2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #110
Cavalry FC vs. Pacific FC
October 8, 2022 at 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. MT
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
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There is perhaps no better playoff dress rehearsal for Cavalry FC than the one that awaits them on Saturday at Spruce Meadows. They will step onto the same pitch, against the same Pacific FC team who eliminated them in heartbreaking fashion during last year’s postseason. If there was any perfect opportunity to try to undo some of the wounds of the past before the playoffs, this comes close. “For our fans that come in, for the players that will be involved tomorrow, it is a really good precursor to two teams that will be in playoffs and trying to vie to lift the trophy,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. Cavalry comes into the match in high spirits after an emotional playoff-clinching 2-1 victory over Valour this past weekend. That win subsequently also clinched a playoff spot for Pacific and eliminated the Winnipeg side. They will be looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat the last time the two sides met back in July. Cavalry did, however, win the only meeting with Pacific at Spruce Meadows this season, which came back on May 1 in their home opener. A win could see Cavalry finish as high as second, should Forge drop points, while a loss or even a draw makes a fourth-place finish likely. After being below the playoff line as recently as September 27, Pacific come into this match in excellent form. Wednesday’s victory over Forge FC in Hamilton was their third successive win and clean sheet, as well as their fifth straight match without a defeat. The defending playoff champions could add a 2022 regular season championship to their cabinet as well should they win on Saturday. Should they manage to collect all three points, they will need Atlético Ottawa to drop points at home against York on Sunday in order to finish top of the table.
After a year in which his team dealt with several major injuries, Wheeldon Jr. enters this match with a wealth of options at his disposal. Sergio Camargo remains the one player missing for his side, but even he could be back for the semi-finals. “Going back to our plan at the beginning of the season we knew that being in the playoffs was the most important thing, but being healthy in the playoffs was even more important,” said Wheeldon Jr. “As harsh as the early season injuries were, we have managed our injury risks very well with managing our rotations and the freshness.” On Pacific’s end, Djenairo Daniels and Gianni Dos Santos remain out of the lineup with minor injuries. Both will be back and fully available for the semi-finals, however.
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3 THINGS TO WATCH
- An important match for potential playoff home-field advantage: Home field has been instrumental to the success of both of these sides this season, meaning that trying to get as high a seed as possible heading into the playoffs has added importance. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Cavalry will finish with the league’s best home record. Pacific, meanwhile, has the second most points of any home team in 2022, and has lost just twice at Starlight Stadium in CPL action this year. As the semi-finals are home and away, both sides will be getting a home playoff game regardless, but a better chance to host the final if they win should give both sides motivation to improve their points total in their season finale. * Pacific rounding into defensive shape at the right time of year: Of the four sides who qualified for the 2022 playoffs, only Cavalry (33) have allowed more goals against than Pacific’s 32. Of late, however, they have been far more difficult to break down, shipping just two goals in their last five matches, including three straight clean sheets coming into Saturday’s match. That included going into Tim Hortons Field on Wednesday and holding the league’s best offensive team, Forge, to just a single shot on target and 0.47 expected goals. This sort of stinginess was key to Pacific winning last year’s North Star Shield, as they allowed just a single goal in the playoffs. This year, it starts with a back line that has a lot of quality and depth, according to Merriman, but really comes down to effort the entire team has been putting in to cover for one another during recent matches. “You see that work that Marco Bustos is doing off the ball, Josh Heard is doing off the ball, Jordan Brown, Daniels. Everybody is working off the ball, everybody is willing to put in that work because we know how important these matches are, and that is the result, three clean sheets.” * New faces proving to be key difference makers for Cavalry: As the Calendar turns over to October, the most important month in the CPL season, a pair of July signings have been making a major impact for Cavalry. Both Mikaël Cantave and Roberto Alarcón were heavily involved in the buildup to the two goals Cavalry scored against Valour last weekend, and have been in great form of late. Wheeldon Jr. called Cantave an important attacking option in his side. “He’s entertaining, on his day he can take people on, he can create or score goals himself. He is coming into fine form when we need it most”. Alarcón, he said, provides flexibility as he can be effective in any position along the right flank both defensively and offensively. “His football IQ is brilliant, his energy, work rate and you have seen his quality. It has been key, the cross he put in, a bit of magic, against Edmonton. The improvisation and that’s exactly what it was from that throw in [against] Valour to get that to Musse. His work rate around it has been terrific.” Here is that second play that Wheeldon Jr. is describing against Valour, on which Alarcón hits an incredible half-volley cross to set up Musse’s game-winner.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Cavalry FC wins: 9 || Pacific wins: 7 || Draws: 3
Previous match:
July 21, 2022 – Pacific 3-0 Cavalry FC
KEY QUOTES
“We enjoy the games against them, because this is our west coast rivalry, to be honest, because we have had some terrific games against them. Much like it is never a dull game against Forge, it is never a dull game against Pacific.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “We want to finish with maximum points, we want to finish as high as we possibly can, and that is our mentality going into the match tomorrow. ” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman