Final Score: Vancouver FC 1-1 Cavalry FC
Goalscorers: Hundal 52′; Cantave 46′
Game of the 2023 season: 16
CPL match: 383

Match in a minute or less

For the first time in club history, Vancouver FC welcomed fans to Willoughby Community Park, as they did battle with Cavalry FC in their inaugural home match.

In front of a sold-out crowd, the game got off to a fiery start, too, as Vancouver was reduced to 10 players after a 29th-minute red card to Rocco Romeo. Then, making matters worse for the home side was Cavalry grabbing the opening goal in the 46th minute, as Mikaël Cantave coolly slotted home from close range to make it 1-0.

Despite that, however, Vancouver managed to claw back a point, as a 52nd-minute Shaan Hundal goal gave the fans something to cheer about, before they then managed to see the draw over the line from there.

Three Observations

Vancouver welcomes fans to “dark side” in home opener

It promised to be a beautiful afternoon for soccer in the Lower Mainland.

A slightly overcast day, with the sun peeking through the clouds, provided a good backdrop as Vancouver FC welcomed a sold-out crowd to Langley’s Willoughby Community Park for the first time.

This being their 2023 home opener, it was a good chance for the team to get properly acquainted with their new fanbase. They’d done so in spurts during their preseason, playing community matches all across the Lower Mainland, but never had gotten a chance to properly play a game in their new home.

It made for a special occasion as they took the field for the first time. Welcomed by a warm rapture of noise from their fans, there was a good buzz of energy in the air, fuelling the players as they walked.

Then, adding to the occasion was a special tifo from the team’s supporters group, the Fraser Valley Fanatics, who did a Star Wars-themed design that said “Welcome to the Dark Side”, a nod to one of the team’s slogans — perfectly timed given that the official Star Wars day was just days earlier on May 4, it was another fitting element of the opening festivities.

Clear message from the @FV_Fanatics ahead of the first ever Vancouver FC home game:

Welcome to the dark side

Elite Tifo game, must be said#CanPL pic.twitter.com/huzXEk2MRK

— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) May 7, 2023

From there, the fans settled in for the main event: the match itself.

There, the crowd quickly filtered in, boosted by a strong familial presence, showcasing the importance of a game like this for the community.

They were left with plenty to be excited about, as well. From the disappointment of seeing Vancouver reduced to 10 players after an early red card, to the joy of seeing their team breach the net for the first time, it made for a day many won’t soon forget.

“It was special,” head coach Afshin Ghotbi noted after the game. “I feel like the stadium is very intimate, every fan feels like they can see the sweat of every player. Then as a coach, I can feel all the fans behind us, and I think they really inspired our players to dig deep today when they were tired just to make that extra run, and I think the fans really helped us feel like we were at 11 v 11 all game today.”

Vancouver shows good resilience despite early red card:

It could’ve been a moment that sank their big day.

Having started to grow into the game, a huge gut punch came for Vancouver in the 29th minute, as Rocco Romeo was handed a straight red card following a duel with Myer Bevan.

Understandably frustrated given the occasion, it was a tough pill for Vancouver to swallow, as they had to get set to play the last 60 minutes of their home opener down a player.

Then, adding to their misery was Cavalry scoring an opening goal just on the other side of half time, giving a huge boost of momentum to the away side.

Yet, despite being down a goal and a player, Vancouver held strong. Instead of sinking, they decided to rise up to the challenge, and it’d pay off for them, as they grabbed an equalizer just minutes later, and managed to push Cavalry all the way until the final whistle.

Doing well to remain organized off the ball, and alert and dangerous on it, they ensured that Cavalry would not have their way with them. Even as they went deep into their bench in the second half, which included them making 16-year-old Taryck Tahid the league’s youngest-ever debutant, that mentality never wavered in each player.

In just their fourth league match in club history, and fifth-ever competitive game, they showed why they’ve quickly impressed onlookers, as they’ve demonstrated good togetherness for such a new team.

That’s a credit to the team, however, and how quickly they’ve bought into head coach Afshin Ghotbi’s system, one they grasped right since day one.

Moments that would otherwise sink most veteran teams don’t seem to faze this group, which is how they’ve been able to claw out five points from their first four games.

Therefore, while they’ve still got a lot of growing to do as a team, especially tactically, they can be encouraged by the mentality that they’ve shown. The tactical stuff can be taught over time, but one’s mentality is a bit harder to teach, so Vancouver will be pleased that their group has already shown such mental fortitude.

“That just shows what this project is about,” Ghotbi said. “From the ownership to the managing director to myself, and everyone else involved, we are in the trenches, we roll up our sleeves, and we’ll fight until the end. And I’m sorry that we couldn’t bring the victory to the fans, as I felt that even with 10, we could win it even after that bad goal we took so early in the half, but the way we reacted to it was fantastic.”

Cavalry unable to show killer instinct in crucial moments:

As for Cavalry, while they’ll be pleased that they managed to get another road point under their belts, it was more frustration for them, as they remain winless on the season.

They’re also yet to lose, to be fair, sitting with four draws in four games, but this felt like a match they could’ve gotten more out of, especially after they were up a player.

Yet, for the second week, they were unable to put away a match where they had gone up a goal, as for the fifth time this season, they were unable to turn a one-goal lead into a two-goal advantage.

That’ll frustrate them, as they’re putting themselves in positions to win, yet just haven’t been able to see any of them over the line.

Therefore, that’ll be their next goal – to find a way to give themselves a bit of breathing room. Of course, given their experience as a team, you’d expect them to be able to get a result once going up a goal, but having suffered some key injuries at the back, that’s been easier said than done.

If they could get that little bit of breathing room, however, it’d be a whole different story.

This game is a key example of that, as after going up one, they easily had the chance to make it two or three, yet almost seemed to relax, feeling that the job was done at 1-0.

Instead, that allowed Vancouver to get one back, even if they were short a player, something that will frustrate Cavalry when looking back at the tape from this one.

They’ve got the attackers to make it happen, but just aren’t getting them into enough dangerous moments in those key areas, and that’s cost them in games such as this one.

“In terms of the game, we felt like we did what we needed to do,” Cantave said afterwards. “But it was just our final execution (that was off). We had to put a ball in the back of the net, we had enough chances, but we just couldn’t put that second goal in, so we need to keep working on that.”

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Ibrahim Bakare, Vancouver FC

Continuing a strong start to the season, Bakare was a big presence at the back for Vancouver in this game, doing well to impose himself on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he had a shot, completed four dribbles and made eight passes into the final third, while defensively he had six tackles, two blocks, eight clearances, four recoveries and won 16/21 of his duels in a commanding performance from the defender.

What’s next?

Vancouver will be back in action on Saturday, May 13th, when they host Atlético Ottawa at Willoughby Community Park (6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET). Meanwhile, Cavalry will be in action earlier that same day, as they’ll host the Halifax Wanderers at ATCO Field (5:00 p.m. MT/8:00 p.m. AT).

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