Final Score: Cavalry FC 0-0 Vancouver FC
Goalscorers: None
Game of the 2024 season: 98
CPL match: 582

Match in a minute or less

Cavalry FC played out a goalless draw at home against Vancouver FC on Saturday, with the point they earned at home confirming their place in the playoffs of this year’s Canadian Premier League season. 

The first half of the match was dour at best, with neither side willing to commit everything to take on the opposition: a reasonable outlook, since conceding a goal would prove potentially disastrous for Cavalry’s title chances, however slim, while for Vancouver, it would mean sliding even further away from the playoff spots.

At the time of writing, the Eagles are currently in sixth place, just one point off the final playoff spot, which is currently occupied by their local rivals Pacific FC, who have 28 points to their name. With three games remaining this season, there is still a very good chance that Vancouver could still clinch that final playoff berth. 

The game did open up a bit in the second half, with young defender Michael Harms testing Callum Irving after a wonderful, jinking run in the 56th minute, and the big German forward Tobias Warschewski hitting the crossbar with a looping effort from the resultant corner, but that was as good as it got for both sides in the game.

As the minutes ticked away, Cavalry committed more and more resources to piercing the back of the Vancouver net, while the side from British Columbia remained resolute in their rearguard action.

Their efforts seemed to pay off at least partially: the visitors walked away with a share of the spoils with their focus very much on qualifying for the knockout stage of the CPL, while the hosts can know focus on the knockout football that they now know is sure to come their way.

Three Observations

Cavalry already preparing for knockout football

Cavalry have been a permanent fixture in the CPL playoffs, coming tantalizingly close to winning it the last time around when they went all the way to the final. Qualifying for the playoffs is in some respects considered the minimum requirement by the club, and head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. is taking the next phase of the CPL very seriously indeed, but he’s still not given up on clinching the regular league title.

“I think we kept the most amount of clean sheets and I think, sometimes defence wins championships,” he said, in his post-match press conference. “Until it’s mathematically done, we’re still in the competition.”

Speak to goalkeeper Marco Carducci, however, and his answers make it clear: he and his teammates are already gearing up for the knockout stages. His answers perfectly exemplify the team’s mentality at the moment.

“It is the momentum going into the one-off games, being really right and getting the job done when it counts,” he said. “To be frank, we have been able to do that over the past few years. We’ve been very good and very successful, so I think it’s an exciting opportunity. If the Shield is something that’s not in our reach, we have another route to get to Concacaf and that’s the biggest thing. 

“It’s just about getting the job done on the day, so again I think we need to embrace that challenge and start preparing ourselves for those moments,” he added.

Carducci and his teammates, however, will not be discounting the three league games that lie ahead of them, especially with head coach Wheeldon Jr. exhorting his team to sustain their title charge. Their final games are against Pacific FC, Halifax Wanderers, and Valour FC. Pacific are in no way guaranteed their playoff spot, and will therefore commit everything on the pitch, while both Halifax and Valour are still in with an outside chance of securing that final berth.

James Cameron proves to be Vancouver’s silver lining

In a season that has seen Vancouver concede the most number of goals (41, at the time of writing), young left-back James Cameron has proven to be a rare success story among the defeats that have blotted the Eagles’ form book. 

The 19-year-old has really made that position his own, and he was once again in imperious form against Cavalry, showing no nerves despite his young age and a surface that he is not used to: Vancouver play their home games on turf, while Cavalry have a grass pitch at home.

Nevertheless, he was able to keep the duo of Somali winger Ali Musse and fellow defensive youngster Michael Harms at bay, at times almost on his own. Musse was reduced to pot shots from distance and speculative free kicks that did little to trouble Callum Irving, while Harms was forced to cut in and challenge the Vancouver centre backs before he found any sort of joy.

With one of the objectives of the CPL being to groom young, talented players to play international football in future, James Cameron is definitely one to watch ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His height, composure both on and off the ball, and quiet confidence are all assets that would benefit Canada as they co-host the next edition of the tournament.

Cameron was typically modest following the match in Calgary, where he ended up with 11 defensive actions, three interceptions, three tackles, and two clearances.

“I think it’s easy to look at a team that’s lost four in a row and write them off early, but at the end of the game, as long as we’re still mathematically in the playoff run, we’re going to give everything we have and we’re going to do our maximum,” he said. 

Cameron’s development is also part of the larger objectives of Vancouver head coach Afshin Ghotbi and the club management.

“What we have decided to be is a club that produces young, talented players from Canada,” he said. “You want to be the club that is the factory for football in Canada and introduce a new generation of Canadian internationals.”

The CPL’s youngest side will learn from their mistakes

Vancouver are the CPL’s youngest team and have only been around for two years. For them to be experiencing these struggles while their counterparts have been part of the league since its inception six years ago (with the exception of five-year-old Atletico Ottawa) is not uncommon.

What’s laudable for Vancouver is that they are not letting their troubles get in the way of their long-term objectives. Head coach Afshin Ghotbi understands there is a learning curve for any new club, and with his vast experience in North America and the rest of the world, is the right man to lead the club forward. 

Give the club a few years, and they will be competing at the other end of the table, while still adhering to their principles.

“I try to sometimes have a sense of humour about our job and our profession,” he said. “If you look at this league as a six year old, all the teams are six years old, and we are like a two-year-old toddler that is constantly trying to catch up to reach the standards we need to compete with the top teams in this league. When you’re founding a new club, the lessons are all about what is the true DNA? What kind of club do we wanna be? 

“It’s a matter of finding more rough diamonds at the right age, giving them the time, the support, encouragement and hopefully the education to produce the internationals we want, and to get the results. Obviously, we need to find the right veteran players to surround them, especially down the central channel to keep this team anchored, and to build and produce the results.”

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Callum Irving, Vancouver FC

The onus on Saturday was for Cavalry to break down the opposition defence, but Vancouver goalkeeper Callum Irving made sure his side left Alberta with a point and a clean sheet.

He made a string of impressive saves, mainly against Warschewski and Harms, and commanded his box authoritatively, easily collecting crosses and rushing out to gather the ball before Cavalry’s attackers could have a sniff at goal.

What’s next?

Both sides are in action on Saturday. Vancouver travel all the way to the other end of the country to take on Halifax Wanderers in an east-vs-west coast clash that could have a telling result on the playoff positions. That game takes place at 3 p.m. AT/11 a.m. PT.

Meanwhile, Cavalry travel to British Columbia to take on Pacific FC, in another decisive game that could dictate who finishes in the playoff berths. Their fixture kicks off at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT.

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.