A moment of class from Ali Musse was enough to seal a gritty 1-0 victory for Cavalry FC over Pacific FC at ATCO Field on Sunday afternoon, as the defending Canadian Premier League champions extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions.
The result keeps Cavalry on course to surpass their club-record 13-game unbeaten streak set in 2022, while Pacific’s woes in Calgary continue. The Tridents are still winless at ATCO Field in regular-season play and now winless in their last 10 meetings with the Cavs.
“We haven’t had too many 1-0 wins, and I actually like them because they’re stingy,” said Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. post-match.
“We controlled it, but when you don’t get that second insurance goal, you give a team hope going into the last five or 10. That’s why we made our change, just to see it out.”
The match, originally postponed due to heavy rainfall in the Calgary area, was a triumph not just of footballing control, but also of club coordination. Wheeldon Jr. praised the entire organization for rallying together to make the pitch playable on short notice.
First half brings early dominance, late jitters
From the opening whistle, Cavalry imposed their rhythm with confident ball movement and attacking intent. It took just 13 minutes for the breakthrough, and it came from the club’s talisman.
After a precise cross from Sergio Camargo, Ali Musse expertly chested the ball down and delicately flicked it past Pacific keeper Max Anchor to give Cavalry a deserved early lead.
“I made the run, Sergio played an amazing ball and I just saw the goal and went for it,” Musse said after the match. Modest words for a finish that oozed composure and technique.
Cavalry then threatened to run away with the match in the first half.
Caniggia Elva, handed his first CPL start, twice came close — a looping header over the bar in the 23rd minute and a powerful effort that sailed just over in the 40th.
Musse nearly had a second on 34 minutes but rushed his finish at the back post. Another teasing cross from Mihail Gherasimencov nearly set him up again just before halftime.
Statistically, the first half told the story of dominance: 60.6% possession, nearly double the passes of Pacific, and 11 touches in the opposition box to Pacific’s three.
But for all their superiority, the hosts went into the break with just a one-goal cushion — a decision that nearly came back to haunt them.
Cavalry slam the door shut on late Pacific charge
The second half began with a scare. Within seconds of the restart, Pacific’s Kadin Chung forced a sharp save from Cavalry captain Marco Carducci.
It was a rare sight in a half largely controlled by Cavalry, but a reminder that the Tridents still carried a threat, despite their poor recent form.
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Carducci, a constant voice and presence at the back, rose to the occasion again in the 75th minute, denying Yann Toualy’s low drive and preserving the clean sheet with another save.
‘Captain. Leader. Legend.’ might be a fan chant, but today, it also felt like a job description.
Despite being second-best for most of the afternoon, Pacific grew into the match in the closing stages. Aly Ndom’s free kick from the edge of the box in the 85th minute was struck with venom but blocked by the wall — a moment that summed up Pacific’s frustrations.
The Tridents have now scored just once in their last six league matches, five of which have ended in defeat. While they battled with determination in the final 20 minutes, their lack of cutting edge continues to undermine any chance of a resurgence.
With the win, Cavalry now close the gap to league leaders Atletico Ottawa to four points.
This sets the stage for a top-of-the-table showdown on June 28, where the Cavs will be eager for revenge after Ottawa handed them their only home defeat earlier this season.
