At this point of the season, there are only 10 games left before the playoffs and things are getting really tight at the top of the table.
The three Ontario clubs are holding podium places right now. Forge and York are tied at the top while the struggles continue for Atletico Ottawa who are trending in the wrong direction after three straight losses.
Today though, I want to look at another top-of-the-league battle and that is the race for the Golden Boot. There are currently six guys within two goals at the top of the list. Let’s take a look at who they are, and who is most likely to come away with the honours.
Brian Wright – York
Leading the way with 9 goals is the man in his 4th CPL season who has already set his career high in just 16 matches. He’s scored in consecutive games 3 separate times this year, and he’ll need to do it a couple more times if he wants to stay on top.
Kwasi Poku – Forge
This year has been the emergence of Kwasi Poku: with 8 league goals and 2 in the Voyageurs Cup- by far the 21-year-old’s best season, but chances to win the Golden Boot may be closing. He was kept out of the lineup in Forge’s last match with a potential move coming. Poku has the potential to become the biggest CPL talent to play on the world stage.
Alejandro Diaz – Vancouver
Wero Diaz has quietly been putting up another strong season hitting the net in his first full year with the Eagles. He’s not scoring at the insane pace he was in 2022, but he does have five goals in his last seven and is a big reason Vancouver is still in a playoff spot right now. He’s also only three goals behind Terran Campbell for most in CPL history.
Ruben del Campo – Atletico Ottawa
After not scoring a goal in 2023, the Swiss forward started the season absolutely on fire. At one point, RDC scored in five straight CPL matches and, much like Ottawa, looked unstoppable. But following the trend of the team, del Campo’s scoring touch is in a downfall. If he can start finding the net again, it may give Ottawa the boost they need to get back to the top.
Daniel Nimick – Halifax Wanderers
You’re reading that right. A central defender is Top 5 in goals in the CPL. His advantage compared to the rest of this list is that he is simply automatic from the spot. Six of his seven goals this year have come from penalty kicks. If Nimick wins the Golden Boot, it will likely have to come from exactly the same spot.
Tobias Warschewski – Cavalry
At the beginning of the year, the Golden Boot looked like a two-man race between del Campo and a returning Tobi Warschewski. The former FC Edmonton man has tied his high in the CPL, but finds himself in a 4 game slump. It will not be impossible for the German to finish on top, but he’s got some work to do.
I think when the season is all said and done, Diaz will end up winning his second Golden Boot award and also become the CPL’s all-time leading scorer. He’s peaking at the right time and is once again showing he only needs one chance to make his opponents pay.
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