2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #22
Cavalry FC vs York United FC
May 18, 2024 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET
ATCO Field in Calgary, Alta.
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Cavalry FC look to keep their four-game unbeaten run intact this Saturday as they welcome six-point counterpart York United to ATCO Field in Calgary. 

After five CPL matches, both teams find themselves tied for fifth in the league table with six points apiece while having significantly different records. Cavalry sit at 1-3-1, a record that may feel all too similar for the club after 2023’s 1-5-0 start. York on the other hand have yet to see one of their matches end in a draw, holding a 2-0-3 record entering matchweek six.

York’s three losses come against the league’s current top three — Forge FC, Pacific FC, and Atlético Ottawa — but they were able to comfortably beat fourth-place Vancouver FC 3-0 at home just over two weeks ago. 

York’s two wins have both come at York Lions Stadium, meaning the Nine Stripes are still looking for their first away points of the campaign. Their most recent fixture  — a 3-1 win against Valour FC — saw them go down one just 15 minutes in before storming back in the second half with all three goals coming in the final half hour of the match. 

The Nine Stripes’ line-up should be mostly the same from their win against the Winnipeg side with only Juan Córdova still on the injured list — Liechtenstein international Dennis Salanović is set to return.

Cavalry haven’t lost since the first day of the CPL season — a 2-1 away loss to Forge FC. Since the defeat however, the Cavs have only been victorious against Vancouver FC, tying Ottawa, Pacific, and most recently Halifax Wanderers FC.

Their most recent stalemate served as Halifax’s first point of this CPL season, finishing 1-1 after Giorgio Probo tied it 20 minutes after William Akio’s 58th-minute goal.

Outside of league play, only Cavalry remain alive in the Canadian Championship between the two sides with their second leg on Tuesday against MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps coming just three days after this Saturday’s meeting with York.

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

3 THINGS TO WATCH 

• York can’t seem to stop their slow starts: Late starts have been too common for York this season as the Ontario side have yet to register a goal in the first 45 minutes. Considering they’ve scored three goals in a match on two separate occasions, this late burst of firepower could be a concern for the Cavs into the later stages of the match. However against last year’s CPL Shield winners, this ‘habit’ could be detrimental as the Cavs have scored the opening goal in all but one of their matches this season that has seen either side score. One player who could be looked to for an early spark is the returning Dennis Salanović who has been sidelined for the past two York matches soon after scoring his first CPL goal as a late sub against Vancouver FC.

• Cavalry may prioritize their Canadian Championship hopes: After a narrow 2-1 defeat at home, it’s hard to imagine Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and his players are anything less than optimistic about their second leg against Vancouver Whitecaps. Just three days after this match with York, the English manager may do what he can to enter Tuesday with his strongest lineup. However, Wheeldon Jr. did respond to a question of saving some of his stronger legs for Tuesday by refusing that idea and suggesting his side are just focused on the task at hand. With Ali Musse still sidelined for what could be some time after suffering an injury against Vancouver FC and Maël Henry still out as well, Tobias Warschewski and Tom Field are once again available for selection.

• Cavalry’s home success meets York’s road struggles: Cavalry have yet to lose at home in league play, winning 3-1 over Vancouver FC with the other match ending in a 0-0 stalemate. On the other side of that is a York United team that have yet to find success away from York Lions Stadium losing all three away fixtures — in all competitions — against CPL sides. In the 2023 season, York secured 24 of their 38 league points away from home with York Lions Stadium being their weaker environment. Now with zero of a possible nine points in away fixtures, it will be interesting to see how the Nine Stripes react to the ATCO Field atmosphere.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs 

York United: Vincensini, Ferrari, Abatneh, Sturing, Botello, Baldisimo, Babouli, Martinez, Soumaoro, Salanović, Wright

Cavalry: Carducci, Shome, Field, Klomp, Kamdem, Trafford, Gutiérrez, Brooks, Dias, Akio, Shaw

ALL-TIME SERIES

Cavalry wins: 12 || York United wins: 3 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

September 23, 2023: Cavalry FC 1 – 0 York United

KEY QUOTES

“We’ve been starting okay but we’re just seeing our way into games rather than imposing our will on teams and we’ve got to get to that stage where we don’t wait until things happen or the second half to try and take over games; at that point it can be too late.” — York United head coach Martin Nash

“We’re playing the game in front of us, that’s what we’ve always done in the past and had success with, we’re looking to win three points at home in front of our fans. We’ll put the best lineup we feel will help us win that, and beyond that, we’ll see what we have ready and available to have a go at Vancouver [Whitecaps] in their place.” — Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.