A brace from Tobias Warschewski saw Cavalry FC come from behind to defeat Valour FC 2-1 in Winnipeg on Saturday — a result which secured them a second-place finish.

The pair of goals for the German striker gave him 12 on the campaign, giving him the Canadian Premier League’s Golden Boot as the league’s leading scorer during the regular season. Cavalry will begin their playoff campaign in the qualifying semifinal on Sunday, October 27 against rivals Forge FC.

Valour, meanwhile, saw their playoff hopes ended by the result on the final day of the 2024 CPL season with the loss.

With their season on the line, Valour came out with clear intensity in the match and were rewarded quickly.

In the seventh minute, Valour took the lead on a lovely counterattacking movement. Shaan Hundal cut down the right wing and played the ball across the box to Jordan Faria, who poked it to Binate in the middle. Binate turned and fired his shot into the bottom right corner to give the hosts a crucial 1-0 victory.

Binate came incredibly close to adding to Valour’s lead mere minutes later. Pressing as Valour played out of the back, Faria picked off a pass and played in Binate again, but his tame shot was collected comfortably by Carducci.

Cavalry responded with a number of half chances, largely from set pieces, one of which saw their leading goalscorer Warschewski attempt an acrobatic effort which was ultimately easily gathered by Jonathan Viscosi in the Valour net. They started to get more and more control of the play as the half wore on.

The visitors had one last chance to equalize in first-half stoppage time as the ball bounced dangerously around in the Valour box off of a free-kick attempt. But nobody in Cavalry white was able to get on the ball, and the half ended 1-0 to the Winnipegers.

That quest for an equalizer continued early in the second half, with Jay Herdman bursting down the left wing and curling a shot just wide of the right post. Warschewski had an excellent opportunity to break in behind minutes later, but an outstanding last-ditch tackle by Tass Mourdoukoutas saved the day for Valour.

The central defender was injured on the play, however, and had to be removed from the pitch momentarily — before being forced off midway through the half. Up a man momentarily, Cavalry looked to take advantage, but Sergio Camargo sent a header from close range just wide.

Cavalry would not be denied, however, and neither would Warschewski. The ball fell to the German striker near the top of the box in the 56th minute, and he sent a thundering half-volley into the top of the net. It was his 11th goal of the season, moving into a tie with Atlético Ottawa’s Rubén del Campo for the league lead.

Warschewski came incredibly close to adding another on a free kick in the 71st minute that curled just wide of the target.

Knowing that a win was the only way for them to guarantee a second-place finish, Cavalry kept pressing, and Musse forced an excellent save from Viscosi in the 79th minute.

Valour had no quit either, however, as substitute Loïc Kwemi came close on a slaloming effort in the Cavalry box in the 86th minute but couldn’t make it count.

With a minute left to play in the 90, Warschewski was brought down at the top of the Valour box, and was awarded a penalty. The German then stepped up and smashed home his fifth goal in his past five matches, and his 12th of the campaign, to give Cavalry a 2-1 victory.

For Valour, it was the sixth consecutive season in which they have missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, for Cavalry, their 2024 playoff campaign will begin in Hamilton on Sunday, October 27 — with a victory meaning they would reach a second straight final.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Mourdoukoutas (Ressurreição 64′), Facchineri, Antonoglou; Campbell, Mlah, Ohin; Binate (Sanchez 79′), Faria (Kwemi 64′), Hundal (Swibel 74′) 

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird (Kobza 87′), Klomp, Montgomery, Kamdem; Shome, Gutiérrez (Trafford 68′); Musse (Shaw 90+2′), Camargo (Wähling 87′), Herdman (Wright 68′); Warschewski  

Goals

7′ — Abdul Binate (Valour FC)
56′ — Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
89′ — Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC) (Penalty) 

Discipline

14′ — Yellow: Roberto Alarcón (Valour FC)
22′ — Yellow: Dante Campbell (Valour FC)
33′ — Yellow: Safwane Mlah (Valour FC)
75′ — Yellow: Jordan Swibel (Valour FC)