| Inter Toronto vs. Cavalry FC Oct. 3 at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT Hamilton Stadium in Hamilton, Ont. Watch Live: OneSoccer Tickets available here |
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The top side in the Canadian Premier League continues its Ontario road trip this weekend, as Cavalry FC land in North York for a battle with Inter Toronto.
Rarely this season have Cavalry entered a match on the back of a defeat, but they left the nation's capital empty-handed on Wednesday night. That back-and-forth contest with Atlético Ottawa ended with a very late winner by Atleti's Gabriel Antinoro, in the 11th minute of stoppage time.
The 3-2 loss was the first CPL game Cavalry have conceded more than one goal in this year.
Still, the Cavs remain relatively comfortable atop the table, six points clear of second-place Forge FC at the beginning of the weekend. They have already clinched a playoff spot and a place in the top two, but the Calgary side still have their eyes on the CPL Shield.
Inter Toronto have their own battle to fight, though. Their quest for the postseason has hit several stumbling blocks recently, and the path into the top four is becoming narrow.
As it stands, Toronto are seventh in the table, nine points out of the playoffs with five games left on the schedule.
They still have two games in hand on fourth-place Vancouver FC, but Mauro Eustáquio's side knows they have absolutely no margin for error. From here on out, every game has to be treated like a must-win knockout match.
Last weekend, Toronto were on the losing end of a roller coaster contest with Pacific FC. A seven-goal first half resulted in a 4-3 win for the Tridents, even though Toronto did well to take the lead at one point while playing with 10 men.
The after-effect from that game is that Eustáquio will have some tough decisions to make with his lineup. Captain Oswaldo León is suspended after his early red card against Pacific, so Eustáquio may need someone like Carlos Guzmán to step into the backline -- or he could change up his usual back-three formation. Up front, Tomasz Skublak will also be forced to sit after picking up too many yellow cards. With Julian Altobelli still injured, Eustáquio might get creative with his attacking setup.
Cavs boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr. likewise has to make some choices with his team selection. He has two suspended players in Adam Pearlman and Goteh Ntignee, who otherwise would've slotted right into the starting 11. He also remains without Caniggia Elva (international duty) and Sergio Camargo (injury), who are typically key pieces in the attack.
Cavalry have plenty of depth to fill in those attacking positions, especially now that Tobias Warschewski is back in the lineup, but Pearlman's right-back spot will be a trickier one to fill.
The last two meetings between these sides were rather lopsided; Cavalry beat Inter Toronto 5-1 at York Lions Stadium in June, and won 5-0 at home in August.
Eustáquio will be calling on his team to stay tighter in defence to avoid giving too much space to Cavalry's lethal attack. Wheeldon, meanwhile, is hoping his side can restore regular service after a
NEWS & NOTES
- Both clubs will be without a key starter on Saturday due to suspension. Cavalry winger Goteh Ntignee and Inter Toronto defender Oswaldo León both received red cards in their most recent match. Each player will serve a one-game suspension.
- Cavalry defender Adam Pearlman is also suspended for one match due to yellow card accumulation.
- International Duty: Cavalry FC forward Caniggia Elva (St. Lucia) remains away from the club during the Concacaf Nations League group stage. However, midfielder Michael Baldisimo has returned from his stint with the Philippines national team.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Inter Toronto: Campos; Córdova, Singh, Sturing, Guzmán, Kibato; Accettola, Yeates; Bassett, Gonzáles, Almagro
Cavalry FC: Ingham; Ofori, Klomp, Didić, Kamdem; Paton, Kobza; Edwards, Warschewski, Musse; Graham-Roache
KEY QUOTES
"We know the situation we're in, and we know the only way to keep this playoff belief is to win. Draws aren't enough. That's the mindset in all the games; we have to continue to be ourselves, and play this offensive football we've been showing in the last couple weeks, but the reality is we have to make sure our defence is on point too. That's what's been costing us here in the last couple weeks' results." - Inter Toronto head coach Mauro Eustáquio
"Didn't get the result we wanted to last game; no problem, the best way to do that is get on with the next game. ... We know that Toronto are still fighting to be involved mathematically for the playoffs, so it should make for a really good game, and that's how the end of the season should be. " - Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
