Cavalry, Forge renew rivalry
Goal on penalty kick in injury time gives Calgary draw in tourney opener
Drama. Fireworks. Controversy.
It’s nine months later, but Thursday night’s season opener sure felt like the 2019 Canadian Premier League championship series between Forge FC and Cavalry FC.
“To be honest, 2019 is done,” said Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis in the lead-up to the CPL’S kickoff in Prince Edward Island. “We’ll always have that (championship win) in our back pocket.
“But 2020 is a different season.” Is it really, coach?
Even after the coronavirus pandemic delayed the renewal of acquaintances between the CPL archrivals, the kickoff to The Island Games — the league’s tournament-style second season inside the bubble in Charlottetown, P.E.I. — looked much like the spirited games played between the two finalists from last year.
The only difference?
After seven affairs decided by one goal each in 2019, this one ended in a draw.
The result was 2-2 after a penalty kick was awarded to Cavalry deep into injury time after the ball hit Forge defender Dominic Samuel on the bottom of the arm as he turned to block a Mohamed Farsi blast.
Nathan Mavila converted to salvage a point in the hotly contested match at UPEI Alumni Field.
By the letter of the law, it’s a handball, even if some pundits felt it brought about controversy.
But what’s new between the two teams? Even though it was the first game of the CPL’S second season and 285 days since the two teams last met in the 2019 championship clincher at ATCO Field, there was the usual fire and brimstone between the foes.
“It’s Forge against Calgary — it didn’t surprise me whatsoever,” Cavalry Gm/head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. told Onesoccer.ca with a chuckle. “I felt for the referees because I think they always had their whistle in their mouth.
“There were some really good moments and some really good goal action. It’s one for fans to say, ‘Look, we’re back on the board.’”
Wearing their new black-based kits, the Cavs came out strong and looking fit, eventually converting on a Nik Ledgerwood corner kick. Defender Dominick Zator got his head on the ball, directing it past Forge goalkeeper Triston Henry inside the far post in the 11th minute.
Forge finally found its feet in the 26th minute, when Anthony Novak, with an acrobatic kick, chipped a ball over the outstretched arms of Cavalry goalie Marco Carducci on what looked to be an innocent play.
The Calgary crew continued to put dangerous balls into play in scoring range, including one that saw Sergio Camargo nearly knife through the Forge defence, but it remained 1-1 at halftime.
Forge began to carry the play in the second half, finally counting what looked a game-winner by Kyle Bekker, when the captain dove low to head in David Choinière’s cross in the 71st minute.
Marcus Haber, making his first appearance for Cavalry, had the best chance to equalize, but the former Pacific FC star, who signed in Calgary just prior to The Island Games, couldn’t convert with Wheeldon calling Henry’s save “the best of the tournament so far.”
So it came down to Farsi’s late attempt inside the box that turned into Mavila’s penalty pop to square the affair, producing a draw in the first of 35 matches in this CPL tourney.
“It’s hard (to see the hand ball). There are a lot of different guys in there. If the referee says it as a penalty, it’s a penalty,” Smyrniotis told Onesoccer.ca. “When you lose three points in the last minute of the game, you’re not going to be happy.”
As for the Cavs?
“For us to get a point out of it, pretty or gritty, it all counts on the board,” Wheeldon told Onesoccer. ca. “I think that’s what we’ll be best pleased with — we didn’t quit. We kept going — it just shows the resilience we have as a group.”
“For us, it’s a good result in the end,” agreed Zator, talking with Onesoccer.ca. “After 10 months off, to be able to battle back and fight to the end, it showed character.”
Next up for Cavalry is a match against Valour FC on Sunday (10 a.m. MT, Onesoccer.ca).
CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SET
There’s an additional carrot being dangled in front of the winner of The Island Games, as Canada Soccer announced Thursday that the 2020 Canadian Premier League champions will advance directly to this year’s Canadian Championship tournament final.
That team will meet the top club of Canada’s three Major League Soccer sides after Toronto FC, the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps meet in a threeteam round robin of their own to determine a finalist for that Battle of the North championship series.
So the winner of the 2020 Canadian Championship between the CPL champ and the top MLS side will get to hoist the Voyageurs Cup and grab the right to represent the nation in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.