Cavalry FC strengthened their pursuit of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) Shield, beating reigning champions Atletico Ottawa 3-1 at ATCO Field Saturday to claim their 12th win of the season and move to the top of the table.
The matchup had been billed as a meeting between two of the league’s highest-scoring teams and the opening half quickly justified the hype.
Cavalry had already beaten Ottawa 3-1 in their Calgary home opener on April 12 and followed it with a 3-0 victory in the nation’s capital on July 4.
The latest result completed a dominant season series and extended Cavalry’s unbeaten run at ATCO Field to 17 matches, with their last home defeat coming against Forge FC on July 26, 2025.
Cavalry turn early pressure into two-goal advantage
Ottawa started with confidence and had the first opportunity when Manny Aparicio sent a free kick over the crossbar in the fourth minute. The visitors controlled possession during the opening stages, but Cavalry soon turned the match on its head.
The hosts came within inches of opening the scoring in the ninth minute. Atleti goalkeeper Christopher Kalongo produced an excellent close-range save to deny Nathaniel Edwards during a scramble before Ali Musse fired his shot over an unguarded net.
Four minutes later, Cavalry made Ottawa pay.
Adam Pearlman delivered a precise cross from the right flank, finding Edwards, who calmly tapped the ball home to make it 1-0.
Cavalry doubled their advantage four minutes later through Tobias Warschewski. Goalie Nate Ingham launched a long ball from his own penalty area towards the forward, who allowed it to bounce once before delicately chipping Kalongo and finding the net.
“The first goal I scored was a brilliant ball from Nate [Ingham] over the top. I saw a space in behind, he saw me running and it was an amazing ball from him and then I just chipped it over the goalkeeper,” Warschewski said.
Ottawa responded almost immediately through their star striker Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau when he unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box that gave Ingham no chance, cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the 21st minute.
Warschewski strikes again as Cavalry pull away
Cavalry resumed where they left off after halftime and nearly restored their two-goal cushion when Daan Klomp headed Warschewski’s corner narrowly wide.
But the hosts did not despair because the third goal arrived two minutes later.
Musse created space on the right with a clever step-over before delivering the ball into the box. Warschewski controlled it, took a touch, and gently chipped the ball in for his second of the night, taking his season tally to eight goals alongside seven assists.
Cavalry largely controlled the contest from there.
Ottawa appeared to have a route back into the match in the 73rd minute when the referee awarded a penalty after Ingham was judged to have brought down Ballou Tabla.
But Wheeldon Jr. used his Football Video Support (FVS) challenge and the decision was overturned after review, with Ottawa being awarded a corner instead.
The visitors threatened again late on when Fleuriau Chateau led a counterattack, but Cavalry’s defence dealt with the danger to see out the win. The victory was another statement from a Cavalry side increasingly gathering momentum this season.
“These lads like a challenge. So I think there was a good challenge there. Ottawa took the playoff championship last year. So if we want to lift trophies this year, we’ve got to beat the teams around us,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “I think that’s what you saw today. What it was up to us to do was to break them. And I think we did that.”
Warschewski echoed those sentiments about the collective strength of the squad.
“I think we know what we have in the squad. Everybody gets goals, assists, you know, I think this makes this team this year so strong that everybody chips in and we just building on this momentum and keep going.”
The Cavs return to ATCO Field next Saturday, August 29, to host Vancouver FC, while Ottawa faces Inter Toronto at TD Place the previous evening.
