2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #50
Valour FC vs. Cavalry FC
July 1, 2023 at 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET
IG Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

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Two in-form teams will meet at IG Field for a Canada Day clash on Saturday, as Valour FC host Cavalry FC in Winnipeg. This is the second time that these sides will be playing on July 1, with Cavalry losing 3-1 to Pacific in 2019, and Valour losing 3-1 to York that same day.

Saturday’s match is the second meeting between Valour and Cavalry here in 2023. In the first half of their previous match at the end of April, Myer Bevan scored one of his league-leading six goals at the end of the first half, before Kian Williams equalized eleven minutes after the break by smashing a shot into the roof of the net, before shushing the crowd.

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

Both sides have won two of their past three matches, including victories last weekend. Valour beat Vancouver FC 1-0 at IG Field on a penalty from Diego Gutierrez, while a late Ali Musse free kick earned Cavalry a 2-1 win at ATCO Field over York United.

It’s been a busy week for both sides when it comes to player availability. Matteo de Brienne will be back in the team, and expected to play some minutes, for Valour after missing four weeks through injury, while Walter Ponce could miss out with an injury suffered ten minutes into Valour’s game against Vancouver last week.

Cavalry, meanwhile, will be without Jose Escalante after the Honduran was granted a leave of absence this week so he could return home and be closer to family. They will also be missing Roberto Alarcon, who is expected to miss anywhere from 10 to 14 weeks after suffering a high hamstring strain against York United last weekend.

The Cavs were also involved in a couple of transfers this week. They picked up Maël Henry from Vancouver FC on Thursday, and sent winger Miki Cantave the other way to VFC. Henry isn’t on the road with the team this weekend, however, as he remains in Calgary to get settled more with his new club and surroundings.

To replace Alarcon, Fraser Aird is expected to get the start at right back, but teenager Michael Harms has travelled with the club to Winnipeg as well. Described by Tommy Wheeldon Jr as an attacking right back, Harms is looking to make his professional debut after first signing with the club on a development contract last July. Cavalry will also receive a boost with the return of Sergio Camargo to the squad this weekend.

This match could be an important one for the CPL table, so both teams will be up for what should be an exciting Canada Day match in Winnipeg.

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3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Saturday’s matchup potentially crucial to CPL standings: Saturday’s match at IG Field could have lasting effects on both teams’ seasons, as the halfway point of the campaign approaches as there is little to separate teams in the middle of the table. Valour and Cavalry both have 15 points, but the Cavs have a match in hand, so this match could be vital for both sides. If Cavalry win, they have a three-point gap on the Winnipeggers with a match in hand,  but if the home side win — as they did in both of their last two home matches — Cavalry may need to use that game in hand to catch up again to Valour. The result of the Halifax Wanderers vs Forge FC game on Saturday night may put added pressure on both teams as well, as the Wanderers could leapfrog both Cavalry and Valour before the two play each other the next day.  “I expect a team that understands these are six point games right now,” said Dos Santos said of his opponents to CanPL.ca. “You’re getting close to the second half of the season, a win for either team means a lot when it comes to climbing the standings and getting closer to the top teams.”

• De Brienne set to return for Valour: After a very impressive start to the season, where he was one of the top performers in the CPL and an early frontrunner for the U21 Canadian Player of the Year award (which he still might be), Matteo de Brienne has missed Valour’s last four matches after picking up an injury. Valour have been careful not to rush him back onto the pitch, but head coach Phil Dos Santos told CanPL.ca that de Brienne is “ready to go” and that he will get at least some minutes on Saturday against Cavalry. Walter Ponce, who suffered an injury last week against Vancouver, may miss out, however.

• Maël Henry won’t make Cavs debut this weekend: After being acquired from Vancouver FC on Thursday, midfielder Maël Henry has not travelled with Cavalry FC to Winnipeg for Saturday’s match against Valour FC. Cavs boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr said on Friday that he didn’t make the trip as he is still integrating with the squad and getting used to his new surroundings. He will keep training in Calgary, with an eye to potentially getting into the team next week. Henry is a player the club has monitored for a while, before acquiring him on Friday with winger Miki Cantave going the other way. “It’s an interesting story, because last year we played CF Montreal’s under-23 team, and I remember this number ten scoring two goals on us, and then I’ve seen the U20 World Cup when Jean-Aniel (Assi) was with us at the time, and again I thought he was a really good footballer.” Wheeldon Jr said of Henry. “Rumours were he was off to France, and then ended up at Vancouver. We were certainly interested back then, and as the season has gone on and with the emergence of what Goteh Ntignee has done, it kind of left Cantave in a situation where he wants to be playing more regularly, and I get that as a senior pro. We also need under 21 minutes, we felt that he is a player where [he won’t just pick up] under 21 minutes now, but the future. We’ve invested time in him this season, next season, and the season after. Really great feel for the ball, he’s got a lovely forward-thinking pass, and a really good attitude.”

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Valour FC: Yesli; Baquero, Pianelli, Samaké, Campbell; Gutierrez, Polisi; Niyongabire, Sanchez, Williams; Novak

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Klomp, Kobza, Kamdem; Daley, Trafford; Musse, Mason, Ntignee; Bevan

ALL-TIME SERIES

Valour wins: 2 || Cavalry FC wins: 9 || Draws: 4

Last meeting:

April 30, 2023 – Cavalry FC 1-1 Valour FC

KEY QUOTES

“I think [Cavalry] is a team that has been built very similar to ours. A lot of their threats coming through wide areas, a team that has been very well-structured defensively, a team that has shown the ability to maybe stay a little more on the ball more than in previous years. They also can attack you with pace, and speed, and in transition moments. I think it’s a very interesting matchup that we have this week.” — Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos

“What Phil has done in his time in charge with Valour is impressive. They’ve been in the hunt for the playoffs, you look at last season they were one or two games from getting in there, they went on a good run. They’re very good at home, I think he’s a very good coach in terms of his attacking ideas and defensive organization.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr