With the Canadian Premier League’s 2023 season just past its midway point, the faculty at CanPL.ca have decided to evaluate each club’s first half of the campaign. All four panelists have assigned a letter grade to every side for their body of work so far, with some advice and areas for improvement for the remaining half of the year as well. To see report cards for other clubs, click here.
Cavalry FC
Record so far: 6W, 6D, 3L (24 points)
First half summary:
Mitchell Tierney: Cavalry appear to have recovered well from their early season epidemic of draws and blown leads and are now looking like one of the most balanced teams in the CPL. They have found consistent scoring through the likes of Myer Bevan and chance creation through Ali Musse. They also continue to be dominant at Spruce Meadows, where they have only lost once so far this season.
GRADE: A-
Benedict Rhodes: Cavalry started the season slow, with a plethora of draws, but as the season has progressed they have become a well-rounded side capable of great things. Myer Bevan staying healthy has, and will continue to be important, and as other players in the team (notably defender Callum Montgomery) return to action, the squad will only get deeper. They are deservedly near the top of the table, and will feel as though they have a real shot at lifting a trophy for the first time in club history.
GRADE: A-
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: After a slow start, Cavalry’s been finding steam as of late, allowing them to climb up the table. Despite dealing with a whole host of injuries at key positions, new faces continue to step up, allowing them to roll through the punches with ease. Led by a strong campaign from Ali Musse, who has taken a big step forward from last year, they’ve remained one of the toughest teams to beat on their day. Yet, that’s a credit to their clear identity, one they’ve avoided straying far from, allowing them to handle adversity whenever it crops up.
GRADE: A-
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: The Cavs remain one of the most exhausting teams in the CPL to play against thanks to their relentless, aggressive style. After they started the season unable to close out games and giving up a few leads, they’ve bucked that trend and now the results are piling up. Ali Musse has been one of the best players in the league this year as Tommy Wheeldon Jr. has stuck to his guns and drilled an attacking identity into his team. It hasn’t been perfect; some games have seen them concede a little too easily and the attack will go quiet for stretches, but a lot is going right.
GRADE: B+
Second half outlook:
Mitchell Tierney: There is plenty of potential for this team to reach another level yet. The acquisition of William Akio gives them a proven offensive threat in this league who can play across their frontline and make them even more goal dangerous. The same can be said as Joe Mason gets back from injury, while the return of Shamit Shome and the eventual return of Callum Montgomery only stand to make them even more well-rounded.
Benedict Rhodes: The arrival of William Akio adds yet another piece to a Cavalry attacking unit that has hit its stride recently. With centre-back Callum Montgomery nearing a return to help sure up the backline as well, this Cavalry team has every shot at winning a trophy for the first time in club history, and are hoping for nothing less. They can still reach another level as well, which should strike fear into their opponents with the playoffs looming.
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: Given how they’ve slowly just grown as the year has gone along, Cavalry will not be a team that many will want to face in the second half of the campaign. With their team slowly starting to get healthier, they will only get better as everyone comes back, such as Callum Montgomery, too. Plus, you can only imagine what it would mean to them to win the regular season title, and the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it, so watch out as they gear up to chase their first trophy for the club.
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: Cavalry’s lineup right now probably looks quite different from how it will look in October. Several likely starters will get back from injury soon, and it’ll be interesting to see how they try and incorporate Akio into an attack that already includes POTY candidate Musse and Golden Boot hopeful Myer Bevan. Plus, how much will they end up missing José Escalante? Who will provide that fire down the stretch?