The CPL Playoffs start up again on Sunday following a thrilling opening match which saw York United FC defeat the Halifax Wanderers. Now, fresh off their electrifying win, head coach Mauro Eustáquio and his squad travel to Calgary to battle the defending North Star Cup champions.
Cavalry, led by head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr., are eager to replicate their success from last year's run. Their title defence begins at home at ATCO Field and kicks off both on TSN5 and OneSoccer starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Both clubs met the media on Friday to discuss the upcoming fixture. Here's what they had to say:
Mauro Eustáquio — Head Coach, York United
What challenges do Cavalry present in Semifinal Qualifier?
“I think it’s just going to be another very good team. Obviously, they’re going to be defending something that, at the moment, is theirs and they’re going to defend that with everything they’ve got. On the other side is a team that has a very big ambition, has a very big belief and, like I said pre-game and post-game, a team that is starving. A lot of people, if you asked them, if they pictured us in this place, a lot of them would say no. So the only ones that really have to believe and continue to show that we do deserve to be in these types of games, in these types of situations, is ourselves.”
How has York's belief increased following a first playoff win?
“Yeah, it just shows the resilience of this team. We knew going into Halifax it would be a tough game. Obviously, we had two games there that we weren’t able to win. We had a loss and a draw and we said, ‘Listen, let’s create our own scenario, let’s create our tomorrow.’ We knew if we didn’t do it, no one was going to do it for us. So, obviously, in Calgary, we’ve gone there, we’ve got good results. And again, it’s a place that we’re familiar with, we know what we have to do and we’re confident that with our tools that we can get out of there with a positive and the only result we want, which is a win.”
On his connection to Cavalry FC and Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
“For me, I don’t like talking about myself. I’m at York, a club that means a lot to me. I’m at a club that has seen me grow in multiple functions. I’m at a club that has seen and has been there for me in multiple episodes of my life outside of soccer and the only way I want to pay them back is with, you know, doing things, doing great things, building a culture, building a winning culture. So, right now, the focus isn’t Mauro’s return to Calgary. The focus is building the culture that we want at York United, building the mentality, the winning mentality at York United.”
WecreatedourtomorrowonWednesday,andwe'regoingtoCalgaryonSundaytocreatetomorrowaswell.
Julian Altobelli — Attacker, York United
On scoring the tying goal versus the Wanderers and his belief in the squad
“Yeah, it was one of the most electric games I've ever been a part of. I think that, for me personally, that goal gave the team belief and hope that we can see this out, whether it’s in a shootout or if it’s in extra time. I think we needed that and that it gave us a lot of momentum moving forward into the rest of that game and into the games that we have coming up.”
How hard is it to play at ATCO Field on short turnaround?
“I think right now we’re going in as underdogs. We’re going in as, ‘Oh, they played on Wednesday and Calgary had a week of rest.’ But for us, it doesn’t matter. We are hungry to continue to win and we know we can. We’ve beat them before and we’ve also beat them at home.”
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. — Head Coach, Cavalry FC
What's unique about this year’s version of Cavalry FC?
“What I like about this group is there’s enough experience of players that have had their hands on both trophies, the Shield and the North Star Cup. I think what I like about this group is, every time there’s a challenge out there, they like to respond. I also like the freshness that’s been added from players like Caniggia Elva to Mihail Gherasimencov, players that have come in and just added their own piece to our puzzle. So, they’re a team that’s hungry. It’s our best scoring year since 2019 so on our day, we’ve got different profiles that can score goals. And I think that’s important to have when it comes to clutch game where, if my math is correct, 10 out of 11 playoff games in this format have been a one goal game.”
On facing a York United team coming off a win in Halifax
“I think tiredness is a myth, and if we think that way, then we’re giving them a free hit. I think they’re going to come in all guns blazing, adrenaline pumping, play physical, play direction and make a very good game of it. So, we’ve got to respect the opponent that’s come in. I think they did something similar here, and took things over the edge after the whistle, but I think it makes for a great game. It’s a qualifier to get to the next round of the playoffs and a tournament that we won last year that we want to win again this year.”
How can Cavalry use home field to their advantage?
“That’s all that matters, really. We love this place. The pitch is in immaculate condition. The fans, as we know, the last time we played a playoff game here, I think we had some decent success and we left here covered in champagne. So, if the players want to go back to that feeling, we’ve got to do the job at hand on Sunday, and having that home advantage certainly is an advantage, but it’s up to us to put on a show like we did in the final last year.”
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Daan Klomp — Defender, Cavalry FC
As a defending champion, what does it take to win?
“Yeah, like you said, we've defending champions, and in this game, we have to make it about us. We have to fight for each other, win our battles, and then let the magic up front do their job, because that's where we've been very exciting. This game is going to be our last game at home. That's why we want to excite the fans. Excite the fans and give them another good experience."
On playing in front of their fans at ATCO Field
“We've been exciting here all year round and the fans have been behind us. They’ve been amazing for us. So we want to give them a good goodbye gift for this season, I thank them. And yeah, with that, we've had a great record at home so far, and we want to build on that."
