Cavalry FC gets early start training for CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup

Cavalry FC doesn't hit the pitch against Orlando City for another month but that hasn't stopped them from training up.

The players have been gathering at the Macron Performance Centre to get ready for the big game, set for Feb. 21 in Victoria.

Head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. says it's great to get the lads together again.

"We're about a month early now but it's exciting," he said.

"We had a really good season, last season, and we're excited to be in CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football).

"It's really good to have the guys back working hard and they're smiling and they're sweating and all good things like that."

The underdogs

Cavalry is playing in the Champions Cup for the very first time.

They got there by winning the regular season trophy in the Canadian Premier League.

They'll be the underdogs in this matchup but for players like forward William Akio, that's not a bad thing.

"Honestly, I'd much rather be an underdog than, you know, the favourite to win," he said.

"It gives us a little bit more drive and we've never been at this stage. We did it against the Vancouver Whitecaps a few years ago when we beat them in the championship, so anything can happen. We're going to come and fight."

Have to believe

Cavalry upset the Whitecaps in 2019.

Goalkeeper Marco Carducci says that team had a lot of belief and that's what this squad will need in order to knock off Orlando City.

"You always believe," Carducci said.

"This is going to be a great challenge and we fully recognize that but at the end of the day, we go in knowing that we earned our place in this competition.

"We'll do all of the things that we can to prepare ourselves and put our best foot forward and enjoy the ride as it comes."

Motivated team

Even though Cavalry won't be playing on their turf at Atco Field, Wheeldon Jr. says they are comfortable playing at Starlight Stadium in Victoria.

He says it doesn't matter what the venue is – his team will be motivated.

"We have to accept that they're a bigger club and they've been around for a bit longer than us. They've got a bigger budget than we do but it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog," he said.

The second leg of the two-game series will be played in Orlando City on Feb. 27.