2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #56
Cavalry vs. HFX Wanderers FC
July 14, 2022 at 6:30 p.m MT/8:30 p.m. ET
ATCO Field in Calgary, Alberta
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Cavalry FC kicks off a busy second half of July by hosting HFX Wanderers at Spruce Meadows on Thursday. Starting with this match, they will play five games over a stretch of 17 days. Four of those five matches come at home in Calgary, where the Cavs are yet to drop a point this season. They have four wins through four matches at ATCO Field so far this year, conceding only twice. Unbeaten since April, Cavalry are on a club-record 10-game unbeaten streak but have settled for draws in their last two outings which came in Ottawa and Victoria Island. Halifax, meanwhile, has failed to build on a club-best 3-0 win over Pacific at Starlight Stadium on June 25, losing their next two matches at home to Ottawa and then on the road in Winnipeg, failing to score in either. This has continued to be a bit of a trend for the Wanderers, who have yet to win back-to-back matches this season. With Valour, in particular, going on a run, the Wanderers reach the halfway point of the season at risk of falling further behind in the playoff race if they can’t start stringing together results. They are currently only three points out of the final playoff spot, but Forge has two games in hand on them, while Valour has one as well. Goalscoring has increasingly become an issue for Halifax of late, as they have been held without a goal in three of their last four matches. They have now been held scoreless in half (seven of 14) of their matches this season. “We have to be brave,” said HFX manager Stephen Hart. “We need to not go into a shell and decide we are just going to wait for a special moment. But we have to be better with the ball.” He mentioned how critical it will be for his side to start on the front foot. They have still won every game this year in which they have scored first, but that has only happened on three occasions. The good news for Halifax up front is that club-leading goalscorer Sam Salter is expected to be back in the lineup after serving a one-game ban for being sent off against Atlético Ottawa. The club did also announce the signing of 21-year-old forward Fumpa Mwandwe from the Welsh Premier League to bolster their attacking options. While Cavalry’s leading goalscorer, Aribim Pepple, will once again sit out this match, there is good news for them as Joe Mason will return to the lineup. They too made a splash in the transfer market earlier today, signing Haitian international forward Miki Cantave to a multi-year deal.
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3 THINGS TO WATCH
- Busy few weeks a chance for Cavalry to test their depth: Through their ten-match unbeaten run, Cavalry have proven themselves to be the deepest team in the Canadian Premier League. But that depth will undoubtedly be tested during a string of five matches in 17 days. Cavalry is embracing that challenge, however, as are returning players like Mason, Joe Di Chiara and Ali Musse who are looking for ways to get back into the squad consistently. “These are just new challenges, we welcome them,” said Cavalry manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “We know at some point we are going to be stretched, challenged and tested with games back to back and we’re ready for a different outlook because you have to put these guys into uncomfortable situations and they just have to get used to it because essentially, all we will get judged on is not this portion of the season but how we finish the season.” * Could another set-piece battle await? Five goals have been scored in the two matches between Cavalry and Halifax so far this season, and all five have been from set-pieces. This has been a particular strength for the Cavs this season, who with José Escalante’s free kick effort at the weekend in a 1-1 draw with Atlético Ottawa has now scored 12 times from set-pieces during their 10-match unbeaten run. Halifax, meanwhile, sits second in the league with 27 chances created from set pieces. While he acknowledges that they could play a role in tomorrow’s match once again, Cavalry is focused on making sure they are solid in all facets of their game. “I’m going to give Harty something to think about and throw a 2-2-6 formation at him and see if we can score from open play instead,” Wheeldon Jr. joked. “When you play a team four times you get patterns, and it is up to us as coaches in the time between games to find some nuances.” * Pepple out as a potential move to Europe in the works: Wheeldon Jr. confirmed that his side will once again be without leading goalscorer Aribim Pepple tomorrow. With six goals in seven appearances so far this season, including a record-breaking five straight matches with a goal, Pepple has caught the eye of several clubs. They have recently received an offer for the 19-year-old striker that they are considering, and want to make sure it works out for all parties. While they wait to finalize this deal, Pepple will not play. He would be the second young Cavalry player to move to Europe this season, after 21-year-old midfielder Victor Loturi joined Ross County last month. “I think the league providing the under 21 rule is unique around the world,” said Wheeldon Jr. “And it encourages the development of young Canadians and we are seeing that success.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
Cavalry wins: 7 || HFX Wanderers wins: 1 || Draws: 4
Previous match:
June 11, 2022 Cavalry 1-0 HFX Wanderers
KEY QUOTES
“I think what’s great about this game is we are playing at home. We’ve got a very good home record here and against them too, and we want to use that to our advantage. It is going to be a warm day, they are on the road, they’ve travelled, they had a disappointing result and I’m sure they are looking to bounce back.” — Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “Without a doubt, they are in a great run of form, we are in a sort of inconsistent moment. I say that because it was a game of two halves [against Valour]. We have to put that behind us, we know what we need as individuals as a collective group and we have to regroup and find a way to get the result.” — HFX Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart