We’re back for another CPL Corner and is it just me, or are teams on a mission to immediately make me look dumb after I post something about them?

Last week I was talking about Pacific and their inability to score, so they put three past Halifax and got a much needed win to keep them very much in the playoff race.

Forge can officially become the first team to book a spot in the 2024 CPL Playoffs this weekend. They’re undefeated in five straight league matches and have a four point edge in the race for the CPL Shield.

But if Forge also wants to be eligible for the playoffs this season, they  need to do one other thing. They need 2,000 minutes out of their domestic U-21 players. 

At this stage of the season, Pacific, York and Vancouver are the only three teams that have reached that threshold. 

Here’s how many U-21 minutes the other five teams have played up to this point:

Forge – 1,680 

Valour – 1,631

Cavalry – 1,595

Atletico – 1,574

Halifax – 1,291

York’s Noah Abatneh has played more U-21 minutes than anyone else at 1,660. Kwasi Poku, Emil Gazdov and Eric Lajeunesse are the other three U-21’s that are above 1,000. 

Forge only needs 320 minutes, but with Poku sold to Belgium, expect to see more of Amadou Kone and Matteo Schiavoni down the stretch. 

Valour have spread their minutes out to just three players, Abdul Binate, Juan Pablo Sanchez and Joe Hanson. All three have made at least 10 appearances so they will likely be the next team to hit 2,000.

Cavalry are in a trickier situation. Lucas Dias has returned to Sporting CP and Mael Henry is out for the season. Nikolas Myroniuk and Lowell Wright could see more minutes late in the season and it’s also being reported Jay Herdman could be loaned to Calgary from the Whitecaps for the remainder of the year to fill Henry’s space.

Ottawa is  another team that has spread out their minutes to just three young players. Gabriel Antinoro and Tyr Walker have both been on the pitch for more than 700 minutes – Antinoro’s having a nice season with a goal and two assists . They will certainly reach that number.

And then there’s Maude. I mean, Halifax. The Wanderers find themselves both at the bottom of this list and the table. They have been playing catch-up all year and it seems that’s been keeping more of their young players off the pitch. They’re 64% of the way to 2K, but are 75% through the season. Tiago Coimbra and Jefferson Alphonse have led the way, combining for just over 1,000 minutes but they will need to rely on youngsters to make some contributions while still believing the playoffs are possible.  Or perhaps the youth get their chance if Halifax is eliminated from contention? Do we see Exceptional Young Talent signing Tavio Ciccarelli on the pitch before the season’s done?

The U-21 minutes rule has been a brilliant idea for a league that is still in its infancy and trying to establish itself. We’ve seen it used as a way to jumpstart some players’ careers and I would love to see it continue going forward.

Do you like the rule? What young stars have stood out to you this season? 

Let me know your thoughts and enjoy this week’s matches as the playoffs continue to get closer.