Possession didn’t equal production in a challenging week for the Cavalry.
The Cavs dropped a pair of 2-0 results to Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa to fall to 2-1-2 through five games of Canadian Premier League action at the Kickoff in Winnipeg.
“We’re still in the early season,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “We won seven games in a row in 2019 and all that matters is the last two games of the season. We’ll be there in the end, this is just a blip along the way that we’ll take some good things from, take things to get better.
“It’s about being right at the right time in the last two games of the season.”
In the July 8 clash, Forge captain Kyle Bekker tallied the first-half brace to lift his team to the crucial three points, the first on a volley with acres of space in the box in the 13th minute and the latter on a clinical near post strike from the right wing 10 minutes before halftime.
“We knew we had space on the outside and we knew we had to keep pushing them back,” Bekker said.
“They played a little bit of a high line and we just wanted to get the ball in behind them, spin them and make them defend facing their own net.
“That’s what we did in the first-half and we had some success.”
Cavalry poured it on in the second half and finished with 11 shots and a 65 per cent edge in possession.
But the damage was done.
“We just gave ourselves a mountain to climb,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “We didn’t execute the first-half game strategy. We had a couple of days, which is more than we usually have to work on it, implement in training, but it’s one thing to do it in training and another to execute it in the game.
“Second half we were a different side and that was the things we were trying to accomplish in the first half. But credit to the lads, they showed a response which was exactly the challenge we had.”
This was the latest chapter of the most charged rivalry in the Canadian league over its three years and an early
statement result for the two-time defending league champions.
“We obviously didn’t like the way we started this (Kickoff) with those first two games,” Bekker added. “It didn’t sit well with us.
“We knew we had to keep building on this and send a bit of a message.”
A similar script played out with Ottawa striking twice in the late stages for the 2-0 result on July 11 in Winnipeg.
“We controlled the game without really hurting them,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “And if you don’t hurt them then you give them a reason to have that one attack and then it looks like we could have done a lot more.
“It’s disappointing because we kept it in their half, but what they’re very good at is they’ll break on the counter and just get their one chance. Credit to them.”
Once again the Cavs dominated possession to the tune of 61 per cent, but managed just one shot on goal over the 90 minutes.
“What we’re learning now is possession is great, but without punishment it means nothing,” Wheeldon Jr. added. “We’ve got to find a way to hurt them, create something. We’re lacking that final pass, the final cutback, the final shot.
“That’s going to have to come in time, it’s a long haul season and these are painful defeats to have, but we’re going to have to start learning quicker than we are right now.”
On the strength of its terrific start at the Kickoff, the Cavs remain in the top half of the table, sitting in third spot, behind Valour and Pacific, with seven points.
The Cavalry return to IG Field for two matchups this week, a July 14 date with York United and July 17 clash versus HFX Wanderers.
Home games announced
Cavalry fans will soon get a chance to back the lads in person.
The Canadian Premier League unveiled its season schedule on July 12 with teams to resume games at home venues later this month.
The Cavs will kick off their home schedule on Aug. 3 against FC Edmonton with 10 dates at Spruce Meadows’ ATCO Field for the remainder of the 2021 CPL campaign.
For more information go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca.
