Neither Vancouver FC nor Cavalry could afford a goal in Saturday's game (Sept.28) in Calgary.
Conceding one could prove potentially disastrous for Cavalry’s title chances, while for Vancouver, it would mean sliding even further away from a playoff spot.
What resulted was an ideal outcome for both teams, a goalless draw.
With with the point they earned at home, Cavalry confirmed their place in the playoffs of this year’s Canadian Premier League season.
Vancouver goalkeeper Callum Irving made sure his side left Alberta with a point and a clean sheet by making a string of impressive saves on the way to being named player of the match.
Eagles are currently in sixth place, just one point off the final playoff spot currently occupied by Pacific FC.
With three games remaining this season, Vancouver could still clinch the final playoff berth.
Vancouver left-back James Cameron ended up with 11 defensive actions, three interceptions, three tackles, and two clearances.
“I think it’s easy to look at a team that’s lost four in a row and write them off early, but at the end of the game, as long as we’re still mathematically in the playoff run, we’re going to give everything we have and we’re going to do our maximum,” Cameron said.
Vancouver are the CPL’s youngest team and have only been around for two years.
Head coach Afshin Ghotbi commented "if you look at this league as a six-year-old, all the teams are six years old, and we are like a two-year-old toddler that is constantly trying to catch up to reach the standards we need to compete with the top teams in this league."
When you’re founding a new club, Ghotbi said it's "a matter of finding more rough diamonds at the right age, giving them the time, the support, encouragement and hopefully the education to produce the internationals we want, and to get the results."
Next up, Vancouver travel all the way to the other end of the country on Saturday, Oct. 5 to take on Halifax Wanderers in an east-vs-west coast clash that could have a telling result on the playoff positions.
