AGR's High Press: The Wanderers keep loving Monday games | Cavalry and Valour show value of set-piece threats
It was another long weekend of CPL action, and once again, the matchday was filled with goals, drama, and entertainment.
Thanks to that, the table remained as tight as it has been over the last few weeks - at both ends of the table.
At the top, two of the four teams in the top four gained maximum points while two others dropped points - meanwhile, at the bottom, only one of the four teams sitting between fifth and eighth place were able to win, keeping things tight there, too.
Because of that, it’s set up some more crucial six-point matches this upcoming weekend, as first plays third, fourth plays fifth and seventh plays eighth in a matchday that could provide some crucial clarity in a couple of key races.
Now that September is officially here, and the last round of games is set to begin, it’s “do or die” time for teams, and that’ll certainly be reflected in their performances.
Here’s what stood out from the latest matchday in this week’s “High Press”.
The Wanderers continue Monday magic:
As has become a CPL tradition, the Halifax Wanderers hosted a long weekend Monday game at Wanderers Grounds this past weekend, where they took on York United.
Their fourth such Monday match of the season, they picked up their third consecutive long weekend match win, defeating York 2-1 in an entertaining clash.
With that, they made up some key ground in their hunt to make the playoffs, as Vancouver and Pacific both lost, while Valour only picked up one point, adding some extra value to this Wanderers win.
Now, they sit six points behind Vancouver in the fifth and final playoff spot with a game in hand on the B.C.-based side, who they’ll host at Wanderers Grounds on October 5th.
GOAL ⚓️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 2, 2024
Massimo Ferrin puts the @HFXWanderersFC ahead with a great header past Thomas Vincensini ⚽️
🔴 Watch the @TonyBet_Canada #CanPL MOTW LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/eH5lrTUi9U
Before then, however, some key games await, as they play Pacific this weekend in the first of two massive clashes between both sides that await them over the last stretch, with one of them being the game-in-hand both teams carry over the rest of the CPL.
If they’re to make the most of their first clash against Pacific this weekend, however, they’ll want to build off what they showed in this win over York, as it was one of their best of the season.
Not only did they score two goals, including a very well-worked tally from Massimo Ferrin, but they also defended well, only conceding their goal off an unfortunate own goal.
Plus, they looked like the Wanderers team that comfortably made the playoffs in 2023, too, stringing the ball around on several dangerous attacks. In particular, their first-half performance stood out in this regard - they scored their opening goal, outshot York eight to four, and did so while holding 54.6% of possession, doing well to wear down their opponents with the ball.
Led by some standout performances out wide, with full backs Zachary Fernandez and Riley Ferrazzo putting in big shifts on both sides of the ball, and Ferrin chipping in with a lively offensive performance, the Wanderers did a good job of overloading York in wide areas and stretching the pitch to their advantage.
GOAL ⚓️⚓️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 2, 2024
Zachary Fernandez doubles the lead off the corner after a backwards header by Mo Babouli 👀 @HFXWanderersFC now up by 2 🔵
🔴 Watch the @TonyBet_Canada #CanPL MOTW LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/09QnstoZUw
Safe to say, it was the sort of performance they’ll want to see more of as they get set for the pivotal eight-game stretch that awaits them here.
With four of those games coming at home and the other four being on the road, it’s laid out quite nicely for them to make the most out of this stretch.
It’ll start with them using this York United win as motivation to win more at home, as they’ve only won four of 10 games at home this season after winning nine of 14 in 2023 - given that three of their four home wins this year have been on long weekends, they’ll also want to make a habit of not just winning when it’s a big weekend, as they’ll have no more Monday matches the rest of the year.
From there, they’ll want to find some form away from home, where they’ve got a league-low four points from ten games, sitting with a record of 1W-1D-8L in those 10 matches. To give them the best shot at making the playoffs, they need some road results, especially in their away matches against Pacific and Valour.
Therefore, while they’ll look to savour and enjoy this win, they know what awaits them here, as they officially enter ‘do or die’ territory. They’ll be pleased to reach this stage with a win, and will now look to build from there, as they look to prove that they can put their earlier season woes behind them while showing the sort of form they had in 2023. 
Set-piece chaos in Cavalry vs. Valour:
After a quiet first half at ATCO Field between Cavalry and Valour, it didn’t feel like there were going to be many late fireworks as they both battled for a crucial victory.
Certainly, it felt like there were some goals in the game, especially given that Cavalry was entering the game riding a five-game win streak, and that Valour was looking to erase the pain of a late loss to Vancouver that halted a good run of their own.
Despite that, no one was expecting the game to break open and for both teams to combine for one of the best halves of the year, either - yet, that ended up being the case.
Thanks to a 15-minute stretch in which Cavalry scored twice before Valour responded with a pair of goals of their own, both teams ended up settling for a 2-2 draw, one that both teams will feel frustrated with given their respective needs for a win.
GOAL 🐎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 31, 2024
Bradley Kamdem gives @CPLCavalryFC a 1-0 lead over @ValourFootball with a free kick routine right out of the training ground 😎
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/MhcZYq686j
Yet, both teams can look back at this game and point to one reason as to why this game went as it did - set-pieces.
Both positively and negatively, set-pieces ended up playing a massive role in creating that chaotic 15-minute stretch, as all four goals came off different set-piece scenarios, with three of them being corners and one of them a free kick.
Certainly, there was lots to like with some of the goals, such as Cavalry’s opener, which came off a unique free kick routine, or Valour’s second goal, which was a well-executed corner kick.
GOAL 🐎🐎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 31, 2024
Diego Gutierrez doubles @CPLCavalryFC's lead over @ValourFootball with ANOTHER free kick routine gone right – and a thunderous first-time volley, too 👀
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/JEK3qYOKAc
On the flip side, both sides will also feel like they either could’ve defended each respective set-piece a little better than they ultimately did, as Cavalry will feel they could’ve done on Valour’s opener, or felt that luck wasn’t with them, such as was the case for Valour on Cavalry’s second goal, an unfortunate own goal off Valour’s Jonathan Viscosi.
At the same time, it’s not surprising to see both sides do well from set-pieces, as they’ve got the pieces to be dangerous from those opportunities, and they’ve proven that in the past.
For Cavalry, they’ve got great delivery from Fraser Aird and Ali Musse, and have targets such as Daan Klomp, Eryk Kobza, Bradley Kamdem, Tobias Warsschewski and more to aim for, which has proven to be a good combination.
Meanwhile, Valour’s got service from the likes of Themi Antonoglou and Roberto Alárcon, and can count on Tass Mourdoukoutas, Gianfranco Faccineri, and as they learned in this game, Abdul Binate, to all aim at, which is key.
GOAL 🎖️@ValourFootball cut one goal back for 2-1 vs. @CPLCavalryFC as Raphael Ohin gets his own header off a corner kick, just like they drew it up ✨
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 31, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/npKS27pze9
And as both teams chase their respective objectives - for Cavalry, they’ve got a good shot at the CPL regular season title right now, while Valour remains in the mix for that fifth and final playoff spot - set-pieces will be key for them on those quests.
As the games tighten up, such as in the first half of this clash, it’s important to be able to create chances in multiple ways, with set-pieces often a great way to open up a cagey match.
Because of that, look for both teams to build some confidence from what they were able to show offensively on these opportunities in this game, as that could be key going forward.
GOAL 🎖️🎖️#CANPL. SET-PIECES. ONLY. @ValourFootball equalize at 2-2 vs. @CPLCavalryFC as Andul Binate gets his own goal from a corner kick routine 👀
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 31, 2024
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/6KsUDI9lal
Of course, they’ll also want to tighten things up at the back, but they’ll also know that’s the nature of playing other teams who can be dangerous on those opportunities, so that won’t be anything they’re not familiar with.
Because of that, look for them to make the most of what they learned as they get set for what’s next, as both teams have big games this weekend - Cavalry has a visit to league leaders Forge, while Valour hosts second-place Atlético Ottawa - knowing that set-pieces could be crucial for them in those respective matches. 
Noah Jensen serves a reminder of Forge’s midfield depth:
It was a tough matchup for both Forge and Pacific on Friday, as despite playing in the Canadian Championship in midweek, they had to turn their focus back to league play just days later in Hamilton.
Because of that, both teams naturally had to rotate their teams heavily, with Forge making six changes and Pacific making five changes from the team in midweek.
As expected, one of those fresh pairs of legs played a big role in the game, too, and that’s Forge’s Noah Jensen, who scored a brace in a 2-0 Forge win.
He didn’t score just any brace, however - both goals were half-volley bangers from outside of the box, coming on a pair of shots that just barely ended up being worth more than 0.1 xG combined, showing off some pretty impressive shooting.
GOAL 🔨@ForgeFCHamilton open the scoring vs. @PacificFCCPL as Noah Jensen puts his foot through the ball for a rocket strike 🚀
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 30, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/rIFKW2tlI8
His second and third goals of the year, they ended up being crucial for Forge, who were able to keep their lead atop the table intact thanks to this win, as they finished the weekend two points ahead of second-place Ottawa.
Yet, that’s a credit to the depth they have at their disposal, and Jensen is a prime example of that. For most sides, it’d be tough to take a midfielder out like Kyle Bekker, but Forge could do so knowing that Jensen was more than ready to step up in his place alongside Alessandro Hojabrpour.
Even if he’s been more of a super sub than a starter for Forge this year, playing around 800 minutes across 18 CPL appearances and a further 56 in four Canadian Championship appearances, he’s been ready to step up when called upon.
Perhaps, at a different club, Jensen might be able to play more regularly, as he’s continued to show in his minutes that he’s deserving of a starting role, yet that’s the reality of playing at a club like Forge, who have depth at each position.
GOAL 🔨🔨
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 31, 2024
IT'S NOAH JENSEN AGAIN 😱@ForgeFCHamilton go up 2-0 over @PacificFCCPL as the midfielders once again scores a screamer 🚀
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/con5eEuAjE
And while that can sometimes make it tough for certain players to see the field short-term, that always pays off long-term, as they’ve been able to handle some pretty key departures without skipping a beat. Now, in midfield, they’re set up if ever Bekker slows down or retires, or if Hojabrpour were to head out on a new adventure, as Jensen has been lurking in the distance in chase of his opportunity.
At the same time, after the two goals he scored in this game, expect to see more Jensen going forward, as he could be key to Forge’s title push, especially after a gruelling summer.
Especially after starting both of Forge’s last two finals, he’s proven that he’ll be ready for the big games if called upon, so keep an eye on him if his number is indeed called over the next few weeks. 
Who caught my eye? Zachary Fernandez
A lot of key players stepped up for the Wanderers in their massive home win over York United, and Zachary Fernandez was one of their biggest contributors, as the full back put in a key shift on both sides of the ball.
Despite having to slot over to the left side to fill in for Wesley Timoteo, Fernandez did well in a different role than what he’s used to, chipping in offensively (and even scoring the winner), while doing his best work defensively.
Amid a quieter year than he would’ve hoped, it was a reminder of how Fernandez can take over games when he’s at his best, so look for him to build off that as the Wanderers will lean on him heavily over the next few matches. 
What I’m watching: Forge vs Cavalry
With three different direct six-pointers, there’s a lot to choose from this week, but ultimately it’s too hard to ignore Forge vs. Cavalry given that both teams are in excellent form and within touching distance in the title race.
Having combined for three entertaining clashes so far this year, with each team taking one and the other finishing in a draw, this might end up being their best battle yet, given what’s at stake.
During an excellent title race, six-pointers like this one are always so fascinating to tuck into, especially when seeing how tight the table is.
Now, the big question will be to see who stays hot, or if they end up combining for a draw, given how tight they’ll likely play each other.
