Cavalry marched to a 1-0 home victory over Vancouver FC on the final day of the 2026 CPL regular season, a result that sees the Cavs lift their first CPL Shield since 2023 and third overall.
The home side started with sustained pressure, pinning the Eagles back and registering nine shots in the first half.
Ali Musse put the men in red ahead in the 29th minute. Michael Baldisimo saw a quick restart after a foul and immediately fed the ball to Adam Pearlman, who was streaking down the right wing. Pearlman slid a pass to Caniggia Elva, who centred it for Musse to slot it into a wide-open goal.
Vancouver FC pressed into Cavalry territory after falling behind, but a flurry of deflections and saves by Cavalry kept the Shield hopefuls ahead going into the halftime break.
Cavalry opened the second half with two big chances but sent both wide and couldn't find a lead-doubling marker.
Adam Pearlman, who unquestionably had his best outing in several months, suffered a serious-looking shoulder injury in the 64th minute. The South African was subbed off immediately and headed to the Cavalry locker room for treatment, but returned to the players' area in the latter stages of the match with his arm in a sling.
With their season on the line, Vancouver FC introduced Marcello Polisi, Damiano Pecile, and Nicolas Mezquida throughout the final half-hour, hoping to find an equalizer.
Cavalry earned a penalty in the closing 20 minutes, but a successful FVS review by the visitors denied the Cavs a chance to double their lead.
At the other end, the Eagles fired five shots at Nathan Ingham's goal in the second half, but all were either deflected by Cavalry defenders or sailed wide.
Vancouver's frustrations boiled over as stoppage time wore on, with Polisi being shown a straight red card in the eighth minute of added time for an aggressive tackle. The Eagles challenged the decision, but the referee upheld it.
Play resumed only momentarily, as Cavalry's free kick was immediately followed by the final whistle.
With results elsewhere, Cavalry moved two points clear at the top of the standings en route to their third Shield. They will also have the privilege of hosting the CPL Final if they advance that far.
Cavalry will meet FC Supra in the semi-finals, with the Québécois side qualifying for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Leg one will be played next Sunday, November 1, at Stade Boréale at 4:00 local time, with the return leg at ATCO Field the following Saturday.
For the Eagles, the loss, combined with Supra's East Coast victory, leaves them painfully short of their first postseason berth despite holding the fourth and final spot for nearly half the campaign.
Vancouver's 37 points leave them one point short of Supra's total, and they finish the season with 10 wins, seven draws, and 11 losses, a significant improvement on their 2025 record.
