Short-handed Cavalry FC finds “guts” to get through Cup tie

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The decisive match has begun for Cavalry FC against the big, bad Vancouver Whitecaps.

That’s after the Cavalry cruised to the second round of the 2024 Canadian Championship with a 1-0 home win Tuesday over Vancouver FC.

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So Calgary’s professional soccer team moves from one Vancouver team to another in search of the Voyageurs Cup: the hardware delivered to win this national tournament.

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“It’s tough,” said Chief of Cavalry Tommy Wheeldon Jr., obviously relieved to advance given how the game seemed to play out, against them, at ATCO Field in Spruce Meadows.

“I think we showed great determination,” the general manager and head coach continued. “What I loved was the way the guys stepped up.”

And how.

With not much happening in the first 60 minutes other than a missed chance by Ali Musse on a Cavs breakaway, it seemed like the tide turned against the home team when midfielder Shamit Shome received a red card.

With Shome sent off, in fact, it seemed that the Cavalry would be on the defensive.

But instead, they took the lead, attacking almost immediately and catching Vancouver off guard.

And suddenly, the short-handed Cavs had greater speed and, eventually, a goal to show for their spark.

“It’s so special for the team that everyone is on the same page,” goal scorer Toby Warschewski said. “I felt like we got even closer (after the red card) and we wanted it even more: victory. Each of us gave our all in every inning, in every situation and in every battle.

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“We were lucky, but I think we deserved it too.”

Warschewski’s game-winning goal came when he headed in a ball in the 66th minute to end a flurry of Cavalry-organized activity.

“We lost concentration,” Vancouver FC coach Afshin Ghotbi said. “I scored a bad goal. “It seemed like a mistake between players.”

In the goal, the Cavs kept a long attack alive, and the ball finally found Diego Gutiérrez, who made a pass from the top of the box to Fraser Aird, and Aird launched the ball towards danger, where a Vancouver defender could not . He didn’t quite deflect it, and Warschewski was there at the far post to bring down goalkeeper Callum Irving.

“I’m excited to score my first goal,” Warschewski said. “The first look he had at Fraser was a cross, and I knew it. He wanted to contribute at the second (chance). I think he saw me before.

“I knew the ball wasn’t going to go out, so I thought maybe it would go there (to the far post). Just luck… I don’t know. “It just happened and I’m happy I scored.”

It’s been coming for a while now for the big German, who was a prized off-season acquisition for the Cavs.

“He’s just a very lethal player,” Wheeldon said of Warschewski. “He’s weird. You think because he’s a big boy he’s very basic, but he’s not. He has silky smooth movements. He can dribble. He can vent. He can turn. He can shoot. And it was great to see him score his first goal.”

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Great for the Cavs and their cup ambitions, no doubt.

A year ago, they fell to Pacific FC after a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 loss on penalty kicks.

“Yes, and these are the reps you need for playoff-type football cup competitions, one and done,” Wheeldon said. “We wanted to make sure we gave our best.

“I think we showed a lot of determination and some good ideas and I think we can still play better,” Wheeldon said. “And that’s the good thing about this is that we have a clean sheet, we scored a really good goal, and then I think there are improvements that we want to make in the future.”

Advancing to play Vancouver’s other team in this tournament, they will face the Whitecaps, two-time defending Voyageurs Cup champions of Major League Soccer fame.

It’s a team the Cavs have faced twice before in the Canadian Championship: when they upset them during their run to the semifinals in 2019, and when they lost to them on penalty kicks in 2022.

“For us, we knew that if we win this game, we’ll be facing an MLS team again,” Warschewski said. “And I think we had the experience in Concacaf with Orlando City, and I think it’s exciting to play against a good rival. And for us it is a great challenge, but we accept it.”

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Just like they did Tuesday night after running over a man.

“When things are going against you, the players need an extra man, and that extra man has to be me and the coaching staff,” Wheeldon said. “As soon as we got into it, we said, ‘Let’s go 4-4-1.’ Don’t give up any extra plays. And when we have the ball, look for the wide areas. Just keep in touch and make them beat you. Try to block the centers… and hold firm. And Marco Carducci be great when you can.

“I thought Marco made some big blocks,” Wheeldon added of his superstar goalkeeper, who saved Moses Dyer in the first half and deflected a Jose Navarro shot out of danger late in the game. “The bottom line? Fraser, (Eryk) Kobza, Daan Klomp and Brad (Kamdem Fewo) block and encourage each other. “Those are the guts you need to be successful in this league and in this competition.”

Next up for the Cavs (0-1-1) is Sunday’s hosting of Pacific FC (2-0-0) in Canadian Premier League action at ATCO Field (3 p.m., OneSoccer, OneSoccer.ca) .

FREE SHOTS

Caballería’s starting eleven was: goalkeeper Carducci; defenders Aird, Kobza, Klomp and Kamdem Fewo; midfielders Shome, Lucas Dias and Charlie Trafford; and the forwards Willy Akio, Musse and Warschewski… The club’s substitutions were: goalkeeper Jack Barrett; defenders Tom Field and Michael Harms; midfielders Sergio Camargo and Gutiérrez; and forwards Malcolm Shaw and Lleyton Brooks… The Cavs scratch players were: goaltender Mitchell Barrett; defenders Callum Montgomery (foot) and Caden Rogozinski; and midfielders Jesse Daley (leg), Maël Henry (hamstring), Niko Myroniuk and Max Piepgrass.

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