Cavalry dismantled Supra at home in what can only be described as a statement win.
A hat-trick from Ali Musse saw the league leaders extend their points gap over 2nd-placed Forge to 7 points with an extra game played.
The visitors brought a 4-3-3 setup, sticking to mostly typical personnel. An attacking trio of Loic Kwemi, Ibrahim Conde, and Noah Santos indicated Nicholas Razzaghi's intent to open with an attack.
Cavalry were required to fill the offensive gaps left by the absences of Tobias Warschewski and Caniggia Elva. With Sergio Camargo also injured, Goteh Ntignee, Owen Antoniuk, and Nathaniel Edwards made up the attacking midfield, with Ali Musse filling the number nine role.
Any pre-match questions about Cavalry's missing offensive firepower were shut down early and emphatically.
In the fourth minute, referee Sebastian Noshinravani pointed to the penalty spot for a handball in the box. After an unsuccessful FVS challenge by Supra, Musse stepped up to the ball and drilled his effort into the bottom-left corner, putting the hosts up 1-0 early.
Momentum would not slow for the home side, as the 16th minute saw Goteh Ntignee streak down the left wing before delivering a cross to an unmarked Edwards, who would double the lead for the Cavs.
Down 2-0, Supra wrestled back a share of the momentum over the next 25 minutes. Possession edged in their favour throughout the first half, but a string of missed shots from both clubs kept the score at 2-0 at the break.
Cavalry were awarded a corner kick just past the hour mark. Musse's delivery to Eryk Kobza was played perfectly to Amer Didic, who headed the ball into the net for Cavalry's third of the evening.
Less than 10 minutes later, Cavalry performed the same manoeuvre, albeit from the opposite corner flag. This time, however, it was Musse who finished off the effort that started on the right foot of Antoniuk and was redirected by Adam Pearlman.
Now up 4-0, Cavalry introduced Owen Graham-Roache, who was making his Cavs debut, James McGlinchey, Mael Henry, and Hassan Ayari. Henry wasted no time getting involved, scoring his first goal of the season in the 84th minute with a curling long-distance strike that fooled goalkeeper Joakim Milli.
To cap off the hosts' offensive outburst, Musse secured his hat-trick in added time off a free kick that was uncontested from the moment it left the ground. Not only did this mark the highest offensive output of the season, it will also go down as the first hat trick in Cavalry history.
Despite the six goals, Cavalry manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. spoke highly of his goalkeeper Nathan Ingham after the match, pointing out that this, his 10th clean sheet of the season, is a new high watermark for the franchise.
Wheeldon Jr. also spoke positively of Eryk Kobza, who, despite missing an opportunity to add a goal of his own, was highly effective in defence, blocking two critical Supra free kicks in the late stages of the second half.
With the win, Cavalry are now on 53 points with five matches to play. Their impressive +35 goal differential is greater than the sum of all other positive GD teams combined and then some, showing their offensive dominance as well as their team-wide commitment to defence. The Cavs' next action will be a midweek clash in the nation's capital on Wednesday, September 30.
Supra remain in sixth place with the loss. They still hold one game in hand compared to Vancouver FC, the current occupants of the final playoff spot, but will need to overcome a seven-point deficit in just five remaining matches. The first-year club will look to bounce back next week when they host Pacific on Sunday, October 4.
