There is no such thing as a Labour Day holiday when you are chasing trophies.
Cavalry FC went to work Monday at Wanderers Grounds, survived an opening half and then clocked in for three second-half goals in a 3-1 victory over host HFX Wanderers FC.
The result kept Calgary’s club in first place in the Canadian Premier League and extended its lead to four points. Cavalry now has 14 wins and 46 points through 21 matches, with seven games remaining in its pursuit of the CPL Shield as regular-season champion.
It also stretched Cavalry’s unbeaten run to seven matches, six of them victories.
That is not just good form. That is championship form.
However, it took some work to get there Monday.
Halifax struck the post twice during a strong opening and forced Cavalry GM-head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. to tinker with his approach. The match remained scoreless at halftime, with the Wanderers looking more dangerous than a three-goal defeat would eventually suggest.
“I actually thought Halifax were better that first half,” Wheeldon said. “They struck the post twice. They got into some good positions. We had to make a tactical adjustment.”
Adjustment made.
Match changed.
Nathaniel Edwards opened the scoring in the 48th minute, curling a polished finish into the bottom corner after a slick sequence of one-touch passing.
Tobias Warschewski doubled the lead in the 64th minute, meeting Adam Pearlman’s cross and chipping the ball past former Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci. It was Warschewski’s ninth goal of the CPL campaign.
Eleven minutes later, Cavalry captain Sergio Camargo pounced on a failed Halifax clearance and supplied the third. Camargo, pushed farther forward after halftime, also helped create the first two goals and was selected as the CPL’s player of the match.
Halifax finally answered when Isaiah Johnston converted an 87th-minute penalty, but by then, Cavalry had done more than enough.
Wheeldon said the key was respecting Halifax’s strengths while exploiting the spaces the Wanderers left behind when they pushed players forward.
“Our changes at halftime were exactly that,” Wheeldon said. “They were playing well. We had to stop their strengths and their flow of possession, but then be able to attack their gaps. And we did that.”
Cavalry also found time for a glimpse of its future. Sixteen-year-old Kacper Plocinski made his professional debut late in the match, becoming the fourth-youngest player to appear in CPL history.
Still, there is no trophy for leading the table in early September. Cavalry’s chase continues Sunday against Pacific FC at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. MT.
Wheeldon wants his front-runners to keep their eyes on the next hurdle and not the finish line.
“All we’ve got to do is not get too carried away,” he said. “It’s one game at a time. We’ll enjoy this victory now, and then when we land back in Calgary, our thoughts will be on our next opponent.”
For the moment, Cavalry remains exactly where it wants to be.
On top and charging.
