Vancouver FC wrote their biggest chapter yet on Tuesday night, stunning Cavalry FC on penalties at ATCO Field to reach their first-ever TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final.
Deadlocked 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate, it took a 5-4 penalty shootout win to pull off one of the most dramatic cup upsets in recent soccer memory.
This was a defiant step forward for a club that is bottom of the league table and it was sealed by goalkeeper and skipper Callum Irving’s save on Mael Henry’s penalty in sudden death.
“Our performance today was indicative of a team that wants more,” said Irving post-match. “We’re going to keep using the momentum we got here to kick us on.”
It was also a night of symmetry. The team the Cavs knocked out last year in the first round came back to return the favour. This time, it was Vancouver’s turn to advance.
Cavalry dominate early, but Vancouver strike first
Coming off a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Langley, B.C., the second leg at ATCO Field was always going to hinge on fine margins. Especially with no away goals rule or extra time in this year’s format. And it was Cavalry who looked the sharper side early on.
Sergio Camargo nearly opened the scoring inside three minutes, while Ali Musse and Mihail Gherasimencov both had efforts stopped by the steady hands of Irving. Caniggia Elva also had a golden opportunity in the 13th minute but couldn’t find the finish.
But as the half wore on, the Eagles grew into the game. In the 21st minute, fullback Elage Bah earned a penalty after an incisive run into the box, and Nicolas Mezquida converted with authority, hammering the ball into the top left corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
That goal swung momentum sharply. Henri Godbout and Pathe Ndiaye began linking up with more purpose in midfield, and Vancouver’s press disrupted Cavalry’s rhythm. If not for Marco Carducci’s stunning foot-save to deny Pathe in the 36th minute, it might’ve been 2-0.
The hosts’ frustrations spilled over when Gherasimencov was denied a penalty just before halftime. Midfielder Diego Gutierrez picked up a yellow in the aftermath, and Cavalry went into the break trailing and unsettled.
Bizarre own goal brings Cavalry level
Cavalry kicked off the second half by making a couple of changes that included the introduction of Henry and central defender Eryk Kobza. They eventually also added star striker Tobias Warschewski and Fraser Aird just after the hour mark.
The equalizer arrived for the Cavs in truly bizarre fashion in the 65th minute.
Gherasimencov unleashed a powerful strike from distance after a cleared corner, which deflected off a fallen Aidan O’Connor and somehow ended up in the net past Irving.
The own goal drew laughs, groans, and disbelief. But it levelled the tie all the same.
With the attacking quintet of Musse, Elva, Gherasimencov, Camargo, and Warschewski now all on the pitch, Cavalry surged forward in waves. Elva and Musse came close again, but Vancouver’s backline, led by O’Connor and David Norman Jr., held firm.
Carducci, too, remained heroic at the other end, denying Mezquida from close range in the 84th minute to preserve the draw.
Irving the hero as Cavalry fall in shootout
With no extra time in the format, the match proceeded to penalties.
Mezquida, Norman Jr., O’Connor, Terran Campbell, and Juan Batista all converted for Vancouver, while Elva, Gherasimencov, Aird, and Musse responded for Cavalry.
The biggest shock, however, was Warschewski missing his opening attempt.
Thomas Powell then had the chance to win it for Vancouver but he struck the post, thereby pushing the shootout into sudden death. In sudden death, Irving’s stop on Henry was decisive and ended the match in Vancouver’s favour.
“The staff and my teammates give me confidence,” said Irving post-match. “They trust me to make a save or two, and I trust them to finish their penalties.”
The shootout win completed Vancouver’s revenge for their elimination at Cavalry’s hands last year and sent the Eagles soaring into uncharted territory.
It was heartbreak for Cavalry who lost on penalties for the third year in a row, this time against a club many had written off.
“Part of being a coach is you have to deal with failure,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “For me, I’ve dealt with many failures. Have dealt with three penalty losses in CanChamp, just going to move on and focus on what the next match is. That happens to be Vancouver, so it’s a great response for the players now, because I’m sure they are smarting right now. But it’s how we respond that’s our true test of character.”
For Vancouver, however, it was a night of firsts. First win over Cavalry, first Canadian Championship semi-final berth, and perhaps most importantly, a rare high point in a season that has otherwise seen the club anchored to the bottom of the CPL table.
“I’m very proud of the organization as a whole,” said Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi after the match.
“Everyone in the front office have worked so hard to try to build this club, to every staff, from the medical staff to the technical staff to all the players. We’ve been through a lot as a group, but I think hardships bring people closer together, make us stronger.”
