Final Score: Cavalry FC 1-1 Forge FC
Goalscorers: Klomp 57′; Field 58′ (OG)
Game of the 2024 season: 58
CPL match: 542
Press Conference Highlights
Match in a minute or less
Cavalry FC and Forge FC earned a point each on Sunday, drawing 1-1 in an action-packed match at ATCO Field. Forge had most of the chances in the first half, including Kyle Bekker striking the post, but it was Cavalry who found the game’s first goal in the 57th minute. Ten minutes after Tobias Warschewski had a penalty saved by Chris Kalongo, Daan Klomp put the hosts in front with a well-placed header, getting on the end of a perfect cross into the box from Sergio Camargo. Just one minute and 42 seconds later, though, Kyle Bekker curled a corner kick toward the near post, where Tom Field redirected it into his own net from close range after mistiming a header. After Forge defender Daniel Parra was given a second yellow card and ejected from the match, Maël Henry attempted a rocket of a shot from distance that came back out off the crossbar in the 84th minute. That is the closest anyone came to taking a late lead, as both sides held on for a point.
Three Observations
Klomp gets on the board, but Cavalry rue missed penalty and defensive error
One of the hallmarks of Daan Klomp’s Player Of The Year-winning campaign last season was his ability to score goals from set pieces. It was frustrating for the Dutch centre-back, then, when he failed to find the back of the net at all in the first half of the 2024 campaign. Klomp, who has played every single minute of the season thus far for Cavalry, finally broke that scoreless streak on Sunday night. After an inch-perfect cross into the box from Sergio Camargo from the right wing, Klomp got his head to it and redirected the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, placing it well to give the hosts the lead. Unfortunately the celebrations didn’t last long as Cavalry conceded immediately at the other end of the pitch, but the reigning CPL Shield winners will be hoping the floodgates start to open in the goals department as they try to get back into a playoff spot. Getting goals from different sources is vital, and this is a step in the right direction.
They had other chances in this match too, none bigger than when Tobias Warschewski stepped up to the penalty spot a few minutes after halftime. His shot to the same bottom left corner Klomp eventually scored into was stopped by Chris Kalongo, denying Cavalry a chance to take the lead at that point. After they did score ten minutes later, Cavalry never got a chance to build on their lead and put the game to bed, as just one minute and 42 seconds later they were picking the ball out of their own net. Kyle Bekker curled a cross into the box, which went off the head of Cavs defender Tom Field and past Marco Carducci. Late in the match, and up a man for the final eight minutes and stoppage time, Cavalry piled on the pressure as they looked for a winner, coming closest when a Maël Henry shot from distance rocketed off the crossbar. “I got one finally but it’s unfortunate that it’s only the game winner for 30 seconds, and then we concede again,” said Klomp after the match. “There’s definitely something we have to work on, but I think if you look overall we’re unfortunate not to come away with the win. “We missed a pen, we got a couple of chances to score, almost scored another, but I think if you look at the first half we are also very lucky that it’s still a nil-nil game.”
Forge’s left side impresses in Ampomah’s first start
Forge debuted something of a new-look left flank in this match as head coach Bobby Smyrniotis gave Nana Ampomah his first start of the season on the left wing, playing in front of left back Daniel Parra after previously making a handful of appearances off the bench. The two caused a lot of problems for Cavalry in the first half in particular, as Forge dominated most of the first half chances, outshooting the Cavs 11-5 through 45 minutes and 18-16 overall. Most importantly, the Hammers were able to occupy Fraser Aird for stretches of the game, forcing him to defend instead of making his own runs up the pitch to help Cavalry attack. Ampomah was one of the busiest players all night for Forge, taking a team-high six shots, with three of them hitting the target. Some of his efforts were forgettable as he forced a few from outside the box, but overall he was effective and showed flashes of what Smyrniotis and Forge believe is a very promising player. “This is his first match where he’s had considerable minutes since taking quite a long time to to get into the country,” Smyrniotis said after the match. “I think we’ve seen flashes of him as a player today and is only going to get better. It gives us that good confidence that when you roll some players into a game like this, I think it just adds somebody else into the group that’s ready to go.” Parra’s game started well but was marred by some disciplinary issues in the second half. He gave away a penalty seconds after the break, but was bailed out as Chris Kalongo made a diving stop on Tobias Warschewski’s shot to the goalkeeper’s bottom right corner. Parra was also perhaps lucky to not be ejected from the match, as he was already on a yellow card before the challenge on Sergio Camargo that led to the penalty. He would eventually be sent off in the 82nd minute after a rash challenge on Charlie Trafford, sliding in and making contact with the Cavalry midfielder to receive his second yellow card.
Despite missing a lot of key players, Cavalry-Forge rivalry doesn’t skip a beat
Both Cavalry and Forge were missing key players on Sunday through injuries and suspensions, but it still felt like a typical match between these sides — feisty, and action-packed. The group of missing players includes all three goalscorers from the 2023 CPL Final between these sides — Cavalry’s Ali Musse and Forge’s Béni Badibanga and Tristan Borges — all through injury. Musse is still recovering from an injury suffered in May against the Vancouver Whitecaps, while Badibanga and Borges are more recent knocks that kept them out of the lineup. David Choinière also didn’t play for Forge through injury, and Terran Campbell remains out after missing several weeks himself. Malik Owolabi-Belewu was out as he served his one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. He will be a welcome addition to the team next week as Daniel Parra is set to miss the home game against Halifax Wanderers FC after being sent off on Sunday. Cavalry, meanwhile, were without Bradley Kamdem, Eryk Kobza, and Lleyton Brooks, while William Akio is out for the year with a significant ankle injury. Sergio Camargo was able to return to the pitch for the Cavs, however, and assisted the opening goal.
Despite the players who weren’t on the pitch, Sunday’s game was still an entertaining one, and had all the usual hostility that these two teams often play with against each other. Daniel Parra perhaps embraced it better than anyone, holding up four fingers on each hand to the jeering Cavalry fans as he walked off the pitch after picking up a second yellow card — the number of CPL titles the Hammers have won.
A lot has been made of the fact that these teams don’t like each other very much, a rivalry that has only continued to grow over the years. As the two most successful clubs in league history as well, the race toward the CPL playoffs will be a fascinating one as both look to add to their trophy cabinets following success in 2023. Both sides will need to trim down the number of injuries that they’re dealing with as the games come thick and fast in this second half of the season — Cavalry especially, as they sit on the outside of the playoff picture looking in after 15 of 28 weeks.
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Daan Klomp, Cavalry FC
The reigning Player of the Year finally scored his first goal of the season with a well-placed header to give Cavalry FC the lead, and nearly scored another shortly after. He also put in another strong defensive performance as his ironman streak continued.
What’s next?
Cavalry visit Vancouver FC at Willoughby Community Park on Friday night, the second match of a CPL doubleheader (7 pm PT/8 pm MT). Forge host Halifax Wanderers FC at Tim Hortons Field the next evening (7 pm ET/8 pm AT). Watch all CPL and Canadian Championship matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.