The 2021 Canadian Championship started on Sunday afternoon with an Al Classico (also known as the Battle of Alberta) matchup between FC Edmonton and Cavalry FC (team representing Calgary). Both teams are geographic rivals as they are both located in the province of Alberta.
The game took place at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, but Calgary would be the one that advances in the Canadian Championship. They took advantage of mistakes made by Edmonton and had a very good counterattack.
Cavalry FC wins Al Classico and advances in the Canadian Championship
First Half
It was a stalemate in the first four minutes of play. Then there was good defence in the fifth minute by Mohamed Farsi. Cavs FC goalkeeper Tyson Farago made the easy save in the eighth minute. Jeannot Esua made a good run, which almost led to a scoring chance. Edmonton’s Hunter Gorskie’s shot in the 11-minute was not well-taken and it went over the net. It was a chance Gorskie should have scored on.
This was the only time that Calgary’s defence looked very vulnerable. Edmonton’s Ramón Soria stepped up and got a great block in the 19-minute. Then, Sharly Mabussi dealt with the ball. In the 26-minute, Esua got a terrific shot from a long way off, which was saved spectacularly in the 25-minute by Calgary goalkeeper Farago.
31' #CavsFC scores! Joe Mason was unmarked and got a rebound from a José Hernández header to head the ball into the back of the net! #EDMvCAV | 0-1 | #CanChamp pic.twitter.com/YufLVoKmd7
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) August 15, 2021
Cavalry’s first goal was well-worked and well-earned. José Escalante crossed the ball into the box. Hernandez got the header on the cross but was stopped by Edmonton goalkeeper Darlington Murasiranwa. It deflected off the post. However, Joe Mason was there unmarked and he put the ball back into the net.
Second Half
Edmonton started the first half strong. Easton Ongaro gives a pass into the box in the 48-minute but was unable to generate an opportunity. Mason Trafford got an important block in the 49-minute to prevent a possible goal for Edmonton. Shamit Shome’s shot in the 51-minute was off-target. Murasiranwa put his body on the line and got the ball in the 53-minute. Farsi’s shot was saved by Eddies’ goalkeeper Murasiranwa.
62' A great counterattack by #CavsFC ends with a Ben Fisk goal!#EDMvCAV | 0-2 | #CanChamppic.twitter.com/ZaYtdPFvjI
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) August 15, 2021
Cavs FC’s counterattack was in full effect in the second goal. Elliot Simmons for Cavalry was the one who started the counterattack. Farsi and Ben Fisk then passed the ball once to each other. This resulted in a Fisk goal and a Farsi assist.
There were also some good defensive plays made in the second half by Calgary. One example was by Cavalry player Escalante in the 64-minute. Dann Klomp also made a good defensive play in the 80-minute on an Ongard header to deflect it for a corner.
With this win, Calgary will face the winner of the Pacific FC-Vancouver Whitecaps FC game. That game will take place on August 26 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia. The game will take place at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The Cavs will also travel to Starlight Stadium in CPL action on August 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET. This is while Edmonton will travel to Winnipeg at IG Field to face Valour FC. The game takes place on August 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET. All three games mentioned above will be shown live in Canada on OneSoccer.
Three Takeaways on Cavalry FC’s Al Classico Win:
Calgary continues to dominate Edmonton in the Al Classico. Since the Cavs played their first-ever season in 2019, they have won seven of the eight games against the Eddies in competitive play.
Cavs’ counterattack is worth mentioning. It played a big part in Ben Fisk’s goal in the second half. This counterattack can also be seen in the last few minutes of the game.
Calgary’s defence was fantastic. Their defence played a pivotal role in the Cavs winning the game. The most notable one was Nikolas Ledgerwood who headed the ball to safety in the 82-minute.
Photo credit to Tony Lewis and Uwe Welz/CPL
