2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #70
Cavalry FC vs. Forge FC
August 4, 2023 at 7 p.m. MT/9 p.m. ET
ATCO Field in Calgary, Alberta
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

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To this point in the 2023 CPL season, very little has separated old foes Cavalry FC and Forge FC.

There are just two points between them in the CPL table, with Forge in second on 29 and Cavalry in third with 27 and a game in hand. Cavalry has scored 26 goals to Forge’s 25, while both sides have conceded 19 this year.

Both matches between the two sides this season have ended in draws as well. Noah Jensen scored a 76th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Tim Hortons Field in the opening match of the season for both sides back in April, while it was Jordan Hamilton who found the back of the net in stoppage time to steal another couple points away from Cavalry at Spruce Meadows on June 3.

With that in mind, the third meeting of the season on Friday night at ATCO Field in Calgary could have a significant impact on both sides’ hopes to finish at the top of the CPL table. Forge currently sits tied with first-place Pacific on points, while Cavalry are just two points behind in third place.

“Games against Forge are excellent,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “They are games that you need to be, from the first minute through until the 96th minute, in charge. There is going to be some quality football, there is going to be some competitive fire to it, there is going to be tactics, changing in tactics. I think it’s got something for everyone. That is probably why the fans love it.”

To get to those positions, both teams have been in great form of late. Forge were undefeated in July with three wins and a draw, the most recent of which came this past Friday in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver FC. Cavalry, meanwhile, suffered a 1-0 loss to Atlético Ottawa despite an at times dominant performance. That, however, is one of just two losses in their last seven — both of which came against Ottawa.

Cavalry have suffered just one defeat in eight matches at home this season. Friday’s match against Forge is one of three home games this month, including a meeting with Pacific on August 27, which will provide them with a significant opportunity to get back to the top of the table.

The Calgary side will still be without top scorer Myer Bevan, who is serving the last match of his suspension and therefore remains unavailable for Friday’s contest. Roberto Alarćon is still a few weeks away, but otherwise, Wheeldon Jr. said his side are fully healthy heading into Friday’s match.

Forge announced this past week that fullback Ashtone Morgan had retired from professional football after the club’s win this past Friday. Jordan Hamilton and Kwasi Poku, meanwhile, are still recovering from injuries but are making progress according to Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Can Cavalry find a way to contain Bekker?: Midway through his fifth season in the Canadian Premier League, Forge captain Kyle Bekker is still proving to be one of its top players. He was recently named July’s CPL Player of the Month after captaining Forge to an undefeated month, one in which he had three assists and 14 chances created. He is currently tied with Pacific’s Ayman Sellouf for the league lead in assists with six on the season. As such, it will be critical that Cavalry shut down Forge’s key playmaker if they are to pick up their first win against Forge this season. That has proven difficult for the Cavs over the years, as Bekker leads the all-time rivalry between the two sides in goals with six. Bekker has been playing a bit of a new position of late as Forge have adopted something of a box midfield with him on the left — at times even going incredibly wide and playing almost as a left wingback. This has seen Bekker get higher up the pitch and into pockets where he can influence the match more offensively.

•  Fisk making the left wing position his own: Ever since coming back into the starting lineup against Halifax Wanderers a few weeks ago, Ben Fisk has been a bit of a revelation for Cavalry FC. The 30-year-old veteran attacker played the free kick that led to the own goal that won his side that match, scored a goal against Vancouver in their 5-1 win the following week, and had three shot attempts and created a chance in a 1-0 loss to Atlético Ottawa last weekend. His work rate and football IQ have given Cavalry a different look out wide of late, and has also been critical in helping Goteh Ntignee as the young player who he shares a position with develops in his first full professional season.  “He’s a fabulous pro, and I think we all forget that he is a Canadian international,” said Wheeldon Jr. of Fisk recently. “That’s not a bad player to have in your depth chart. What he does do that people don’t see is he helps players like Goteh that plays in his position, and talks to them about positioning, runs, and movement. Those little things that are worth their weight in gold when you talk about a league that is developing young Canadians.”

• New face in Cavalry training and the importance of ‘passing the mic’: As they prepared for a big rivalry match this weekend, Cavalry had a new face in training as former Celtic, Aston Villa, Bayern Munich and Scottish international striker Alan McInally could be seen on the club’s training pitch offering advice to the players. Over the course of a long season, it is important for a club to freshen up its ideas and voices to keep players engaged. In the past that has included not only former pros, but also players like Dom Zator and Sam Adekugbe joining training. Forge FC, meanwhile, were seen on the pitch at Tim Hortons Field with members of Rangers FC this week, so it truly is rivalry week. “It is always important to pass the mic,” said Wheeldon Jr. of McInally. “And what I mean by that is you don’t want to be at a karaoke bar and listen to the same singer all the time. I am conscious that it is me who holds the mic a lot and I’m fortunate that I’ve got terrific assistant coaches in Leon Hapgood and Nik Ledgerwood. We’ve got a new goalie coach in Jake Davis who has come in, our sports science offers a lot and big Alan McInally has been a friend of the club since day one.”

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Cavalry FC (4-2-3-1): Carducci; Aird, Kobza, Klomp, Kamdem; Daley, Shome; Musse, Fisk, Camargo; Akio

Forge FC (4-3-3): Henry; Rama, Achinioti-Jönsson, James, Metusala; Hojabrpour, Sissoko, Bekker; Choinière, Campbell, Borges

ALL-TIME SERIES

Cavalry FC wins: 6 || Forge FC wins: 10 || Draws: 6

Last meeting:

June 3, 2023 — Cavalry FC 1-1 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“I think of the [remaining] 11 games, six of them are at home. Especially this month we’ve got three home games so it is a really important month for us before we go on the road in September.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

“It is an important one. Obviously, three points to either side is a good thing at this moment. There is no deciding factor on what’s happening in Friday’s match but of course it is a game we want to go out and do our best to get three points. We have traditionally done very well coming out to Calgary. We expect a good game, there has been two tight games this year between the two clubs and expect to see a little bit of the same.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis