Experience is the difference, or so say the oddsmakers of The Match, the televised charity golf competition featuring former Cal star Aaron Rodgers that will take place Wednesday, June 1.
This is the sixth iteration of The Match, and for the first time it will not feature any pro golfers. Instead it will be a contest of four all-star quarterbacks. The two teams teeing off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time (3:30 p.m. Pacific time) on TNT will be the duo of Rodgers and Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady against the tandem of Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo's Josh Allen.
The Match will be played at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, and the format is 12 holes of match play, modified alternate-shot. The winner of each hole will get one point and the loser none, with each team getting half a point if the hole is halved.
Rodgers and Brady have played in this event in the past. In fact Rodgers and partner Bryson DeChambeau beat Brady and Phil Mickelson last year.
And they have the age advantage. Or is it a disadvantage?
The combined ages of Brady and Rodgers is 82 years, while Allen and Mahomes are 30 years younger at 52 years.
So who is favored to win this, uh, event?
Every oddsmakers has the old men as the favorites
DraftKings Sportsbook has Brady and Rodgers at -160 odds to win, while Allen and Mahomes are at +140. This means a $10 bet on Brady and Rodgers at -160 will pay $16.25 if they win -- a profit of $6.25. A $10 bet on Mahomes and Allen at +140 will pay $24 if they win -- a profit of $14..
Sportsline golf expert Mark McClure has the old men at -160 odds, and the youngsters at +150
Sports Interaction Sportsbook puts Rodgers-Brady odds at -170, although that is down from -200. Mahomes and Allen are at +125.
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"We have the experience," Rodgers said, according to The Athletic's Greg Auman. "Tommy’s played a ton of Pebble Beach events; he’s played The Match a number of times. I’ve played in Pebble and Tahoe. We’ve got a decided advantage."
And here's this:
The most interesting bet would be to wager on the TV ratings for the event. Last July's event, in which Rodgers and DeChambeau defeated Brady and Mickelson, drew 1,249,000 viewers.
It seems risky to bet on a charity event in which the participants are playing a sport that is not the sport in which they are paid. But after seeing the chipping contest . . . Well, take a look here:
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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by William Glasheen, USA TODAY Network
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Rafael Nadal meets Novak Djokovic at the net after winning their French Open quarterfinal, in Paris on May 31.PETE KIEHART/The New York Times News Service
The this-is-the-end-for-Rafael-Nadal industry has been running hot for more than a decade, since he suffered the first of many knee injuries. His knees, his elbows, his back, his wrist – every joint in Nadal’s body has cost him time and money over the years. No great in sports history has been prematurely retired more often.
This guessing game is so much fun that Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, recently hopped on the trend. He came into this year’s French Open suffering from a pernicious and apparently unfixable foot injury.
“Every match I play here at Roland Garros, I don’t know if it’s going to be the last match I play here in my career,” the Spaniard said earlier in the week.
If it’s not his aching feet, it’s the hours he has to keep. Nadal publicly pressed organizers to schedule his matches in the afternoon session. Maybe it’s because the clay runs faster in the midday heat, or maybe it’s because he prefers an early dinner before Jeopardy! starts.
It was this creaky, cranky, rapidly aging and probably already finished has-been who faced world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Tuesday night. Together, the pair produced another minor classic.
Nadal won it in the end, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6. He is now the prohibitive favourite to win this year’s French Open.
That’s the news, but it’s not the story. The winner and loser of this encounter now matters less than the feeling that we are seeing the end of the last great rivalry in men’s tennis. With Roger Federer gone in every sense but literal, Nadal and Djokovic are what remains from the peak era of men’s tennis.
It’s a mug’s game to claim this or that player will never be matched. They always are. But three players, all with good claims on being the best ever, all operating at their height at the same time? That won’t happen again.
Like Nadal, this golden age has been ending for so long it feels as if it’s been buried and dug up again a half-dozen times. But if Nadal is right and he hasn’t got long left, we have to appreciate it while we have a chance. And it is especially urgent we appreciate him at his personal grand slam.
In a nice mirror of history, the two met for the first time in the quarter-finals of another French Open – the 2006 version.
Since then, they’ve played 59 times. Fifty of those matches have been semi-finals or finals. But as their shared grip on the men’s game loosens, these meetings are coming earlier in tournaments.
Two years ago, Nadal vs. Djokovic was the final at Roland Garros. Last year, it was the semis. This time it’s the quarters.
Tuesday’s match didn’t start until after 9 p.m. local time. Never much of a fashion plate, Djokovic wore red and white. Nadal came dressed as a Chiquita banana spokesmodel. At least he didn’t wear pyjamas.
It took Nadal three tries to break Djokovic’s serve in the first game, which lasted more than 10 minutes. You could feel the audience reaching for their phones to text the babysitter: ‘We might be late.’
Apparently, the word injury means something different to Nadal than it does to the rest of us. He ran circles around the indefatigable Djokovic in the early going. He took nine of the first 11 games.
But even up two breaks in the second set, you could feel the crowd hesitating. The French love Nadal, but they hate getting it wrong more. They were waiting for the Serb to join the festivities before laying their bets.
In mid-career, Djokovic’s closest athletic comparison point is Muhammad Ali. When faced with top competition, he is happy to let you think you’re winning, while you are actually just exhausting yourself.
Down two breaks in the second set, Djokovic began applying gas. That evened the match at one set apiece.
After being pulled around the court for four-plus hours by Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime in the round-of-16, the general presumption was that Nadal would show up exhausted.
“I’m glad I didn’t spend too much time on the court myself up until the quarter-finals,” Djokovic said archly before it started.
Nadal broke Djokovic to start the third set. And a happy thought occurred to you – ‘Here we go.’
Nadal pressed his advantage through the third set. In the fourth, Djokovic came on again. He was up 5-2. But old man Nadal stuck a hand out of the grave. He came back to win the deciding set in a tiebreak.
The scores do not adequately reflect the savagery of the tennis. When you read ‘6-4′ you get one idea about a set of tennis. When you hear it took 88 minutes to play it, you have a very different impression. Call this one a narrow victory for experience over technique, or maybe history over progress.
A few hours before this small masterpiece was painted, the presumptive star of the next era of men’s tennis was on the same court.
Carlos Alcaraz, 19, looks a lot like Nadal after a few full-body blood transfusions. Their games share that unusual mix of exuberance and patience.
Alcaraz gets around the court as well or better than anyone playing, but his preferred weapon is the drop shot. The second way he gets you? Fist pumps. Nobody has fist pumped like this kid since a young Nadal made the gesture a tennis cliché.
Alcaraz lost to Alexander Zverev, but he lost with élan. By the end, Zverev looked terrified.
After getting away with one, the German did an on-court, post-match interview. Speaking in English, he told a mildly appalled Paris audience that he’d been doing something highly unsanitary in his pants as the match tightened up. You didn’t get the sense that he is looking forward to the next time.
In large part due to his novelty, Alcaraz was the most electric player at this French Open. The future belongs to him (and, just maybe, one or two Canadians).
But if Nadal vs. Djokovic is what the past looks like, the future can wait a bit.
The Match golf series has evolved over its six iterations since its debut in 2018. It's gone from a match play event featuring only pro golfers to one that pairs pros with athletes from other sports to one that now features no PGA golfers in The Match VI. This event will pit Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers -- who have combined for eight Super Bowls and seven NFL MVP awards -- taking on the tandem of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, who squared off in an epic divisional playoff game last season.
The Match VI will tee off on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET from Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, making the course the first to host multiple editions of the series. The event will be played under shambles rules, meaning each player will tee off before the duos select the best tee shot, and then each player plays their own balls afterwards. The latest Match VI odds have Brady/Rodgers as the -160 favorites (risk $160 to win $100), while Mahomes/Allen is the +150 underdog. Before locking in any Match 6 bets, be sure to see Match VI picks and predictions from SportsLine's proven golf expert, Mike McClure.
McClure, a DFS professional, knows golf inside and out. His proprietary model has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, it's up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.
McClure's model included Justin Thomas in its best bets to win the 2022 PGA Championship. That bet hit at +1600, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned almost $800. At the 2022 Masters, McClure's model was all over Scottie Scheffler's first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.
In addition, McClure was all over Brooks Koepka defeating Bryson DeChambeau as a +110 underdog in The Match V. This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering this event. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.
One of the Match VI props McClure loves: He is backing the Mahomes and Allen duo to be leading after six holes for a +120 payout. This is Brady's third time in The Match series and his teams have yet to be leading after six holes in any of their previous two attempts.
Additionally, underdogs in The Match have, perhaps, been fueled by being slighted as they have won three of the previous five matches. The two underdogs that lost both featured Brady on that losing team as his accuracy with the pigskin hasn't necessarily translated to the golf course.
Brady and Phil Mickelson were 3-down to Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning after six holes of The Match II. Brady/Mickelson failed to break par in any of the six holes while Brady, himself, shot 8-over-par through five of the six holes and failed to even finish the other.
In The Match IV, the Brady and Mickelson pairing fell to the Rodgers/DeChambeau team with Brady, again, the worst of the foursome. During the competition and after a poor tee shot, he compared himself to Charles Barkley, so he's at least self-aware of his inferior golf game.
Meanwhile, Allen and Mahomes should have a length advantage on the par-4s and par-5s, with some of the former exceeding 500 yards in length. Both also have experience competing in golf events as Mahomes played last summer's American Century Championship celebrity tournament while Allen competed in February's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. With Brady having a habit of getting off to a slow start before getting into a groove later in the round, the young guns of Allen and Mahomes are poised to pounce on an early lead in The Match VI.
2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #31 FC Edmonton vs. Forge FC May 31, 2022 at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT Clarke Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here
In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.
Forge FC make their first visit to Edmonton of 2022 this week, as they head to Clarke Stadium for a clash with FC Edmonton on Tuesday night. These sides already met this year, in a 3-0 win for Forge back in Hamilton in April, but the story may well be a different one as the matchup shifts to Alberta.
The Eddies come into this game still looking for their first win of the 2022 campaign. In eight games, they have three draws and five losses, putting them at the bottom of the table as it stands. Alan Koch’s side will come into this midweek fixture hoping to snap a four-game losing streak in CPL play by toppling a difficult opponent in the Hammers.
Thankfully for Edmonton, they’ll play Tuesday having enjoyed some much-needed rest over the past week. Their most recent contest was last Sunday, May 22, when they lost a close 2-1 result at home to Atlético Ottawa.
Forge, meanwhile, are also looking for somewhat of a reversal of fortunes, as they seek to put last Wednesday’s Canadian Championship loss to CF Montréal firmly in the rear-view mirror. That was a match that coach Bobby Smyrniotis counted among the worst performances he’s seen from his club, so this game in Edmonton presents an opportunity to get back on track. Forge seemed to be on the verge of a strong run of form last week, especially when they beat HFX Wanderers FC 4-0 at Wanderers Grounds back on May 20, but the loss in Montréal was a major disappointment for the club.
“We had a tough performance, not indicative of who we are, in the last game out in the Cup, but you move on,” Smyrniotis said on Monday. “The same as when you win games, you just move on; you’re only as good as your next one. This is the next most important game on the schedule, going to a place that’s been proven to be difficult for opponents this year, (Edmonton) have done a good job at home.”
Forge sit in sixth place in the CPL table right now, with two wins, two draws, and three defeats. They’re just one point back of both Valour and York United in fourth and fifth place, and three behind Atlético Ottawa in third, so the Hamilton side will be looking to climb their way up the standings. Plus, this is an important match for Forge to find some form and momentum heading into next Saturday’s match with Toronto FC in the 2020 Canadian Championship Final at Tim Hortons Field.
As mentioned, these sides played each other in Hamilton earlier this year, in a game where Terran Campbell’s two-goal, one-assist performance made the difference in the end.
“That was the first game where we really struggled,” Koch recalled on Monday. “I think I used ‘men against boys’ after that game, and that was a men against boys type of game. We’re hoping tomorrow night’s not going to be a men against boys type of game… We want to show some growth. We struggled last time against Forge; hopefully we can put in a better showing in the game tomorrow. There are no miracle overnight solutions, this is a project with a group of players that are young, who are inexperienced, and we’re going to grow from these experiences but it doesn’t just happen in one day, it doesn’t just happen in a week.”
Historically, clashes between these two have been fairly even; Forge lost 1-0 in Edmonton toward the end of last season, and they fell 2-0 in early July, though they won a rematch in mid-July in the Winnipeg bubble.
Make your match picks prior to kickoff at canpl.ca/predictor for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a trip to the 2022 CPL Final! To learn more about ComeOn!, click here.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
Extended rest period could benefit Eddies: The schedule in the first two months of the season has not been easy for FC Edmonton, who — as of last Sunday — had played more games than all but one team in the CPL. Since then, though, they’ve had just over a full week off, which has allowed them to focus on some much-needed recovery within a fairly battered squad. Head coach Alan Koch explained that the extra days have been quite helpful to his side in allowing them to come into Tuesday a little fresher than they’d been in prior matches — plus, having been away from game action for a bit longer, there’s more hunger within the squad to return to the pitch in full force. “By virtue of us playing so many games in such a short amount of time to start off with it literally feels like it’s been weeks, if not months, since our last game,” Koch said Monday. “It allowed us to give the guys a little bit of time off, but it also allowed us to do some extra work. It allowed us to get some bodies back and healed up. And we’re excited to play the game. If you’re playing a game every three days, or every week, or every nine days, you’re always gonna be excited, but this has allowed us to rest and recover a little bit more and hopefully we can go in and play with renewed vigor in this game.”
Forge leaning on leaders to maintain focus:This trip to Edmonton comes at a tricky time for Forge, right in between two matches against MLS teams. Last week’s loss to CF Montréal was a very disappointing one that has undoubtedly put some more fuel on the fire when it comes to motivation for Saturday’s final against Toronto FC. Before they can think about that, though, there’s this game to worry about. The Eddies have already proven this year that Clarke Stadium is a very difficult place for opposing teams to come; every game they’ve played has been competitive, and they’ve pulled out three well-earned draws at home so far. So, Forge boss Bobby Smyrniotis said on Monday that he’ll be leaning on his more experienced players — the likes of Kyle Bekker, Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, and Triston Henry — to ensure the squad is not looking past this game — one where the visitors need a result to push themselves up the table. “We have quite a few guys in here who have been here since 2019, and with us playing a lot of big games on the schedule, having league games in between, it’s something they’ve been accustomed to,” Smyrniotis said. “Having guys who have experienced that over the last three and a half seasons, it gives us that guided influence for some of the new players and younger guys. That’s what makes them not only good players on the field but also leaders off the field.”
Singh suspension provides challenging opportunity for young FCE defenders: Centre-back Luke Singh, on loan from Toronto FC, has been one of the most dependable players for FC Edmonton so far this year; he’s played every minute of all but one of their games, having missed out on a trip to Pacific, and he’s even worn the captain’s armband on several occasions. However, he’ll be suspended for Tuesday’s match after being sent off for a second yellow card last weekend against Atlético Ottawa. The Eddies have rotated several other young players through the backline alongside Singh, from Nyal Higgins to Bicou Bissainthe to Cale Loughrey, and they might need all of them on Tuesday. Perhaps this will be a contest where FCE returns to the back five in defence to deal with Forge’s attacking threat — though it will depend on who’s available, and if the likes of Wesley Timoteo and T-boy Fayia are able to play on the flanks in that line. “We’re FC Opportunity right now, that’s who we are,” Koch said. “We lose a player through suspension, another player gets an opportunity. Luke’s a young player, it means one of the younger guys is going to get an opportunity. We’ve had Cale (Loughrey) play, we’ve had Kelsey (Egwu) play, we have a few options, and we can adjust formation if we need to… We’re disappointed to see Luke get suspended because he’s been ever present for us, but we embrace it. Now another guy gets a chance. We haven’t just played 11 players; that’s the beauty of what we have. We’re using what we have, so the guys are used to us having to adjust and we’ll adjust in this game.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
FC Edmonton wins: 4 || Forge FC wins: 5 || Draws: 1
Previous match:
April 23, 2022 – Forge FC 3-0 FC Edmonton
KEY QUOTES
“We go into every single game as if it’s a new game. I said to the players today at the end of training, tomorrow is our Champions League final, because this is the game we want to play and perform. But once we finish that game, the next game becomes our Champions League final, the very next week. We have to have that mentality because we need to be hungry. We haven’t won a game yet; we can make excuses, we can use factors, but at the end of the day we want to go into every game and do whatever it takes to try and achieve a positive result.” — FC Edmonton head coach Alan Koch
“This is what we call the banana peel game sometimes. When you look at the opponent you’re playing, they’re at the bottom of the table, but then you look at the results of Edmonton and they’ve all been very close, especially at home — whether it’s been a tie, in the last moments where they’ve given up a lead, or it’s been a very close game for them. We know going there’s not an easy place to play. It’s not the best field in quality of the turf, so concentration needs to be at its highest. Sometimes for the players it’s easy to get ready to play a game against Toronto FC, or a final, or a Concacaf game, but these ones are the ones that need the highest level of concentration.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
For the sixth time in history, The Match, returns to demonstrate the talent that many have in golf, although this time the participants will be NFL players and here we tell you all the details of this charity event.
Tom Brady: "I'm not a sports machine"
Who will play in the charity match?
For this occasion, we will not see Bryson DeChambeau or Brooks Koepka facing each other as happened last year in The Match 5. Now, on the green will be two NFL legends, as well as two established players looking to extend their history in the league.
And when we say legends, we know you're thinking of Tom Brady and let us tell you, you're right. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB will be teaming up with another great, in this case Aaron Rodgers who will remain in the ring as Green Bay Packers quarterback for three more years.
However, that's not all for The Match VI and is that the also QBs, Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) will face the aforementioned.
"We wanted it to be a wrestling matchup, but the lawyers told us that our contracts prohibited it. Let's split their asses Aaron Rodgers," Brady posted on his Twitter account.
This duel will be a 12-hole round and will obviously be on a friendly basis. Also, all proceeds will be donated.
When will The Match take place?
The match will take place at the Wynn Golf Club course in Paradise, Nevada, very close to Las Vegas, on Wednesday, June 1. For the first time in the event's history, it will return to a course where it has already been played.
The Wynn Golf Club course is a Par-70 course that stretches 6,722 yards. The course, which is located just outside of Las Vegas, includes numerous elevation changes and water hazards that will challenge all four quarterbacks.
This event will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. CT and 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
The Match is returning for the sixth time in 2022, but for the first time in event history, it will be returning to a course at which it has already been played.
Of course, this time neither DeChambeau nor Koepka will participate in the event. In fact, no pro golfer will be involved in the event. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are set to tee off against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in an all-NFL version of The Match.
The quarterbacks have already had a fun week of trash-talking one another, and Rodgers referred to Mahomes as "Kermit" in one particularly comical dig. Soon, they will take to the course to settle the friendly competition.
Here's everything to know about the course and which holes to keep a close eye on during The Match.
The Match will be held at Wynn Golf Club in Paradise, Nev. for the second consecutive iteration of the event. The course is located at the Wynn resort and casino in Las Vegas, Nev. It was built by Steve Wynn and Tony Fazio on the site of the former Desert Inn course on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Wynn Golf Club's course is a Par-70 course that spans 6,722 yards. The course — which is located just outside of Las Vegas — includes numerous elevation changes and water hazards which will prove challenging for the four quarterbacks to navigate.
The Wynn Golf Club course is shorter than those accustomed to watching PGA Tour golf are used to, and with good reason. There aren't any professional golfers participating in the event this year.
That said, Brady, Rodgers, Mahomes and Allen will still be tested by the course. It features a lot of elevation changes and water hazards, so it will be important for the quartet to hit accurate shots and avoid splashdowns and challenging lies.
The water will be particularly important — and difficult — to avoid. It is within reach of 12 of the 18 holes on the course. The foursome of quarterbacks is playing just 12 holes, but it's unclear which ones they will play at this time.
The best hole on the course is the 18th. It typically plays as a 249-yard Par-3 and the green is right up against an enormous waterfall. A pond extends from the waterfall and to the left of the green, so the contests will need to be careful not to miss left or long.
The Wynn Golf Club is the only place to have held The Match twice. The event was played at five different venues in the first five editions of the event at golf courses in Nevada, Florida, Arizona and Montana.
Below is a run-down of each of the locations of the event since it debuted in 2018:
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes & Josh Allen
Wynn Golf Club
Paradise, Nev.
The location of the seventh iteration of The Match has not yet been announced. The event's participants and date have been announced sporadically in the past — and typically, just months in advance of the event — so it's unclear when we might know more about the future of The Match.
The Match is returning for the sixth time in 2022, but for the first time in event history, it will be returning to a course at which it has already been played.
Of course, this time neither DeChambeau nor Koepka will participate in the event. In fact, no pro golfer will be involved in the event. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are set to tee off against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in an all-NFL version of The Match.
The quarterbacks have already had a fun week of trash-talking one another, and Rodgers referred to Mahomes as "Kermit" in one particularly comical dig. Soon, they will take to the course to settle the friendly competition.
Here's everything to know about the course and which holes to keep a close eye on during The Match.
The Match will be held at Wynn Golf Club in Paradise, Nev. for the second consecutive iteration of the event. The course is located at the Wynn resort and casino in Las Vegas, Nev. It was built by Steve Wynn and Tony Fazio on the site of the former Desert Inn course on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Wynn Golf Club's course is a Par-70 course that spans 6,722 yards. The course — which is located just outside of Las Vegas — includes numerous elevation changes and water hazards which will prove challenging for the four quarterbacks to navigate.
The Wynn Golf Club course is shorter than those accustomed to watching PGA Tour golf are used to, and with good reason. There aren't any professional golfers participating in the event this year.
That said, Brady, Rodgers, Mahomes and Allen will still be tested by the course. It features a lot of elevation changes and water hazards, so it will be important for the quartet to hit accurate shots and avoid splashdowns and challenging lies.
The water will be particularly important — and difficult — to avoid. It is within reach of 12 of the 18 holes on the course. The foursome of quarterbacks is playing just 12 holes, but it's unclear which ones they will play at this time.
The best hole on the course is the 18th. It typically plays as a 249-yard Par-3 and the green is right up against an enormous waterfall. A pond extends from the waterfall and to the left of the green, so the contests will need to be careful not to miss left or long.
The Wynn Golf Club is the only place to have held The Match twice. The event was played at five different venues in the first five editions of the event at golf courses in Nevada, Florida, Arizona and Montana.
Below is a run-down of each of the locations of the event since it debuted in 2018:
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes & Josh Allen
Wynn Golf Club
Paradise, Nev.
The location of the seventh iteration of The Match has not yet been announced. The event's participants and date have been announced sporadically in the past — and typically, just months in advance of the event — so it's unclear when we might know more about the future of The Match.
Final Score: Pacific FC 2-2 Valour FC (ComeOn! Match of the Week)
Goalscorers: Dos Santos 56′, Diaz 71′; Rea 36′, Fordyce 48′
Game of the 2022 season: 29
CPL match: 280
Match in a minute or less
Much like when they first met earlier this season, Pacific FC and Valour FC certainly brought the drama once again on Saturday, combining for a thrilling 2-2 draw in this week’s ComeOn! Match of the Week.
To begin the game, Valour came out flying, nabbing a 1-0 lead through Sean Rea, who scored a goal of the season candidate from way out, before Daryl Fordyce made it two for the guests shortly after half time.
Despite that slow start, Pacific would claw things back in the second half, however, as a fantastic goal from Gianni Dos Santos and a headed tally from Alejandro Diaz allowed them to snatch a result, extending their unbeaten run at home to six matches in the process.
Three Observations
Pacific and Valour pick up where they left off in chaotic match:
Based on what we saw when these two teams last met, which was an entertaining 3-2 Pacific win back in April, it was hard to know if there’d be a repeat of that sort of game this time around. Often, it’s rare to see teams combine for two such games in a row, as teams will adjust heavily in order to avoid a repeat of such an occurrence.
Yet, despite their best attempts to adjust, Pacific and Valour didn’t heed that advice, as that drama was on full display once again in this game. Despite not seeing each other for almost six weeks, both sides just picked up where they left off last time out, not missing a beat whatsoever in ensuring that this game was ramped up to the max.
Right from the beginning of the match, where Valour grabbed the lead off of a magical goal from Sean Rea, to the end, where both teams pushed and pushed for a later winner, leading for tempers to boil over in extra time, this game did not lack for entertainment.
Despite being two very different teams, with Valour looking to be strong at the back and create through their wide players, while Pacific aims to control play on both sides of the ball from the middle, their two styles just create these sort of wide-open matches, one where both teams are left with all sorts of chances. But if anything, that also shows the quality on both sides.
On Pacific’s end, their attacking talent is well-known, as the likes of Alejandro Diaz, Marco Bustos, Josh Heard and Manny Aparicio have led the way this year for them, finding a way to combine nicely on several occasions. You combine the depth that the likes of Gianni Dos Santos, Matteo Polisi, Kamron Habibullah and Djenairo Daniels add on top of that, it means that Pacific isn’t shy in rotating, as they did in this game, for example.
Meanwhile, on Valour, there’s a reason why they’re now the highest-scoring team in the league, as when they get William Akio, Alessandro Riggi, Sean Rea and Moses Dyer going, they can be fun to watch. Especially in transition, where they have the speed and creativity to really hurt teams, they’ve had moments where they’ve been almost unplayable defensively.
Through that, that has led to these two games, one where goals have not been lacking. They won’t be games that the coaches will be happy with when watching back, at least not from a defensive perspective, but it’s certainly been fun for the neutrals, especially those who like goals.
“I don’t know what happened there,” Pacific’s head coach, James Merriman, said of how these teams match up. “But they attack (a lot), they have players that can hurt you in transition, and have some attacking players that don’t stop, they want to continue, so there’s gonna be goals there. And when spaces open (on their end), that’s where we can go in transition as well. So I think there’s always going to be goals between our two teams the way that we like to play.”
“I don’t know (what happened),” Valour’s head coach, Phil Dos Santos, added on his end. “I think when you have two good teams playing against each other, that’s what’s gonna happen. These are two teams that are not afraid, that respect each other, but that also have personality.”
Pacific (right) and Valour’s (left) shot map from the day, showing the chaotic nature of the game
Set pieces power strong start from Valour:
A big area of improvement for Valour so far this season? Their set-pieces at both ends of the pitch, and that continued into this one, especially at the beginning of the match.
In fact, both of their goals on Saturday came off such moments, as Rea’s wonder tally would not have been possible had they not successfully defended a corner just seconds earlier, while Fordyce’s goal came directly off of an offensive corner.
But that was just a reflection of Valour’s dominance on those sort of set pieces on the night, as they really found a way to get some joy in that area.
Starting on the defensive side of things, where they hardly gave up a sniff to a dangerous Pacific side, it really gave Valour structure on the day.
Through Jonathan Sirois, who did a great job at organizing his box and punching most crosses away, along with his defenders, mainly Rocco Romeo and Stefan Cebara, doing the rest, that made them nearly unbeatable in their box on set pieces. As a result, it really allowed them to find some joy at the other end, as they knew that if they stayed solid and avoided giving up any cheap goals to Pacific, they’d be free to do some damage offensively.
So while they’ll be disappointed with giving up two goals in a game they played so well in, the fact that they gave up just 0.82 Expected Goals (xG) on just 10 shots to the team with the most xG for in the league is a big plus, especially considering that they were on the road.
Yet, that’s been business as usual for Valour, who have taken real pride in being a strong set-piece team, noting before the season that it was an area where they could really have some joy. As Dos Santos explained after the fact, he felt that it was a part of their game where his team could really take some steps forward, potentially paying off for them in the long run, and from what he’s seen, he so far feels validated in that choice.
“We’ve been good all season,” Dos Santos said of his team’s set-pieces. “We have this objective at the end of the year, when we look at our chart, we need to be in the plus when it comes to set pieces, to have more goals scored than conceded, because that means you’re giving yourself a chance to win matches.”
Because of that, look for them to continue to grow in their set-piece dominance going forward. It’s not always pretty, but it’s a good skill to have, especially given some of the aerial threats that exist in the league, making Valour’s work in that area quite impressive.
As seen in this chart, Pacific didn’t have a single successful set-piece delivery in this game.
New look wide threat allows Pacific to snatch a point:
Typically, this season, Pacific hasn’t been one for much traditional wing play, as the wide players in their 4-2-3-1 system typically play a lot more inverted, staggering the field towards the center of the pitch.
With their goal being to get usual right midfielder, Marco Bustos, to play as more of a #10, freeing up the dangerous overlapping threat of right back Kunle Dada-Luke, with a similar partnership happening on the left between Josh Heard and Nathan Mavila, it’s meant that Pacific’s wide threat this season has often come from their full backs, instead of their wingers.
But with Bustos coming off at half time in this game, Pacific decided to employ more natural wide players in his absence, as his replacement, Josh Heard, slotted in as a winger, joining Gianni Dos Santos, who started the game on the left, on the other side of striker Djenairo Daniels.
Through that, Pacific would get right back into the game, turning around Valour’s two-goal lead. First, through their opening goal, which came off the boot of Dos Santos, and then the second tally, which came from a nice cross in from Heard to Alejandro Diaz, their newfound width was key in those tallies, really putting Valour under pressure in those areas.
Yet, that just shows how important that wide threat was for Pacific in this game, as it gave them a bit of a new dimension to their attack. Instead of what they usually try to do on the ball, which is to cut inside and whenever possible, they really tried to attack the wide areas and catch Valour’s defenders on the turn before then sliding into the middle, creating a bit of a new look for themselves.
All of Dos Santos’s and Heard’s actions from this game.
So seeing that, it’ll be intriguing to see if that’s something that Pacific looks to employ more often, as they continue to evolve tactically as a team. With Dos Santos looking especially dangerous as of late, and Heard remaining his usual steady self, employing them together on the wings could really help them stretch the field, as it did in this game.
“Yeah, I think Josh (Heard) is very direct,” Merriman said. “And Gianni (Dos Santos) loves to cut inside.”
“I’m very happy with both of them.”
From there, that would theoretically open the room for some of the players that they have in the middle of the park, which considering how opponents have started to set up against Pacific as of late, clogging the middle whenever possible, could be a good counter to that.
“In the game, in training, we practice that,” Gianni Dos Santos said of his partnership with Heard. “And in a game, we wanted to try it out, and it gave us a good threat on both sides, we were very dangerous (as a result of that).”
Plus, as teams continue to really hone in on Pacific, with them currently being the team to beat atop the table, having that sort of tactical versatility doesn’t hurt, as it will leave opponents guessing.
So although this might not have been Pacific’s finest match, especially in terms of their uncharacteristic slow start, that they emerged with this potential new tactical wrinkle in their back pocket is a plus, one that they’ll look to carry forward into future matches.
Pacific’s attack map from this game, showing their desire to attack down the flanks
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Gianni Dos Santos, Pacific FC
Making his first league start of the season, Dos Santos was a force down the left-hand side for the hosts, looking dangerous all match long. Because of that, it felt like his goal was a deserved one for him, capping off a solid night at the office, to which he added two shots, two chances created and three dribbles in a lively performance.
What’s next?
With their homestand now concluded, Pacific will head out on the road now, kicking off a three-game road trip on Sunday, June 5th, when they’ll visit the Nation’s capital to take on Atlético Ottawa at TD Place (10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET). Meanwhile, Valour will return home for a three-game homestand, which they’ll kick off with a game against that same Ottawa side on Wednesday, June 1st at IG Field (7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET).
Watch all matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.
PARIS (AP) — It's been so long since No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek lost — 31 matches in a row — and even since she ceded so much as a set — that last happened more than a month ago — that she could be forgiven if she couldn't recall how to react when in trouble on a tennis court.
Which is why it was worth watching as the 2020 French Open champion navigated a couple of tricky spots in the third round at Roland Garros on Saturday.
Turns out Swiatek didn't panic and didn't allow thoughts about this dominant run coming to an end distract her in what would become a 6-3, 7-5 victory against hard-hitting Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.
“Thinking about all these stats, it’s not really helpful. So basically I try to be really strict in terms of my thoughts and try to really focus on ... finding solutions,” said Swiatek, a 20-year-old from Poland whose last name is pronounced shvee-ON'-tek. “The thoughts are there, but I’m accepting that."
Also Saturday, Canada's Leylah Fernandez and Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to the second-seeded duo of Russia's Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens of Belgium.
Fernandez, from Montreal, will play her fourth-round singles match Sunday against American Amanda Anisimova, the same day that Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime was set to play Spain's Rafael Nadal.
Kovinic also got a too-close-for-comfort look at Swiatek's predecessor atop the WTA rankings, the since-retired Ash Barty, during a 6-0, 6-0 loss at the Australian Open in January.
After Saturday's setback, Kovinic said she was dealing with a nerve issue in her right shoulder and felt tingling in that arm and two of her fingers. She also said she made sure to deliver a message to Swiatek when they shook hands at the net.
“I told her, ‘Keep going.' It’s really great for tennis, for our sport, what she's doing. Obviously, she has something extra that the rest of us don’t have," the 95th-ranked Kovinic said. “She has something special. What it is, I don’t know.”
Well, let's try to answer. Swiatek's serve, for example, is solid but not es pecially speedy; her fastest Saturday was 108 mph, 7 mph slower than Kovinic produced. Swiatek's groundstrokes are smooth, sure, but as with anyone's are liable to waver; her forehand was particularly problematic on a windy afternoon with the temperature in the low 60s Fahrenheit (teens in Celsius), accounting for 17 of her 23 unforced errors.
Speed guns and statistics, though, can't account for two traits that stand out: an ability to remain in the moment and willingness to think her way out of a corner.
Early on, when a 3-0 lead shrank to 4-3, Swiatek grabbed eight consecutive points to own that set. In the second, she dropped four straight games to trail 5-4. Might have been time to think, “Uh, oh.” Instead, Swiatek adjusted to Kovinic's style by using guile instead of attempting to match power with power, and she reeled off the last three games to finish the job.
“For sure," Swiatek said, "played a little bit more smart.”
Her next opponent is Zheng Qinwen, a 19-year-old from China who is ranked 74th and in her second Grand Slam tournament.
“I really want to play against her,” said Zheng, who was ahead 6-0, 3-0 when Alize Cornet stopped playing because of an injured left leg.
Other women’s fourth-rounders are Jessica Pegula vs. Irina-Camelia Begu, who was fined $10,000 after she threw her racket and it bounced into the stands and brushed a child in the stands earlier in the week; Daria Kasatkina vs. Camila Giorgi; Veronika Kudermetova vs. Elena Rybakina or Madison Keys.
The relatively surprise-free men's results continued to pour in, with No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 7 Andrey Rublev, No. 11 Jannik Sinner, No. 12 Hubert Hurkacz and No. 20 Marin Cilic advancing. All won in straight sets, except for Rublev, who required four.
The top seven men's seeds are into the fourth round; No. 8 Casper Ruud played later Saturday.
In second-round mixed doubles play, the third-seeded duo of Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Australia's John Peers beat the Polish team of Lukasz Kubot and Alicja Rosolska 6-1, 6-4.
No. 11 Pegula, whose parents own the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres, and Swiatek are the only two of the top 15 seeds remaining in the women's bracket.
“She’s kind of hit another level than all of us right now. Yeah, it's a little scary,” said Pegula, who needed 10 match points to close out her first-round victory, then eight more in her next match, but sealed Saturday's 6-1, 7-6 (2) win over 2021 semifinalist Tamara Zidansek on her initial chance.
One more victory apiece, and Swiatek becomes Pegula's problem in the quarterfinals.
“Her athleticism and defensive skills are really, really good," Pegula said. "And then, I think, she’s gotten much more offensive this year. Been more aggressive when she’s needed to be.”
Swiatek has won her past four tournaments and 48 of her past 49 sets; the exception came against Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals at Stuttgart on April 23. The last match Swiatek lost was against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko back on Feb. 16 in the round of 16 at Dubai.
She's won a total of 15 sets by a 6-0 score this season, but Swiatek showed Saturday she can handle it when things get tight.
“It wasn’t surprising, it wasn’t weird,” Swiatek said. “It’s not that I forgot how to play these kinds of sets."
___
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PARIS (AP) — It's been so long since No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek lost — 31 matches in a row — and even since she ceded so much as a set — that last happened more than a month ago — that she could be forgiven if she couldn't recall how to react when in trouble on a tennis court.
Which is why it was worth watching as the 2020 French Open champion navigated a couple of tricky spots in the third round at Roland Garros on Saturday.
Turns out Swiatek didn't panic and didn't allow thoughts about this dominant run coming to an end distract her in what would become a 6-3, 7-5 victory against hard-hitting Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.
“Thinking about all these stats, it’s not really helpful. So basically I try to be really strict in terms of my thoughts and try to really focus on ... finding solutions,” said Swiatek, a 20-year-old from Poland whose last name is pronounced shvee-ON'-tek. “The thoughts are there, but I’m accepting that."
Also Saturday, Canada's Leylah Fernandez and Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to the second-seeded duo of Russia's Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens of Belgium.
Fernandez, from Montreal, will play her fourth-round singles match Sunday against American Amanda Anisimova, the same day that Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime was set to play Spain's Rafael Nadal.
Kovinic also got a too-close-for-comfort look at Swiatek's predecessor atop the WTA rankings, the since-retired Ash Barty, during a 6-0, 6-0 loss at the Australian Open in January.
After Saturday's setback, Kovinic said she was dealing with a nerve issue in her right shoulder and felt tingling in that arm and two of her fingers. She also said she made sure to deliver a message to Swiatek when they shook hands at the net.
“I told her, ‘Keep going.' It’s really great for tennis, for our sport, what she's doing. Obviously, she has something extra that the rest of us don’t have," the 95th-ranked Kovinic said. “She has something special. What it is, I don’t know.”
Well, let's try to answer. Swiatek's serve, for example, is solid but not es pecially speedy; her fastest Saturday was 108 mph, 7 mph slower than Kovinic produced. Swiatek's groundstrokes are smooth, sure, but as with anyone's are liable to waver; her forehand was particularly problematic on a windy afternoon with the temperature in the low 60s Fahrenheit (teens in Celsius), accounting for 17 of her 23 unforced errors.
Speed guns and statistics, though, can't account for two traits that stand out: an ability to remain in the moment and willingness to think her way out of a corner.
Early on, when a 3-0 lead shrank to 4-3, Swiatek grabbed eight consecutive points to own that set. In the second, she dropped four straight games to trail 5-4. Might have been time to think, “Uh, oh.” Instead, Swiatek adjusted to Kovinic's style by using guile instead of attempting to match power with power, and she reeled off the last three games to finish the job.
“For sure," Swiatek said, "played a little bit more smart.”
Her next opponent is Zheng Qinwen, a 19-year-old from China who is ranked 74th and in her second Grand Slam tournament.
“I really want to play against her,” said Zheng, who was ahead 6-0, 3-0 when Alize Cornet stopped playing because of an injured left leg.
Other women’s fourth-rounders are Jessica Pegula vs. Irina-Camelia Begu, who was fined $10,000 after she threw her racket and it bounced into the stands and brushed a child in the stands earlier in the week; Daria Kasatkina vs. Camila Giorgi; Veronika Kudermetova vs. Elena Rybakina or Madison Keys.
The relatively surprise-free men's results continued to pour in, with No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 7 Andrey Rublev, No. 11 Jannik Sinner, No. 12 Hubert Hurkacz and No. 20 Marin Cilic advancing. All won in straight sets, except for Rublev, who required four.
The top seven men's seeds are into the fourth round; No. 8 Casper Ruud played later Saturday.
In second-round mixed doubles play, the third-seeded duo of Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Australia's John Peers beat the Polish team of Lukasz Kubot and Alicja Rosolska 6-1, 6-4.
No. 11 Pegula, whose parents own the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres, and Swiatek are the only two of the top 15 seeds remaining in the women's bracket.
“She’s kind of hit another level than all of us right now. Yeah, it's a little scary,” said Pegula, who needed 10 match points to close out her first-round victory, then eight more in her next match, but sealed Saturday's 6-1, 7-6 (2) win over 2021 semifinalist Tamara Zidansek on her initial chance.
One more victory apiece, and Swiatek becomes Pegula's problem in the quarterfinals.
“Her athleticism and defensive skills are really, really good," Pegula said. "And then, I think, she’s gotten much more offensive this year. Been more aggressive when she’s needed to be.”
Swiatek has won her past four tournaments and 48 of her past 49 sets; the exception came against Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals at Stuttgart on April 23. The last match Swiatek lost was against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko back on Feb. 16 in the round of 16 at Dubai.
She's won a total of 15 sets by a 6-0 score this season, but Swiatek showed Saturday she can handle it when things get tight.
“It wasn’t surprising, it wasn’t weird,” Swiatek said. “It’s not that I forgot how to play these kinds of sets."
___
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Players on Canada's men's soccer team raised concerns about a controversial friendly match against Iran — and Canada Soccer confirms that pushback factored into its sudden decision to cancel the event.
"Canada Soccer heard those private concerns and took them into consideration as part of the decision-making process," wrote Canada Soccer in a media statement.
The organization also said it hasn't paid any fees to Iran's team. Iranian officials had told state-affiliated media that Canada Soccer would pay them $400,000 for the exhibition game, which reportedly would have allowed Iran's team to turn a profit off a friendly match for the first time in more than two decades.
Now, the Iranian soccer team says it will pursue damages through FIFA from Canada Soccer for cancelling the game. Iran's deputy minister of sport announced the team is seeking $10 million in penalties.
"[Canada Soccer] simply sent us a letter announcing the termination," spokesperson for Iran's soccer team Mohammad Jamaat wrote in a rare response to CBC News. "We are not provided with specific details."
The match was called off abruptly Thursday morning in a terse two-line tweet from Canada Soccer.
The organization issued a statement that evening saying it had the best of intentions and organized the match to prepare the men's soccer team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
The "untenable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran became significantly divisive" over the past week, Canada Soccer wrote.
WATCH/ Canada Soccer cancels controversial match against Iran
Canada Soccer cancels controversial match against Iran
2 days ago
Duration 2:08
Officials at Canada Soccer have cancelled an exhibition game against Iran’s team that was scheduled for Vancouver in June, saying it’s become ‘significantly divisive’ after families of the victims in Flight PS752's downing urged the organization to call off the match.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative MPs and Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart all objected to the planned match. B'nai Brith Canada, an independent Jewish human rights organization, said it filed an order in Federal Court this week to prohibit any transfer of Canadian funds to the Iranian soccer federation.
The families of those who died in the destruction of Flight PS752 were particularly outspoken. They called the game a slap in the face because their loved ones were killed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC shot down the commercial plane in 2020 — killing all 176 passengers and crew members, including 85 Canadians and permanent residents.
Experts say sports and politics are intertwined in Iran and the IRGC has ties to the team.
Iranian national soccer team manager Hamid Estili (left) with Mahmoud Khazein (right) at a birthday party on April 8. (Entekhab )
Iranian news outlets say Estili was in Turkey to pick up the team's Canadian visas on Thursday when Canada Soccer announced it had called off the match.
Jamaat said Canada Soccer sent the Iranian soccer team a letter about the cancellation.
"It was a very strange and unusual event for us, which can be said to be unprecedented," said Jamaat, who added the team is now considering its options.
Soccer journalists have said that Iran has struggled to book friendly matches in the past ahead of the World Cup and that Canada Soccer should have anticipated a negative response.
Neither Canada Soccer nor Iran's team would provide CBC News with a copy of the contract for the game, saying it's confidential.
More than 40,000 tickets had been sold for the match. Those ticket-holders will be reimbursed, said Canada Soccer.
WATCH / Canada to pay Iran's team $400,000 for Vancouver match, according to Iranian official
Canada Soccer to pay Iran’s team $400K for controversial soccer match
4 days ago
Duration 2:05
There’s growing controversy around a planned exhibition match between the Canadian and Iranian soccer teams set for Vancouver for June. CBC News has reported that Canada Soccer will pay $400,000 to Iran’s soccer federation for the game — and that the head of Iran’s team attended a party with a man wanted by the FBI in relation to an alleged plot to kidnap international targets.
2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #30 York United vs. Cavalry FC May 29, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET York Lions Stadium in Toronto, Ontario Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here
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For the second time this season, Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and Cavalry FC will travel to take on Martin Nash and York United this Sunday afternoon as the two former colleagues go head-to-head once again.
Last time these two sides met, on April 22, it was the Nine Stripes who came out on top, as former Cav Oliver Minatel opened the scoring in the first half and Osaze De Rosario added a second later in the game in a comprehensive 2-0 win for York.
Since that defeat at York Lions Stadium, Cavalry have not lost a match. They’ve won three out of four league matches, the only draw coming away to HFX Wanderers FC thanks to Daan Klomp’s dramatic late equalizer, and they’ve also played two close-fought Canadian Championship ties — a win over FC Edmonton and a defeat on penalty kicks to Vancouver Whitecaps.
Overall, Cavalry sit second in the CPL table, with three wins, two draws, and two losses for 11 points. They’re six points back of first-place Pacific, but they’ve managed to gain a slight edge on the logjam in the middle of the pack — except for Atlético Ottawa, with whom they’re level on points.
The Cavs are fresh off that Canadian Championship elimination to the Whitecaps in midweek, where they took a lead thanks to a Myer Bevan screamer but ultimately fell on penalties to bow out in the quarterfinals.
Speaking of bowing, York goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos had his curtain call on Tuesday when he stopped two spot kicks in a penalty shootout against Pacific FC in their own quarterfinal. Although the hosts Pacific equalized right at the death, the Nine Stripes advanced thanks to Giantsopoulos’ heroics.
In CPL play, York sit fourth in the table thanks to their 2-3-2 record and nine points. They drew 0-0 with Pacific in their last league match, but lost to Valour FC before that. They also haven’t lost at home since their opening-day defeat to HFX Wanderers, winning two and drawing one since.
“Defensively we’re in a very good place,” head coach Nash said Friday. “Attacking wise, we’ve been discussing getting more runners in the box, getting more balls in the box, getting more action in the box. We did that a little bit better in the Pacific game and I think it still needs to get better, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
Both teams are dealing with a handful of injuries — Wheeldon revealed that Cavalry will have the same group available to choose from as they had against the Whitecaps, though Joe Mason is close to returning. York, meanwhile, will remain without Max Ferrari, Michael Petrasso, and Austin Ricci, among a couple others dealing with knocks.
It’s always a fierce, competitive battle between these two sides, and Sunday afternoon’s match should be no different. Plus, expect a lively day at York Lions Stadium; it’s Italian Heritage Day at the stadium, plus any fans who stick around will be treated to a League1 Ontario match North Toronto Nitros and Vaughan Azzurri after the CPL game.
Make your match picks prior to kickoff at canpl.ca/predictor for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a trip to the 2022 CPL Final! To learn more about ComeOn!, click here.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
Cavalry rolling since early-season loss at York: The Cavalry FC that we’ve seen since their 2-0 loss at York in April has been a little different from the team of the first three games of the year. They haven’t lost since that match, having scored nine goals in four league matches and conceded just three. They’ve been more dangerous from set-pieces, and they’ve been finishing more of their ventures into the penalty area. They’ve made a few tactical tweaks in the time since that loss, but Tommy Wheeldon Jr. primarily puts it down to a renewed motivation within his side after taking a frustrating defeat. “I think sometimes a loss is your toughest critic, because then you have to self-reflect,” he said Friday. “That one was probably our most disappointing performance of the season, to be honest, and it’s a good reminder for the importance of today’s game as a bit of redemption. The boys are in a good place, we just looked at ourselves and thought what we could do better, changed a few nuances in our tactical lineup and the way we approach the game, but our principles stayed the same.”
Attacking end key to York turning draws into wins:York United have been, arguably, the best defensive team in the CPL so far this season. They’ve conceded just one goal in their last three league matches, and just five overall in CPL play — the fewest of any team in the league. However, they still have yet to start putting games to bed, and collecting all three points from solid defensive performances. Coach Martin Nash explained on Friday that he’s been very happy with his side’s work in their own half, but the next evolution of the team is to become more dangerous in the attacking third — although a few of their key forward options are unavailable at the moment. “I think a lot of it is at the attacking end,” Nash said. “We’ve not made the connection and been sharp, but we’ve also had a lot of turnover and change. Max (Ferrari)’s out, Austin (Ricci)’s out, Mikey (Petrasso)’s out, so we’ve had to chop and change our lineup a bit. Friday against Pacific we started six central midfielders… We get through this tough period, get some guys back and hopefully we get into more of a flow in the attacking end. But it’s coming.”
Myer Bevan heating up for Cavalry: Is Cavalry’s Myer Bevan the most in-form striker in the CPL right now? He’s certainly up there among the league’s other top number nines. Bevan’s outstanding goal against Vancouver in the Canadian Championship was his fifth in his last four games (all competitions), as the New Zealand-born forward seems to have found his feet in Calgary. With Joe Mason out due to injury, it’s been a massive revelation for the Cavs to see Bevan start performing at the level they thought he could when they signed him in the off-season. He’s sure to be the focal point of the attack on Sunday, so it’ll be another excellent test for York’s centre-backs — who, in fairness, did very well marking Mason last time these teams met. “We’ve renamed him Fire Bevan, he’s just on fire right now,” Wheeldon said of his striker. “Anything he hits goes in; he’s scoring goals in different ways, that’s a true number nine. It’s off his shoulder against Halifax, it’s a bullet header against Edmonton, it’s a rebound on a penalty, it’s a penalty, and that’s one of the goals of the season especially given the gravity of our opponent. He is on fire, and he’s great to have because we signed him knowing how good he is, and I think he’s now showing how good he is.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
York United wins: 1 || Cavalry FC wins: 7 || Draws: 2
Previous match:
April 22, 2021 – York United 2-0 Cavalry FC
KEY QUOTES
“They changed shape (since the last York-Cavalry game), which arguably improved them with their results. They’re a tough team, they did really well midweek against the Whitecaps. They’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of good attacking pieces as well. We’re gonna have to be at our best to keep them at bay, but I think like with every team in this league you’ve got to worry about yourself mostly.” — York United head coach Martin Nash
“The boys are in a really good place and shouldn’t need to motivate them any extra for what it means to play York — I mean, we should thank York because they’re the start of our good form after that. But now we need to go there and avenge the loss we had.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #29 (ComeOn! Match of the Week) Pacific FC vs. Valour FC May 28, 2022 at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here
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Just over a month removed from an entertaining 3-2 game at Starlight Stadium, Pacific FC and Valour FC are getting set for the rematch this weekend, as they meet at Starlight once again in the ComeOn! Match of the Week.
This time, they’ll look to avenge what they learned in that game, which looking back, stands out as one of the most memorable matches of the season, as despite a dominant Pacific performance, Valour almost surprised in a late comeback in a 90-minute sprint that nearly had it all.
Because of that, both teams will have a lot to want to change from that game this time around.
On Pacific’s side, they’ll want to be more efficient on Saturday, as despite a dominant performance in that April clash, one where they won the Expected Goals (xG) battle by a whopping 5.22 to 0.89, they were left to sweat right until the final whistle on the afternoon. So in this match, they’ll want to repeat a similar performance, but be more efficient at both ends, instead of risking throwing away valuable points at home.
Yet, that’s been a common theme with Pacific this season. Sitting with a league-leading 13.53 xG for, and a solid 6.7 xG against, they’ve slightly underperformed both of those factors, showing that they could be far more ruthless than they’ve been.
So while they might stand alone at the top of the table, they know that they can be even better than they’ve been so far, especially in terms of being clinical both offensively and defensively, allowing them to keep picking up the results.
“We’re still working on what we want to do with the ball, and how we want to defend,” Pacific head coach, James Merriman, noted this week. “We’re still developing and progressing as a group and as a team.”
Meanwhile, with Valour, they’ll want to be much better in all facets of their game from that day, other than maybe hustle and desire, as other than that, it wasn’t pretty for them in that game.
The good news for them, however? They haven’t had many performances like that this season, with that one being a big outlier, so although they’ll be wary of repeating it, that’s unlikely to happen if their other games are to mean anything.
At the same, Valour will want to clean up some of their performances on the whole, however. Despite having a solid run of results in six games this season, winning two, drawing two and losing two, all while scoring a league-leading 11 goals and conceding seven goals, their advanced numbers are less than kind to them.
With an xG for of 7.89, and an xG against of 11.83, they’ve been massively overperforming those numbers, suggesting that they’re playing with fire a bit.
So against a Pacific team who has made a habit out of making opponents pay in games, Valour will be eager to step up, picking up a key result on the road. They came close to doing so against Cavalry in their most recent game, so will want to build off of that in this game, picking up the points they feel that they missed out on.
“There are a lot of good things to build from,” Valour head coach, Phil Dos Santos, said of his team’s most recent game. “The team is starting to get fully healthy, bodies are coming in.”
“We’re aware it’s (going to be) difficult, this is a team that hasn’t lost at home this year, and they have an incredible home record, but we’ve been here before.”
If Valour are to do so, however, it’s worth noting that the numbers are significantly stacked up against them in that quest. In 12 previous meetings between these two teams, Pacific has won 10, making this a bit of a one-sided matchup, something that Valour will be eager to change when they take the pitch Saturday.
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3 THINGS TO WATCH:
Pacific eager to finish more chances: Despite having the leagues leading scorer in Alejandro Diaz, and the league’s leading assister in Marco Bustos, Pacific have taken a step back offensively as of late, slipping to fourth in the league in goals after starting the year as the league’s top offence. Yet, as seen by their xG numbers earlier, there’s a feeling among the Pacific ranks that they can be more ruthless in front of goal. Especially at the beginning of games, where they often come out strong but fail to convert a lot of their big chances, they believe that they could do a better job of putting away games that end up being closer than they’d like, with no better example of that than their most recent game,a cup clash against York.So as they get set to go out on a tough three-game Ontario road trip after this game, changing that is a big goal for Pacific, who feel that Diaz, Bustos, Josh Heard, Manny Aparicio and company have even more goals within their ranks. “We’ve done that a few times this season,” Merriman said. “We haven’t pushed and had that killer instinct in those critical moments, and been more clinical in the final third. So it’s something that we that we’re working on.”
Valour looking to refind offensive touch: It feels strange to note about the team who currently leads the league in goals, but despite Valour’s impressive 11 goals in seven games, it’s worth pointing out that their offence has dried up significantly as of late. And in fact, for the most part, it’s been a struggle offensively for them all season, because if you remove the six goals that they famously scored in a blowout win over Ottawa a few weeks back, they have just five goals in their other five games. So as they get set for this game, getting their offence going once again has to be a priority, as a team with William Akio, Moses Dyer, Alessandro Riggi, Sean Rea and Brett Levis should not struggle to score goals, with that Ottawa game being a great example of what they can do when they’re feeling it. They know that more is still to come from them, and no better chance to prove that in this game, especially considering that they were able to nab two goals in their last meeting against Pacific, something they surely fancy being able to do again. “I think we need to do better at creating chances and finding solutions in possession in the opponent’s half,” Dos Santos said of his team’s offence. “And I don’t want us to be tagged as a team that’s one-dimensional, be it as a counter-attacking team or possession-oriented team, because then you can’t control how the game is going to go.” He later added: “We have to be a team that finds solutions when we have possession.”
Could another chaotic game be on the cards?The last time these two teams met, it feels like anything that could’ve conceivably happened in a soccer match, happened. It had it all. Literally. A yellow card, a red card, an own goal, a saved penalty, a converted penalty, an early goal, a late goal – this game was filled with drama, and was close right until the last minute. Of course, had Pacific converted their chances, the story would’ve been different, but Valour proved to be a formidable opponent on the day, leading to one of the more memorable matches of the season. So as these two teams get set to do battle once again, it’ll be interesting to see if that chaotic nature can persist once again. For the most part, both of these teams’ matches have been relatively tame, but considering that Pacific is fresh off of a chaotic cup tie against York, and that Valour is also coming off a wild endto their last game out against Cavalry,that chaotic nature is sitting within both teams, just waiting to burst free (And for what it’s worth, the last meeting between these two teams before the 3-2 Pacific win? A 3-2 Pacific win in 2021) Of course, both managers would prefer to see anything but that, but if that were to happen again, watch out, making this a match to keep an eye on. “We want to play our football, we want to be in control from the start,” Merriman said of what he expects his team to change this time around. “I hope not,” Dos Santos said with a chuckle on his end when asked if he’d want another chaotic game. “We know that they’re a dangerous team in transition, they have pieces that could hurt you. That’s how they scored the first goal against us when we still had our 11 players on the pitch. I think that it’s going to be key when we have the ball, to value it and not give it away in critical areas, in the same way that when we do lose possession of the ball, we need to be strong in our counter-press, not allowing them to get behind us quickly.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
Pacific FC wins: 10 || Valour FC wins: 1 || Draws: 1
Previous match:
April 17, 2022 – Pacific FC 3-2 Valour FC
KEY QUOTES:
“I think the mood and the spirit and the motivation of the group is high. (The cup loss) stings, and it burned for the 24 hours (after), and you’re hurting as you suffered in a big match, one where the result didn’t go our way. So we feel that, but you have to move forward fast, and we’re still in a very good place in the league, and even now more motivated to focus on the league, continuing with this last game (of our homestand) at home. So we need to come out and have a big performance and a proud performance. We’re not going to change the way that we play, or the way that we approach things based on who we play. We’re going to try to play our way.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman.
“Of course, if we score first, it’s a big and important step, but you still need to close the game, right? You still you can let them get back, and they’re a good team that we’re going to play, I think that we need to play for the entire 90 minutes. And I think that James is passing the same message to his team, they need to play throughout the 90 minutes. I think that with the balance and the parity that this league has, no one can afford to have a lapse of 10 or 15 minutes and and expect to get a positive result.” — Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos.
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