Cavalry FC downed FC Edmonton 3-0 in the CPL’s ComeOn! Game of the week on Friday, remaining undefeated against their Alberta rivals in Al Classico history with a commanding result away at Edmonton’s Clarke Stadium.
Ali Musse nearly opened the scoring with a cracker in the 23rd minute, as he slipped through a couple of Edmonton defenders before unleashing a rocket of a volley, one that was only palmed away by the strong hands of Andreas Vaikla in goal. What he failed to do, however, was control the rebound, as it fell right to Cavalry’s Fraser Aird, seemingly with a wide-open goal, but the former Edmonton man sliced his shot over from close range, denying himself of a goal against his old club.
Soon after, Cavalry’s Jean-Aniel Assi had a decent look from just inside the box on his right foot, making good contact on his shot, although it wouldn’t be enough to beat the solid hands of Vaikla.
From there, that’d allow Cavalry to open the scoring soon after that. Having knocked on the door with those early attempts, they then found their first clear-cut chance of the game in the 29th minute, as Aird managed to play Joe Mason in behind, and there, Cavalry’s striker made no mistake with the chance, ripping a shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net to give his team the lead.
Plus, having gotten the lead, they wouldn’t be done there, either. After Mason did well to win a free-kick at the edge of the box in the 32nd minute, Musse stepped up to take it, and he unleashed a fantastic strike, one that would curl over the Edmonton wall and into the top corner for a great goal.
A few minutes later, looking to get back into the game, Edmonton’s Tobias Warschewski did well to test Cavalry’s Marco Carducci from distance, trying an audacious chip, one that Carducci nearly got caught out on. A few minutes later, Kairo Coore tried an audacious volley of his own, slicing it just wide, before Wesley Timoteo tried a powerful attempt from distance, sending his shot just over.
Other than that, however, that’d be all the game had to offer through 45 minutes, leaving both teams to go and regroup at half time.
On the other side of that break, Cavalry would continue to keep their foot on the gas pedal, nearly scoring via second-half substitute, Myer Bevan, who turned a nice cutback from Aird just wide of the goal. Soon after, Victor Loturi had a nice sight at goal, but sent his shot well over on the volley.
Having held on through that early onslaught, Edmonton then had their best chance of the game in the 55th minute, as Warschewski did well to tee up Coore inside the box, and Coore unleashed a rocket, one that’d just graze the outside of the goal before going wide. Right after, Nyal Higgins made great contact on a header, getting up for a ball nicely, but he’d also send his shot just wide.
At the other end, however, Cavalry nearly made it three in the 69th minute, as Musse found himself all alone with on a breakaway, but would be denied nicely by Vaikla, before Bevan tried to chip Vaikla on the ensuing rebound, but was also stopped.
From there, that’d allow them to make it three deep into the game, as in the 88th minute, Jose Escalante did well to push up the field, where he’d turn in a dangerous cross, one that’d bounce off Cale Loughrey and in for an own goal, rounding off the scoring in this one.
BOX SCORE
Goals
29′ — Joe Mason (Cavalry FC)
32′ — Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)
88′ — Cale Loughrey (FC Edmonton) — own goal
Discipline
3′ — Yellow: Bradley Vliet (Cavalry FC)
65′ — Yellow: Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
68′ — Yellow: Elliot Simmons (Cavalry FC)
68′ — Yellow: Karifa Yao (Cavalry FC)
75′ — Yellow: Victor Loturi (Cavalry FC)
84′ — Yellow: Wesley Timoteo (FC Edmonton)
