FOOTHILLS COUNTY — An offensive outburst has charged the Cavalry into the win column.
Cavalry FC scored a 3-1 victory Friday night at Spruce Meadows’ ATCO Field over the visiting Vancouver FC to improve to 1-2-1 through four games in the Canadian Premier League season.
“The first three, four games you’re trying to get your momentum, the rhythm back and it takes time,” said Cavalry midfielder Charlie Trafford in the post-match press conference. “The final third, the last bit, is always the toughest, getting everyone on the same page, the chemistry, the connection, we have loads of new players. The front three guys have been rotating a lot every game.
“It takes time.”
Tobias Warschewski opened the scoring, notching the team’s first league goal at home, with a clean header in the box off a patented cross from playmaker Fraser Aird on the right flank.
Late in the first half, the Cavalry doubled their advantage from an unlikely source.
Trafford, who plies his trade on the defensive side as a combative holding midfielder, notched his first goal with the team in sublime form, taking a one-touch pass from Sergio Camargo and cutting through the Vancouver defence before unleashing a low left-footed strike past goalkeeper Callum Irving.
“I’m trying to add it to my game a little bit, more runs forward,” Trafford said. “I know I can do the defensive side and help protect the team and it’s always nice to go and do that.
“I’ve been getting a bit of stick not scoring yet here so I have to start running forward.”
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Warschewski then hit for the brace from the penalty spot in the 60th minute after Lleyton Brooks’ attempted shot was cleared by a handball.
Vancouver midfielder Moses Dyer scored in the final 10 minutes, with an aggressive charge on goal, colliding with Cavs goalkeeper Marco Carducci in the process.
Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. challenged his team earlier in the week to be more clinical in attack and they answered the bell and then some.
“You lay down a challenge for the attackers now, but in doing so we also trusted them,” he said. “We had to make a couple of changes when (Ali) Musse went off, but it freed up Tobi, Malcolm (Shaw) came in and occupied the line, but I think between the half spaces both Tobi and Sergio did well. Lleyton is so direct, but Fraser has good quality so we had a bit of something for everyone.
“And, I actually thought, it could have been more tonight. If we had stepped on their throat near the end instead of taking it a bit easy, maybe Whitecaps was in the back of their mind. But I like the way they responded and three points is three points.”
It’s the second victory in 11 days over the Vancouver side with the Cavs earning a 1-0 result in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship on April 23.
Seeing a different tactical approach from the visitors, Wheeldon Jr. lauded the adaptability of his squad.
“They played three different formations on us so we had to go back to our principles and what would we do in this moment,” the coach added. “And fair play to them, last 10 minutes they were very good at trying to get something out of the game.”
The Cavalry are back in cup action on May 7 when they host the MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps for the first of the two leg fixture at 7 p.m. at ATCO Field.
For more information, visit cavsfc.com.
