| Cavalry FC vs. Halifax Wanderers June 6 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT ATCO Field at Calgary, Alberta Watch Live: OneSoccer Tickets available here |
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The last time Marco Carducci played at ATCO Field, he helped Cavalry to a 4-1 2025 CPL playoff win over Inter Toronto en route to the club's third straight final appearance.
Now, as he steps onto the grass at ATCO for the first time in 2026, he does so with a Halifax Wanderers badge on the front of his kit.
After seven years and multiple trophies won with his hometown Cavalry club, it will be a special reunion. But the niceties quickly end when the match kicks off.
Cavalry FC return home after their first loss of the year, 1-0 to rivals Forge FC, which saw them drop out of the league's top spot.
This is the first meeting between the two clubs this season, but not the first time Cavalry have faced a Vanni Sartini-coached side.
Sartini's Whitecaps twice eliminated Cavalry from the TELUS Canadian Championship in 2022 and 2024. But they were well-fought battles on both occasions, the first seeing the Caps advance on penalties, and the second on away goals.
Now, Sartini tries to accomplish something that he has personally, but Halifax have never done in their history: winning at ATCO Field.
The all-time series between the two clubs is also decidedly in Cavalry's favour, as Halifax have just three wins for 26 matches against the Calgary club -- their fewest against any CPL opponent (not named FC Supra, of course). They have been outscored 19-6 in 10 all-time visits to ATCO Field.
Halifax come into town with a boost of confidence after a stoppage-time 1-0 win at home over Vancouver FC -- their first victory since the opening weekend of the season.
While ATCO Field is always a sea of red on matchday, it is the club's Red and White Out match. Fans are encouraged to wear red and white to support the Canadian men's national team ahead of a huge summer.
Can Carducci and Sartini lift the Wanderers' curse in Calgary, or will Cavalry ride on in their breakneck early-season race with Forge at the top of the table? It will be a memorable evening at ATCO either way.
NEWS & NOTES
- Halifax's Tavio Ciccarelli is suspended this match following a second yellow in last weekend's match against Vancouver FC. Halifax are also without a number of players due to international duty, including Ryan Telfer and Andre Rampserad (Trinidad and Tobago) and Cyprian Kachwele (Tanzania).
- Bradley Kamdem is back for Cavalry, as is Maël Henry. Ali Musse, however, will be a game-time decision.
- Cavalry FC cleaned up in the league's monthly awards, with Tobias Warschewski taking home the Player of the Month following three goals and an assist in May, Tommy Wheeldon Jr. was named Manager of the Month, while full-back Adam Pearlman took home U-21 Player of the Month.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Cavalry FC: Ingham; Pearlman, Didić, Klomp, Laing; Kobza, Paton; Edwards, Camargo, Ntignee; Warschewski
Halifax Wanderers: Carducci; Alphonse, Linder, Sow, Godinho; Callegari, Zitman; Bahamboula, Johnston, Arilla; Akinwale
KEY QUOTES
"[Vanni] knows what he wants out of his team defensively, he's got a clear identity with what he wants with their attack again, got good leadership obviously, Marco at the back line, Callegari is a talented player in midfield, there's no easy game in this league." -- Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
"It's always good playing against old teammates and old clubs, but we're going out to get back on winning ways, and the three points that we know we can get." -- Cavalry FC defender Adam Pearlman
"It's the most intense team in the league, traditionally, and even this season. I expect them to be a very hard team to beat. They're very well organized, and they have a lot of talent." -- Halifax Wanderers head coach Vanni Sartini
