Kamdem Dreaming To Bring Cavalry Silverware

This article is based on an original French interview with credit to Quentin Parisis.

There were many Cavalry fans who raised their eyebrows in surprise when the club let Bradley Vliet trot off to Pacific, but his successor Bradley Kamdem has proved a worthy successor.

The 28-year-old – once selected by the Colorado Rapids in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft – arrived back to hometown Calgary from Maltese side Valletta FC, hungry to match the club’s ambitions of locking down a first-ever league title.

Born in Paris but raised in Calgary, winning at Spruce Meadows quite literally hits home for the well-travelled left-back.

“We have a common goal,” he told CanPL’s Quentin Parasis. “We’re together, we know what we have to do. There’s a kind of DNA in the club, a style of soccer, which is clear.”

The French Canadian defender has cemented himself as a starter in Alberta, helping the team clock in as the second-best defensive record of the league with just 19 goals conceded after 17 matches played – a statistic bested only by league-leaders Pacific FC.

Kamdem has clocked in for thirteen of the club’s seventeen games, and played the hero la few weeks ago against Halifax when he provided a goal-line clearance during the team’s win.

Ever humble, he lends credit to not just the rest of his defensive line, but the mentality of the squad through the entire length of the pitch, too.

“The guys up front defend a lot. I’m impressed,” he says. “The forwards are constantly pressing. When they defend, they do an incredible job. It helps us, but again, it’s in the DNA of the club, where everyone gives their all.”

Kamdem only arrived to Spruce Meadows in the spring, though he was already a familiar sight to head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr: the gaffer had brought him into the fold through the Calgary Foothills just about ten years ago, where Kamdem showed plenty of growth for two seasons ahead of his eventual MLS SuperDraft selection.

That draft was a turning point that saw the French-Canadian defender enjoy several positive years stateside, with spells with the Rochester Rhinos, Fresno, St. Louis, and Atlanta United preceding his move to Malta.

Throughout his adventures, he kept in touch with Tommy Wheeldon Jr and several members of that Foothills squad who had already followed Tommy into the CPL era. When the opportunity to reunite himself with them and head back home arose, it was a great fit for all parties.

Cavalry FC now finds itself third in league standings, with the club winning three of its last five matches and looking like strong playoff contenders once again. With Kamdem having inked a multi-year deal, he’s keen to lift a trophy alongside his teammates come the fall.

“My goal is to win with Cavalry – it would even be my dream. Every day I wake up, and that’s what I want to do, that’s what I think about.”