Gloomy conditions backdrop Cambridge Men’s bounce back win at Guelph
June 17, 2026
GUELPH, ON – Cambridge United (M) secured a crucial bounce-back victory on Wednesday night, defeating neighbouring rivals Guelph United Men 3-1 at the Centennial Bowl. Desperately needing a response after a heartbreaking, last-minute loss to Waterloo the previous Friday, Cambridge delivered a commanding performance to claim a win in the local derby.
The rainy and windy conditions added an extra layer of grit to an already intense matchup. Cambridge wasted absolutely no time asserting their authority on the pitch. An explosive opening half-hour provided the visitors a comfortable cushion, allowing them to weather a late second-half push from Guelph and put the game completely out of reach in stoppage time.
TEAM LINEUPS
Cambridge United Starting XI: Jovicic (GK), Grant, E. Antolcic, Lesic (Amaral 77’), Alvarado (Ferraro 67’), Elezi (Romano 67’), Kohar, Heimbecker (C), Poradzisz (Brousseau 84’), Medeiros (N. Antolcic 77’), Dell.
Unused Subs: Paton, Shaikh, Nibogora.
First Half
Cambridge came out at the first whistle with intent, stunning the home crowd just three minutes into the match. Noah Medeiros found the back of the net early to give the visitors a lightning-fast 1-0 lead. The physical edge of the local derby quickly surfaced merely six minutes later when Cambridge captain Calum Heimbecker picked up a yellow card in the 9th minute.
Undeterred by the physical play, Cambridge continued to press their advantage. In the 24th minute, Evan Antolcic doubled the lead, slotting the ball home to make it 2-0. As the half drew to a close, Guelph’s frustrations boiled over, resulting in a yellow card for Ben Hashimoto in the 45th minute. The whistle blew shortly after, sending a confident Cambridge squad into the break with a two-goal cushion.
Second Half
Guelph manager Mickael Rougette looked to spark a comeback at halftime, introducing Noah Obedi for Ethan Fraser. The tension extended to the sidelines early in the period, with Cambridge team manager Harvey Marchant receiving a caution from the official.
Seeking fresh legs to preserve the lead, Cambridge executed a double substitution in the 67th minute, replacing Jon Elezi and Ricardo Alvarado with Luca Romano and Christian Ferraro. Meanwhile, Guelph made a triple substitution of their own.
The physical battle continued to escalate, with the home team’s Cameron Clack earning a booking in the 75th minute and the visitor's Saab Kohar receiving a yellow card in the 83rd. Cambridge Head Coach Jon Morgan utilized his depth to close out the game, bringing on Nikolas Antolcic, Alex Amaral, and Patrick Brousseau in the final stretch.
Guelph managed to crack the Cambridge defense in the 85th minute when substitute Markell Saddler scored to cut the deficit to 2-1, adding tension to the final minutes. However, any hopes of a home comeback were crushed in stoppage time. Just after Saddler was cautioned with a yellow card in the 90th minute, Cambridge's Christian Ferraro struck in the 90+1st minute to seal the 3-1 victory and cap off a stellar bounce-back performance.