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“They set up their camera so you can see their whole body as they are working out and it’s amazing what our trainers are getting out of players at home without any equipment.”

FC Edmonton had just kicked off its training camp preparing for the season opener against Pacific FC on Vancouver Island on April 11 and home opener against Cavalry FC on April 18, when it was all abruptly shut down.

Once the coronavirus outbreak started to spread in North America and all sporting activities were put on hold, members of FC Edmonton went into self-isolation to help curb the spread of the virus.

Now everything is done remotely.

“Just like a regular training session, if a player shows up late for a video session or if they show up late for an online training session, they’re fined,” Paulus said. “We’re trying to keep things as normal as we can in these abnormal times.”

Not knowing when they will actually get to kick a ball as a team again has made things difficult for everyone in the CPL. The league was looking to ride the wave of a successful inaugural season and improve both on and off the field in its second year.

This season, the addition of Atletico Ottawa, owned by Spanish La Liga giants Atletica Madrid, brings the league to eight teams.

For their part, FC Edmonton return a strong core, who for a time were challenging for top spot in the league standings last season before things cooled off down the stretch. FC Edmonton had difficulty scoring goals last season, which is an issue Paulus believes has been addressed this year.