Chilly weather on Vancouver Island may be the secret recipe for Cavalry FC to stay close in Concacaf clash

Halifax Wanderers defender Daniel Nimick, left, and Cavalry FC forward Tobias Warschewski vie for the ball during Canadian Premier League soccer action in Calgary in this August 10, 2024 game. Cavalry FC play in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup Thursday night in Langford, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Calvary FC Media, Mike Sturk

A lot of Cavalry FC fans may be more comfortable than the players when the Canadian Premier League champs square off against Universidad Nacional – or Pumas UNAM -- Thursday night in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

While hundreds of Cavalry FC “foot soldiers” will hunker down at a trio of Calgary pubs for watch parties, the teams will be competing in Langford, B.C., where the forecast is for the wind chill to drop to – 9 tonight.

There were some eight to 10 centimetres of snow on the ground Wednesday, with a temperature of minus-1 C.

The forecast for Thursday evening is clear and minus-3 C.

“We asked the good people of Langford to help make us feel at home,” joked Cavalry FC head coach and general manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “And that they’ve done. They’ve packed the snowbanks and it does feel like home.”

Back in Cavalry FC’s actual home, Calgary, hundreds of fans will be participating in watch parties at the Elephant & Castle, the Ship & Anchor and Kildares pubs.

Where ever the fans watch it, however, doesn’t change the fact that Cavalry FC are up against it.

‘Big Four’ clubs

Pumas are one of the big four clubs from Mexico, and have won seven Liga MX titles, most recently in 2011.

Cavalry FC’s last win was the clincher to take the 2024 Canadian Premier League championship – their first.

The matchup, on paper, is lopsided in favour of the Mexican side, said Wheeldon Jr. in an interview poste on the club’s website.

“Let’s be frank, they are a phenomenal side,” said Cavalry FC manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “We are going to have to punch above our weight to be at our best in this situation. They’re five games into their season, we’re five weeks into pre-season.

“So any advantages we can create [are crucial],” he added. “We know the weather is going to be one of them.”

The game is the first of a two-game aggregate series against Pumas UNAM, with the second scheduled for next Thursday night in Mexico City, where the bulk of the 69,000 in attendance will be cheering against Cavalry FC.

Game time in Calgary is 8 p.m. Thursday night. The game is being televised on One Soccer.

With files from The Canadian Press