Cavalry FC is set to host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Monday, July 13, at ATCO Field in Spruce Meadows, Calgary, in the second leg of the Canadian Championship quarter-final. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on OneSoccer and OneSoccer.ca. The Whitecaps, four-time defending Canadian Championship winners, are considered one of the top teams in North America, according to Cavalry's commercial and marketing manager Mason Trafford.
Calgary's Soccer Ambitions
Cavalry FC aims to position Calgary as 'Soccer City, Canada' through connections to the global game. Former Cavalry captain Trafford noted that the club's tagline this year is 'World's Game, Your Team, Cavalry FC.' He highlighted the club's growing influence, with players like Joel Waterman earning a spot on Canada's national team for a second consecutive World Cup, and former assistant coach Leon Hapgood now with MLS's New York City FC. Other alumni include midfielder Mauro Eustàquio, now head coach of CPL's Inter Toronto FC, Aribim Pepple, a rising star in English League One, and Mo Farsi, a regular with MLS's Columbus Crew and a prospect for Algeria's national team.
World-Class Matchup
Trafford emphasized the significance of hosting the Whitecaps, stating, 'The Whitecaps are legitimately one of the best teams on the North American continent. And to be able to see that level of soccer in a stadium as special as ATCO Field, with its intimacy, is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing.' He also raised the possibility that this could be the last chance to see the Whitecaps in Calgary, given uncertainty surrounding the club's future. 'If you’re not scrambling to try to see that game, and if you’re even an inkling of a soccer fan, I’m not sure what you’re doing,' Trafford added.
Club Legacy and Impact
Under head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr., Cavalry FC has developed talent that has reached global stages. Trafford noted, 'We’re talking about our web going all over the globe, and it even touches the World Cup. Tommy was with Jesse Marsch and the national team at the coaching camp before the World Cup. Joel is there with Canada. Those are real stories.' The club's efforts to connect Calgary to the world's game include hosting top-tier competition like the Whitecaps, reinforcing their claim to the title of Canada's soccer city.
