The Cavalry’s reconstruction at the top of the pitch has yielded an experienced striker from across the pond.
The Canadian Premier League outfit announced the signing of 30-year-old versatile forward Joe Mason, a former Republic of Ireland youth international with 185 games on his resume in the English Football League Championship, the second highest level of footy behind only the Premier League.
“Joe is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted to bring him to Calgary,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. in a team release. “He has a very strong pedigree given his playing background and he’s an extremely clever forward that will undoubtedly raise the quality of our team.
“He’s coming from a very good club in MK Dons that play some great football, so we know we are signing a quality striker to bolster our attack even further.”
The Plymouth, England native kickstarted his pro career with hometown Plymouth Argyle before joining Cardiff City from 2011-2016. Mason has enjoyed stints with Bolton, Wolverhampton, Burton and Portsmouth as well as briefly playing in the MLS with the Colorado Rapids in 2018.
Most recently, Mason suited up for Milton Keynes Dons, scoring 8 goals in 37 appearances from 2019-21.
At the EFL Championship level, just one rung below the Premier League, Mason has a strong goal-scoring record with 42 tallies in 185 games.
Among other career highlights for the striker was a goal against Liverpool FC in the League Cup Final in 2012 at Wembley Stadium as a member of Cardiff.
“I am very excited to get out to Calgary and join this ambitious football club and an exciting new league,” Mason said. “And, when it is safe to do so, I can’t wait to see and meet the fans at Spruce Meadows."
Mason credited Wheeldon Jr.'s management style and tactics along with the Cavalry's early success as factors in joining the squad.
"I've known Jordan Santiago (Cavs' goalie coach) from my time at Cardiff as well so there's the link," he said. "And the ambition of the club, they want to kick on and keep improving and keep winning so that was something I was really impressed with and what drew me to Cavalry. It's something I want to bring to the team as well, I'm hungry to win and hopefully I can bring that."
Tbe 5-foot-10 forward adds to a revamped group of strikers, joining fellow off-season addition Anthony Novak along with other newcomers Ahinga Selemani and Richard Luca, as well as attacking midfielder Oliver Minatel and the return of fan favourite winger and free-kick specialist José Escalante, who starred for the team in its maiden voyage in 2019.
The Cavalry was the top scoring side in the 2019 campaign and was fourth in goals for at the 2020 Island Games tournament.
The CPL 2021 campaign has postponed its planned start at the end of May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An update from the CPL on May 14 stated the league is looking at a mid-June to early-July start to the season.
For the latest updates on a league schedule for 2021 go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca.
