Cavalry and Vancouver FC will face off on the final day of CPL regular-season action in 2026.

The Western Canadian foes will reignite their rivalry on Sunday afternoon in Foothills County, with both sides looking for a critical three-point result.

Both sides know the magnitude of the match: Cavalry needs a win to almost guarantee the CPL Shield, and Vancouver needs a win to secure their first-ever playoff appearance. Both teams can still get their desired outcomes with a draw, but will need help from other clubs and will be dissatisfied with anything less than three points, meaning this contest should be full of action from whistle to whistle.

2026 head-to-head:

In their three meetings so far in 2026, Cavalry hold a narrow advantage, with two wins and one loss. Vancouver hosted their first meeting of the campaign in May, where two late goals put the visitors ahead and kept their unbeaten run going at the start of the year.

The clubs met again in Langley in July, where a red card shown to Cavalry late in the first half set up the Eagles for a low-event second half and a 1-0 win.

This, their first victory over Cavalry in club history, would be their third in five straight wins at the time and put the Eagles firmly in the playoff conversation.

In late August, Cavalry hosted for the first time, with a 58th-minute set-piece goal as the lone difference in a match between two nearly inseparable sides.

How Cavalry enter the match

After a recent slump, Cavalry need a result on the final day to improve their chances of lifting the CPL Shield.

Tied at the top of the table with newly crowned Canadian champions Forge, Cavalry hold the tiebreaker by season-long goal difference.

If both clubs win on Sunday, Cavalry will lift the Shield unless Forge beat Pacific by eight goals or more. If the home side fails to win, Cavalry's Shield bid would fall short if Forge earns a draw or a win.

Cavalry's most recent outing was a 3-2 home victory against Pacific. Despite the result, Cavalry did not look like their late-season woes were completely behind them.

The home side will hope their unbeaten home record, which dates back more than a year, and the prospect of lifting a trophy in front of their home supporters will be enough to return them to midseason form.

How Vancouver FC enter the match

Undefeated in their last five matches, the Eagles enter their final match of the season as one of the last two teams vying for the fourth and final playoff berth.

For Vancouver, the scenarios are straightforward: three points would secure the playoff spot; a draw or loss, coupled with Supra failing to win, would see the Eagles narrowly qualify; and a draw or loss, coupled with a Supra win, would see the Eagles fall just short.

ATCO Field has historically not been a happy hunting ground for Vancouver FC, with their only result coming by virtue of penalty kicks in the 2025 Canadian Championship quarter-final. However, the Eagles have played Cavalry much closer both home and away since former Cavalry assistant coach Martin Nash took over managerial duties at the club in 2025.

Vancouver last won 2-1 against the Wanderers last Friday, putting themselves in the best possible position to qualify for the postseason.

Availability

Cavalry will remain without midfielder Sergio Camargo. In an interview with CBC's Mackenzie Barwell last week, Camargo said he's targeting the second leg of the semi-finals as his return, meaning he will be sidelined for another two weeks.

Harry Paton will also miss Cavalry's lineup. The midfielder is serving the second match of his two-match suspension that he incurred against Halifax.

Damiano Pecile missed the Eagles' last match, and his status for Decision Day remains in question.

Projected XIs

Cavalry FC (4-2-3-1): Nathan Ingham; Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Amer Didic, Daan Klomp, Adam Pearlman; Eryk Kobza, Niko Myroniuk; Goteh Ntignee, Tobias Warschewski, Ali Musse; Caniggia Elva

Vancouver FC (4-2-3-1): Callum Irving; Kian Proctor, Tom Field, Matteo Campagna, Morey Doner; Luis Toomey, Isak Ssewankambo; Mohamed Amissi, Emerick Fotsing, Aboubacar Traore; Terran Campbell

Game information and how to watch

📆 Sunday, October 25, 2026
⏰ 2:00 pm MT / 1:00 pm PT
📺 TSN, CBC, OneSoccer
🧑‍⚖️ Mario Al-Ayass
🏟 ATCO Field, Calgary, Canada