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.
PREVIEW: York United vs. Cavalry FC — 2022 Match #30 – Canadian Premier League - Canadian Premier League
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