Fittingly, a number of awards finalists are among the hosts of the Canadian Premier League Final.
Cavalry FC has earned five nominations for the CPL Awards to be handed out next week, highlighted by three outfield players earning Players’ Player of the Year nominations in defender Daan Klomp, winger Ali Musse and striker Tobias Warschewski.
“It’s amazing,” said Klomp, Friday in an interview with the Western Wheel. “The Players’ Player means a lot because you get the recognition from your peers so it’s amazing to see that I got nominated again and for the defender one too.”
Klomp, who is nominated in the CPL Defender of the Year category of which he won last season, led all defenders with six goals as an unstoppable force on set pieces along with providing the steadying presence at the back of the team with the best defensive record.
The Dutch defender led the CPL with 23 blocks, was second in aerial duels won (88) and third in successful passes.
Musse, the 2023 winner of the Players’ Player, fought through injury troubles at the start of the season and returned to his role as the creative force behind the Cavalry. Musse had ight goal involvements in 16 games and tied for the team lead with four assists.
In his first season with the Cavalry, Warschewski made an instant impact with 12 goals to earn the CPL Golden Boot while operating in a number of positions at the top of the pitch.
The German forward finished strong with five goals in his final three regular season games.
The shortlist of finalists for the Players’ Player also features Forge FC attackers Tristan Borges, Beni Badibanga, midfielders Kyle Bekker and Alessandro Hojabrpour, Atlético Ottawa talisman Ruben del Campo, York United striker Brian Wright and Halifax Wanderers midfielder Lorenzo Callegari.
Klomp said the trio of Players’ Player finalists from the team speak to the Cavalry’s collection of talent, adding that number could easily have been stretched to four.
“I think we have some amazing players on the team, and I think we could have another (nominee) in there in Shamit Shome,” Klomp said. “It’s us that get the credit, but it’s a whole team effort, we can’t do it by ourselves.”
The Players’ Player of the Year is the only category voted on by the CPL athletes, the remainder of which are selected by members of the media.
Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. has once again been nominated in the CPL Coach of the Year category. Wheeldon Jr., the winner of the award in 2023 and 2019, is joined by Forge FC’s Bobby Smirniotis and York United’s Benjamin Mora as finalists.
The CPL Awards are held Nov. 7 at the Bella Concert Hall in Calgary and, for those not in attendance, will be broadcast from 6-7 p.m. on OneSoccer.
Cavalry FC is preparing to host the CPL Final on Nov. 9, a 1 p.m. kickoff at Spruce Meadows’ ATCO Field. They'll play Forge FC for the third time in six league finals.
Tickets are selling fast with limited single tickets and standing room only available. Capacity at the grounds is near the 6,200 mark, a figure the team expects to approach.
“It’s almost sold out and is probably going to sell out and it’s exciting for us, as players, to play in front of that,” said Shome on Friday. “And to have that bit more motivation and it’s huge for the city to host a final, the last time they did it was 2019.
“We had a chance to do it last year and we lost that chance and had to go to Forge in Hamilton. This is our redemption, to host this home final for the fans.”
For more information, go to cavsfc.com.
