Cavalry downs Forge, advances to CPL title game

Tobias Warschewski’s 27th-minute extremity sent Cavalry FC into the Canadian Premier League title crippled with a 1-0 triumph implicit Forge FC successful the qualifying semifinal Sunday.

Defending champion Forge inactive has a accidental to articulation second-seeded Cavalry successful the Nov. 9 last successful Calgary, however.

No. 1 Forge volition big adjacent Saturday’s semifinal against No. 3 Atletico Ottawa, which edged No. 4 York United FC 5-4 successful a punishment shootout earlier Sunday aft their quarterfinal finished tied 2-2 aft other time.

It’s the 3rd travel to the CPL last for Cavalry, which mislaid to Forge successful 2019 and 2023. Forge, meanwhile, suffered lone its 2nd decision successful 14 vocation playoff games (10-2-2).

“It was a precise pugnacious show from us. And it needed to be,” Cavalry manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said.

Cavalry astir went up successful the 24th infinitesimal Sunday astatine Tim Hortons Field lone to spot Forge’s Alessandro Hojabrpour acrobatically wide distant a Callum Montgomery header destined for a goal.

But Warschewski made nary mistake 3 minutes later, taking vantage of a agelong escaped footwear from goalkeeper Marco Carducci from conscionable extracurricular his ain punishment container that divided the Forge defence. Warschewski got to the shot first, chesting it down and fending disconnected a defender earlier going astir goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat and knocking the shot home.

“He’s unplayable, isn’t he,” Wheeldon said of Warschewski. “And recognition to Marco. He saw an opportunity.”

Warschewski won the league’s Golden Boot Award, starring each scorers during the regular play with 12 goals.

Forge had its chances successful the archetypal half, including a chaotic goalmouth scramble that it failed to instrumentality vantage of. Another onslaught saw skipper Kyle Bekker’s header from adjacent scope deed the goalpost.

Carducci stopped a looping changeable from region from Forge’s Beni Badibanga successful the 53rd minute. A infinitesimal later, Hojabrpour’s hard changeable went consecutive astatine the Cavalry ‘keeper.

Cavalry’s Jay Herdman, lad of Toronto FC manager John Herdman, hammered a changeable implicit the barroom successful the 59th minute. Three minutes later, Daan Klomp’s header disconnected a Ali Musse transverse flashed conscionable wide of the Forge goal.

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Carducci parried a hard changeable from conscionable extracurricular the punishment container by substitute Noah Jensen successful the 79th minute. Bekker fired precocious successful the 83rd minute.

Forge held a 2-1-1 borderline successful the regular-season bid with Cavalry this year, winning 2-1 doubly astatine Tim Hortons Field with a 1-0 nonaccomplishment and 1-1 gully astatine ATCO Field.

Hamilton’s Forge is looking for a 5th rubric — and 3rd consecutive — successful its sixth post-season appearance. Forge won the rubric successful 2019, ’20, ’22 and ’23 and was runner-up successful 2021.

It is besides looking for the treble this play aft posting the champion regular-season grounds (15-8-5), finishing 2 points up of Cavalry (12-4-12).

Cavalry finished atop the regular-season standings successful 2019, the league’s inaugural campaign, and 2023, lone to tally into Forge successful the last some times.

The Calgary broadside was runner-up successful the league successful 2021, losing 2-1 aft other clip to eventual champion Pacific FC successful the semifinal. Cavalry mislaid 3-2 to Forge successful the two-legged semifinal successful 2022.