| Final Score: Cavalry FC 1-0 Pacific FC Goalscorers: Musse 12' Game of the 2025 season: 46 CPL Match: 642 |
|---|
Match in a minute or less
Cavalry FC are now unbeaten in eight straight in the Canadian Premier League, ten in all competitions, after a 1-0 home victory over Pacific FC on Sunday evening at ATCO Field.
Ali Musse scored the lone goal of the match in the 12th minute, and Cavalry managed the game fairly well thereafter to keep Pacific off the board.
The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, but had to be postponed due to inclement weather in Calgary.
Cavalry also extended their unbeaten streak against Pacific to 11 matches with the victory.
Three Observations
Cavalry FC make it 10 straight unbeaten in all competitions with stingy win over Pacific FC
It wasn't a vintage offensive onslaught from Cavalry FC at ATCO Field on Sunday, but one goal was enough for three points for a team that has consistently found ways to collect them over the past few months.
Ali Musse's stunning opener in the 12th minute was the fifth time in Cavalry's past six CPL matches that they have scored inside the opening 15 minutes. It was also the seventh time in their past eight in the league that they have opened the scoring. This ability to quickly put opponents on the back foot has been critical to Cavalry's recent success.
On most recent occasions, particularly at home, they have been able to build on that lead. That wasn't the case on Sunday, but they still did a good job of managing the game's key moments, holding the ball for 57.9 per cent of the match, and especially for long sequences where they knocked it around the back, forcing Pacific to sit back in their defensive shape.
It was another example of Cavalry understanding the game in front of them, and adapting their approach to make sure that they earned maximum points.
Cavalry FC are closing on their club record for matches unbeaten, which is 13 in all competitions between May and mid-July of the 2022 season.
Next weekend, however, comes another significant test. Cavalry FC host the most recent team to defeat them, Atlético Ottawa at ATCO Field. With that comes a real opportunity to make up some significant ground on the capital club, who are the current league leaders. Cavalry sit in third after this weekend's results, but do have a game in hand on Ottawa.
Cavalry's youth continue to step up in key minutes
After 90 minutes from 20-year-old Mihail Gherasimencov at left full-back and another strong 69 minutes from 21-year-old Max Piepgrass in midfield, Cavalry FC are already just over 100 minutes away from reaching the 2,000 U-21 Canadian minutes threshold.
With a longer-term injury to Bradley Kamdem, and Tom Field being in and out of the lineup, plus Diego Gutiérrez only just playing his first CPL minutes of the season on Sunday, and Michael Baldisimo missing significant time, the roles that Piepgrass and Gherasimencov have played in their absence have been vital to Cavalry's success.
Gherasimencov, in particular, was outstanding on both sides of the ball on Sunday night, especially in the late stages as Cavalry sat back and absorbed pressure. Up against two experienced and talented players on Pacific's right flank, Marco Bustos and Kadin Chung, he did an excellent job of limiting them as threats.
The Moldovan youth international won eight of ten duels, made two interceptions, and won three fouls during a stellar defensive shift.
On the ball, he did a good job of being a constant outlet down the left flank in terms of breaking the well-organized Pacific FC block. His passing chart below shows just how effective he was at progressing the ball in this match down the left flank -- even creating some of Cavalry's best chances on the day.
Piepgrass was quietly excellent in midfield again, winning three tackles and completing 37 of 42 attempted passes.
"It's great to see these young guys thriving in this setting, because they're around good players," said Wheeldon Jr. "So, every week, Mihail gets to play against an Ali Musse. Every week Max gets to play against a Sergio Camargo, Tobias Warschewski."
Even when Kamdem, Field and Gutiérrez are fully fit again, both Piepgrass and Gherasimencov have proven to be reliable options for Wheeldon Jr.
Pacific switch formation, personnel, but still can't find breakthrough in key moments
On Sunday, Pacific head coach James Merriman unveiled a slightly different 4-2-3-1 formation, with some new personnel drawing into the lineup hoping to find the spark that has so far eluded his side.
In midfield, Matteo Schiavoni made his first start for the club, sitting alongside Sean Young as duelling number sixes. Ahead of them, after a strong performance against York United last weekend, Yann Toualy shifted to a number ten position, with Christian Greco-Taylor, usually a left full-back this season, making his first start since the Trident's fourth match of the season as a left winger.
Toualy does look like a real spark in attack for Pacific, doing well to hold onto the ball and progress it in key moments, with four dribbles completed, but still hasn't been able to link up with his teammates in the final act. Greco-Taylor, meanwhile, did well to whip in some dangerous crosses, but perhaps could have selected simpler passes on occasion to keep his team in possession.
In the end, despite actually entering the final third more than Cavalry on Sunday, Pacific were limited to just 0.29 expected goals, and shut out for the fifth time in six matches.
Pacific will need to build on the positive elements of this performance, however, as they have a big match coming up next week in the Salish Sea Derby against rivals Vancouver FC. The two BC sides are both winless in their past six matches and sit in sixth and eighth in the table.
What They Said
"When you don't get that second insurance goal, then you give a team hope going into the last 5-10. And that's why we just made our changes, just to see it out. If we're not going to score the second, we're not going to let them score. And I thought the lads did that pretty well." -- Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
"I think there were moments there to maybe try to get something out of the game the way that we played. But if you come here and you concede so early, you're putting yourself on the back foot. So frustrating, difficult. Did we execute what we tried to do? For sure. But not where we need to in the final third." -- Pacific FC head coach James Merriman
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Mihail Gherasimencov, Cavalry FC
The Cavalry full-back's quality on both sides of the ball shone through on Sunday. He won eight of ten duels, and completed 86.3 per cent of his passes.
What’s next?
Cavalry FC remain at home, where they host top-of-the-table Atlético Ottawa on Saturday, June 28 (4 p.m. MT). Pacific, meanwhile, host rivals Vancouver FC on Friday, June 27 in the Salish Sea Derby (7 p.m. PT)
Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.
