Carducci inspires Cavalry to triumphant home opener

A return in between the posts meant much more than three points to the backbone of Cavalry FC.

Cavs goalkeeper Marco Carducci marked his return to the lineup for the first time since revealing his battle with testicular cancer in the offseason to lift his team to a 2-0 clean sheet and first win of the season over the defending champion Pacific FC in its home opener on May 1 at Spruce Meadows' ATCO Field in a clash of teams at opposite ends of the Canadian Premier League standings.

"I went into the game with the mindset that I love doing this," Carducci said. "This is an opportunity that every kid who plays soccer wants to have and after the last couple months with some roadblocks in the way to able to come back and do it felt amazing.

"As the game went on, it was about just doing what I know how to do. To be honest with you, at the end of the game with a couple minutes left I started to feel a little more emotional than I thought. It was incredible just to have the guys around me fighting just to hold on and not only win the game, but come away with a clean sheet. 

"It was a special feeling."

Carducci, an original member of the Cavalry, detailed his diagnosis of testicular cancer in February along with treatment, surgery and recovery in a team statement released in March.

The fourth match of the season proved to be the ideal way to get back in the game.

"It was a great win for Marco and everyone for what he's been through," said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. "People don't realize and we see it day-to-day and that guy is unbelievable.

"The lads fought for him and his big save at the end to keep the shutout. That's all I wanted was a shutout for him because he's an impressive human being."

His teammates put in a shift at the other end of the pitch as well.

Ali Musse sent the raucous Cavalry crowd into a frenzy before the match hit the two-minute mark.

Industrious winger José Escalante did terrific work to not give up on the play before finding the trailing Musse at the top of the box for a cool right-footed finish from the left-footed midfielder.

The hosts doubled their advantage eight minutes before the end of the half with Jean-Aniel Assi's diligence on the press causing a turnover before the winger found Joe Mason at the top of the box for a clinical finish from the striker.

It was a dominant showing though the first 45 minutes for the Cavalry, who had a 4-2 edge in shots and 9-0 advantage in touches in the opposition box.

In the second half, Carducci helped preserve the two-goal advantage with a sublime save in tight with the dangerous Marco Bustos finding room inside the box and firing a left-footed strike to force a big save in the 61st minute.

"It's all business during the game," Carducci added. "I have to give credit to the guys in front of me who put in an absolute shift, we stuck to the plan, we scored goals and we didn't concede.

"My job is to help my team, keep my team in the game and we have to control the game. There was a moment there on a friend of mine Marco Bustos where I come up big, but at the end of the day it's about everyone pulling their weight and for me being there was an opportunity to keep us up two goals.

"Obviously momentum is a big part of the game and if they score there things can shift quickly."

The three points see the Cavs vault past FC Edmonton for a share of sixth-place in the eight-team league. Cavalry opened the season with two losses and a draw from an extended road trip against the CPL's three Ontario teams.

Pacific FC remains in first place with the loss snapping a four-game unbeaten run to start the season.

"We have a target on our back, obviously we're the defending champs," Bustos said. "Every game is going to be tough, we saw that in the week against Edmonton, it's not an easy place to play and then coming here it's an opening game for Cavalry with tons of people and they have that extra man with the crowd."

Next up for the Cavs is a May 6 road date versus Edmonton with the provincial rivals locking horns once again on May 10 in Canadian Championship preliminary round action.

For more information go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca.