As Cavalry manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. sat down for his post-match press conference after a 1-0 victory over Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field in Oct. 27’s qualifying semi-final, he was asked a question everyone knew was coming.
With the incredible form he has been in, how important does Tobias Warschewski continue to be to his team’s success? After winning the league’s Golden Boot Award with a brace on the final day of the regular season, bringing him to 12 on the year, the 26-year-old German went out and scored the lone goal in a huge playoff victory over Forge.
His goal, a lovely solo effort after getting onto the end of a long ball from goalkeeper Marco Carducci, secured Cavalry not only their first win in Hamilton since 2021, and first-ever playoff victory over Forge, but also a spot as the host of the 2024 CPL final.
“I think Tobi was our front three today,” Wheeldon Jr. said postmatch. “He’s that good; he drifts into different areas, he affects some pressures, he can start the press, he can drop into midfield, he can get fouls, he can dribble you up the pitch… with him, you always know that you’ve got an opportunity to score.”
It is a pretty good summation of what has made Warschewski the centrepiece of Cavalry’s attack this season. A more non-traditional number nine than the Calgary club has historically deployed, the German’s unique skillset makes him one of the league’s most lethal attacking players.
As Cavalry look to finally lift the North Star Cup for the first time in club history on Saturday, they will be counting on Warschewski to once again be a difference maker. As the league’s hottest attacker, with six goals in the club’s past four matches, he will be the player in red that everyone will have their eyes on during the 2024 Canadian Premier League Final.
Warschewski’s 14 goals in all competitions this season have demonstrated just how many different ways he is a threat. Be it runs in behind, back post runs from out wide, getting on the end of set pieces, vicious strikes from distance, well-placed finesse shots or penalties, Warschewski can hurt opponents in so many different ways.
Above all else, goals have come this season for the Cavalry attacker for two rather simple reasons. He gets into good areas in and around the goal, with the third most touches in the box in the league, 110. He also backs himself to take a lot of shots in those positions, with a league-leading 32 shots on target his season.
How he arrives in those positions, however, is what makes him such a difficult player to defend against. For some stages of this season, especially in the early going, that movement was perhaps difficult for his teammates to predict as well. But over the last month, there has clearly been a strong connection, and Warschewski is reaping the rewards.
This is especially true now that Warschewski is back up top as a centre forward for Cavalry. He has spent time this season as a second striker, an attacking midfielder and out wide, but it is in that central striker role that he is afforded the most freedom to find and create pockets of space all over the pitch.
“He’s played whether it be a nine, false nine, ten, eleven, seven, he’s able to rotate, I think he’s got really good unpredictability about his play so I think that’s what’s made him have a really good season,” said Wheeldon Jr. “The boys are starting to combine well with him and provide opportunities.”
Wherever Warschewski pops up on the pitch, don’t expect him to stay there for long. He is a player who loves to go hunting for the ball, whether his team has it or the opposition, often dropping deep to collect a pass before using his elite dribbling ability to move the ball up the pitch. Warschewski led all players in successful dribbles this season, with 50.
Able to beat opposing players and create space for himself in the attacking third, Warschewski also opens up pockets of space for teammates, whom he is able to find in different ways. He can slip balls through the middle, play them over the top or send pinpoint switches or crosses into the area with an impressive array of passing for a striker.
The Cavalry attacker’s threat hardly dissipates without possession. Warschewski’s movement and soccer IQ allow him to consistently pressure the opposing team on the ball. He won a league-high 187 duels this season, and is excellent and not only recovering loose balls but then quickly turning those into attacking moments.
Warschewski also won possession 22 times in the final third in 2024. It isn’t always Warschewski winning the ball back either, but the initial moments of pressure he creates allow his teammates to win possession back as well. Cavalry had the most effective press in the league this season, winning possession in the final third a CPL-high 142 times in 2024.
It is one of the many ways that he has helped to make those around him better this season. As they say, iron sharpens iron, and from the very start of preseason, Cavalry players were clear about how special they felt their new teammate could be. This was especially impressive as Warschewski came into Cavalry camp after having not played professional soccer for the entire 2023 season after leaving FC Edmonton after the 2022 campaign.
“I could see Tobi already from his first year in Edmonton that he was a special player,” said Cavalry FC defender Daan Klomp. “I’m happy to have him on my team right now; the things he shows in training, his ability is unbelievable. It’s something that I’ve not seen in this league so far. It’s very good to have reps against him in training, because he does things that other players in this league are just not capable of, and the ceiling is very high for this player.”
Warschewski’s coach agrees. As the German forward reaches the end of his first campaign in Calgary, there is a feeling that he is only scratching the surface of his boundless potential — even with a Golden Boot award already in his trophy cabinet.
“It’s been a really good season for him, but the scary thing is I think he can be even better,” said Wheeldon Jr.
On the ATCO Field pitch during the 2024 CPL Final would be a perfect place for Tobias Warschewski to continue to reach new heights in the Cavalry shirt, and if he does, there is a very good chance he will be the catalyst for the biggest victory in club history.
The 2024 Canadian Premier League Final between Cavalry FC and Forge FC will be played Saturday, Nov. 9 at ATCO Field, kicking off at 1 p.m. MT/3 p.m. ET. Watch the match live on CBC or OneSoccer.
