Highlights
FC Supra simply does not know how to close out a match against Cavalry. After losing twice in the final moments of their first two games, the Montrealers once again dropped points with only a handful of minutes left to play.
Things were looking good for the Quebec club, however, as Sissoko, who came on during the match, found the breakthrough in the 80th minute, leaving Nathan Ingham with no chance after receiving a cross from Mlah.
FC Supra, however, was never able to keep its clean sheet and at times showed limitations on set pieces. And it was from a corner taken by Tobias Warschewski that Caniggia Elva, who had also come on during the match, headed the ball past Milli and into the back of the net (88th minute).
This draw allows Cavalry to pick up a point on Forge FC, who were defeated earlier by Vancouver FC, and reduce the gap at the top of the standings.
For Supra, the result is not a very good one, as it leaves the Montrealers six points away from the playoffs.
Beyond the points tally, the atmosphere on the pitch was not exactly festive, as the match was at times downright soporific.
With a marathon of matches approaching over the coming days and weeks, FC Supra fielded a reshuffled lineup. Thomas Lebeuf, on the left side of the defence and Omar Elkalkouli in midfield returned to the starting XI after waiting several weeks, while Sean Rea was not even on the match sheet.
This did not really unsettle Supra, who started well, with early attempts from Biello and Choinière, although neither posed much danger to Nathan Ingham.
Despite Supra’s slight dominance in the first half, Cavalry never seemed to panic completely, until the half-hour mark and the first real dangerous opportunity. Well served at the edge of the box, Loïc Kwemi unleashed a powerful low shot that went just a few centimetres wide of Nathan Ingham’s goal.
It must nevertheless be acknowledged that opportunities were very few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, with just 1 shot on target (from 9 attempts) for Supra and only 1 shot in total for Cavalry.
A slightly more entertaining end to the match
Looking to energize his attack, Tommy Wheeldon Jr brought on Caniggia Elva at the start of the second half, but the consequences were few for a long time.
Aside from an Edwards header from a Pearlman cross, chances remained rare, unlike the yellow cards, which punished an increasingly stop-start game.
It was not until the 73rd minute that there was finally a semblance of action, thanks to Ali Musse, whose curling shot forced Milli to stretch to preserve his clean sheet.
The final ten minutes ultimately changed the narrative of a match that will not go down in the league’s history books.
Cavalry’s hero, Elva, mainly emphasized that his team had “not given up,” and that is indeed one of the few lessons that can be taken from the match for the Albertans.
Nick Razzaghi, who felt his team had played “an excellent match,” regretted the “details” that made the difference.
For Supra, the best news of the evening was undoubtedly Zachary Fernandez’s return to the pitch, one year after his injury, which allowed Stade Boréale to give him a warm ovation.
Statistics
Starting XI
FC Supra: Milli; Lebeuf, Chrétien, Ferdinand, Auguste; Mlah (Boughanmi; 90th), Biello, Elkalkouli (Fernandez; 85th); Choinière, Kwemi (Condé, 67th), Bayiha (Sissoko; 67th)
Cavalry FC: Ingham; Kamdem (Ofori; 84th), Didic, Laing, Pearlman; Kobza (Elva; 46th), Paton (McGlinchey; 66th); Edwards, Musse, Camargo (Henry; 84th); Warschewski
Goals
Sissoko (FC Supra) – 80th
Elva (Cavalry) – 88th
Cards
E. Kobza (Cavalry) – 31st – Yellow card
O. Elkalkouli (FC Supra) – 40th – Yellow card
H. Paton (Cavalry) – 56th – Yellow card
T. Lebeuf (FC Supra) – 67th – Yellow card
A. Pearlman (Cavalry) – 68th – Yellow card
Player of the Match CPLSoccer.com
A. Sissoko – FC Supra
In a match low on chances, his introduction and his goal paved the way for a slightly more exciting end to the match. A fact worth highlighting.
Next Match
FC Supra is preparing for a doubleheader against Atlético Ottawa. The first, in the Canadian Championship, will take place on Tuesday, August 11 at 7 p.m. ET at TD Place in Ottawa. The second, in the CPL, will take place on Sunday, August 16 at 12 p.m. ET.
Cavalry FC hosts Forge FC for a top-of-the-table clash on August 15 at 5 p.m. ET.
To find the complete broadcast schedule: cplsoccer.com/watch.