Home cooking just what Cavalry needs against powerhouse Whitecaps

Latest West Coast club to visit ATCO Field is also the best, but Calgary club is ready

The tide keeps rolling in from the West Coast to play Cavalry FC.

It's been three games and counting for Islanders and Vancouverites attempting to pound the pitch of ATCO Field ... with little success to show from it all. The next wave to try?

That's the mighty Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer — as large of a surge as it gets from the country's left coast — for the kick off of second-round soccer in the 2024 Canadian Championship.

“Another exciting opportunity for the club,” said Cavalry superstar midfielder Sergio Camargo ahead of Tuesday's game at

ATCO Field (7 p.m., Onesoccer, Onesoccer.ca). “Every time we get an opportunity to face MLS competition, that's just another chance for us to see where we are and to see what lessons we've learned from the past.”

Indeed, it's a biggie, because it comes in the hunt for the coveted Voyageurs Cup and it comes against a Canadian bigbrand squad in a second such two-legged series for Cavalry against an MLS side in only a few months.

But unlike Cavalry's 6-1 loss to Orlando City SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in late February, this home leg of the set is actually slated for ATCO Field and not at Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island.

Home sweet home, that is. “Yeah ... it's certainly different, because we were playing the home game away and there was no advantage against Orlando,” Cavalry Gm/head coach Tommy Wheeldon said. “Here we have an advantage. This is our pitch. We're on grass.

“It's not in its mid-season form yet. But we know the bounces are there and we're starting to play to it.”

That was evident in Friday night's 3-1 triumph over Vancouver FC in Canadian Premier League action.

The score line actually flattered the visitors from Vancity, as the hosts proved dominant on their home pitch. Just in time for this massive Cup match.

“This one is about what have we learned from Orlando and our pre-season down in Mexico, when teams play a little bit faster than normal CPL teams,” Camargo said. “Can we adapt to that speed and intensity, and can we make the decisions that are needed to go forward and actually win a game?”

“If we had another chance at Orlando, we'd obviously like to put out a better result,” added Cavs teammate Fraser Aird. “But that was a great learning experience for the club — first time ever being in that Champions Cup. And we can only learn from it. Five games into our season now, I think we're in a better position than we were in February.”

The proof is in their home performances the last three games over a busy 11-day span: that domination over Vancouver FC, which followed a scoreless draw with rival Pacific FC and a 1-0 blanking of Vancouver FC, despite playing with just 10 men for the final 40 minutes.

“We've had a good game against Pacific; I felt that we should have won that (scoreless) game,” Wheeldon said. “But we followed up with a good performance again against Vancouver FC (Friday).”

“We've had a real West Coast flavour here and have played well,” agreed Cavalry president Ian Allison. “So hopefully we continue to have the current going in the right direction for us, because we've got a good club and a good process.”

They could also get help from a good — actually bad — patch of weather for Tuesday's tilt.

“We were talking the other day about the snow and the rain and the cold weather here,” said Allison of rain and cool temperatures in the game-time forecast. “We'd like them out of their comfort zone. They're used to playing in B.C. Place on field turf and all those types of things.

“It's supposed to be a little soggy here on Tuesday night, and we're farmers, so we don't mind the moisture.”

Of course, the first of these four West Coast-teams visits saw the Cavs book their spot in Round 2 against the Whitecaps with that gritty victory over Vancouver FC.

“We're in a good place,” said Wheeldon of his crew that holds a 1W-2D-1L record in league play, is 2-2-3 in all competitions and is unbeaten in its last three affairs. “And I think what we've got to do now is rise to the challenge of playing an established club like Whitecaps, who are in a good run of form themselves. The Whitecaps are playing well.”

Indeed, they've lost only two games in 10 MLS tilts to run out a 5-2-3 record.

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Cavalry superstar and forward Ali Musse is doubtful to line up against the Whitecaps after twisting his ankle early in Friday's victory. Teammate Tom Field (leg) is also doubtful after suffering an injury in that win over Vancouver FC. Fellow Cavalry defender Eryk Kobza (pinched nerve) is ready to go, though, as is midfielder Jesse Daley (leg).