Final Score: York United – Cavalry FC
Goalscorers: Minatel 35′, De Rosario 74′
Game of the 2022 season: 9
CPL match: 260
Match in a minute or less
Martin Nash has his first win as York United head coach under his belt, as he and the Nine Stripes defeated his former club Cavalry FC 2-0 at York Lions Stadium. Oliver Minatel — another former Cav — opened the scoring 10 minutes before halftime with a difficult flicked header off a great cross from Isaiah Johnston, and then Osaze De Rosario iced it in the 74th minute with his second excellent strike from distance in as many games.
So, Cavalry head back to Alberta still searching for their first win of 2022, while York celebrate the spoils of a well-earned home win.
Three Observations
Cavalry drive ball forward, can’t find Joe Mason
The Cavs came into this game with a similar 3-4-3 formation to what they’ve used in previous matches, as attacking focal point Joe Mason took on a relatively free role in the middle of the front three, dropping very deep to try and open up space for wingers Myer Bevan and Ali Musse to run into.
Musse, in particular, did very well in that, operating in the half-spaces on either side — Cavalry swapped his and Bevan’s sides multiple times throughout the contest — and he pushed the Cavs into the final third toward the box with regularity. The issue, though, was that the visitors struggled to find Mason for the final ball, with some of his late-arriving runs into the penalty area going unnoticed.
York centre-backs Dominick Zator and Roger Thompson were very deliberate in keeping Mason in between the two of them, sliding themselves from left to right as the striker drifted.
As a result, Mason was shielded from either of his wingers by the well-placed defenders, and he ended the match with just 27 touches — exactly half the amount his winger Musse had. It’s never a banner day for the attack when your centre-forward has just one shot, which was the case on Friday.
“You’ve got to put your hand up when you don’t deserve to win,” Wheeldon told reporters postmatch. “I don’t think we deserved to win because I think their details were right. I’ve just seen some of the stats and we’ve dominated possession, but possession is one of the worst stats to have because it can make you vulnerable. They just countered very, very well, they were defensively organized, and they deserve their three points.”
York wins midfield battle with extra man in centre
In their third game under Martin Nash, York looked more cohesive and synchronized than they did in the prior two games, with Nash’s new system apparently beginning to take root. Their defensive work was more organized, players stepping into the press at the right times to force mistakes.
One of the brightest spots for them defensively, though, was in the middle of the park. With Noah Verhoeven and Jordan Wilson in their typical double-pivot and Isaiah Johnston just ahead of them, York had a numerical advantage in central midfield against Cavalry’s duo of Charlie Trafford and Victor Loturi.
Verhoeven and Wilson were immovable in the middle in what turned into quite a physical battle. Verhoeven won possession 10 times, and Wilson won eight of his 13 duels, with three tackles as well. As a result, the Cavs were forced to go wide with their possession, which kept their chances to less dangerous areas as the centre-backs handled crosses and cutbacks well.
Cavs boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr. pointed out postmatch how Verhoeven and Wilson set the tone in the middle:
“Jordan Wilson and Verhoeven sat in front of Zator and Thompson and they played a very physical game,” Wheeldon said. “I think within the first five, ten minutes of the game they’ve made about five or six key fouls, and they did it with purpose. It was disruptive and stopped our flow.”
As for Johnston, Martin Nash explained that he likes the youngster in that more advanced role because, while he can contribute a lot to the attack, his defensive workrate helps provide additional cover as well. Johnston provided an extraordinary assist for Oliver Minatel’s goal and he had a few shots of his own in the first half — indeed, the last piece of the puzzle for him to be an effective number 10 might be his finishing ability.
“He’s one of those players that helps us dominate the midfield,” Nash said. “He’s athletic, he’s strong, he’s really good technically. I just felt it was a spot that we could use him because he’s really good on the defensive side of the ball, but he’s also really good on the attacking side of the ball. It gives him a little bit more freedom; when he plays deeper he has less freedom to create and play. I think it’s a good area for him to create and have that freedom, and you know he’s going to do that defensive work as well.”
With 48.9% of the match played within the middle third, York’s midfield advantage may well have turned the tables.
No love lost between old friends; Cavs running into card trouble early
As seems to be the story from every Cavalry match, this was an aggressive, heated affair. Ali Musse took the brunt of a crunching challenge less than 10 seconds into the match, which set a tone for the remainder of the contest.
Set-pieces seemed to be a hotbed for the dark arts with players quite aggressively jockeying for position, and defending players seemed to relish shoulder-to-shoulder duels. There was one incident within the final 10 minutes that saw tempers boil over somewhat, as José Escalante (unsurprisingly) found himself in the middle of a touchline scuffle after a hard tackle, with players from both sides — including from the bench — exchanging forceful pleasantries.
The aggression has always been part of Cavalry’s style and a major factor in their success over the years, but coach Wheeldon admitted after the game that they may need to dial it back somewhat lest they do more harm than good to themselves. Already through three games, Daan Klomp and Escalante have three yellow cards, putting them each just one caution away from suspension. The Cavs have plenty of depth in defence, but Karifa Yao also picked up a yellow on Friday — his second of the year — and they could quickly run into trouble if they don’t exercise a little more discipline.
“We’ve got to fix that,” Wheeldon said. “I don’t like the amount of yellow cards we’re gettingl; some I think were a little contentious, but others that, yeah, we deserve to have them. And they’re the ones that come with the reading of the game from our backline, the screening of the game. We play a very aggressive game and we’ve been caught out a bit, hence why our centre-backs are picking them up, but that’s something we can address next week with a bit more work.”
Of course, the hostilities between these two sides don’t extend further than the pitch; Wheeldon tipped his cap to his former assistant Nash for coaching one heck of a game against his old club.
“I think I owe him dinner for that one,” Wheeldon said. “They’ve worked well and they’ve committed to his game plan, so credit for him. I’m happy for him in a different way; we’ve got three more games left.”
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Isaiah Johnston, York United
Playing in a more advanced midfield role than he was used to in 2021, Johnston was excellent on Friday night as he helped pull the strings for most of the club’s attacking moves. He was rewarded with a gorgeous assist to Oliver Minatel, but could’ve had a goal or two himself with the chances he had in the first half.
What’s next?
York will be at home again next Friday night, as they host Atlético Ottawa at York Lions Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET). Cavalry, meanwhile, head back to Alberta for their own home opener, as Pacific FC come to town on Sunday, May 1 (5:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT).
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Match Analysis: York United 2-0 Cavalry FC – Canadian Premier League - Canadian Premier League
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