On Friday night, or the fourth and final time in the 2025 regular season, Cavalry FC and York United will contest what has been a fiery fixture, this time at York Lions Stadium.
The two sides enter the match after very different results this past weekend. York United suffered a humbling 4-0 loss to Halifax Wanderers on the road this weekend, the first time this season that they had lost by more than a single goal in all competitions.
On the other side of the equation, Cavalry are coming off their biggest result of the CPL season so far. This past Saturday, at home, they ended rival Forge's league-record unbeaten run in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win.
The road, however, hasn't been quite as kind for Cavalry this season, as they have won just once in their past seven matches away from ATCO Field in all competitions.
They were winners at York Lions Stadium earlier this season, however, as goals from Tobias Warschewski and Fraser Aird handed them a 2-1 victory back on May 2. It was their fourth straight victory on the road against York. They won by that same scoreline at ATCO Field on June 8.
The most recent meeting between the two sides, on July 26, however, ended in fireworks after York held on to win 1-0 in Calgary despite the hosts firing 26 shots, nine of which were on target. Tempers flared during an altercation between the two sides after the match, with Ali Musse ultimately sent off and given a three-match suspension.
York will be looking to close the gap that formed between the clubs following this past weekend's results -- which is now four points between them in fifth and Cavalry in third. Cavalry will be keen to expand that gap to seven with a win on Friday.
There will be some significant absences for both sides as a result of international duty and suspensions. For Cavalry, the CPL's August Player of the Month, Ali Musse is unavailable as he has been called up to represent Somalia. Mihail Gherasimencov, meanwhile, has joined up with Moldova's U-21s. Diego Gutièrrez is also unavailable due to yellow card accumulation.
York, meanwhile, also have a number of players away on international duty, including Shola Jimoh (Canada U-17), Gabriel Bitar (Lebanon) and Steffen Yeates (Trinidad and Tobago). Key defender Oswaldo León, meanwhile, is suspended after being sent off against Halifax this week. York will, however, get attacker Adonijah Reid back from suspension, and Orlando Botello returns after missing Monday's match.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
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Another emotional affair between these two clubs?: The last time these two sides were on a pitch together, they had to be separated as emotions boiled over during an end-of-match scrap at ATCO Field. There has clearly been no love lost between the two clubs this season, making Friday's final meeting of the regular season all the more intriguing. Perhaps cooling things down a little bit is that two of the players heavily involved in that end-of-match scuffle, York's Oswaldo León and Cavalry's Ali Musse, are unavailable for this match. But given what is on the line, the passion is likely to be fully on display once again.
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How do both sides deal with key international absences?: Both York and Cavalry will be forced to make changes to their lineups on Friday due to a handful of key players playing for their respective international teams. For Cavalry, Mihail Gherasimencov has been a fixture at left-back, while Musse is their most in-form attacker. How they replace Musse on his flank, and find a balanced option on the left, should they move Goteh Ntignee over, will be a big key in their success in this match. The Nine Stripes, meanwhile, are missing Shola Jimoh, Gabriel Bitar and Steffen Yeates. For York, however, it might be a suspension that looms even larger than any of their internationals, that of key defender Oswaldo León. A fixture on the left side of their back three, the Nine Stripes will need to adapt in his absence.
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Can York's backline rebound from shipping four in Halifax?: York are coming into Friday's match after an uncharacteristically poor performance against Halifax this past week. The 4-0 loss they suffered caused them to fall in the standings, and tied their all-time worst loss in club history. The big question is how they respond, particularly as a defensive group that had allowed just six goals in six games heading into Monday's mauling. In particular, Halifax did an outstanding job of pulling them apart in transition, which just happens to be a strength of this Cavalry side. It will be a significant test, but one that this York team are confident they can pass.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
York United: Urtiaga; Singh, Adekugbe, Sturing; Ferrari, López, Kibato, Botello; Reid, Ferrin, Altobelli
Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Klomp, Montgomery, Kamdem; Kobza, Baldisimo; Ntignee, Camargo, Sellouf; Warschewski
ALL-TIME SERIES
York wins: 5 || Cavalry wins: 16 || Draws: 3
Last meeting:
July 26, 2025 — Cavalry FC 0-1 York United
KEY QUOTES
"[On Monday] we didn't have that emotion, we didn't have that hunger. I'm excited, to a certain extent, to understand our reaction. I believe in these players. I know what they can do. It's not one game that's going to define us. I think we've been growing, we've been confident. We've been a team that feels the game. And what I want from our team right now, it's a reaction." – York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio
"I think for us, the way we frame it is win the series. We've got two wins, they've got one. So it's about winning the series against York. Good side, know how to mix it up in different ways, can score in different ways, so we're looking forward to the challenge." – Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
"Every point counts that bit extra now. So we're focused on the task. It's another good game on the road. I think we've enjoyed going out to York and, looking back at last game [against York], we have some things that we left on the table." – Cavalry FC goalkeeper Marco Carducci.
