Canadian Premier League — Match #47
Valour FC vs. Cavalry FC
July 27, 2019 — IG Field (12:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. ET)
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca or CBC
After 27 long days, Valour FC will finally return to IG Field this weekend for a CPL Fall season clash with Spring champions Cavalry FC.
The homecoming will be very welcome for Valour, who will be trying to shake off an eight-game winless streak across all competitions. They’re 0-1-1 in the Fall campaign, most recently losing 3-1 last Saturday to Forge FC. After finishing bottom of the table in the Spring, Valour has a job ahead of them to try and climb out of the basement against the high-flying Cavs.
Tommy Wheeldon Jr.’s Cavalry side will enter Winnipeg on a major high after eliminating the Vancouver Whitecaps in Wednesday’s Canadian Championship match. They’ve set themselves ahead of most other CPL teams at the moment, with a perfect three wins from three in league play (most recently a stingy 1-0 result at home against York9 FC).
Valour will stay at home after this one, as Pacific FC will visit them on Wednesday, July 31 (8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. CT, on OneSoccer). Cavalry, on the other hand, will enter a bye week, with their next match not coming until Saturday, August 10, when they’ll head to Nova Scotia to play HFX Wanderers FC.
KEYS TO THE MATCH
- Emotional exhaustion: While Valour prepared all week for this match, Cavalry had a major distraction before they could even think about their trip to Winnipeg. Their CanChamp clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, while an incredible performance, surely took a heavy toll on Cavalry, both physically and emotionally. If they’re drained, or if Wheeldon Jr. chooses to rotate his exhausted lineup, Valour needs to capitalize.
- New blood: With their side struggling lately, Valour fans were happy to see a pair of new signings join the team in July: Spanish midfielder José Galan, and Italian forward Michele Paolucci. It’s unclear if they’ll be fit to start on the weekend, but they could play a part (Galan got a half last week against Forge). Cavalry won’t have had much opportunity to scout the new faces, so they’re a pair of curveballs Rob Gale could throw out this weekend.
- Unbreakable: Cavalry has kept a clean sheet in their last two CPL games, both of which were days where the opposing attack looked completely suffocated. The Cavs’ backline has become almost invincible recently, and it could be very tough for Valour, the league’s lowest-scoring team, to break them down. The Cavs have a knack for isolating a team’s best scoring threats and keeping space limited; this game should be no different.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Cavalry FC: Marco Carducci; Nathan Mavila, Mason Trafford, Jay Wheeldon, Malyk Hamilton; Nik Ledgerwood, Jose Escalante, Julian Buescher, Nico Pasquotti; Sergio Camargo, Jordan Brown
Valour FC: Tyson Farago; Martin Arguinarena, Adam Mitter, Skylar Thomas, Jordan Murrell; Louis Beland-Goyette, Jose Galan; Dylan Sacramento, Marco Bustos, Dylan Carreiro, Tyler Attardo
HEAD TO HEAD
May 8 – Cavalry FC 1-0 Valour FC
STATS LEADERS
Sergio Camargo – 5 goals (Cavalry FC)
Tyler Attardo – 3 goals (Valour FC)
INJURIES
Josip Golubar (Valour FC) – Out (ACL)
Michael Petrasso (Valour FC) – Out
Ali Musse (Valour FC) – Out
Chris Serban (Cavalry FC) — Out (Knee)
Dominique Malonga (Cavalry FC) — Questionable
INTERNATIONAL DUTY
None
SUSPENSIONS
None
ACCUMULATION
(Players are suspended for one match 14 days after accumulating a 4th Yellow Card)
Jordan Murrell (Valour FC) – 3
Jonathan Wheeldon (Cavalry FC) – 3
Elijah Adekugbe (Cavalry FC) – 3
Joel Waterman (Cavalry FC) – 3
REFEREES
Referee: Fabrizio Stasolla
Assistants: Graham Forsyth & Sabrina Ferraz
4th Official: Marko Kalic
FANTASY PREDICTOR
Download the Centre Circle app to play predictor ahead of each match.
Q. Which team will have more shots off target?