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PREVIEW: Cavalry FC vs. FC Edmonton – Match #14

Canadian Premier League — Match #14
Cavalry FC vs. FC Edmonton
May 18, 2019 — Spruce Meadows (6:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. MT)
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca

Al Classico has arrived.

The Canadian Premier League’s two Alberta sides will collide on Saturday at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, with Cavalry FC and FC Edmonton set to make soccer history in Wild Rose Country.

The Battle of Alberta will write a new soccer chapter as top-flight, professional teams from Alberta’s major cities are set to duke it out for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Cavalry FC come into Saturday’s home tilt as the team to beat in the CPL, having won all three league matches so far and sitting atop the Spring Season standings on nine points. They’ve also had early cup success, beating Pacific FC 2-0 away on Wednesday in the first leg of their first round tie in the Canadian Championship.

The Eddies head south with a 1-0-1 record after a goalless draw with Pacific FC in their Clarke Stadium opener last weekend. Head coach Jeff Paulus claimed the other five CPL coaches will be cheering for Edmonton on Saturday with Cavalry keen to pull away from the pack in the Spring Season sprint.

Cavalry will return to Canadian Championship action following Saturday’s match, hosting Pacific FC at Spruce Meadows on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. MT/OneSoccer). FC Edmonton’s next match will come on May 29 when they head to Hamilton to take on Forge FC (7:00 p.m. ET/OneSoccer) in their second CONCACAF League qualifying match.

KEYS TO THE MATCH

  • Man management: With their opponents coming off a midweek match on the west coast, FC Edmonton should have the upper hand fitness-wise, right? Well, Tommy Wheeldon Jr. managed to rest most of his “starting” Cavs lineup on Wednesday, leaving the likes of Dean Northover, Nik Ledgerwood, Elijah Adekugbe and Jay Wheeldon fresh for Saturday. Depth is proving to be quite the luxury in the CPL and, unfortunately for the Eddies, Cavalry has plenty of it.
  • Set pieces: Cavalry FC are undefeated because of that depth and, of course, set pieces. Four of their five goals scored this season have come from dead-ball situations. FC Edmonton are a good match for Cavalry in this field, though, with towering defenders Amer Didic, Mele Temguia and Kareem Moses set to match Cavalry’s prowess in the air.
  • Alberta weather: A healthy dumping of rain is expected on Calgary ahead of the match which could affect the natural grass pitch at Spruce Meadows. Paulus has already hinted at a change in tactics to deal with the potential conditions which, as we’ve seen before Calgary, could change in a heartbeat.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Cavalry FC: Marco Carducci; Jay Wheeldon, Joel Waterman, Dominick Zator; Dean Northover, Julian Buscher, Elijah Adekugbe, Nik Ledgerwood, Nico Pasquotti; Dominique Malonga, Jordan Brown

FC Edmonton: Connor James; Bruno Zebie, Mele Temguia, Amer Didic, Kareem Moses; James Marcelin, Son Yong-Chan, Ramón Soria; Jeannot Esua, Tomi Ameobi, Randy Edwini-Bonsu


HEAD-TO-HEAD

First meeting between these clubs

STATS LEADERS 

Dominick Zator – 2 goals (Cavalry FC)
Mele Temguia & Oumar Diouck – 1 goal (FC Edmonton)

INJURIES

Chris Serban (Cavalry FC) – Knee
Allan Zebie (FC Edmonton) – Doubtful
Amer Didic (FC Edmonton) – Questionable
Tomi Ameobi (FC Edmonton) – Questionable

INTERNATIONAL DUTY

None

SUSPENSIONS

Phillipe Lincourt Joesph – Red Card (May 12)

ACCUMULATION

None

REFEREES

Referee: Alain Ruch
ARs: Philippe Bettez-Quessy & Graham Forsyth
4th Official: Michael Mund