Cavalry have picked up their first win of the 2024 CPL season, as they beat Vancouver FC 3-1 at ATCO Field on Friday, allowing the 2023 CPL Shield winners to snap a three-game winless run to start the campaign.

With that, they now head into their Canadian Championship quarter-final with Vancouver FC next week in perfect form, which they’ll certainly be pleased to see after a quieter start to their CPL campaign.

As for Vancouver, they’ll look to regroup after picking up their second straight road loss, after they’d opened their campaign with two straight home wins.

Cavalry almost opened the scoring in the 15th minute, as Fraser Aird found Lleyton Brooks with a perfect corner kick, but Brooks’ header hit the post and stayed out, much to the relief of Vancouver.

That relief wouldn’t last long, however. After a great run down the flank in the minute, Aird lofted a perfect cross towards the back post towards Tobias Warschewski, who’d nod the ball into the far corner of the goal to give his team the lead.

Eager to add to their early lead, Cavalry had another great chance in the 30th minute, too, as the ball fell to Brooks at the edge of the box after a corner, but Brooks’ powerful shot would sail well over the mark.

They’d get that second tally not long after, however. After picking up the ball in stride at the half line, veteran midfielder Charlie Trafford would glide towards the Vancouver box, where he’d strike a shot with his left foot, finding the bottom right corner for his first-ever goal with the club.

Aiming to find a bit of life before half time after the two goals, Vancouver had their first look at Cavalry’s net in the 45th minute, as Ben Fisk fired a dangerous volley from distance, sending his shot just wide of the near post.

On the other side of the break, Vancouver continued their hunt for an opener, and came close to finding it in the 55th minute after a perfect Vasco Fry delivery on a free kick, one that met the head of Vancouver debutant Matteo Campagna in stride, but the young centre back sent his header just wide from close range.

At the other end, however, Cavalry looked to push for a third, and continued to push numbers forward as they chased it. As a result, they managed to win a penalty in the 59th minute, as Brooks curled a dangerous shot towards goal, one that caught the outstretched hand of Campagna to earn Cavalry the spot kick.

There, Warschewski stepped up to take the penalty, and he made no mistake, curling the ball into the top left corner with conviction for his brace, giving his team the 3-0 lead.

Not satisfied with just two, either, Warschewski continued to push for a hat trick, and nearly found it in spectacular fashion in the 66th minute, sending a spinning backheel attempt on goal after a low cross, hitting the post with the shot.

Despite being down by three, however, Vancouver continued to push for their first goal of the game, and found it in the 81st minute. After another perfect Fry delivery from yet another free kick, this time he’d find the run of Moses Dyer with the cross, and he would bundle the ball into the net from close range to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Then, not done there, Vancouver nearly made this game interesting in the 83rd minute, as Mikaël Cantave sent a dangerous header towards goal after yet another set-piece, forcing a strong save from Cavalry’s Marco Carducci to keep his team’s two-goal lead intact.

From there, however, other than a couple of half-chances from both teams, that would be all that Vancouver could muster up in their late push, which allowed Cavalry to leave with this game with a 3-1 win.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird (Gutiérrez 63′), Field (Montgomery 49′), Klomp, Kamdem; Shome, Trafford; Musse (Shaw 27′), Camargo (Dias 63′), Brooks (Akio 63′); Warschewski

Vancouver FC: Irving; Gee, Campagna (Powell 74′), Romeo, Norman Jr. (Bah 44′), Kibato (McDonnell 61′); Fry, Garcia; Dyer, Díaz (Cantave 46′), Fisk (Navarro 61′)

Goals

26′ — Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)

39′ — Charlie Trafford (Cavalry FC)

60′ — Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC) (pen.)

81′– Moses Dyer (Vancouver FC)

Discipline

8′ — Yellow: David Norman Jr. (Vancouver FC)

59′ — Yellow: Matteo Campagna (Vancouver FC)

80′ — Yellow: Bradley Kamdem (Cavalry FC)

88′ — Yellow: Moses Dyer (Vancouver FC)