Welcome to CPL5x5. In preparation for the 2023 Canadian Premier League season — the fifth since the league’s inception in 2019 — CanPL.ca will provide full, in-depth preview coverage for each of the eight clubs.
In this series, we’ll break down all you need to know about each team within five sections: Five stats, five key players, five fixtures to circle, five storylines to watch, and five quotes.
To check out the rest of CanPL.ca’s 2023 season preview coverage, click here. To see the other seven clubs’ CPL5x5 breakdowns, click here.
Cavalry FC finished third in the 2022 regular season standings with a 14-5-9 record and 47 points, level with second-place Forge FC and just two back of title winners Atlético Ottawa. However, the Calgary-based club ultimately fell in the playoffs, losing a bitter two-legged tie to Forge, 3-2 on aggregate.
The side led by coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. enters its fifth campaign in the CPL looking to finally lift the North Star Shield for the first time.
5 Stats
30 points:
The Cavs picked up 30 points at home in 2022, more than any other club in the CPL.
51 wins:
Cavalry have won more regular season games in their history than any other team, across 91 total matches.
12 scorers:
A dozen different players scored for Cavalry last season, led by Joe Mason with eight. Only Forge FC (14) and Valour FC (13) had more goalscorers in the 2022 regular season.
9-3-0:
Cavalry were undefeated last year when scoring more than once, but perhaps most concerning is the fact that they only did that 12 times.
360 shots:
Cavalry led the entire CPL with 360 shots in 2022, and finished second in the league with 41 goals. Their shot conversion rate of 11.4 per cent, though, put them fifth in the league, so they’ll be keen on improving efficiency in front of goal.
5 Key Players
Marco Carducci
Carducci won his second CPL Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2022, with 10 clean sheets in 26 appearances. The Calgary native has been a reliable backstop for his hometown club since day one, and he’s set to lead the Cavs into a fifth season. Carducci’s 2022 campaign was an inspiring journey, as he returned to the pitch after a testicular cancer diagnosis in preseason and resumed his place as one of the CPL’s top keepers.
Daan Klomp
The Dutch centre-back has been one of the finest defenders in the CPL the past two years, having anchored the Cavalry defence across 55 matches. He’s one of the league’s top ball-movers from the back, his positioning is typically excellent, and he’s a force in the air — at both ends of the pitch, having contributed six goals.
Charlie Trafford
Perhaps one of the more underrated central midfielders in the league, Trafford returned home to Calgary last season after a career spent mostly in Europe across Finland, Poland, and the U.K. The 30-year-old led the Cavs with 151 duels won last year despite missing five games.
Joe Mason
Mason has one of the most impressive resumes in the CPL, having played at a level as high as the EFL Championship for clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City — plus, he’s scored at Wembley Stadium against Liverpool in an EFL Cup Final. He’s been the Cavs’ leading goalscorer for two straight seasons now, with 16 goals in 38 games (all competitions). He’s been in and out of the lineup with various injuries, though, so he’ll be hoping to find some more consistency this year.
José Escalante
Always a sparkplug, Escalante is a fan favourite in Calgary and something of a villain everywhere else. The Honduran winger is electric on the pitch with his attacking ability, leading Cavalry last year in chances created (38), successful crosses (35) and assists (five). He’s also a notorious for getting under opposing players’ skin with his chippy style and occasional antics.
5 Fixtures to Circle
April 15: Forge FC vs. Cavalry FC
Cavalry open the season by returning to place their 2022 campaign ended. Anytime Forge and Cavalry meet it’s appointment viewing, with the two sides developing the best organic rivalry in the CPL by far.
April 30: Cavalry FC vs. Valour FC
The Foot Soldiers will be eager to welcome Cavalry back to Spruce Meadows for the first time in 2023 — hopefully the weather has turned enough for the grass pitch in Calgary to be in top condition.
May 7: Vancouver FC vs. Cavalry FC
The Cavs have a chance to spoil the party for the CPL’s newest club when they head to Langley in early May for VFC’s inaugural home opener. Cavalry won’t be the main focus of this match, but they’ll want to take early points from a Vancouver side likely still establishing its identity.
July 1: Valour FC vs. Cavalry FC
Cavalry head to Winnipeg for a Canada Day matinee against Valour. With this being the only July 1 fixture, it’s sure to be a celebratory affair on a (hopefully) sunny Manitoba afternoon.
Sept. 16: Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver FC
This final clash with Vancouver comes at the end of a three-game road trip for the Cavs, and begins a sequence where they’ll play three of their last four matches at home to close out the regular season. By that point, Cavalry will surely be deep in the thick of a battle for playoff positions, so this homecoming will undoubtedly be a crucial fixture.
5 Storylines to Watch
Pressure on Cavs to win a trophy?
Despite being the CPL’s best regular season team across its four-year history and a perennial contender come season’s end, Cavalry have yet to win a trophy. They’ll have their eyes on both the regular season and playoff titles this year — not to mention the Canadian Championship — and it feels like pressure may be mounting on this side to, at last, clear that final hurdle. The past two seasons, they’ve failed to get past the semifinals having failed to perform at their best when it matters most.
The talent in Calgary undoubtedly makes them a potential powerhouse, but this is a year where they’ll be desperate to finally win something and prove it.
Major changes in defence
The Cavs posted the joint-second best defence in the league last year, conceding 33 goals in the regular season. That was largely down to a resolute backline led by Daan Klomp, Karifa Yao, and Mason Trafford. Klomp remains the centrepiece, but Yao and Trafford have both moved on. Former Canada U-23 defender Callum Montgomery is an excellent addition to partner with Klomp, but the major shakeup at the back is something to watch in Calgary. Plus, in defensive midfield, the likes of Elliot Simmons, Elijah Adekugbe, and Joseph Di Chiara have all left the club as well. Do they have the depth to be as defensively sound as they were last season?
Who plays left fullback?
One of the more difficult spots to fill in projected starting XIs is Cavalry’s left-back. Bradley Vliet arrived midseason to fill that role well in 2022, but he’s gone to Pacific. José Escalante played a handful of games at left wingback, but he may be more impactful further forward — plus, the Cavs might not have the personnel to play a back five. The most logical options are Roberto Alarcón, a natural right back, or Escalante, depending on how Wheeldon opts to use the dynamic Honduran.
Can a prolific goalscorer emerge?
Joe Mason has led Cavalry in scoring the past two years, but he hasn’t been top five in the CPL either time. Twelve different players scored in the CPL for Cavalry last year, but nobody really emerged as the main scoring threat — except, of course, for Aribim Pepple, who scored approximately once every 30 minutes but only played seven games before moving to Luton Town in August. Despite having the second-most possession in the league last year and the most shots, Cavalry were somewhat inefficient in front of goal at times. Ideally, at least one player — Mason, Myer Bevan, and Ali Musse all seem like candidates — will establish himself as a prolific goalscorer.
Health of core players is vital
Part of the reason the attacking rhythm was off at times in Calgary was that very few players remained healthy throughout the year. Sergio Camargo, one of the league’s top creative threats when fit, missed 14 regular season games last year; the past four seasons, he’s played just 62 per cent of Cavalry’s matches. Most other attackers — Mason and Bevan in particular, plus right-back Fraser Aird — missed lengthy stretches as well. Tommy Wheeldon Jr. will be praying for some better injury luck this year.
5 Quotes
“It comes down to [chemistry]. If you look at our season we were so close to being there or thereabouts, we were two points off first place and a goal or a sending-off away from reaching another final. For us, it comes down to chemistry. … The way we want to play in terms of the way we attack and the way we defend, it relies upon a group dynamic.”
— Head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. on how Cavalry can be better in 2023
“Over the years [Forge] have been the team we’ve come up short against a couple times. It’s frustrating, but it’s a great opportunity to start the season off in the backyard of the reigning champions and a team that’s dominated over the course of the CPL. Let’s go test ourselves against a team we know.”
— Goalkeeper Marco Carducci on starting the season against Forge FC
“Nothing different on my end; we set expectations at the beginning of every year, and since year one it’s been to win trophies. unfortunately we haven’t won the one trophy that everyone talks about, which is the playoff shield, so that’s still one of our goals, but not the only goal. We want to show that through a 28-game season we can still be one of the best, and possibly win that one.”
— Attacker Sergio Camargo on expectations for Cavalry this year
“It’s always frustrating to lose the last game of the season, especially in this league where you have about six months from then to think about it and reflect, so it’s never fun to wait around. You just want to get that going. The boys are hungry; we’ve had quite a lot of turnover, a lot of new faces coming into the team.”
— Midfielder Charlie Trafford on bouncing back from last year’s playoff loss
“I like to compete, I like to win. Every game I try to bring that energy for the team, and that’s all … You have to show up in those games; they’re big games, important games … I try to take any advantage I can to try and help my team, but it’s my game. It’s how I play. I think everybody in the league knows that, the teams know that, but what I’ll say: three games against Forge, no yellow cards for me. I just compete, it’s the game. It depends how you react.”
— Winger José Escalante on heated matchups with Forge FC