 - Wednesday

Aug 28 - Wednesday

Aug 29 - Thursday

11:00 pm ADT

• Thank you to everyone who signed up for the Northern 90 Premium Channel - I love you guys.
• Credit to my very first supporters
  • Adam
  • Blair
  • Josh
  • James
• In the future, I'll be opening more spots and different price points to make things more accessible for folks.
• Fan Guide - northern90.ca/fanguide
  • Stadiums
  • Teams
  • Key information about the league
  • Blogs, podcasts, video channels

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Click and Booon Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

In this episode, I discuss all of the things that happened during and after Murrell's on-pitch fit, and dissect the leadership qualities he displayed after the fact.

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 23.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• The best of last week's AMA with Kurt Larson

• Very special announcement coming about going even deeper

• Rodrigo Gattas scored the first hat-trick in league history. All in the first half.

• Cavalry FC beating VWFC marks the first time a CanPL club has ever won against MLS competition.
• Both York 9 and the Wanderers could have advanced if not for defensive lapses
  • For York, an errant back back and needless foul in the 18 gave away two goals in the first leg
  • For Halifax, they were up 2-0 and let in two soft goals in the final leg.
• Overall, I think both York 9 and Halifax have a lot to be proud of. They fought hard, and took the game to their opposition.
• In the end, the difference was in the mistakes that were made.
• Cause may be inexperience as a squad, fatigue... who knows?
• As for Cavalry, the next tie against Montreal will be interesting.
• Montreal only won after being gifted all three goals.
• Cavalry will be real opposition for them.
• X factor: Ignatio Piatti is back with Montreal after recovering from a knee injury.
• If Piatti stays healthy, Cavalry will have to work hard to contain him.

• York 9 FC have sign forward Stefan Lamanna.
  • 23-year old from Pickering, Ontario
  • Recently played for Iceland's UMF Tindastoll
  • https://york9fc.canpl.ca/article/york9-fc-signs-forward-stefan-lamanna

• Kinduct provides an Athlete Management system used to track player injuries.
• The partnership is meant to "[limit] the risk of soccer-related injuries in the Canadian Premier League by logging and tracking soccer-related illnesses and injuries on a league-wide scale".
• https://canpl.ca/article/canadian-premier-league-to-partner-with-kinduct

• Pacific FC's 17-year old Ahmed Alghamdi earned a call-up to Saudi Arabia's U-20 team for a couple of friendlies
• https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/pacific-fc-prodigy-alghamdi-earns-saudi-call-up-1.23898671

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up - you asked, he answered: Kurt Larson answers your biggest questions about the league.

• Last Thursday, I was joined by OneSoccer analyst and head of content Kurt Larson for a live AMA.
• It was a blast!
• Great turnout, even better questions.
• Kurt answered 25 fan questions.
• Here are some my answers from that night.
• Thanks so much for joining us, Kurt!
• Thanks to the fans for great questions and support!

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Last week's question: Who's the best attacking duo in CanPL?
  • Bekker and Borges
  • Adekube and Camargo

Shout Outs

• Aaron from Martinsburg, West Virginia
• All those who attended the AMA - thanks!

This week's question: What does your team need most desperately during this transfer window? Do you think they'll actually get it done?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode23
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

I've mentioned a couple of times that I have a special project in the works. I'm not quite ready to share all the details yet, but what I can say is that it'll go live starting next week. I'm really excited about it, but you'll have to wait for another week to get the details. Stay tuned!

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 22.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• Recent signings
• A recap of three wonder strikes this week
• OneSoccer's Crew calling it an early night
• Main content: the problem with the CanPL schedule

• AMA with Kurt Larson - https://Northern90.ca/AMALarson
  • What it's about
  • 100 seats
  • July 25, 8PM EST
  • This way, we can watch the Canadian Championship Matches

Jul 17 - Wednesday

Jul 17 - Wednesday

Jul 17 - Wednesday

Jul 20 - Saturday

Jul 20 - Saturday

Jul 21 - Sunday

• Starts again this week

Jul 24 - Wednesday

8:30 pm ADT

Jul 24 - Wednesday

8:30 pm ADT

Jul 24 - Wednesday

11:30 pm ADT

• Valour FC make another signing in Italian Striker Michele Paolucci
  • Played most of his early career in Italy's Serie A
  • Most recently in the Maltese Premier League with Tarxien
  • Time will tell if Paolucci is the answer to Valour's scoring woes
• Northern Tribune reporting that FC Edmonton is about to make a big signing
  • https://northerntribune.ca/fc-edmonton-signing-july-2019/

• FC Edmonton/ Valour FC game on Wednesday delayed due to severe thunderstroms
• One hour delay, then eight minutes of play, then another 2 hour delay
• No explanation right away
• Eventually came out that the call was made to keep OneSoccer staff safe
• Hard to reconcile that with the fact that players and fans were allowed to be there.
• Really hope that this is part of growing pains.

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up - tackling the issue of game congestion.

• After Forge FC's dismantling of HFX Wanderers last Wednesday, coach Hart had some pretty blunt observations to share (courtesy of The Merchant Sailor):

We know things we need to work on from an individual and collective perspective, but we have no time to work on it because you have to give players time to rest, and then you have maybe a half of a training session the day before you play a team like Cavalry–or any team.

So we need to sit down and talk about it. The schedule is way too compact. There are three teams that play nine games this month and one that plays ten.”

• We've seen plenty of players go down to injury over the last several weeks, and the fall is just getting started.
• Hart isn't the first to raise a flag about fixture congestion.
• The concern also has some sound science behind it.
• A 2010 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicineinvestigated the effects of playing 2 matches per week compared to one
• The study showed no real impact on gameday performance, but didshow an injury rate over six times higher when playing two games a week.
• So if we can agree that injuring players is bad, what do we do?
• Three ideas
  • Make the season longer
  • Eliminate mid-week games
  • Eliminate back-to-back midweek games
• Longer season
  • Pros
    • Keep the same number of games - no lost entertainment or revenue
    • Improves rest
  • Cons
    • Risky to push earlier than end of April or past early November.
    • Wet/ cold weather would be hard on players and on grass
  • How to make it work
    • Focus games on artificial surfaces
    • MLS starts in March, ends in December, though with limited games in Canada
• Eliminate mid-week CanPL games
  • Pros
    • Only 4.4 midweek games per team - not much lost gameplay
    • 24 week season with 28 season games
    • Creates room for CanChamp
    • Effect of reduced attendance is minimized - poor showing during the week anyway
    • Makes for a more balanced schedule
  • Cons
    • Fewer games = less revenue, less entertainment
    • Mitigation: maybe the weekend games would be even better attended
• Eliminate back-to-back midweek games
  • If we eliminated two mid-week games for each team, you could eliminate, for the most part, teams playing on short rest twice in a row.
  • Pros
    • Minimal impact on the season
    • Better rest
  • Cons
    • Fewer games

[caption id="attachment_577" align="aligncenter" width="934"]An analysis of rest between games for the CanPL 2019 season.[/caption]

I'd like to know what you think: is the schedule a problem? How would you fix it? Write me to let me know!

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Last week's question: What should the Canadian Championship and Canadian Premier League trophy be called?
  • Lots of votes for the Voyageur's Cup - Alex and Febrian
  • Michael Miller of the Premier Podcast suggested the CanPL trophy be called the Joe Kennaway Trophy. Look him up - very cool bit of Canadian soccer history
  • Best suggestion I heard was from Jeff who wrote me an email suggesting:
    • Can Champ: Voyageur's Cup
    • CanPL Champion: Canadian Shield

This week's question: Who's the best attacking duo in CanPL?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode22
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Jul 24 - Wednesday

8:30 pm ADT

Jul 24 - Wednesday

8:30 pm ADT

Jul 24 - Wednesday

11:30 pm ADT

Jul 27 - Saturday

Jul 27 - Saturday

Jul 27 - Saturday

• AMA with Kurt Larson is now on July 25 at 8PM Eastern.
• https://Northern90.ca/AMALarson

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Curtis MacNewtonon Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 21.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• I go deep into the league's stats to sort out what the CPL's best teams are doing that nobody else is.

• AMA with Kurt Larson - https://Northern90.ca/AMALarson
  • What it's about
  • 100 seats
  • July 24, 7PM EST
• Something special in the works for people who want live events and to go deeper into the CanPL.

• Wanders fell to Cavalry 0-1
  • Nice goal by sub Oliver Minatel in the 85th minute
• Pacific 2 - Forge 3
  • Brace by Tristan Borges
  • All goals in the 2nd half
  • Watch the highlights for Borges' 2nd goal, and the Fisk/ Blasco set piece at the end.
• York 9 FC 2 - FC Edmonton 1
  • Awesome counter-attacking goal by Aparicio and Telfer

Of note: Almost 2.5 times as many fans in Halifax this weekend as in Langford or North York.

• Halifax 2 - Ottawa Fury 3
  • Back and forth game
  • Halifax tied it up twice
  • Bona should have tied it up, but it was offside
• York 9 FC 2 - Montreal Impact 2
  • York had two very pretty goals in this one
  • Also gave away two goals
  • Bad foul in the box by Ingham
• Cavalry FC 0 - Vancouver 0
  • Marc dos Santos very complimentary of the CPL side
  • Equestrian activities before the match - bad pitch

• Emery Welshman may be leaving Forge FC for Isreali Side Hapoel Haifa.
  • No details - and Forge is saying that the deal isn't done
  • FC Cincinnati has the final call
  • Israeli league starts in August
  • Northern Tribune suggesting that former TFC and Sigma FC product Mo Babouli would be a likely target.
  • https://northerntribune.ca/emery-welshman-hapoel-haifa/
• Stephen Hoyle and Valour FC agree to part ways
  • Never really worked out
  • 1 goal in 238 minutes of league play
  • https://canpl.ca/article/valour-fc-release-forward-stephen-hoyle
• Valour FC sign Jose Galan to a multi-year contract
  • 33
  • Midfielder
  • Spanish
  • Ryan Brandt reporting that he's played in 12 countries
  • Could possibly line up as a D-mid
  • Possibly to help offset the issues with midfielder Josip Golubar

• On Wednesday, CONCACAF changed the rules on how teams would qualify for World Cup
• Top 6 teams by FIFA rankings in June 2020 will play in a hexagonal round robin. Top three qualify automatically.
• Fourth team enters a playoff against a team from the group ranked 7th to 35th
• This second group will be split into 8 groups who will play a round-robin.
• The winners of each will then play home and away knock-outs.
• THAT winner will play the fourth place finisher.
• Criticised for being complex, and for overemphasizing FIFA rankings at a point in time.
• Canada were ranked 8th in the region in June.
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbymcmahon/2019/07/10/mexico-and-usa-fastrack-surprise-concacaf-announcement-mens-world-cup-2022/#6f0ca171145c

• More love for OneSoccer!
• Starting July 20, Liga MX games will be aired on OneSoccer.
• Slow clap.
• https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u=a8a1c3422d9152f5b1199bce6&id=1d532b46e4

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up - the spring season's top headlines.

• Cavalry and Forge Used Subs
  • Both teams used every available sub every game
  • So did Valour
• Cavalry was the median for touches over 10 games
  • 6291 for Cavs
  • 5700 for FCE
  • 6786 for Pacific
  • Cavs picked their moments and hung on to the ball when they needed to
• Cavs and Forge middle of the pack for passing accuracy and passes completed
  • Cavs: 78.3% accurate
  • Forge: 77.8%
  • Balancing tough balls with playing it safe
  • Pacific FC had best accuracy (82.8%) and most passes completed (3962). Didn't help them.
• Cavalry had average chances created - middle of the pack at 77.
  • York 9 was the best at 100
  • When you compare those chances to goals scored, Cavalry was best in the league with a 19.5% conversion rate. Better chances? Better shooting boots? Who knows.
  • Forge FC was second best at 15.9%
  • Valour and York 9 had the two highest chance creations, with the worst two conversion rates at 8.8% and 7% respectively
• Cavs and Forge took their shots from closer and put them on frame
  • Cavalry was 3rd for shots, 1st for shots on target (51)
  • Forge was 5th for shots, 2nd for shots on target (45)
  • Cavalry was 1st for shots inside the box with 91.
  • York 9 had most shots, 3rd most on target, and 2nd most from inside the box.

This is what the numbers said, but what do you think? Leave me a note in the show notes, or on social media!

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Last week's question: Who's the MVP of the spring season?

Hfx home crowd fans. Definitely mvp.

— Willin80 (@Willinfisherman) July 10, 2019

@nicopasquottiis a game breaker in many areas of the game. Does alot of little things. Bekker would be my non Cavs pick. In 4 games of seeing him he has scared me the most as an opponent.

— 🇨🇦CPL Horsemen🏇⚽️ (@CplHorsemen) July 10, 2019

• Stanley Stan voted for Borges for obvious reasons, which had some additional support.
• Also a couple of votes for Carducci.

• Welcome to:
  • Jonnie
  • The Firths and De Carolis' who I met after a recent Wanderers game
• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode21
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Tons of soccer!

• CanPL
  • Three mid-week games
    • Wanderers visit Hamilton
    • York 9 hosts Pacific
    • FC Edmonton welcomes Valour FC at Clarke Field
  • Three more games this weekend
    • Forge v Valour
    • Pacific takes on their coastal rivals Halifax out west
    • Cavalry plays against York 9 in Hamilton

• AMA with Kurt Larson on July 24.
• https://Northern90.ca/AMALarson

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 20.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• A review of the spring season and the five stories that defined it.

• Cavalry FC won the spring title
• Spring standings:
  • Cavalry - 24
  • Forge FC - 19
  • FC Edmonton - 14
  • Halifax - 11
  • Pacific - 11
  • York 9 - 11
  • Valour FC - 9
• Fall season
  • Cavalry 3 : Pacific FC 2
  • Halifax Wanderers 1 : York 9 0
  • Forge FC 1 : FCE 2

• No action since the last episode
• Starting this week:
  • HFX v. Ottawa
  • York 9 v. Montreal Impact FC
  • Cavalry FC v. Vancouver Whitecaps

• Sadly, the Canadian women were eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16
• Congratulations to the USWNT, who beat Netherlands 2-0.

• The Canadian MNT also crashed out of their tournament prematurely. The lost to Haiti 1-0 in the quarter-final
• Congrats to Mexico who won their 8th Gold cup, beating the US 1-0 in the final.

• Forge FC will be playing Antigua GFC on August 1 at Tim Horton's field. The return leg will be on August 8.

• Chinese Super League
• Chinese FA Cup
• Home legs for CONCACAF League
• AppleTV app is now live
• Roku is coming soon
• In August, the global streaming service will expand its supplementary CPL content in the form of daily news programs, mid-week magazine shows, interviews, features, and more.
• Kurt Larson, who had been the head of the CanPL editorial team has become the head of content with OneSoccer.

• Nothing official from the league, but FIFA lists the open of the secondary window in Canada as July 9. It will run to August 7.
• This allows players to move within Canada and allows international players to move to Canada.

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up - the spring season's top headlines.

• League Launch & Inaugural Match
  • 17,611 fans at Tim Horton's Field
  • Ryan Telfer scores first goal ever
  • Bekker's elbow
  • These guys can ball!
• OneSoccer
  • Great quality overall, but some room for growth
  • Views on the business model
  • Views on CSL
  • #WipeTheLens showed up on a OneSoccer broadcast
• Biphasic Standings
  • Cavalry and Forge, then everyone else
  • Five points separated 3rd from 7th.
  • Five points from 3rd to 2nd
  • Five points from 2nd to 1st
  • Cavalry and Forge represented more than 40% of the goals scored.
• Cavalry FC's Dominance
  • Won the first seven games
  • Outscored opponents 16-7
  • Scored 10 away goals compared to 6 at home.
  • For comparison, HFX didn't score a single away goal this spring.
  • Only shut out once in league play
  • Recorded 5 shutouts
• FC Edmonton's Turnaround
  • For most of the season, the pundits were scratching their heads trying to figure out what to make of FCE.
  • Turns out, there wasn't anything wrong really - but a small sample size made it look like things were bad.
  • Went five games in a row without scoring.
  • In the last four games, only one goal against, and scored 6

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Last week's question: How seriously should Forge FC take their CONCACAF League run?
• Ed (who wrote lots in the last week) said that Forge would sacrifice CONCACAF league in favour of league performance, citing brutal travel, fixture congestion, and a hostile environment.
• Colin also wrote to say that, while he'd love to see Forge make a push, it would be better to rotate the squad and secure a spot in the league final.
• On the other side, both @Crowandcat1 and @alexanderupert vote that they go as far as they can!
• Adam (@flameboy84) left a lovely comment about the show on Twitter, saying he liked the last two episodes - thanks, Adam!

This week's question: Who's the MVP of the spring season?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode19
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Tons of soccer!

• Canadian Championship
  • Jul 10 sees Wanderers take on Ottawa Fury, Cavalry will host the Vancouver Whitecaps, and York 9 will take on Montreal Impact
• CanPL
  • July 13
    • Wanderers host Cavalry (watch on CBC online)
    • Forge visits Pacific
  • July 14
    • York 9 face off against FC Edmonton

• I made a fan guide!
• Check it out at northern90.ca/fanguide

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Mari Carmen Del Valle Cámara on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 19.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode:

• An interview with Allan Gorman, president of the Barton Street Battalion Supporters' Group
• Details on a fan guide that I've published
• Much more

• Limited action during the international break

The women have earned a birth into the round of 16.

• Canada beat Martinique handily
• Jonathan David with two goals
• Nervy moments on the back line
• Next game is against Mexico on the 19th.

• Fight after leg 1
• Allegations of racial slurs being used by a member of Forge’s coaching staff
• Cavs’ Jordan Brown and Forge’s Tristan Borges facing separate misconduct related to the fight
• The matter is before Canada Soccer’s Disciplinary Committee.
• https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-and-hamilton-s-soccer-teams-face-sanctions-for-misconduct-1.4463290

• TFC game against SKC, where he provided the game-tying assist.
• Check it out the highlights in the show notes:
• https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2019-06-07-toronto-fc-vs-sporting-kansas-city/recap
• Telfer spoke very highly of the league and how it’s afforded him the opportunity to get meaningful minutes
• https://northerntribune.ca/ryan-telfer-loan-comment/

• Forge FC have clinched their spot in CONCACAF League.
• There's still one more game to be played between Forge FC and FC Edmonton, but mathematically, Forge is already in.
• First game will be July 30th against Antigua GFC.

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up, an interview with Allan Gorman, President of the Barton St. Battalion.

• Caught up with Allan ahead of leg two of Forge's CanChamp matchup with Cavalry FC.
• Talked about
  • what it's like to start a supporters' group with no previous experience
  • The supporters' group's relationship with the club and owner Bob Young
  • Impressions of the first game and the league so far
  • Much more
• Allan was as passionate as anyone I've spoken to so far on the podcast. He's not just a fan of Forge, but a fan of the league.
• Here's my chat:

[Interview]

• Thanks again to Allan for making the time ahead of heading to the pub for his club's Canadian Championship game.
• Tell me what you thought of what Allan had to say by leaving a comment in the show notes.

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Last week's question: Can Cavalry FC possibly continue their streak of dominance?

Ugh, probably.

— Crow_and_Cat (@CrowandCat1) June 7, 2019

Short answer: No. I think they'll lose 3 games in the back half of the spring season.

— T Bison (@T_Bison) June 7, 2019

A couple of their games have been extremely close with goals coming late in the game and stoppage time tipping the game in their favour. - in particular Forge and Valour. That requires skill and a dose of luck to keep that up. I can see them either drawing or losing about 2.

— Joe (@lwos_joe) June 7, 2019

Welcome to new members of the Northern 90 Supporters' Group who wrote to me this week:

• Pierre-Alexandre
• Sebastien

This week's question: How seriously should Forge FC take their CONCACAF League run?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode19
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Tons of soccer!

• CanPL - Lots! Only two weeks left in the spring season.
• Gold Cup - Canada play Mexico on the 19th and Cuba on the 23rd
• Women's World Cup - against the Netherlands on the 20th to determine who takes top spot in the table.

• I made a fan guide!
• Check it out at: northern90.ca/fanguide

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by Paul Hendren with permission. All other rights reserved.

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

This is the Northern 90 Podcast with Pat Sweet, Episode 18.

Welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast, covering the beautiful game in the great white north. For more Canadian Premier League content, head over to Northern90.ca. That’s Northern Nine Zero dot ca.

Hello, Canada, and welcome to the Northern 90 Canadian Premier League Podcast!

I'm your host, Pat Sweet.

In this week's episode, I interview Steve Hemphill and Ian Fellows of the Lake Side Buoys who just completed a cross-Canada tour on their motorcycles of every CPL city.

First, of course, let's dig into this week's CPL news and results.

• It's been a little while since the last episode, so I'll just do a recap.
• Here's a list of things that haven't happened yet:
  • Cavalry FC hasn't stopped winning
  • York 9 FC hasn't won
• Every team has played at least 5 league matches
• Standings
  • Cavalry - 15
  • Forge - 13
  • Valour - 9
  • Wanderers - 7
  • Pacific - 5
  • FC Edmonton - 4
  • York 9 - 3
• Cavs have only one home game left in the spring.
• Away teams have averaged only just over 1 point per game so far this season, so a long road stretch will be tough.
• And Tristan Borges, a 20-year old Canadian kid leads the league in scoring with four goals to his name.

• Cavalry FC, HFX Wanderers FC and York 9 FC all advanced.
• First games of round 2 start this week.
  • Cavalry vs. Hamilton
  • Halifax vs. Winnipeg
  • York 9 vs. FC Edmonton

• Pacific FC's front-office shuffle- four staff are gone who covered marketing, sales, and daily operations.
• A CanPL club will take on Antigua GFC in the first round of CONCACAF League. Forge FC is currently the frontrunner for the "Canada 2" spot. CONCACAF League starts up July 31.
  • If a CanPL team doesn't make it deep into the tournament, I'll be rooting for A.S. Robinhood from Suriname.
• In some sad news, Canadian Referee Carol Anne Chenard was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will be missing the Women's World Cup in France. Chenard recently made history with the first all-female officiating crew to manage a first division men's game in Hamilton not long ago.
• Women's World Cup kicks off in France on June 7 and will run until July 7. The Canadian women are currently ranked 11th in the world and are up against the Netherlands (17), New Zealand (24), and Cameroon (72).
• The Canadian Men's National Team will compete in Gold Cup starting June 15. Sadly, but not surprisingly, no CanPL players were included in our national team. However, there are four players playing for other squads:
  • From Forge FC - Quillan Roberts and Emery Welshman (Guyana),
  • From Halifax - Jan Michael Williams (Trinidad and Tobago)
  • From Edmonton - Kareem Moses (Trinidad and Tobago)

If you like the headlines, check out the Northern 90 Supporters Group!

Next up, an interview with Steve Hemphill and Ian Fellows of the Big Country Footy tour.

• Have you ever had an idea that was too crazy to actually do, but other than that, you had no good reason not to do it?
• Lake Side Buoy member Steve Hemphill knows that feeling.
• What makes Steve different, is instead of pushing the idea aside, he doubled down and made it happen.
• By now you've probably heard of Steve's CanPL tour, but if you haven't, the premise was simple: ride your motorcycle to see a game in every CPL host city in a month.
• Along the way, his friends Ian Irving and Ian Fellows joined him for legs of the tour.
• I caught up with Steve and Ian Fellows in their Halifax hotel where they were waiting out the rain before hitting the road to make it back home.
• We had a great chat that covered the league, the venues, supporter culture in Canada, and how things look for the future of soccer in this country.
• The first voice you'll hear is Steve's. Ian comes in next.
• Here's my chat with the guys.

[Interview]

• After I turned the mic off, we sat and chatted for a few more minutes about all sorts of things - more soccer, how to get great train ticket prices in France, and whatever came up.
• The guys were great and had such a passion for the game.
• I imagine there are a lot of Steves and Ians out there - or at least people who want to do something big like this.
• Here's my call to action - do it. Don't wait. If you ask these guys, it was the trip of a lifetime.

Next up, the mailbag:

You know how this works - you send me mail and messages and I read every single one of them. If what you send is extra good I read it on the podcast.

• Tons of mail! Thanks, everyone!
• Barry Fitzpatrick - a Scot who's madly in love with the game and is following the league with great interest wrote me a book on the league set up in Scotland. It's incredible. He's given me permission to post his explanation of how Div 1 football works there, and it's a fascinating set-up.
• Liam Pritchard from Wales wrote to say that he's become a regular listener. Welcome, Liam! Liam weighed in on the question of the week about how people felt about the apparent lack of a gap between Canada's semi-pro teams and the CPL. He argued that it's actually not such a bad thing.
  • Allows for easy measurement of league progress in the future
  • Also shows that there is still talent in lower levels - great for expansion.
• Edward Johnson from Toronto also weighed in on the question of the week and expressed similar sentiments to Liam.
  • Said that he was pleasantly surprised with the quality
  • Also mentioned that it's good for expansion - there's continuity between the leagues.
  • Also suggested I tackle league salaries - great idea.

This week's question: Can Cavalry FC possibly continue its dominance, or will the away games and compressed schedule derail them?

• Leave a comment at northern90.ca/episode18
• Write to me at pat at northern90.ca
• Fire me a note on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @northernninety

Of course, I love hearing from you on any topic - so whatever you want to share, just drop me a line.

No league matches over the next couple weeks over the international break, but a couple of Canadian Championship matches.

Wednesday, June 5

• Can Champ
  • Valour FC at Halifax
  • York 9 hosts FC Edmonton

Friday, June 7 - Women's world cup starts

Tuesday, June 11

• Cavalry FC hosts Forge

Wednesday, June 12

• Halifax at Winnipeg
• FC Edmonton hosts York 9

Saturday, June 15

• League play resumes
• Gold cup starts

That's all we've got for the show today.

If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe to it, and when you do leave an honest review. That helps me make the show better and others find it.

Also, if you've been enjoying this show, you should join my supporters' group. When you join you get a weekly newsletter with curated CPL content, access to a members-only Facebook group, contests, giveaways, fantasy leagues, all sorts of good stuff. And it's free. Check it out at northern90.ca/join.

Thanks so much, Canada. Have a great week.

Featured Image

Photo by arivoli tamilarasan on Unsplash

Intro music

Move Like This by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Texas Radio Fish, Alex Beroza, and Snowflake

CPL Headlines Music

Calm the F*** Down by Broke for Free (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Main Content Intro Music

260809 Funky Nurykabe by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Mailbag Music

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Outro music

Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza