2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #37 Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver FC June 11, 2023 at 3 p.m. MT/5 p.m. ET ATCO Field in Calgary, Alberta Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

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After playing to a 1-1 draw in Vancouver FC's first-ever home match on May 7, the expansion side and Cavalry FC meet again on Sunday afternoon -- this time at ATCO Field in Calgary. Cavalry, have picked up the second most points per game at home in the league, with a win and three draws from four games at Spruce Meadows so far this season. But after conceding a 90 +4' equalizer against league-leaders Forge FC this past weekend, the biggest story for Cavalry is the fact that they have already dropped points at home three separate times in 2023. They did so just once last season, a 2-1 loss to Forge on July 27. Despite scoring first in all four of their home matches, they have scored the next goal and held on to win just once. That ongoing issue plagued them on the road in the first meeting between these two sides, as after scoring early in the second half through Mikaël Cantave, Cavalry quickly conceded a Shaan Hundal goal despite being up a man after a 29th-minute Rocco Romeo red card. The visitors on Sunday, meanwhile, are coming off a result against rivals Pacific in which they simultaneously scored and conceded the most goals in club history during a CPL record nine-goal thriller which finished as a 6-3 loss for Vancouver FC. Vancouver have now allowed a league-leading 15 goals through eight matches so far this season. However, there is a big difference between Vancouver's defensive record at home and on the road. Only league-leaders Forge FC have allowed fewer goals away from home than Vancouver-- who recently became the first side in league history to hold the Hamilton club to a 0-0 draw at Tim Hortons Field in regular season play. "We are excited to go on the road again," said Vancouver FC manager Afshin Ghotbi, "I think as the record and the results show we are at this moment a better road team than we are a home team. Part of that, I think, is because we have the players with us basically 48 hours before the game, and we can manage their schedule off the field and create a routine that I think brings the highest level of concentration." Concentration will be particularly important for Vancouver in the early part of Sunday's match, as both of their lopsided losses this season, the aforementioned defeat to Pacific, and a 5-0 home loss to Atlético Ottawa, saw them concede inside the opening 10 minutes. Cavalry will be without hard-working midfielder Jesse Daley, who is serving a one-match suspension due to Yellow Card accumulation. The Australian has appeared in all eight matches for Cavalry so far this season. Shamit Shome, meanwhile, is getting closer to returning but is still about a month away, while Callum Montgomery and Joe Mason remain on the sidelines.

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3 THINGS TO WATCH

  • Vancouver FC looking to regain defensive shape and structure: Tommy Wheeldon Jr. says he isn't sure which Vancouver FC side to expect when they come to town this week. On one hand, they have managed to pick up two clean sheets in the past four matches. The other two matches, however, have seen them concede five against Ottawa, and six against Pacific FC. Ghotbi is hoping that those two poor defensive performances can be used as learning opportunities for his young side. "These lessons are very important for the development of our players and the development of our team, they have been costly, taking goals, losing points, but I am hoping sometimes when you have those setbacks you have the chance to self-reflect and collectively find ways and solutions to improve the team," he said.​

  • Cavalry looking to 'win the series' in the fight to move up the table: For the first time in Cavalry FC history, through eight games they are closer to the bottom of the table than they are to the top. For a club with ambitions to always be competing with the league's best, this weekend will bring them a significant opportunity to gain some ground as the league's top two sides Pacific and Forge play each other on Saturday, meaning one or both will drop points. The biggest focus in their goal to climb the table for Wheeldon Jr.'s side, however, is to win each of the series of matches that they play against the league's seven other sides over the course of the regular season. "We've split the season into quarters, where you look at the first quarter, we were basically .500 and every series we play against, now we are tied in the series with Vancouver, we've got to win that series. If we take care of every series, then the league table and the playoff implications will look after itself."

  • CPL record holder T.J. Tahid turning heads for Vancouver FC: Having just turned 16 in April, basically anything that T.J. Tahid -- the league's youngest signing by several months -- does at this point gets written in the CPL record books. He became the CPL's youngest goalscorer last weekend, as well as the youngest inclusion in the league's team of the week for his performance. As Ghotbi continues to give him more responsibility and minutes, Tahid has thrived. He will be one to watch again on Sunday against Cavalry. "He's willing to learn, I think that's the biggest thing that separates him from a lot of 16-year-olds," said team-leading goalscorer Shaan Hundal. "You could see a lot of young players that have the talent and stuff, but I think his mindset is what separates him. Going into games and just putting his head down and trying to learn from the older guys. And just putting in the work, his work rate is amazing."​

PROJECTED STARTING XIs


Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Chima, Klomp, Escalante; Kobza, Trafford; Musse, Camargo, Cantave; Bevan

Vancouver FC: Irving; Bakare, Martinez, Romeo, Crawford; Tahid, Zadeh, E. Simmons, Sandoval; Bitar, Hundal

ALL-TIME SERIES


Cavalry FC wins: 0 || Vancouver FC wins: 0|| Draws: 1

Last meeting:

May 7, 2023 — Vancouver FC 1-1 Cavalry FC

KEY QUOTES​


“I think the biggest challenge is which Vancouver side are you going to get? Because we faced them with 10 men and they threw everything out defending their goal and keeping themselves in the game and they did, credit to them. Obviously very well coached, Afshin's got a lot of experience in different leagues and you can tell there is a good organization about them. But then you see the flip side where Ottawa stuck five past them, and Pacific stuck six past them at home. So it is very hard to gauge what you can expect.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

“I think what I'm learning from this league is everything is possible on any given day. Obviously, we look at history, we look at track records, we look at all the statistics. But when we are talking about a league that is only in its fifth year of existence, there is going to be a first time for everything.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

"I love the city, I love the fans, I love playing for this club, the coaches, I love my teammates. They are pushing me to perform. I am happy being here, I am happy with the way we play and the chances I am getting. I feel like if I can kind of put away more of my chances I can kind of run away with the Golden Boot" -- Vancouver FC forward Shaan Hundal

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