Cavalry FC looks to ride momentum into the next round of CONCACAF

Calgary's Cavalry FC is in Mexico City right now, getting ready for the second leg of its Concacaf series against Pumas Mexico.

Cavalry FC is hoping to keep the momentum going following a historic victory last week.

The team made history last Thursday when they became the first Canadian Premier League team to win a CONCACAF game.

Cavalry came back to beat Pumas of Mexico 2-1 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.

Tobias Warchewski scored the game winner in the 80th minute.

Midfielder Jay Herdman had an assist in that game and says it was a great moment for the club.

“It’s a proud moment for the team,” he said.

“Obviously making history isn’t something a team always gets to do. We’re really proud and it’s given us a lot of confidence to go into their home, their stadium and have a really good game.”

Win helps the league

The win by Cavalry wasn’t only big for the team; it was also big for the league, according to Charlie Trafford, who opened up the scoring against Pumas.

“Grow the game,” he said.

“Get more kids, Canadian kids interested and knowing that this is the real thing. This league isn’t here to be an amateur semi-pro thing. It’s growing, and there’s some really good players in this.”

As big as that win was in Langford, there’s still a lot of work to do. Cavalry is in Mexico City right now, preparing for Thursday’s second leg. Herdman is expecting Pumas to bring their “A” game.

“The heat and the altitude is going to be tough,” he said.

“Some of the guys haven’t really played in it. They didn’t bring some of their top players in the first game. I don’t want to take away anything that we did, but they were missing some of their top players.”

Ready for the challenge

It will be a hostile environment in Mexico City and Pumas will be out for revenge. Trafford says that’s just the way he likes it.

“There’s nothing I love more,” he said.

“Big games and big moments like this is why you play football. It’s just special and it’s fun, and I rise up to it, and we keep going and hopefully we can make it tough for them.”