PREVIEW: HFX Wanderers FC vs. Cavalry FC – Match #39

After an emotionally taxing night in the Canadian Championship for both of these clubs on Wednesday, HFX Wanderers FC and Cavalry FC are right back at it in league play this weekend as the Cavs pay a visit to the East Coast.

HFX, after finishing fourth in the Spring season, began the Fall with a 1-0 win at York9 FC last Saturday, Akeem Garcia capitalizing on a defensive error to score the only goal his side needed. The Wanderers kept the only clean sheet on the day. Now, they're looking to return to that defensive strength after conceding three to the Ottawa Fury in Wednesday's CanChamp game.

Meanwhile, Tommy Wheeldon Jr.'s Cavalry kicked off their Fall campaign with a bit of revenge, beating Pacific FC 3-2 at Westhills Stadium just a week after they fell 3-1 at the same venue on Canada Day. A Sergio Camargo brace made the difference in that one as Cavalry bounced back from just their second-ever loss. In their Voyageurs Cup tie midweek, they managed to hold the Vancouver Whitecaps to a scoreless draw at Spruce Meadows.

After this, the Wanderers are at it again next Wednesday, July 17, as they travel to the Hammer to play Forge FC (7:00 p.m. ET, on OneSoccer). Cavalry is off until the following Sunday, July 21, when they host York9 FC (3:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. MT, on OneSoccer).

• Right back at it: Both these clubs played the biggest match of their short histories on Wednesday in a pair of gruelling fixtures against Ottawa and Vancouver. Much of their energy was surely spent on those games, so this will be a test of who has more left in the tank. Either coach may choose to rotate their squad a little so as not to burn out their first choice starting 11, but regardless, returning focus to the league will be a challenge after such a huge diversion.
• Discipline: The last meeting between these two sides, in the penultimate week of the Spring season, was a chippy affair, with six players entering the book and both clubs perhaps lucky to finish with 11 men. Referee Yusri Rudolf whistled down 32 fouls in total, as the game's physicality took centre-stage. Expect this match to be another one full of crunching tackles and old-school physical football.
• Kitchen Heat: HFX has become known around the league for how tough it is to play them in front of their fans, in the Kitchen of Wanderers Grounds. However, Cavalry is the only CPL club to have beaten Stephen Hart's side in Halifax (that physical 2-1 Cavs win on June 19). The Wanderers will be desperate to re-establish their house as a fortress after losing there on Wednesday to Ottawa, so expect an extremely gritty performance from them; even if the Cavs take a lead, HFX cannot be counted out.

HFX Wanderers FC: Jan-Michael Williams; Ndzemdzela Langwa, Peter Schaale, Matthew Arnone, Andre Bona; Mohamed Kourouma, Andre Rampersad, Elton John, Zachary Sukunda; Akeem Garcia, Thomasz Skublak

Cavalry FC: Marco Carducci; Mason Trafford, Dominick Zator, Jonathan Wheeldon, Nathan Mavila; Jose Escalante, Elijah Adekugbe, Julian Büscher, Nico Pasquotti; Sergio Camargo, Dominique Malonga



Q: Will the team that finished higher in the Spring Competition standings win?

A: As we saw last week, teams toward the bottom of the table are capable of beating 1st place team Cavalry. This is a question where the underdog pick is not an unwise choice.

Q: Will the home team lead in possession?

A: Unless the home team is playing Cavalry, then yes. On the first day of Fall Competition, expect home clubs to come out with that extra motivation to put in a strong performance for their home crowd.

Q: Will an international player score?

A: Even though a majority of players on CanPL rosters are Canadian, international players have been crucial as offensive focal points for clubs. Expect Dominique Malonga, Oumar Diouck, and Akeem Garcia to continue being the go-to man up top for their clubs.

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