RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver FC stun Cavalry on penalties in CanChamp quarter-final

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Vancouver FC made history on Tuesday night in Calgary, defeating Cavalry FC on penalties to advance to the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final for the first time.

In what was the biggest result in the club's history, the Eagles gave an outstanding performance on short rest to stun the 2024 CPL champions, and one of the tournament favourites. 

For a team that had won just once all season in the league, they advanced on penalties for the second consecutive round, having beaten Salish Sea Derby rivals Pacific on spot kicks in the preliminary round. 

Former Vancouver FC midfielder Maël Henry saw his decisive penalty saved by Callum Irving, after both Tobias Warschewski and VFC's Thomas Powell had missed their efforts.

Nicolas Mézquida opened the scoring from the penalty spot in regulation, before an unfortunate second-half own goal from Aidan O'Connor. The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, and 2-2 on aggregate, requiring the decisive penalty contest. 

"I'm very proud of the organization as a whole," said Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi after the match. "Everyone in the front office have worked so hard to try to build this club, to every staff, from the medical staff to the technical staff to all the players. We've been through a lot as a group, but I think hardships bring people closer together, make us stronger." 

"Sometimes, it's all about momentum, and sometimes one event can change the entire journey and course of a team. And I feel this is going to be the game that's going to bring the best out of this organization and this club, and it's a lot of better days ahead." 

Cavalry had at least one significant surprise in their startling lineup, leaving out Tobias Warschewski, who had scored in both meetings against Vancouver this season, and starting Caniggia Elva up top instead.

The hosts had a great chance inside the opening three minutes, as attacking down the left, Mihail Gherasimencov played in Sergio Camargo, who looked to cut the ball across the box for Elva. Thierno Bah, however, did well to cut out the chance before Elva could get the ball on net.

Cavalry continued to look threatening in transition through the early stages of the match, and in the 13th minute, Elva broke through, before having his shot blocked well by David Norman Jr. On the ensuing corner, Cavalry FC put the ball in the net, but the goal was called back for offside.

Vancouver, however, held their own in the early exchanges as well, creating a few half-chances through some quick ball movement, particularly down the left flank. Striker Pathé Ndiaye had some early looks at goal but couldn't get them through to test Marco Carducci.

In the 21st minute, a great run forward from defender Aidan O'Connor broke the lines, before he picked out Bah out wide. The Vancouver fullback beat multiple players on the dribble, and was brought down in the box -- winning a penalty.

Mezquida stepped up and absolutely smashed the ball into the top left of the net on an excellently taken effort to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the match, and 2-1 on aggregate. It was the third consecutive match against Cavalry in which Vancouver opened the scoring.

The visitors had a great chance to extend their lead on a counterattack in the 34th minute on a counter-attack following a free kick deep in their own area. The final ball, however, let them down and Carducci did brilliantly to fly out of his box and sweep away the chance.

An even better opportunity came in the 37th minute, when Dada-Luke found Ndiaye in the box. The Vancouver striker perhaps selfishly chose to strike toward goal, and had his shot saved by Carducci, instead of squaring to a wide-open Mezquida for a tap-in.

In a first half that lacked sharpness from the hosts, especially in attack, they didn't test Vancouver goalkeeper Callum Irving once. They did have a late penalty shout of their own as Mihail Gherasimencov looked to cut past Matteo Campagna into the box, but Cavalry's protests were waved away as the left winger was clearly looking for contact. Vancouver held that 1-0 lead heading into the half, and were full value for that scoreline.

Looking for life to begin the second half, Cavalry FC manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. elected to bring in former Eagle Maël Henry and Eryk Kobza.

Cavalry were the clear protagonists early in the second half, holding on to the ball and asking a number of questions of the Vancouver FC backline.

In the 60th minute, they nearly found an answer as a great cross from Tom Field into the box was into the path of Elva, but he couldn't direct his open header goalward.

Six minutes later, Cavalry equalized in the most unlikely of ways. A strike from Gherasimencov from outside the box, which was going wide, deflected off of Vancouver FC defender Aidan O'Connor, who was down injured, and past Irving to tie the match 1-1.

It was a third straight game in all competitions with an own goal for Vancouver FC, and yet another moment of tough luck for the Eagles.

Cavalry continued to push on for a winner. Vancouver, who played at the weekend in league action against Forge in Hamilton, shifted to a back five looking to limit Cavalry's chances.

Mezquida, however, continued to look lively for Vancouver, and forced a good diving stop from Carducci in the 85th minute. Musse responded with a great chance of his own two minutes later at the back post on a great cross from Warschewski, but couldn't direct it on goal.

The Uruguay attacker continued to create deep into stoppage time, and forced a big block in the box with the clock ticking down.

When the whistle sounded to end regulation, the sides remained deadlocked at 1-1, and 2-2 on aggregate. As such, the two sides headed to the spot to decide the match on penalty kicks. After Mezquida again confidently slotted home the first penalty for the visitors, Warschewski stunningly sent the ball wide.

Thomas Powell had a chance to win the shootout with Vancouver's fifth penalty, but struck the post to the right of Carducci, extending the contest. In the sixth round of the shootout, after Juan Batista had confidently scored his penalty, Callum Irving made a huge save on Maël Henry to secure victory for Vancouver.

It was the third time Cavalry FC have been eliminated on penalties in this competition, now doing so to all three Vancouver sides, the Whitecaps (2022), Pacific (2023) and now Vancouver FC.

Ironically, the two sides will meet again in the league on Sunday. For Cavalry, it will be about quickly making sure this loss doesn't influence what is a red-hot regular season CPL title race right now, in which they are very much in the running. 

"Part of being a coach is you have to deal with failure," said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. "For me, I've dealt with many failures. Have dealt with three penalty losses in CanChamp, just going to move on and focus on what the next match is. That happens to be Vancouver, so it's a great response for the players now, because I'm sure they are smarting right now. But it's how we respond that's our true test of character." 

Vancouver FC, meanwhile, will find out their opponent for the home-and-away semi-final round, which begins in August, tomorrow during half-time of the final quarter-final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Valour FC. 

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Wähling (Aird 60'), Laing, Montgomery (Kobza 46'), Field (Warschewski 60'); Gutiérrez (Henry 46'), Shome; Musse, Camargo (Antoniuk 87'), Gherasimencov; Elva

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna (Powell 90+4'), O'Connor, Bah (Batista 90+4'); Essoussi (Campbell 62'), Norman Jr; Godbout (Gee 81'), Fry, Mezquida; Ndiaye (Enyou 81')

Goals

23' — Nicolás Mezquida (Vancouver FC) (Penalty)
66' -- Aidan O'Connor (Vancouver FC) (Own goal)

Discipline

27' — Yellow: Vasco Fry (Vancouver FC)
32' -- Yellow: Aidan O'Connor (Vancouver FC)
45+1' -- Yellow: Diego Gutiérrez (Cavalry FC)
63' -- Yellow: Shamit Shome (Cavalry FC)
73' -- Yellow: Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)
76' -- Yellow: Henri Godbout (Vancouver FC) 

Penalty Shootout

Vancouver FC: Nicolás Mezquida (GOAL)
Cavalry FC: Tobias Warschewski (MISS)
Vancouver FC: David Norman Jr. (GOAL)
Cavalry FC: Caniggia Elva (GOAL)
Vancouver FC: Aidan O'Connor (GOAL)
Cavalry FC: Mihail Gherasimencov (GOAL)
Vancouver FC: Terran Campbell (GOAL)
Cavalry FC: Fraser Aird (GOAL)
Vancouver FC: Thomas Powell (MISS)
Cavalry FC: Ali Musse (GOAL)
Vancouver FC: Juan Batista (GOAL)
Cavalry FC: Mäel Henry (SAVED)

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Nicolás Mezquida, Vancouver FC

The talismanic Uruguayan was outstanding for the Eagles as always, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in regulation and doing so again in the decisive penalty shootout. Despite clearly cramping in the late stages of the match, Mezquida managed four shots on target, and won possession six times.

What’s next?

Vancouver FC advance to the two-legged semi-finals of the Canadian Championship, kicking of in August. Their semi-final opponent will be confirmed during a live draw at half-time of tomorrow night's match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Valour FC.

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