HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC vs Forge FC (July 27, 2022)

Forge FC jumped to the top of the table on Wednesday night, beating Cavalry FC 2-1 at ATCO Field in the latest rematch of the 2019 CPL Finals — and the first meeting between the two at this venue since that final game of the inaugural season.

The home side got off to the perfect start, as Joe Mason gave them the lead just 45 seconds into the match. After a quick move down the pitch from the kickoff that led to an early corner, Ali Musse whipped in a cross to Mason, who headed the ball across goal for the quick 1-0 advantage.

After being in control for the first 15 minutes or so of the first half, the momentum began shifting in Forge’s favour. Aboubacar Sissoko and David Choinière both tested Marco Carducci with shots but the Cavalry goalkeeper was equal to them, and Kyle Bekker fired a free kick over the crossbar a few minutes later.

Forge were knocking at the door, and outshot Cavalry 6-4 in the first half. In the 37th minute they finally found their breakthrough, and from a familiar source.

After the ball popped up into the air and over the head of Karifa Yao, Forge striker Woobens Pacius chased it down and fired a shot at Carducci from close range. The rebound from another Carducci save struck Pacius and bounced toward the goal, and Pacius never gave up on it, catching up to it and slotting into the now-empty net.

The goal extended Pacius’ scoring streak to four matches, and was his ninth of the season. With a hat trick against FC Edmonton in that span, the 21-year-old striker has six of those nine goals in the past four games.

After 45 minutes the score was 1-1, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Running onto a cross to the back post from David Choinière, Kyle Bekker got himself into position before volleying the ball past Carducci and celebrating in front of the Cavalry fans at that end of the pitch. It gave his side a 2-1 lead.

The two sides traded chances for the remainder of the match, but another goal would never come for either team.

Tristan Borges fired a shot just wide of Carducci’s net, and a couple of Cavalry set pieces came close at the other end of the pitch, but this match would end 2-1 to the visiting Hammers.

With the win, their fourth in a row, Forge climb from fourth place all the way to the very top, jumping over Cavalry, Atlético Ottawa and Pacific FC. With their third loss in a row, Cavalry drop to fourth, just one point back of those other three sides.

BOX SCORE

Goals

1′ — Joe Mason (Cavalry FC)

37′ — Woobens Pacius (Forge FC)

49′ — Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)

Discipline

12′ — Yellow: Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)

53′ — Yellow: Tristan Borges (Forge FC)

54′ — Yellow: Joseph Di Chiara (Cavalry FC)

67′ — Yellow: Triston Henry (Forge FC)

70′ — Yellow: Charlie Trafford (Cavalry FC)

79′ — Yellow: Roberto Alarcón (Cavalry FC)