New season, same result for the spring champions.
Cavalry FC opened its fall season schedule by outlasting Pacific FC 3-2 Saturday night at Westhills Stadium on Vancouver Island in a wide-open match with a combined 12 shots on target.
“We wanted to get back to winning ways,” said Cavs head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. post-match. “We played some really nice football at times, I thought we were very good attacking on the break. I think we’ve given up two soft goals, a little bit uncharacteristic. That’s what I like about this team, they own things.
“That’s three points. We said we want to compete for the fall championship, we’re not resting on our laurels for just the spring season.”
Pacific edged the Cavalry 3-1 earlier in the week in the spring season finale with the Cavs fielding a different lineup having already locked up the spring title.
The 18-game fall season opening weekend saw the Cavalry, FC Edmonton and the HFX Wanderers pick up three points.
Sergio Camargo took over the golden boot race as the Canadian Premier League’s top scorer with five after a brace on Saturday. Nico Pasquotti, who was named to the CPL’s league wide first eleven for the spring season, added the other tally.
“It feels good, but most importantly it’s the win that counts,” Camargo said. “If I don’t score and we win, that’s even better.
“I don’t think we had a great game today, but this team is special because even if we don’t play well we still grind out the result.”
The visitors opened the scoring in the 21st minute after the Cavs forced a turnover on the press and holding midfielder Elijah Adekugbe feathered a through ball behind the Pacific defence for Camargo to slide past goalkeeper Nolan Wirth.
Pasquotti doubled the lead just six minutes later, rising for a header on the far-post.
The two goal scorers connected for the third tally when Pasquotti surged toward goal down the right wing and hit Camargo with a powerful cross off the attacking midfielder and in at the 61st minute, roughly 60 seconds after Pacific captain Ben Fisk got the home team on the board.
“When you’ve got Sergio Camargo, Dominique Malonga, Nico Pasquotti gelling, they’re very dangerous going forward,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “We’re pleased to get three goals away from home.
“(Sergio) how good is he? There’s a reason we got him as a foundational signing, he’s exciting, we’ve got to get him the ball more because he could have got the hat-trick today.”
Pacific, playing with a depleted lineup, came on strong in the late stages with Terran Campbell adding a goal off a header in the 83rd minute.
The Cavalry will look to go 2-0 in the fall season with another road tilt on the other side of the country. The July 13 date in Halifax to battle the Wanderers is next on the docket in the CPL.
Mid-week is where the Cavs’ attention turns with the third-round clash in the Canadian Championship versus the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 10.
Opening kick-off is 7:30 p.m. at Spruce Meadows’ ATCO Field as the Cavs look to knock off the MLS side over two legs.
“It’s very exciting,” Camargo said. “We’re going to be able to test what level we’re actually at and Vancouver is going to be a great challenge for us and we look forward to it.”
For more information go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca
