After a long, hard-fought Canadian Premier League season, tomorrow will see the attacking fluidity of Forge meet the defensive solidity of Atletico Ottawa in the CPL Playoff final. The season saw an intense top four battle between the two playoff finalists alongside Pacific and Cavalry over the past seven months, and we are now one day away from the finale to what has been an explosive, groundbreaking season for the CPL. Here is our tactical preview of the final, and what both teams may look to do ahead of tomorrow.
Tag: Tactical Preview
Atletico Ottawa vs. Valour FC – Tactical Preview
Atletico Ottawa have caught the eye at the start of this season, as the most tactically intriguing team in the league. Carlos Gonzalez's team achieved two back to back wins to start the campaign, playing different formations in and out of possession. Valour have a mammoth task as a result, and need to hit top gear in finding Moses Dyer early on in moves. Here is our tactical analysis.
Pacific FC vs. Halifax Wanderers FC – Tactical Preview
No team in the Canadian Premier League has enjoyed a stronger start to the season than Pacific FC. James Merriman's team have been a well-oiled machine through and through, with a front four firing on all cylinders, and a cast and crew working behind the scenes to best support their fluidity up front. Not only have Pacific had a successful start from a team perspective, but as individuals working to serve one another within Merriman's 4-1-4-1. Here is our tactical preview of Pacific's match against HFX Wanderers FC.
Forge FC vs. FC Edmonton – Tactical Preview
Saturday's match promises to be an exhilarating encounter, with the team accumulating the most possession in the league so far (62%), going up against the team with the least amount of possession so far (38%). Is it fate that those numbers balance each other out perfectly? Perhaps.
York United vs. Cavalry FC – Tactical Preview
York United's start to the season has failed to be as fruitful as the Nine Stripes would have liked, but Martin Nash's team showed marked improvements against FC Edmonton in providing more attacking thrust than the opening day against HFX. Developing a sense of identity with fullbacks pushing high up the pitch and attacking rotations between their striker and attacking midfielder, York's identity should contain two crucial elements required for breaking Cavalry down.
The tactical tweaks every CPL team must make ahead of Matchday 2
Last week, the Canadian Premier League kicked off for its fourth season, with the opening set of matches featuring a repeat of last season's Playoff Final. From a personal standpoint, I opened the season with the launch of our Role Continuity Player Evaluation System - our first ever database scoring player habits and on-the-field actions. But anyone who knows this site knows that we're here for the tactics, and the in-depth scrutinization of each and every team. So after our analysis of every single opening match, here is what each team needs to change ahead of the second round of fixtures.
Italy vs. England – Euro 2020 Final – Tactical Preview
After the craziness of the Round of 16 resulted in France, Germany and Portugal all being eliminated from the competition, the match that was expected to take place in the Euro 2020 final will now come to fruition. Italy and England have been the two best teams at the tournament, and the only two teams to not only go unbeaten, but win all of their games up to this point. Here is a tactical preview of the Euro 2020 final battle between Italy and England.
UEFA Champions League Final – Chelsea vs. Man City – Tactical Preview
It was just two years ago when two English clubs squared up in the UEFA Champions League Final, with Liverpool gaining the edge over Tottenham Hotspur. Now in 2021, two completely different English clubs will be facing off, as Chelsea and Manchester City have bested the rest to make it all the way to the final. Here is our tactical preview of the 2021 Champions League final.