Expansion Atletico Ottawa will open its Canadian Premier League account Saturday against York 9 FC.
The CPL kicks off its truncated 2020 season in Charlottetown, dubbed the Island Games.
The league had previously announced the tournament format and Thursday’s opening fixture — a rematch of last season’s final between champion Forge FC and Calgary’s Cavalry FC. Al games are at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Alumni Field.
The 35-match Island Games will wrap up in September.
The 28-game first phase will see each of the teams play each other once. The top four clubs will then advance and meet in the second round. The top two clubs will meet in the championship game.
Also Saturday, HFX Wanderers FC meets Pacific FC. On Sunday, it’s Valour FC against Calvary FC and Forge FC against FC Edmonton.
All but three of the first-round games are afternoon contests.
There are some tight turnarounds, with teams facing just two days between matches in some cases.
Charlottetown won the right to serve as host for the Canadian league’s second season over Langford, B.C., and Moncton, N.B.
The league says 276 players, staff, officials and broadcast personnel have converged on Charlottetown, where the CPL has formed its own bubble inside the Atlantic Canada bubble.
The league has taken over the Delta Hotels Prince Edward on the Charlottetown waterfront.
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All went into 14-day self-quarantine ahead of their departure and had to pass two COVID-19 tests. They were tested again upon arrival in P.E.I. with no positive tests. Everyone will be re-tested later this week and then weekly for the duration of the tournament.
The league says its delegation will have no contact with the public while in the province and there will be no spectators at the games.
The CPL’s original schedule was to have started April 11 and conclude Oct. 4 with teams playing a 28-game schedule. The regular-season winner was to advance to the championship game, with the second- and third-place teams to face off to decide the other finalist.
The UPEI venue features a FIFA-certified artificial turf field that was resurfaced in August 2016.
Island Games Schedule (all times ET)
Thursday, Aug. 13
Forge FC vs. Cavalry FC, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 15
York 9 FC vs. Atletico Ottawa, noon
HFX Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC, 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 16
Valour FC vs. Cavalry FC, noon
Forge FC vs. FC Edmonton, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 18
Pacific FC vs. York 9 FC, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Atletico vs. Ottawa Valour FC, 1 p.m.
HFX Wanderers FC vs. Forge FC, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 20
FC Edmonton vs. Cavalry FC, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22
York 9 FC vs. Valour FC, noon
Forge FC vs. Pacific FC, 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 23
Atletico Ottawa vs. FC Edmonton, noon
Cavalry FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Pacific FC vs. Valour FC, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 26
York 9 FC vs. Forge FC, 1 p.m.
FC Edmonton vs. HFX Wanderers FC, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 27
Atletico Ottawa vs. Cavalry FC, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Valour FC vs. FC Edmonton, noon
HFX Wanderers FC vs. York 9 FC, 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 30
Atletico Ottawa vs. Forge FC, noon
Cavalry FC vs. Pacific FC, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 1
FC Edmonton vs. York 9 FC, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Valour FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC, 1 p.m.
Pacific FC vs. Atletico Ottawa, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5
Forge FC vs. Valour FC, noon
Cavalry FC vs. York 9 FC, 3 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6
HFX Wanderers FC vs. Atletico Ottawa, noon
Pacific FC vs. FC Edmonton, 3 p.m.
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