Canadian Premier League — Match #82 York9 FC vs. Cavalry FC September 27, 2019 — York Lions Stadium (6 p.m. ET) Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca

Two sides fresh off big wins will converge in York Region this weekend, as York9 FC plays host to high-flying Cavalry FC in a match with plenty of implications for the homestretch of the Fall competition.

Cavalry heads to Ontario riding a three-game winning streak, having dealt a crushing blow to Pacific FC with a 4-1 win last Sunday. They reclaimed first place in the table, although their margin is razor-thin: they've edged ahead of Forge FC on goal differential as both teams have identical 7-1-4 records. The Cavs could make their future a little clearer with a victory at York Lions Stadium, since if both they and Forge win on Saturday we'll be guaranteed to see those two sides square off in the Canadian Premier League Finals. Although it may not matter much to Tommy Wheeldon Jr. which team they play in that two-legged decider, it'll still be a welcome luxury to know who their adversary will be so far in advance.


RELATED READING: SANDOR: Does Wheeldon Jr. have a Finals 2019 home-leg preference?


The Nine Stripes will be fighting for their lives at home this weekend, as they take on a side they've never managed to beat. They're third in the table after their attack broke out in a 3-1 victory over FC Edmonton last Saturday, and now York9 may be the side with the best chance to knock off Cavalry or Forge (although it's still a slim chance). It's been an up-and-down Fall season for Jimmy Brennan's men, whose form guide right now reads draw-loss-win-loss-win, but they've shown that on their day they can compete with any team in the CPL.

Cavalry has gotten the better of York9 all four times these clubs have matched up, outscoring the Nine Stripes 8-2 over those games. The Cavs clinched their Spring season title in June by winning at York Lions Stadium, and they dealt a crushing blow to York9's Fall hopes with their 3-1 home win in late August.

The going does not get easier for York9 after this one, as they head to Hamilton for a 905 Derby next Sunday, October 6 against Forge FC (3:30 p.m. ET, available on OneSoccer). Cavalry, meanwhile, will play midweek after this, heading home for an October 2 match with Valour FC (9:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. MT, available on OneSoccer).

KEYS TO THE MATCH

  • Which York9? The Nine Stripes might be the most hot-and-cold team in the CPL; some nights, their attack is deadly, and they'll score three or more times (as they did against FC Edmonton). Sometimes, the offence dries up and they can't get anything meaningful going in the attacking third (like in the last 905 Derby). Often, they'll look like a different team between halves. With their Fall hopes hanging by a thread, York9 needs to try and channel their best performances for all 90 minutes against the unforgiving Cavs.​
  • Contain Malonga: Last time these two sides met, Cavalry striker Dominique Malonga was a lethal force to which York9 had no answer. He scored twice from seven shots, adding two key passes on a night where he walked all over the opponents' backline. The Nine Stripes need to stay close to him and try to keep him outside; according to Sportlogiq, Malonga hasn't scored a goal while under pressure from a defender, nor has he had much luck with long shots.​
  • Stay balanced: Cavalry's attack was fairly lopsided in their win over Pacific last weekend, with just over 50 per cent of their play going up the right side. That's fair enough for a team whose right flank boasted Nico Pasquotti and Dominick Zator, but if they rely on it too much then it'll be too predictable. That said, York9 could struggle on that wing if Diyaeddine Abzi is unfit to play (the left-back came off injured against FC Edmonton). Still, it's hard to rely too much on one side on the narrow York Lions Stadium pitch, with the touchlines not so far away from York9's central column of midfielders.​

PROJECTED LINEUPS

York9 FC: Nathan Ingham; Daniel Gogarty, Luca Gasparotto, Justin Springer, Morey Doner; Joe Di Chiara, Manuel Aparicio; Kyle Porter, Ryan Telfer, Rodrigo Gattas; Simon Adjei Karlsson

Cavalry FC: Marco Carducci; Nathan Mavila, Dominick Zator, Mason Trafford, Malyk Hamilton; Nik Ledgerwood, Julian Büscher; Nico Pasquotti, Oliver Minatel, Jose Escalante; Dominique Malonga


HEAD TO HEAD

May 4 - Cavalry FC 2-1 York9 FC June 26 - York9 FC 0-2 Cavalry FC July 21 - Cavalry FC 1-0 York9 FC August 21 - Cavalry FC 3-1 York9 FC

STATS LEADERS

Rodrigo Gattas - 8 goals (York9 FC) Dominique Malonga - 7 goals (Cavalry FC)

INJURIES

Chris Serban (Cavalry FC) - Out (Knee) Dean Northover (Cavalry FC) - Out (ACL) Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC) - Doubtful Roger Thompson (York9 FC) - Doubtful Cyrus Rollocks (York9 FC) - Doubtful Diyaeddine Abzi (York9 FC) - Questionable

INTERNATIONAL DUTY

None

SUSPENSIONS

None

ACCUMULATION

(Players are suspended for one match 14 days after accumulating a 4th Yellow Card)

Joel Waterman (Cavalry FC) - 3 Nico Pasquotti (Cavalry FC) - 3 Julian Büscher (Cavalry FC) - 3 Luca Gasparotto (York9 FC) - 3 Steven Furlano (York9 FC) - 3


REFEREES

Referee: Filip Dujic ARs: Peter Pendli & Lyes Arfa 4th Official: Alexis Vaughan

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