The bubble busting continues tonight in Calgary, where Pacific FC will face a Canadian Premier League team on the opponent鈥檚 home turf for the first time in one year, nine months and 27 days. But who鈥檚 counting?
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a great match and we enjoy the battles against 颅Cavalry FC,鈥� said PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah, in his pre-game Zoom comments with national sports media.
鈥淐algary, along with Forge FC [the two-time champions from Hamilton, Ont.], have set the standard of this league the past two years.鈥�
The old order is being challenged by PFC, however, which sits atop the CPL table at 6-2-3.
鈥淥ur growth over the last year-and-a-half has been 颅amazing,鈥� said Kah.
But second-place Cavalry FC (6-3-2) is only one point behind after winning its last two games and four of its last five. Its only blemish in that stretch was a 2-0 loss to PFC at Starlight Stadium in Langford.
鈥淲e鈥檒l keep doing our thing,鈥� said Kah.
But his club saw a three-game winning streak, the first in franchise history, turn into a four-game unbeaten run, with the 2-2 draw Saturday against FC Edmonton at Starlight Stadium.
Pacific FC鈥檚 depth was on 颅display when it made eight changes to the starting lineup Saturday from its previous game, a 2-1 victory over Valour FC of Winnipeg.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why you carry a squad,鈥� said Kah. 鈥淚f you have championship aspirations, which we do, you need depth.鈥�
PFC added to it Tuesday by signing six-foot-three defender Robert Boskovic, a 23-year-old out of Toronto FC Academy. Boskovic played three seasons with the MLS club鈥檚 farm team, Toronto FC II, and played last season for Cavalry FC in the CPL bubble in Charlottetown, P.E.I., so this will be a chance to play against his old teammates.
Kah said he sees 鈥渦ntapped potential鈥� in the tall back-line player: 鈥淗e is a young Canadian centre-back who has the size and is also technically well equipped. Has a nice left foot and left-footed centre-backs are quite rare. They don鈥檛 come along often. He is an extra weapon, as well, on set plays.鈥�
Boskovic will help a backline still missing valuable defender Thomas Meilleur-Gigu猫re, who was expected as a mainstay of the sa国际传媒 Under-23 team for the CONCACAF Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament in March, but was unable to perform after tearing his ACL in the final training session on the eve of the 颅qualifier in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Meilleur-Gigu猫re returned to play three games for PFC at the start of this season, in the eight-game Winnipeg bubble portion, but incurred another knock and hasn鈥檛 returned.
鈥淭homas is good to go but we want to give him a little bit extra [time] to get that match fitness that he needs,鈥� said Kah.
Pacific FC is in Winnipeg to play Valour FC on 颅Monday before returning home to meet Cavalry FC on Aug. 20 at 颅Starlight Stadium.
The top four of the eight teams will make the CPL playoffs with PFC, Cavalry FC, Valour FC and Forge FC currently occupying those spots. Adrift of post-season slots currently are York United, FC Edmonton, HFX Wanderers of Halifax and Atletico Ottawa.
