Inter Toronto stuns league-leading Cavalry with 3-1 home win

Inter Toronto delivered one of its strongest results of the season on Saturday, defeating Canadian Premier League leader Cavalry FC 3-1 at York Lions Stadium.

Santiago González opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Steffen Yeates struck twice, including a goal six minutes later to give Toronto a fast 2-0 advantage. Yeates added his second in the 69th minute, while Ali Didic scored Cavalry’s only goal in the 83rd.

The result gave Inter Toronto its sixth victory of the CPL season and moved the club to 27 points through 23 matches.

Toronto catches Cavalry early

The difference was established almost immediately.

González put the home side ahead after only six minutes, giving Toronto the start it needed against a Cavalry team that entered the match at the top of the standings.

Yeates then doubled the advantage in the 12th minute, leaving the visitors facing a two-goal deficit before the match had reached the quarter-hour mark.

It was a notable response from a Toronto attack that had scored 36 goals across its previous 23 matches. Cavalry, meanwhile, arrived with the strongest defensive numbers of the two teams, having conceded only 19 times in 24 games.

The gap between the clubs was also considerable in the standings. Cavalry entered with 53 points and 16 victories, compared with Toronto’s 27 points and six wins.

Despite that difference, Toronto took control of the scoreboard early and did not allow the league leaders to erase the deficit.

Yeates completes his brace

Cavalry entered the matchup having produced 50 goals this season, including 20 away from home, but Toronto kept the visitors scoreless through the opening 82 minutes.

Yeates then gave the hosts additional breathing room in the 69th minute, completing his brace and extending the advantage to 3-0.

Didic pulled one back for Cavalry in the 83rd, but Toronto protected the two-goal margin through the final minutes to secure the 3-1 victory.

The result stands out against Cavalry’s season-long defensive record. Before Saturday, the league leaders had conceded fewer than a goal per match, while Toronto had entered having allowed 54 goals.

Cavalry had also held the advantage in several attacking categories this season, with 274 scoring attempts and 128 on target compared with Toronto’s 225 and 95, respectively.

Toronto’s passing numbers, however, showed the teams had operated at an identical 83 per cent completion rate during the season, while Inter Toronto held a slight edge in average possession, 50 per cent to Cavalry’s 48.2.

School Day Match next for Inter Toronto

The victory gives Toronto three more points as it enters the final portion of its schedule and provides a positive result before a quick turnaround at York Lions Stadium.

Inter Toronto will be back home Wednesday, Oct. 7 for its School Day Match against FC Supra du Québec.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.