Never has there been a more lopsided CPL playoff matchup on paper.
The two clubs facing off on Sunday evening at Stade Boréale finished with 22 points separating them in the regular season table -- the biggest gap between postseason opponents in league history. One had never defeated the other, and lost 6-0 in their most recent meeting.
For the opening half hour in Laval, it was impossible to tell which was which. FC Supra du Québec, who squeaked into the postseason on the final day of the regular season, put the CPL Shield winners to the sword early, scoring two goals inside the first nine minutes.
Supra held on for a deserved 2-1 win in the first leg of their semifinal matchup for their first playoff victory in their first-ever playoff match. It was the latest entry in the history books for the first-year club that has consistently proven they will come to play when the lights are the brightest.
"We knew it was going to be a big crowd, and we wanted to feed off them," said FC Supra du Québec manager Kyt Selaidopoulos. "We knew if we scored quickly, then things would change for them. So we wanted to come out hard, and we did."
In just the fourth minute, Supra took the lead through a goal incredibly true to their identity. A free-flowing bit of attacking football down the left flank, complete with some floush, ended up at the foot of Zachary Brault-Guillard who showed brilliant technique to fire it past Ingham. Four minutes later, it was a moment of making their own luck that saw a strike from Diyaeddine Abzi deflect off of Cavalry's Eryk Kobza and into the net to make it 2-0.
"They came out flying," said Cavalry FC defender Daan Klomp. "Tough start for us, didn't really stick to our game plan and well, Supra punished us."
Cavalry eventually found their footing, and got what could be a vital goal of their own just before half-time when Tobias Warschewski converted the rebound of his own penalty.
"Fortunately, we dug in like we usually do and kept it a one-goal game," said Cavalry FC manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. "Because that could have gone into chaos the way Supra started."
For Supra, it was a learning moment. After an outstanding opening half, they got a little bit too "cocky" in the words of head coach Selaidopoulos and let Cavalry back into the match, and the semifinal as a whole.
"We were getting maybe overconfident because the first 30 minutes we killed them," said FC Supra du Québec captain David Choinière. "So just to stay disciplined, to repeat what works for us, and stay on the game plan. And if we do that, I think, as we can see, we can beat anybody."
What was impressive was how Supra saw out the match. The last two times Cavalry came to town in the regular season, Supra had conceded late goals which spoiled their result. In fact, conceding late had been a bit of an issue all season for this club. On Sunday, Cavalry didn't manage a single shot on target in the second half.
"You see a team that has grown, one that shows more maturity, a team that recognizes key moments," said Choinière. "Today, for instance, we knew we had a two-goal lead; we didn't get carried away, we didn't take unnecessary risks in the central zone, and we managed the game well.
"To be honest, we've made a lot of progress, and the players themselves are showing great maturity. It's a team that's really coming into its own."
Now comes an even bigger test.
After the final whistle, Cavalry FC huddled on the Stade Boréale pitch as FC Supra players and fans celebrated exuberantly around them. Wheeldon Jr., understandably, wouldn't tip his hand as to what was said in the huddle, but the gist of it was to remember these scenes and use them as fuel for the second leg.
"We see all the fans celebrating and all of that stuff, but now they have to come to us," said Klomp. "That's something that we look forward to. And that's what was said in that huddle. And yeah, I can't wait."
After the first leg, Supra find themselves in the lead, but they still have a mountain to scale in Calgary on Saturday (4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. ABT on OneSoccer, CBC, TVA Sports 2). But the climb to the CPL Final doesn't seem nearly as daunting for this team as it once did after proving they can hang with the league's best.
"It's business as usual," said Selaidopoulos. "We're heading to Calgary, and there's snow there, so we're ready for whatever comes next. Am I happy we won? Yes. Is it over? No, we're not finished yet. We're going to go see it through to the end, with all our effort."
