Final Score: Cavalry FC 1-1 Valour FC
Goalscorers: Bevan 38′; Williams 56′
Game of the 2023 season: 11
CPL match: 378

Match in a minute or less

Playing at ATCO Field for the first time in 2023 on Sunday afternoon, Cavalry FC scored the opening goal but were unable to hang on for all three points — drawing 1-1 with the visiting Valour FC.

Myer Bevan gave the home side the lead in the 38th minute, redirecting a low cross from Ali Musse into Rayane Yesli’s goal for his second CPL goal of the season — and his third in all competitions. Ten minutes after halftime, Kian Williams tied things up for Valour, taking a touch in the box before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-1.

The two sides traded shots in the latter stages of the match, but neither one was able to find a winner, and they shared the points.

Three Observations

Bevan stays hot, scoring for the third time in four matches

Ahead of Sunday’s match at ATCO Field, Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr spoke about Myer Bevan’s confident start to the season, and how impressed he has been with the New Zealand international. He said that after the club rewarded Bevan — who scored six times in 14 games a season ago before injuries derailed his season — with a new contract in the offseason, he has shown up confident and hungry for more success.

“We just believed in him and told him he’s our number nine, so for him knowing that and having that faith, you get a better version,” Wheeldon Jr. said in advance of this one, adding that Bevan “leaves everything out on the pitch.” That was clear to see on Sunday as Bevan went the full 90 minutes and was involved from start to finish.

Bevan scored the opening goal against Valour, as he did against Forge FC on the opening weekend and Pacific FC in the Canadian Championship a few days later. After Ali Musse’s darting run down the right side, he played the ball on the ground into the box, where Bevan was there to redirect it into the back of the net for his third of the year, and second in CPL action.

Joe Mason was ready to fire the ball home himself had Bevan missed it, but he made no mistake and opened the scoring.

GOAL🐎

Myer Bevan finds the back of the net after getting perfectly set up by Ali Musse to give @CPLCavalryFC a 1-0 lead over @ValourFootball 📷 📷https://t.co/7JFAUhgjL6 pic.twitter.com/sixSlOqFm0

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 30, 2023

Pushing for a second goal at the end of the match, to retake the lead, Cavalry had several chances to do so. First, Musse had a rocket of a shot turned away by Valour goalkeeper Rayane Yesli, before the ball fell to Bevan in the final seconds of stoppage time. The Cavs striker lined up a shot toward the bottom left corner of the goal, but his shot went just wide of the mark on what would turn out to be the final touch of the match.

He looked frustrated with his miss as referee Ben Hoskins blew the final whistle, but overall it was another strong performance from Bevan.

Resilient visitors fight back as both sides remain undefeated

ATCO Field is a place that is intimidating for any opponent — with home side Cavalry FC having a remarkable 26-6-6 record in CPL regular season games at the ground prior to Sunday’s match. After Myer Bevan scored late in the first half to send the Cavs into the break up 1-0, the expectation from the home fans was likely the same as always — they were going to come away with three points, especially the visitors failed to get a shot on target in the first 45, and were struggling to get anything going in attack.

Valour came out of the gates for the second half much sharper, and in the 56th minute tied the match at one goal apiece. Andy Baquero’s cross into the box was flicked on by Kian Williams, over to former Cavs striker Anthony Novak. Novak’s shot was blocked by Jesse Daley, but fell to Williams, who took a touch before lifting it over Marco Carducci and into the back of the net.

It was a well-taken goal for the Valour forward, and his first in the CPL.

GOAL 🎖️@ValourFootball level things up 1-1 against @CPLCavalryFC as Kian Williams sends a rocket into the back of the net! #CanPL | 🔴https://t.co/7JFAUhgjL6 pic.twitter.com/HeKdcwJBWQ

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 30, 2023

The visitors pushed for a second goal at times, and were also defensively sound for the remaining 35 minutes and stoppage time. Rayane Yesli was sharp in net, making three saves — including a big one in stoppage time to deny Ali Musse’s powerful shot in the final moments of the match.

“I think that they wanted something out of this game,” said Valour head coach Phil Dos Santos after the match. “It’s been a tough week for us to work, when you have players that are not around and you’re trying to still work the team, and it makes it challenging. It was very important for us to get through this and still be able to come out of it and get a point, when many teams will lose points here.”

Also impressing the Valour boss was debutant Klaidi Cela, who started the match after signing from League1 Ontario side Vaughan SC midweek. Dos Santos said that while Cela wasn’t perfect, there was a lot to like from the former Forge FC centre-back.

“When it’s not perfect, when you can’t win the match because things are not going your way, you need to find ways not to lose them and I think that’s what we did today, and Klaidi contributed,” he said.

Less impressed with his team’s performance was Dos Santos’ counterpart Tommy Wheeldon Jr, who was frustrated by a third consecutive draw to open their 2023 campaign. He was asked in his postgame press conference whether or not Valour spoiled the party during the home opener.

“I don’t think they spoiled it, I think we could have been better,” he said. “That’s the brutal honesty. We should have been better, we had chances, we were very average with the possession today which is disappointing. Last week we had to grind it out, this week we wanted to enjoy it, and I think it’s just one of those where we didn’t do what we planned and worked on, and that’s what’s disappointing for me as a coach.

“I know this group is a very talented group, and now they’ve got to show it.

Both teams remain unbeaten after three CPL matches, with Valour sitting in first place at 1-2-0, and Cavalry at 0-3-0 a few places back.

Valour hit by another injury as Pianelli is forced off

Valour FC haven’t been able to catch a break with injuries here at the start of the 2023 CPL season, and this match started in frustrating fashion again for Phil Dos Santos and his side.

French centre-back Guillaume Pianelli went down holding his leg about a quarter of an hour into the match, and would be forced off the pitch with what appeared to be a calf injury. He would be replaced by Jared Ulloa in the 16th minute, who slotted into midfield, and moved Dante Campbell to centre-back alongside Klaidi Cela.

Valour were already missing a handful of important players for this match through injury — including Raphael Ohin (knee), Andrew-Jean Baptiste (groin), Matthew Chandler (ACL), Jordan Haynes (heel), Marcello Polisi (foot) and Jaime Siaj (groin).

With all of those players already on the sidelines, Valour only named five players to their substitute bench instead of the usual seven, with one of those player Eskander Mzoughi, who himself is only returning now from a hamstring injury. Valour were forced to make the change early on, and would only make one more change in the match — replacing Kian Williams with Walter Ponce in the 88th minute.

“He got hit on his calf and it started acting up,” Dos Santos said of Pianelli after the match, but offering no update on the potential severity of the injury. “We don’t want to risk anyone now, so it was important for us. Pianelli is extremely resilient, he fights, so when he gives us the signal we don’t want this to be more serious, so we made the decision to bring him out.”

Despite all of these absences, and on a hot afternoon at ATCO Field, Valour were able to hang for a point in a place that is notorious for being difficult for away teams. They head home next to play the Halifax Wanderers on Saturday, needing to recover well from this match and hopefully get some of those players back in time for what will be another early-season test.

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Ali Musse, Cavalry FC

The Cavalry FC attacker assisted the game’s first goal, and ran until the final whistle, nearly adding a goal of his own on a couple of occasions.

What’s next?

Cavalry FC hit the road again to play in the first home game in Vancouver FC history, next Sunday at Willoughby Park at Langley Events Centre (4 pm PT/5 pm MT). Valour, meanwhile, will return to IG Field to host the Halifax Wanderers next Saturday (3 pm CT/5 pm AT).

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