RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: FC Supra vs. Cavalry FC | 2026 CPL PLAYOFFS (Leg 1)

FC Supra du Québec stunned CPL Shield winners Cavalry FC 2-1 in their playoff debut on Sunday in leg one of the semifinal. 

Two goals inside the first ten minutes for the hosts had Stade Boréale in Laval rocking early, and Supra held on for their first-ever playoff victory. 

They chose the perfect time for their first-ever win over Cavalry FC as well, and now head back to Calgary's ATCO Field leading on aggregate and a stop in the CPL Final on the line. 

Supra, unsurprisingly, made no changes to the side that led them to victory on the final day of the regular season. Cavalry, however, were forced to make changes due to injury, with Levi Laing and Nathaniel Edwards coming in to replace Adam Pearlman and Goteh Ntignee, respectively. 

It was a dream start to the match and their playoff lives for FC Supra du Québec. Within just four minutes, some good interplay down the left from the hosts saw Sean Rea, Diyeaddine Abzi and Loïc Kwemi all combine before the latter teed up Zachary Brault-Guillard. 

The full-back couldn't have caught the ball sweeter as he spun it into the bottom corner past Nate Ingham to give Supra an incredibly early 1-0 lead and FC Supra du Québec a historic first playoff goal in club history. 

For Cavalry, meanwhile, it was a nightmare. Just five minutes later, a strike from Abzi deflected off Eryk Kobza in the box and suddenly Supra were up 2-0. 

The goals only ignited the swagger of the Supra side, who played with understandable confidence after such an outstanding start. They particularly looked to attack down the left flank where 

After taking such a strong early blow, it took Cavalry a while to find their footing. But in the 35th minute they started to pour on the pressure, with Joakim Milli forced to make an unbelievable save to deny Nathaniel Edwards. 

Smelling blood, Cavalry continued to put Supra under siege toward the end of the first half. In the final minute of the first half, they won a penalty, after a successful FVS challenge deemed that Abzi had handled the ball in the box. 

Tobias Warschewski stepped up, and was denied on his first attempt by Milli but got to the rebound first to push it past the Supra goalkeeper to cut the Supra lead in half. It was Warschewski's record sixth playoff goal in six CPL playoff matches. 

In the aftermath of the goal, Cavalry issued another FVS challenge, looking for a Supra red card. It made for a vicious final few minutes to the half, with a shoving match between the two clubs at the half-time whistle. 

The second half began with another FVS challenge as Supra's Alessandro Biello was left bloodied in the box. The contact he took, however, was deemed to be incidental and no penalty was awarded. 

With the match slowing down in the second half, both sides shifted their personnel, with Cavalry bringing on Maël Henry and shifting Edwards to full-back. Supra, meanwhile, made a more like-for-like replacement, bringing on Zach Fernandez for Brault-Guillard at right full-back. 

In the 80th minute, Cavalry substitutes Henry and Owen Graham-Roache came incredibly close to an equalizer with a dangerous combination down the left, but the former couldn't get his foot on the ball in front of the net. 

The CPL's regular season leading goalscorer, Kwemi, then nearly curled one inside the far post, but flashed his strike narrowly wide. 

Cavalry had one last chance deep in second-half stoppage time, but Warschewski's delivery was too close to Milli, who collected it fairly easily. After allowing late goals in their previous two home matches against the Calgary club, Supra held on for a big win. 

They will take a one-goal advantage to Calgary next Saturday, and all the confidence in the world that they belong in the North Star Cup conversation.

Box Score

Starting XIs

FC Supra du Québec: Milli; Brault-Guillard (Fernandez 70'), Auguste, Chrétien, Abzi; Biello, Sissoko; Choinière, Rea, Kwemi; Condé (Santos 78')

Cavalry FC: Ingham; Laing (Henry 69'), Didić, Klomp, Kamdem-Fewo; Baldisimo (Paton 76'), Kobza; Musse (Antoniuk 89'), Warschewski, Edwards; Elva (Graham-Roache 76')

Goals

4' - Zachary Brault-Guillard (FC Supra du Québec) 
9' - Eryk Kobza (FC Supra du Québec) (Own Goal) 
45 + 1' - Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC) (Penalty) 

Discipline

*14' - Yellow: Michael Baldisimo (Cavalry FC)
*40' - Yellow: Alessandro Biello (FC Supra du Québec) 
77' - Yellow: Harry Paton (Cavalry FC)