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“This probably gives them an actual mental reprieve from the MLS, because the MLS is a very tough league,” said Wheeldon Jr. “Now, they’re going to come to us as the stronger team on paper and by history. Now they have an opportunity to express themselves and win some pride back.

“So we have prepared for them to bring their strongest squad.”

But there’s plenty of reasons to believe in the hosts for this contest, beginning with the confidence they claim as CPL spring season champs.

“We have to give them the respect they’ve earned, but by the same token, there’s no fear from our locker room,” said Wheeldon Jr. “They might be a bit more of an experienced side, but we actually want to test our gameplan against that level of competition. We want them to respect our gameplan, because we think it’s versatile enough to be strong against any level of competition we play.”

That means expect the Cavs to come out punching, much like they’ve done all year in making a name for themselves in the upstart CPL.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it … right?” said Wheeldon Jr. referring to his team’s aggressive gameplan. “Just like the players, I want to see how we match up. We want to see if we can nullify any of their strengths and expose any of their weaknesses. So for us, it’s a great chess-match opportunity.”

For the league on the whole, the third round of the Canadian Championship — the annual national soccer competition open to all premier professional teams in Canada, with the winner being awarded the Voyageurs Cup and the nation’s berth in the CONCACAF Champions League — represents a first chance to stand up against the big-brother MLS squads.