2022 Canadian Championship — Quarterfinals Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC May 25, 2022 at 7:00 pm MT/ 9:00 pm ET ATCO Field in Calgary, Alberta Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca // Tickets available here

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The quarterfinal stage of the 2022 Canadian Championship wraps up in Calgary, Alberta on Wednesday night with Cavalry FC hosting Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It will be the third ever meeting between the two sides, and the first since Cavalry famously knocked out the Whitecaps in over two legs in the 2019 edition of this competition. In that matchup, the first leg in Calgary ended in a scoreless draw, leaving it all to play for in the return fixture at BC Place. What ensued was the game that put the rest of the country on notice that the CPL isn't to be taken lightly. Cavalry headed west to Vancouver and came away with a 2-1 road victory. Jordan Brown scored for Cavalry just seven minutes in, a lead they would hold for the next hour before Hwang In-beom tied it up in the 67th minute. The game wouldn't stay tied for long, however, as Dominick Zator sent Cavalry through to the semifinals with a thumping header from a corner kick. It's a game that Canadian soccer fans won't forget any time soon, and put even more pressure on the Whitecaps when they played Pacific FC in 2021, and lost, leading to the firing of head coach Marc Dos Santos. Under new head coach Vanni Sartini, the Whitecaps were most successful against CPL opposition in 2022, beating Valour FC at home in the Preliminary Round a few weeks ago to qualify for Wednesday night's match against the Cavs. Two goals in quick succession from Russell Teibert and Ryan Raposo earned the Whitecaps a 2-0 win over the Winnipeg-based club. Cavalry advanced to the quarterfinals after beating provincial rivals FC Edmonton 2-1 at ATCO Field. Myer Bevan gave his side the lead 17 minutes in with a header from a set piece, before making it 2-0 later in the half from the penalty spot. The Eddies got a penalty of their own in the second half, scored by Tobias Warschewski, but were unable to find a second. Bevan is one of several Cavalry players that used to play in the Whitecaps system, a list that also includes Marco Carducci, Mason and Charlie Trafford, Elijah Adekugbe, Ali Musse, Ben Fisk, David Norman Jr and Fraser Aird. Most recently Cavalry played Valour at home in Canadian Premier League action, and beat them 2-1 after some late drama. Bevan gave Cavalry the lead in the 85th minute, before Stefan Cebara tied it up four minutes later, seemingly earning his side a point on the road. Cavalry pushed for a winner, and in the 92nd minute were rewarded as Adekugbe fired home a hard shot before wheeling away in celebration. They are unbeaten in their last four matches (3-1-0) and sit second in the Canadian Premier League table. The Whitecaps, meanwhile, sit bottom of the Major League Soccer table with three wins, two draws and seven losses. They most recently played in North Carolina on Sunday, losing 2-1 to Charlotte FC. Tosaint Ricketts gave Vancouver the lead in the second minute, before Andre Shinyashiki tied it up just six minutes later. It would stay 1-1 until the 85th minute when Daniel Ríos, who only came off the bench moments earlier, won the match for the home side with a finish from close range after a defensive error. There are still five Cavalry players still around that played in that second leg -- Adekugbe, Carducci, Sergio Camargo, Mason Trafford, and Jose Escalante. Nik Ledgerwood, Cavalry's captain on the day, is also around still as an assistant coach. On the bench for Cavalry was Niko Giantsopoulos, who was on an emergency loan with the Whitecaps this past weekend after several Whitecaps goalkeepers were unable to play. There are only two Whitecaps players still around from that matchday 18 -- defenders Erik Godoy and Jake Nerwinski. Left on the bench were current club captain Russell Teibert, who scored the winning goal against Valour FC in the last round, and current Valour player Brett Levis. The winner of this match will move onto the semifinals of the competition, where they will host the winner of Tuesday's Pacific FC vs York United match for a spot in the final.


3 THINGS TO WATCH:

  • In-form Cavalry look to get the better of last-place Whitecaps: Cavalry are flying high at the moment after a slow start to the season. Since beginning the season with two losses and a draw. In the four games since, they've won three times and drawn once, quickly rising up the table. They beat reigning champions and current league leaders Pacific FC in that stretch of games, as well as an AL Classico win over FC Edmonton and the aforementioned win over Valour FC on the weekend. Their draw came away to HFX Wanderers, and they also beat Edmonton a second time over the past few weeks, in their Preliminary Round game in the Canadian Championship. They're in great form, and are playing with a confidence that they can beat anybody, a dangerous prospect for a Whitecaps team that sits in last place and has lost four of its last seven games, drawing twice and winning twice as well in that run of games. With seven losses already on the season in twelve matches, they will be hungry to beat another CPL team and get back into the win column, but it will be no small task against a Cavs side looking to make it back to the semifinals for the second time in their history. The winner of this match will also host their semifinal, for some added incentive.​
  • Who will play in net for Vancouver?: The Whitecaps are dealing with a personnel issue in net at the moment. Thomas Hasal is out of the side after suffering an injury to his hand, while backups Isaac Boehmer and Cody Cropper are both on the MLS health & safety protocols list. Head coach Vanni Sartini said on Tuesday that the availability of Boehmer and Cropper will be a gametime decision, meaning that the club will need to get creative again. Their solution on the weekend was to start 17-year-old Max Anchor, and bring in York United starter Niko Giantsopoulos in on an emergency short-term loan to serve as the backup. Giantsopoulos is back with York already now, so if both Boehmer and Cropper are unable to play, the club will have to call upon Ben Alexander, a 23-year-old currently contracted to Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro, but not signed to an MLS contract. Canadian Championship rules allow him to play, so he will likely serve as Anchor's backup if the two MLS goalkeepers are unavailable.​
  • Cavalry perfect at home this season: Cavalry FC have played three times at home in 2022, twice in CPL action and once in the Canadian Championship, and won all three matches. They picked up wins over CPL league leaders Pacific FC, as well as Valour FC, and beat FC Edmonton two weeks ago in the Preliminary Round of this competition. Home field advantage provides a boost to every team of course, but Cavalry have historically been good in front of their own fans, losing just six times at ATCO Field. Two of those games came in the cup competition, against MLS side CF Montreal (then the Montreal Impact) in 2019 and Pacific FC in 2021, with the other four coming in CPL action -- including the second leg of the 2019 CPL final against Forge, and the semifinal against Pacific in last year's playoffs. Cavalry head coach often compares the atmosphere of walking into the stadium as a gladiator coliseum, sunk into the ground a little bit with fans right next to the pitch, including right behind one goal. It can be an intimidating place to play, and something the Whitecaps will need to be ready for. The Whitecaps have been poor on the road this season as well, losing all six of their road games in 2022.​


ALL-TIME SERIES

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

*both games took place during the third qualifying round of the 2019 Canadian Championship


Previous match:

July 24, 2019 — Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1-2 Cavalry FC

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