Why Cavalry's Elliot Simmons could be the secret to winning key midfield battle vs. Forge
In such a tightly-contested battle, the smallest of margins can make the biggest differences.
So when it comes to matchups between rivals Cavalry FC and Forge FC, a seemingly-inconsequential moment can sometimes become one that decides a match – an opening exploited, a tackle won.
The first leg of Cavalry's semi-final playoff tie this past weekend was no exception. With shots being 10-9 for Forge, there wasn't much to split the two teams, making a 1-1 result a fair one after the first 90 minutes.
But a semi-final naturally incurs a cost, and after Sunday's second tilt, one of these two teams will end their 2022 campaigns just short.
WATCH the 2022 CPL PLAYOFFS for FREE on the new TELUS Sports App, available on iOS, Android, Web and Android TV. DETAILS HERE.
"Looking back, it was a game where we kind of cancelled each other out," Cavalry midfielder Elliot Simmons told OneSoccer this week. "There wasn't a whole slew of chances or very much excitement from a fan's perspective, and the few chances that came were few and far between. But that's how tight these games are; you only get a few chances, so you've got to be clinical in front of the net.
"It was scrappy, but we didn't gain anything and we didn't lose anything, which now puts us in a one-off that can take us into the final. We like our chances."
While a winner hasn't yet emerged, one key lesson did – teams often break under the pressure of Forge's ruthless desire to dominate the middle of the field, but Cavalry?
They didn't even bend.
How Cavalry won the battle of midfield
Reflecting back on the first game, it's clear to see that the midfield battle – as expected, an absolute wrestling match – played a key role in the eventual 1-1 draw.
As is usually the case when Forge plays, the Hamiltonians tried to dominate the middle, holding 62 percent of the ball in mostly central areas of the pitch.
But thanks to Cavalry's midfield double-pivot of Simmons and Elijah Adekugbe in a 3-4-3, the home team ensured they did not get run over in midfield, with Simmons in particular proving a rather active participant.
He ended the first 90 minutes of play with four tackles completed, three clearances, two interceptions and three additional ball recoveries, while winning seven of the ten duels he was engaged in.
That helped limit Forge's midfield of Kyle Bekker, Alessandro Hojabrpour and Aboubacar Sissoko to just one good chance between them, which came off a set-piece ... though, to be fair to Forge, that set piece did craft the equalizer for Woobens Pacius to score (and end his scoring slump for good measure).
For a midfield of that calibre, numbers that low are very rare, yet show just how good Cavalry were defensively in the first leg, with Simmons playing a key part in that success.
"That's been my role within the team when I'm playing in midfield," Simmons explained. "Forge are a great team on the ball, and they love to attack through the central areas. They always have an overload there, so it just turned into a game where there are a lot of tackles flying all over the pitch.
"Maybe it's got something to do with the rivalry between the two clubs, but it was quite a fiery game, and I'm sure it'd be the same sort of game in this upcoming match."
GOAL 🐎@CPLCavalryFC open the scoring in the 2022 #CanPL playoffs!
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 15, 2022
Daan Klomp buries a perfect cross sent in by Joe Mason to punish @ForgeFCHamilton with a beautiful rising header 🎯#CanPL | 🔴 https://t.co/7JFAUhgjL6 pic.twitter.com/MBeRTGuL8E
Simmons key to Cavalry's midfield grit
With the rare distinction of being one of just a few remaining CPL players who have been with the league since day one, Simmons deserves credit for how he has stepped up for Cavalry this season.
In his third year with the club, he set a season-high for minutes played, playing 24 out of a possible 28 games in CPL play this year (27 out of a possible 31 games in all competitions).
As Cavalry dealt with a seemingly never-ending list of injuries and departures to midfielders, the 24-year-old Canadian went on to find another level this year in a new role that he's more than embraced.
After entering this year on the fringes of this Cavalry squad, there's no doubt that he's firmly entrenched into the starting lineup now, having played the full 90 in nine of the team's last 11 games.
This defensive stalwart has proven to be a perfect fit in Tommy Wheeldon Jr.'s midfield, bringing that right combination of skill and snarl that is often required to thrive in his gaffer's system of play.
"It took a lot of hard work at the beginning of the season," Simmons explained. "I found myself out of the team for the first three or four games, and I was waiting to get an opportunity, so I stuck to my principles. I know what I can bring to the team, and I believe in myself, so I was just working hard every day and trying to be consistent with my performances.
"I've had ups and downs throughout the season, like every year, but I think it's just been a year where I've really enjoyed being with the team, and we've gone on some great winning streaks, and we've had some ups and downs, but I think overall, it's been a good year and we are where we want to be heading into the playoffs and Sunday now."
Simmons wasn't always a part of Cavalry FC's plans. In fact, he began his CPL career with HFX Wanderers FC back in the inaugural 2019 season. As such, he has a unique perspective on how far the league has come since.
"Looking back, it's been a cool experience, being there from day one when the league started, and now seeing each year how the quality has improved," he reflected. "The standard of the league has been getting better and better each year, but I also feel that as a player and a person, I've developed each year.
"Plus, I’ve developed a new skill set, especially physically off the ball, trying to impose myself on the game more. And I feel like as a person as well, as I'm getting older, I've grown and are becoming more of a leader, (especially) on the pitch."
Now, Simmons faces his biggest task with Cavalry – getting over the semi-finals hump and returning to a shot at the North Star Shield.
Despite being a regular season force since day one of the league and boasting the best all-time regular season record, Cavalry's playoff form has left a lot to be desired.
Heartbreak in the finals in 2019 then paved the way for losing in the final four in each of 2020 and 2021, seemingly in more heartbreaking fashion each year.
Still, each year renews its chance at making history, making this Sunday's clash at Tim Hortons Field all the more important.
"We set a goal at the beginning of the year as a team, that we wanted to be in the playoffs," Simmons said. "Within this league, it doesn't really matter where you finish, as long as you're in that top four and you get into the playoffs, there's all to play for.
"Everyone's in a great mood. We’ve all been saying this week that we've always been a team that's been there, or thereabouts when competing for trophies, but now time for us to really make a stamp and make some history on Sunday.
"It’s almost a mini-final, really – if you win, you go through, but if you lose, your season is done and you're getting ready for next year. So our mentality acknowledges it's a must-win game, and I'm sure that it’s the same for them.
"You can always be there, or thereabouts like we've been, but at the end of the day, no one looks back in the history books and cares about what happened during the 28 games during the season. Now? It's crunch time."
