For the first time in franchise history, the Cavalry FC hoisted the Canadian Premier League Championship by dethroning Forge FC 2-1 today (Nov. 9) at ATCO Field.
Forge FC came into the game as the reigning back-to-back CPL champs, along with holding four championships since the league's inception back in 2019. Added on top of that, Forge FC took the CPL Shield for the best team during the regular season, the same Shield Cavalry won a year ago.
Cavalry and Forge met earlier in the playoffs, with Cavalry earning a spot in today's Grand Final with a 1-0 win over the Hamilton-based team. The CPL Player of the Year Finalist, Tobias Warschewski, got the lone goal in the game in the 27th minute of play.
Warschewski continued to be a thorn in the side of Forge in today's match, scoring the first goal of the game on a penalty kick after being taken down in the box by Dominic Samuel. Forge's goalkeeper, Jassem Koleilat, dove low right, but Warschewski timed it perfectly, putting it above Koleiat's reach for the opening goal at the 32-minute mark in the first half.
Cavalry wasn't finished, Warschewski dribbled the ball at the top of Forge FC's box and stayed with the ball even after getting his shot blocked, then recouped the ball along with making a pass over to Sergio Camargo for a clear break and added the second goal of the match. Camargo's goal came just six minutes after Warschewski's marker.
Forge FC came out strong in the second half and found the net with a goal from Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson 52 minutes into the match. Team captain and member of Cavalry FC since the team's inception, Marco Carducci and his teammates didn't get rattled, finishing the game with a 2-1 win to etch themselves in the CPL history books.