Canadian Premier League soccer players and coaches are in a 颅so-called bubble in 颅Charlottetown, P.E.I., but the outside world does pierce it.
Each player knelt on one knee, with a fist raised, during a minute of silence at the start of Saturday鈥檚 two CPL games in support of the Black Lives 颅Matter movement. That followed Friday鈥檚 mass march of every player and coach from all eight teams 鈥� all wearing BLM T-shirts 鈥� to the pitch in Charlottetown to kneel together in solidarity.
It is in this swirling societal cauldron, amid a pandemic, that Vancouver Island-based Pacific FC takes on Cavalry FC of Calgary this morning at 9 PDT.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously been a very emotional week,鈥� said PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah.
鈥淚t was a statement that needed to be made to wake up. We are all humans. I am very happy to see the unified voices coming through in the sports world. I am very proud of the players in our league for taking this seriously. They are standing up to be heard. I am happy the message is being put out there.鈥�
Kah, who is Black, issued an impassioned online plea during the week for racial justice: 鈥淚 am standing in front of you as manager of Pacific FC. But my heart is bleeding because my people are suffering. If you care about me, care about my people, stand up for what is right.鈥�
The teams also know they are in Prince Edward Island for a reason. It is to play soccer.
鈥淎fter the collective march this week to the playing field [for the Black Lives Matter moment], our PFC players then marched right to the practice field,鈥� said Kah. 鈥淭hey are focused on the games.鈥�
Although the CPL is only in its second year, there is already a history developing between clubs. That will be evident today when former Pacific FC striker and 27-time sa国际传媒-capped Marcus Haber of Cavalry FC faces his former PFC teammates.
鈥淲e are playing Cavalry, not just Haber,鈥� Kah warned.
The PFC bench boss is in his first season in the CPL, but is not unfamiliar with the emerging inter-connections and budding rivalries. Kah knows well many of the PFC players from when he was a player and assistant coach in the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps鈥� development system. Even rising Canadian superstar and Champions League winner Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich credits Kah as being an influential early mentor for him within the Whitecaps program.
Meanwhile, truly world-class goals were scored by Valour FC of Winnipeg and York9 of Toronto in the two CPL games played Saturday. The cracking shots came as Valour beat FC Edmonton 2-1 and York9 drew 1-1 against the plucky, red-carded and short-manned HFX Wanderers of Halifax.
鈥淎 lot of great football has been played so far in the CPL tournament and will continue to be played,鈥� said former 颅Norwegian international Kah.
PFC has a win, two draws and a loss heading into today鈥檚 key tilt against league-leading Cavalry FC. The Calgary club (3-1-1) is coming off its first defeat, a 2-0 loss against Atletico Ottawa, which has to be considered the biggest upset of the CPL tournament to date.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a shocking result,鈥� said Kah. 鈥淥ttawa had just been unlucky up to then. It shows how every game matters.鈥�