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Aly Ndom earns CPL Team of the Week honours in his first start back from injury

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:04:19 +0000

The Gatorade Team of the Week for the fourth week of Canadian Premier League action in 2025, brought to you by Kristian Jack and Oliver Platt.

Goalkeeper

Nathan Ingham (Atlético Ottawa)

Ingham came up big on a few occasions during Atlético Ottawa's 3-1 win over Cavalry FC on Saturday. The Atleti goalkeeper made four stops, including a lovely kick save on Sergio Camargo.

Defenders

Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers)

Pearlman delivered his best performance yet for the Halifax Wanderers against Valour on Friday. Outstanding defensively, he won three of four aerial duels, two tackles and made six clearances.

Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Halifax Wanderers)

TMG was immense in Halifax, keeping their first clean sheet of the season. He made seven clearances, won five of seven duels and completed a solid 53 of 56 passes.

Aly Ndom (Pacific FC)

In his first start of the season, Ndom scored the equalizer in the Salish Sea Derby on a lovely header. The Pacific central defender led the match with 93 touches, won four of six duels and had four shot attempts.

Midfielders

Max Ferrari (York United)

The York right-back put in an outstanding 905 Derby performance at both ends of the pitch on Sunday. In attack, he had three shots and completed 24 of 26 passes. He also won four of five duels, and three fouls.

Juan Castro (Atlético Ottawa)

The silky Atleti midfielder has quickly become central to the way they play. On Saturday in Calgary, he dominated the centre of the park, completing 62 of 67 passes, winning six of eight duels and creating three chances.

Alessandro Hojabrpour (Forge FC)

The Forge midfielder was solid as you like in the midfield against York. His ball over the top created the opening goal, one of ten passes he played in the final third -- completing all of them. He also won six of his seven duels and made three tackles.

Riley Ferrazzo (York United)

For the second consecutive week, Ferrazzo found the back of the net, this time through a stunning strike in the 14th minute against Forge.

Forwards

Vitor Dias (Halifax Wanderers)

Dias scored the winner off the bench for the Halifax Wanderers in the 90th minute in a 1-0 victory over Valour FC on Friday.

Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)

The Atleti attacker scored the match winner in Calgary with a well-taken strike in the 66th minute. He was dangerous throughout the match with two shots, five touches in the box and three chances created.

Julian Altobelli (York United)

The York attacker added his league-leading fourth goal of the season on Sunday from the penalty spot, while also picking up an assist in a 2-2 draw with Forge. He also had seven shot attempts.

MATCH ANALYSIS: Pacific, Vancouver left frustrated after feisty 1-1 derby draw

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:15:11 +0000

Final Score: Vancouver FC 1-1 Pacific FC
Goalscorers: Mezquida 18'; Ndom 70'
Game of the 2025 season: 14
CPL Match: 610

Match in a minute or less

For the first time ever, the Salish Sea Derby has ended in a draw, as Vancouver FC and Pacific FC were forced to share the spoils following a 1-1 draw at Willoughby Community Park on Saturday. Vancouver opened the scoring in the 18th minute, as Nicolás Mezquida scored his second goal in as many games for VFC, slotting home after a nice through ball from Terran Campbell, who had intercepted a pass just moments earlier to earn possession. From there, however, the game changed in the 51st minute, as Vancouver's Kunle Dada-Luke was sent off in his first match against his old team, putting the hosts down a player for the rest of the evening. Pacific would eventually take advantage of that advantage, too, and found a 70th-minute equalizer, as Marco Bustos picked out Aly Ndom with a great cross, and Ndom would make no mistake with his header from close range. Then, despite a late push from Pacific, Vancouver would hold on the rest of the way, however, leaving both teams to settle for the draw in the end.

Three Observations

Vancouver continues to show improved defensive organization:

Despite a positive performance last week, Vancouver made some slight changes to their team heading into this one, as they welcomed back midfielders Vasco Fry and Mehdi Essoussi, who both missed the last two games - Fry through suspension, Essoussi through schooling commitments. Given that Vancouver was light on midfielders in those two games that the pair missed, they didn't hesitate to drop them right back into the starting XI, and understandably so. While the personnel changed, however, the set-up didn't, as Vancouver stuck with the 4-2-3-1 that worked to great effect in their draw vs. Cavalry. Not only that, but the insertion of Fry and Essoussi gave Vancouver a new layer in midfield, too, as they added defensive solidity to their double-pivot, offering more protection to their back four, which looked slightly different as David Norman Jr. slotted into centre back to replace an injured Allan Enyou. Then, on the ball, Vancouver stuck with a 3-4-3 in build-up, with Essoussi often dropping back into Vancouver's backline to help form the three, and Emrick Fotsing tucking in from the left wing to support Fry in midfield. From there, the goal was to provide service to the front three of Nicolás Mezquida, Alejandro Díaz and Terran Campbell, with Mezquida dropping deeper than his two forwards to support the midfield. Through that, Vancouver were able to put in another solid performance on both sides of the ball. If not for the red card, they seemed likeliest to grab a result, especially due to their defensive work, as they kept Pacific to just two shots and 0.16 xG in the first half, as they were airtight even while defending their early lead. Now, the next step for Vancouver will be to take the same level of organization they've shown defensively, and translate it over to their attack, as even despite scoring, they'll feel they could've been better in that area than they were, finishing with just four shots and 0.21 xG in the game. In particular, they want to be more dangerous when they're building up, as both of their goals over the last two weeks have come from moments where they've won the ball high up the pitch, capitalizing on other teams' mistakes. While that's not a bad thing, as they want to be a team that presses more aggressively and forces mistakes like that, they also want to take more risks with the ball, something they feel they didn't do enough of in this game. Yet, given the players they have at their disposal, they feel it's a matter of time before their attack gels and starts putting together those sequences, which they had a few of in this game, as they just need to keep building chemistry. Given how worrying their defensive play was in the first two weeks of the season, in which they conceded six goals in two home games, it seemed like the attack would be the least of their worries going forward - now, thanks to the last few weeks, they've started to quell that main problem, and will now shift their attention to being more dangerous on the ball, something that they'll hope only gets better as they try to translate that defensive organization into their attack.

The xG plot from this game, with Vancouver in black and Pacific in purple, highlighting Vancouver's defensive effectiveness (OPTA)

Frustrations mount as Pacific searches for answers in attack:

Unfortunately, it ended up being an evening that Pacific has gotten used to having over the last few years - they just never seemed to get going in the attack, and when they did get to the final third, they lacked the execution required. Then, more frustratingly, they made things hard for themselves on the goal they conceded, where they gave away the ball cheaply in an extremely dangerous position, which was always going to be costly given the players that Vancouver has on the field. That, in particular, will frustrate them as they pride themselves on being a good defensive team that doesn't give up cheap goals. Yet, that's been the story of Pacific's last three games, in which they've now only amassed one point. Little mistakes are costing them at both ends of the field, and they're paying for it, something that's starting to frustrate them. When looking at the balance of the 270 minutes they've now played since an opening day victory over Valour, they've been pretty solid for the most part - they struggled a bit against Forge, were pretty good against Halifax, and were somewhere between that in this match against Vancouver. In each of those three games, however, ley moments cost them, as they gave up two set-piece goals and werne't dangerous enough offensively in a 2-0 loss to Forge, didn't capitalize on a litany of scoring chances and made key errors on each of the goals they conceded in a 3-1 loss to the Wanderers, and had their mistake on Vancouver's goal in this draw. For a team that is struggling to find its offensive identity, those mistakes have seemed to add up, as it's put pressure on their attack to find goals that aren't falling for them right now. Because of that, it feels like this is a pivotal moment for Pacific. A trip to a red-hot Atlético Ottawa awaits next week, as things don't get any easier for them now. There's no doubt that Pacific can go out and give Ottawa a good game - it's not as if they've looked completely out of sorts in these matches where they've dropped points - but they'll know that their execution is going to need to be much better than it's been, something they've struggled with. Perhaps, however, the frustrations from this game can help them fix that - at the end of the day, sometimes you need to make mistakes to learn from them, so Pacific will look to take those errors and use them as motivation for next week's big match.

Credit: Tav Morrison, Vancouver FC

Red card offers good learning lessons for both:

No matter the situation, red cards always change matches - for better or for worse. Because of that, it was a good test for both teams - given that Vancouver had been the stronger of the two teams to start the match, while Pacific had struggled to find the energy required, it felt like Kunle Dada-Luke's 51st-minute red card was going to put all sorts of pressure on each side the rest of the match. For Vancouver, it was going to test their defensive resolve, as they were sure to deal with a Pacific wave of pressure down a player, making them work for a result. After a good start to the match, it was a surprise bit of adversity, right at a bad time - yet, it was also an opportunity for their players to rise to the occasion, showing that they could rise through a tough moment and stick to their newfound defensive identity while doing so. As for Pacific, this was a huge test of their attack, given that they'd looked far from their best in the final third, having struggled to put Vancouver under pressure before that red card. For a team that scored just once in the last two games after a two-goal outburst on opening day, this was a chance for them not just to prove they could score, but also to build some confidence. In the end, both teams passed their respective tests, sort of. Vancouver will be frustrated that they conceded, as they felt they started to sit back too deep after the red card, but they still defended well given that they kept Pacific to just 0.77 xG on the night - and of Pacific's 11 shots that came after the red card, just one was worth more than 0.1 xG. Given how they could've easily capitaluated after the red card, which derailed an excellent 50 minutes of play, that's not bad at all. Then, with Pacific, they'll take solace in the fact that they at least rescued a point from their late push - had they lost, it would've felt catastrophic given the stakes of this match. Plus, they'll now have 40 minutes of footage where they dominated the ball to dive into, which might help them figure out why they weren't able to generate enough dangerous chances late despite holding 72.7% of possession in the second half, and help them find a solution to be more dangerous in opposing boxes. Especially after a night where they turned all of their possession into just 23 touches in the box on the day, this will also help them figure out how to get the ball into the box more often, which might help those attack woes. Overall, both teams will leave frustrated with how this ended, no doubt, but those learning lessons could prove to be valuable, for different reasons. Plus, as a bonus, it's important to remember that both teams play each other in less than two weeks time in the Canadian Championship - there'd be no better time to take those lessons and apply them than in a do-or-die knockout match. Given how feisty this match was, as it ended up being one of the more chippy derbies in recent memory, that's never a bad thing, especially from a neutral perspective - even if both teams won't be thinking about that as they stew in their frustrations of leaving points on the table in this one.

The action map from this game, showing that despite Pacific's possession, they didn't threaten Vancouver's final third as much (OPTA)

What They Said

“We have found the right balance, especially in our defensive structure, and we're getting more consistent performances from our defenders and our midfielders. I also think defending is always about how you defend as a team, and that starts from the front, putting pressure on the ball, making it difficult for them to play between lines and with their strikers.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi “The first half we weren't good enough, I thought we were poor. Then the red card changes the game, but still, in the second half we were very slow, it was stop, start, stop, start, a lot of free kicks, a lot of throws, and there was no flow, which made it very difficult. Yes, we went up a player, and we can be better in that situation... but it felt like it was stopping every minute, so it made it hard to establish flow and ryhthm in the game.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Nicolás Mezquida, Vancouver FC

Mezquida has already proven to be an important calming force in Vancouver's attack, and he showed off that composure on his goal, his second in as many games. He was also good on the ball, too, completing 21 out of 24 passes (88%), adding two shots, completing two dribbles and two long balls, while chipping in with one tackle, four recoveries and winning six out of 15 duels defensively.

All of Mezquida's actions from this game (OPTA)

What’s next?

Vancouver will head out on the road for their next match, as they'll travel to Winnipeg to take on Valour FC at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday, May 3rd (4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT). Meanwhile, Pacific will head to Ottawa to take on Atlético Ottawa at TD Place earlier that same Saturday (10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

PREVIEW: Vancouver FC vs. Pacific FC — CPL Match #14

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 22:56:58 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #14 Vancouver FC vs. Pacific FC April 26 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET Willoughby Community Park in Langley, B.C. Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets Available Here

For the first time in 2025, it’s derby weekend in British Columbia, as Vancouver FC are getting set to host Pacific FC in the ninth installment of the Salish Sea Derby at Willoughby Community Park on Saturday. Now into season three of this rivalry, 2025 might be the biggest year yet in terms of this derby - at least in terms of games played, that’ll be the case, as both teams are guaranteed to meet at least five times this season after playing each other four times apiece in 2023 and 2024. That, of course, is thanks to the Canadian Championship draw, which pits these two teams against each other in the preliminary round in less than two weeks, in a match that will be huge for both teams. Before then, however, this Canadian Premier League clash awaits, and make no mistake - even though this isn’t a knockout match, both teams are willing to swing big in chase of a result, as this is a key fixture. Given that both are off to less-than-ideal starts to their CPL campaigns, this match is a chance to reset momentum at a crucial time ahead of a busy month of May, where slow starts can go from a small worry to a whole lot of trouble for clubs. In particular, this is a big game for the hosts, Vancouver, who lead the all-time series in this derby, sitting with five wins in the eight games, as they’re still looking for their first win of 2025. The good news, however, is that they come into this game with some wind in their sails. That, of course, is because they were able to pick up an important point away to Cavalry, putting together one of their best performances as a club. Therefore, while they’ll be frustrated that they missed a chance to pick up all three points late, they’ll gladly take that point, their first of 2025, and try and carry that level of performance into this game. “The commitment as a group to our tactical plan and the way they executed, it was brilliant,” Vancouver FC head coach, Afshin Ghotbi, said. “We'll build on that performance, and we're hoping that it will be duplicated consistently, as those performances will usually result in maximum points and climbing the table - and we're not happy where we are in the table.” As for Pacific, though, they’re coming off some more frustrating results than their Vancouver-based counterparts, as they’ve lost back-to-back games after opening 2025 with a win. On a more positive note, they did win the last derby between these two teams, as they dismantled Vancouver 3-0 at Starlight Stadium last September, picking up a victory that eventually propelled them to the playoffs ahead of the Eagles. Often, in derbies, momentum carries over from the last matchup, so Pacific would be happy to bring some of those good vibes into this game, helping close the gap between them and Vancouver in the all-time series, having lost five derbies in a row before that September triumph. “We had a difficult time against Vancouver, and that needs to be the focus for us, to understand everything that a derby has in it,” Pacific’s head coach, James Merriman, said this week. “We’re representing not only Vancouver Island, but our entire fan base, they’ll come over and be in the stands to challenge and push us, they’ll be there in numbers.” In terms of roster availability, Vancouver might be without Allan Enyou, who is a gametime decision after leaving the Cavalry match with an injury; otherwise, everyone appears to be available for selection, including Vasco Fry, who returns from a suspension. Meanwhile, Pacific will only be without Daniel de Pauli, who will be week-to-week with an ankle injury; everyone else is available for this match.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Can a familiar foe push Vancouver back to home success? It’s no secret that Vancouver wants to be better at home, as after picking up a league-low 16 home points last year, they’ve opened 2025 with back-to-back home losses. Not only that, but the performances were not up to the standard that they’d hope for matches at home, either as they allowed their visitors - York United in week one and Atlético Ottawa in week two - to control proceedings in both of those matches. Given that Vancouver were able to put in a much more aggressive performance away from home vs. Cavalry in week three, it shows that this team is capable of making life uncomfortable for teams on both sides of the ball, but they didn’t show enough of that in their two home games, something they’ll want to change here. What will encourage them, however, is that they’ve got a good record vs. Pacific at home - of the four wins they had at Willoughby Community Park last year, two of them were against Pacific, and they’ve won three straight derbies at home. Because of that, look for them to use this derby to reignite some home magic. On the flipside, Pacific will know that, given Vancouver’s home struggles, this could also be a chance for them to turn around those fortunes in terms of their record at Willoughby Community Park. Certainly, it feels like Pacific will come out and test that idea with an intense start - from there, it’ll be up to the hosts to either match or best that energy.
Capitalizing on strong starts is a must for Pacific: What will frustrate Pacific most about their loss to Halifax last week isn’t that they failed to capitalize on what was a strong performance, but that they didn’t capitalize on a perfect start. Sometimes, this sport can be funny, and you can put in a good performance that doesn’t yield a result, but you can’t let certain moments go to waste. Certainly, it feels like Pacific weren’t able to make the most of one of those important moments in the first 20 minutes of that Wanderers game, as they had some glorious chances to go up a goal, including one less than a minute into the game, but they were unable to finish those opportunities. That’s something to watch, as Pacific have conceded the first goal in back-to-back games, after having opened the scoring first in their season opener in Valour, and just weren’t able to get themselves back level once they went down. Having dominated against Valour with the lead intact, it’ll frustrate them that they haven’t led a match since. When this Pacific side is at their best, they’re one of the hardest teams to play, especially when they have a lead, so look for them to start strong and give themselves a chance of operating in that game state as early as possible. “We need to build that mentality to be stronger and not change things if we concede or if something doesn't go our way,” Merriman offered. “And to understand that we have 90-plus minutes to get a result and we have to manage the moments of the game (to do that).”
Will Vancouver keep balance from Cavalry matchup? It’s harder to know what Vancouver will be more pleased with from their matchup with Cavalry - will it be that they looked dangerous in the attack, generating 1.16 xG from 12 shots? Or that they kept Cavalry to just 0.59 xG from 11 shots of their own? For fans, they’ll be happy to see the former - this Vancouver team has the potential to be very dangerous offensively, but didn’t show enough of that in the first two weeks, scoring just one goal in their two home games, coming when they were already down 3-0 vs. Atlético Ottawa in week two. As for Vancouver’s coaching staff, however, the defensive numbers will stand out - Vancouver looked as disciplined and organized defensively as they’ve ever looked, doing a great job of staying together and composed in a 4-2-3-1 off the ball. Yet, the one thing they’ll want now is to stay strong in both categories - often, the hardest thing to do in this sport is to find a balance between being dangerous offensively without sacrificing defence. Often, it’s easy to find goals but by sacrificing defence, or to be defensively sound but struggle to score goals - the best teams tend to be good at both. Over the last two years, Vancouver has struggled to find that balance between the two, one they seemed to find vs. Cavalry - because of that, they’d love nothing more than to use that as a building block and be more proficient in both boxes going forward. “We're working on it,” Ghotbi said. “We're trying different things, and we're hoping that we can find the right formula for the group when we play at home.”

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna, Norman Jr., Bah; Fotsing, Fry; Campbell, Mezquida, Godbout; Díaz

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Young, Browning Lagerfeldt; Kratt, Bustos, Zanatta; Heard

ALL-TIME SERIES

Vancouver FC wins: 5 || Pacific FC wins: 3 || Draws: 0

Last meeting:

Sept. 14, 2024 — Pacific FC 3-0 Vancouver FC

KEY QUOTES

"We've been the better team in this derby, we've had the upper hand, and we will take that mindset into the match. I believe that derbies are very important to grow the game, as derbies create the kind of excitement and competition that you need between teams that are so close to one another, but I also expect that it will very exciting match because both teams will play to win.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

"(This derby) is very important for us. It changed the trajectory of our season last year, these games, so we talked about it with everyone in our group, the staff, all of us, and I think we need to be focused, we need to be at our best right now, and we need to have a big performance. We need to respond to our last matches, so I think it's going to be a good game.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

MATCH ANALYSIS: Wanderers show off newfound versatility in home opener win vs. Pacific

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:51:28 +0000

Final Score: Halifax Wanderers FC 3-1 Pacific FC Goalscorers: Timóteo 19', Telfer 65', Baï 90+5'; Zanatta 71' Game of the 2025 season: 10 CPL match: 606

Match in a minute or less

The Halifax Wanderers kicked off their 2025 slate of home games in style on Saturday, as they defeated Pacific FC 3-1 in their home opener at the Wanderers Grounds. After surviving an early wave of Pacific pressure, the Wanderers opened the scoring in the 19th minute, as Wesley Timóteo curled a shot off the crossbar and in from the edge of the box. Then, they doubled their lead in the 65th minute, as Ryan Telfer scored with a cool finish after some great build-up play from Giorgio Probo and Sean Rea. Pacific made things interesting late, as Dario Zanatta scored to make it 2-1 in the 71st minute, but the Wanderers called game in the 95th minute, as Yohan Baï scored his first CPL goal after a great individual run to seal the victory for his team.

Three Observations

Aggressive Wanderers show different side in entertaining victory:

The Wanderers didn't exactly hide their intentions heading into this one - they wanted to entertain. Having had one of the best home records in the CPL over the past few years, a big reason for that has been due to their style of play, as they look to control games at home, making them uncomfortable by playing right on top of them with and without the ball. Coming off two solid road performances to kick off the year, in which they grabbed four points, that set the tone for them to come out strongly in their return to the Wanderers Grounds for the first time in 2025. It took a while for them to get going in this one - Pacific came out strongly before the Wanderers broke open the game with their 19th-minute goal - but once the Wanderers got that lead, they started to play with the energy that they had promised in the build-up to this game. Interestingly, they did so by slightly modifying their approach - they held far less of the ball than usual in this game, finishing with just 44.6% of possession, and they were more passive in their press, but they were lethal when they got on the ball. As a result, they generated an impressive 18 shots, including seven on target, for a total of 1.7 Expected Goals (xG), doing a great job of being dangerous in the moments they pushed forward. In particular, Sean Rea and Giorgio Probo had excellent games for the Wanderers, doing a great job of finding spaces between the lines to attack. There was no better example of that than on the Wanderers' second goal, which stood as the winner, which came to be after some brilliant work from Probo and Rea. After having won the ball in a dangerous area in Pacific's half, the pair of Wanderers' attacking midfielders came alive, doing well to drift into a dangerous area, before combining nicely with some quick passing to create the chance for Telfer. Yet, that might be the best example of what this new-look Wanderers team is about. Having spent a lot of time in the offseason working on their pressing, as Patrice Gheisar took a page out of Jesse Marsch's book after spending some time with the Canadian Men's National Team head coach last year, they want that to be a pillar of their game in 2025. A goal like that second one shows why that is the case, as they were able to recover the ball in a great area, and that gave more space for their dangerous attackers to get to work. In a game like this, where Pacific were able to get on the ball a bit more, the Wanderers' press allowed them to stay involved in the match, knowing that it took just one moment to unlock a dangerous moment. Otherwise, another big thing that will stand out for the Wanderers? How they closed out this game, as they did a great job of weathering a late Pacific storm after the visitors had cut the lead to 2-1. Unlike in week #1, where the Wanderers drew 2-2 away to Atlético Ottawa after going up 2-0, they didn't want to waste their lead this time around. Thanks to the insertion of some fresh legs, and an emphasis on being patient on the ball, they kept composed and even got an insurance marker to properly see out the game. Details that they often struggled with in 2024, it's encouraging to see that early growth in 2025, as that can pay off throughout a long season, where wins like this can be immensely valuable.

Lapses in both boxes cost Pacific despite an improved showing:

Early on, it looked like Pacific might get off to a strong start, as they came out of the gates with energy in the early minutes. In particular, they did a great job of finding space down the flanks, as Ronan Kratt kept finding himself open on the left, and Marco Bustos on the right. Not only that, but they did a good job of turning those attacks into dangerous attempts, too - Pacific had a couple of glorious chances to go up early, as they managed to filter the ball into some good areas in and around the Wanderers' box. Unfortunately, they were not as composed with those attempts as they would've hoped, as they sent a few of those dangerous shots well wide of the mark, but it was encouraging to see the areas they were occupying. That ended up being the story of their game, however - Pacific were a lot better in this game on the ball, having struggled in their last match against Forge, which was positive to see. Given that they held 55.6% of possession, completing 81.8% of their passes, that's a good sign, as that's what they want to do in games - have control. Plus, it's not as if that control was completely without purpose, either - they also had 15 shots and 1.37 xG, as they certainly tested the Wanderers goal. Where Pacific let themselves down, however, was with their execution in those moments. For example, they had three big chances, compared to the Wanderers' two, but the Wanderers scored both of theirs, whereas Pacific finished just one. Not only that, but Pacific didn't have a shot worth more than 0.27 xG, whereas the Wanderers had two worth 0.42 and 0.44 xG, respectively, as the hosts ensured that their big chances would yield quality scoring chances - something Pacific struggled with, as they'd often seem to overthink the chances they got in good areas. Overall, however, that was the big takeaway for Pacific in this game - they need to be better in both boxes, as that feels like it's where they lost this match. Be it from the goals they conceded, with one coming off a set-piece, another a sloppy turnover and the other a strong individual effort, ones they'll all want back, or their lack of finish, they just weren't good enough in either box. Therefore, while they'll take some solace in the performance being much improved, look for improved execution to be their focus going forward, as this team knows that you can't waste performances like this if you want to finish high up the table at the end of the year.

Timóteo's versatlity a perfect example of 2025 Wanderers success:

Wesley Timóteo has been asked to play several different positions during his stint in the Canadian Premier League, as he's picked up a reputation of being a Swiss Army Knife for coaches to work with. When he burst onto the scene with FC Edmonton in 2022, for example, he was a dangerous winger, scoring three goals and adding five assists in his lone season in Alberta. Then, since his arrival in Halifax, he's had to fill a few other positions for the Wanderers after starting as a winger in 2023, including as a full back and even as a ball-playing centre back. Now, he's being asked to fill another role in 2025, and that's to play as a wing back, a role that seems to suit him perfectly. To his credit, he's been pretty comfortable in every role he's had to play, even as a centre back, but there's no doubt that he can best impact a game when he's high up the field. As a wing back, he's getting to do that, and this game was another example of how. On the ball, he plays a big role in the build-up play, helping provide an outlet for the Wanderers to play through, while also proving to be an important asset in the final third. In particular, he does a great job of overlapping and providing width for his team, which can be extremely valuable given how narrow the likes of Probo and Rea will play, as he'll give them an option out wide to use when they drift into those central channels. Off the ball, however, he's no slouch - he has no problem getting stuck in defensively, even when dealing with a tricky winger like Marco Bustos, which was his main assignment in this game. "I think it's a perfect balance," Timóteo said of his new role. "I think it's where I can help the team the most." Yet, Timóteo is the perfect example of what has worked for this Wanderers team so far in 2025 - they're a much more versatile group than before. Of course, at their best, they'll want to be that team that dominates the ball, but they know that they won't be able to do that all season - there will be moments where they need to sit back and defend, or play more directly in possession. To do that, you need players like Timóteo, who can help you on both sides of the ball, and the Wanderers have them in spades, especially among their new-look midfield and backline. That's helped them massively through the first few games, and they'll look to use that to their advantage going forward.

What They Said

"It was incredible. It's my third home opener, and the commitment of the people here never dies - you've seen it with the expansion in the stadium, that took incredible work by the people here. This is the earliest that we've ever had a home opener, and the field was in great condition, but people haven't slept for weeks (to make this happen), so we can only thank them so much for what they did to set up this scene and stage. ” — Halifax Wanderers FC head coach Patrice Gheisar.

"In the last few games, we've shown a lot of maturity, we know we're going to suffer at some points, and we went through that phase (early), at half time we spoke about what we had to change, and then we showed a lot of energy in the second half.” — Halifax Wanderers FC wing back Wesley Timóteo

"It was frustrating to start the game the way we did, and to still walk away from here with nothing. It's frustrating to give up another goal on a set piece because I thought momentum was with us, but again, we need to respond quicker from that, as well. It took us too long to get back into the game, we then went down 2-0 before getting back to 2-1, so yeah, we walk away very frustrated with the result.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Wesley Timóteo, Halifax Wanderers FC

Timóteo was excellent on both sides of the ball for the Wanderers in this victory. On the ball, he completed 25 out of 33 passes (76%), including three out of six long balls and 10 passes into the final third, to go along with four shots along with one chance created, while also chipping in with two tackles, five clearances, three recoveries and winning six out of 12 duels defensively.

What’s next?

The Wanderers will head out on the road for their next match, as they get set for a clash against Valour FC at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Friday, April 25th (7:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. AT). Meanwhile, Pacific will return to British Columbia, but for a road game, as they make the short trip to Langley to take on Vancouver FC in the Salish Sea Derby at Willoughby Community Park on Saturday, April 26th (5:00 p.m. PT). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

PREVIEW: Halifax Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC — CPL Match #10

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:47:59 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #10 Halifax Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC April 19 at 12:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. AT Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

For the first time in 2025, the Halifax Wanderers are back at home, as they get set to host Pacific FC at Wanderers Grounds on Saturday. After starting the season with two straight road games, the Wanderers will be ecstatic to be back on their home pitch, having last played there in mid-October. As for Pacific, they face a similar milestone in this game, but in a different way - this marks their first road game of the season after starting 2025 with two matches at Starlight Stadium. Having last visited Halifax in September of last year, where they picked up a crucial 2-2 draw amid a late push to the playoffs that saw Pacific sneak into that last spot, four points ahead of the Wanderers, they’d love for another similar result (or better) this time around. Despite having different starts to the year in terms of travel, both sides have achieved similar results in their first few matches - Pacific won their first game vs. Valour before falling in their second game vs. Forge, while the Wanderers drew their first game vs. Atlético Ottawa before defeating York United in their second game - making this an important one in terms of the quest to establish early positioning in the CPL standings. The Wanderers do come into this one with more momentum - their victory against York was a massive one, given that they came from behind to win on the road, picking up an impressive 2-1 result in a game that York looked likely to run away with early. Seeing that the Wanderers only won once on the road in all of 2025, they’ll be happy to be on the board early in that category this year. Now, they want to build on that momentum, turning this into a dream start. After having failed to win a game until their 10th match of 2024, they’ve wanted to start strongly in 2025, and a victory here would certainly put them on the right track. "It's really important to focus on ourselves," Wanderers' head coach, Patrice Gheisar, said this week. "We know that (Pacific) are a terrific team, they've added a lot of new players, as we have, but I think we have to come out and play the way we do at home - we have to come out and be willing to take chances to get goals."

RELATED: ‘He has every attribute’: Halifax Wanderers’ Tiago Coimbra ready for breakout CPL season

As for Pacific, they’ll want to have short memories after their loss to Forge, where they didn’t put in a bad performance, but got undone by two set-piece goals and failed to create enough to break down a solid Forge defensive unit on the day. Following a comprehensive win vs. Valour, their showing vs. Forge felt flat by comparison, as they just never seemed to get any rhythm in their play. Because of that, their big goal will be to find that rhythm again, especially on the ball, which will help them get more involved in the game. Given that they’ve won three and drawn three of their 10 visits to the Grounds, they’ll feel they have what it takes to surprise the home fans, even against a Wanderers team that wants to make this place a fortress. "'It's going to be a big crowd, it's always a great atmosphere to play in," Pacific head coach, James Merriman, said this week. "I think as much as (the Wanderers) are always going to enjoy being at their home, our players enjoy it, as well. We've had some good matches here, it's always a good game." "We expect a big match, and I believe we'll be up for it." In terms of roster availability, Halifax had nothing to note in their pre-match availability, while Pacific looks to be without Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt for this match as he works his way back from a knock, with the goal being to have him ready for their next game vs. Vancouver FC.

All CPL matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980) as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, through the OneSoccer app and on the fuboTV Canada platform.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Wanderers looking to continue home dominance: For two straight years, the Wanderers have been one of the best in the CPL when it comes to playing at home, as they had the second-best home record in both 2023 and 2024. Sitting with a record of 15W-7D-6L across those 28 games, that gives them 52 points - for context, that would’ve been enough to finish 2nd in the table in 2023, and would’ve won them the league in 2024. Of course, that isn’t a far comparison to make, as the real challenge in the CPL is to be able to consistently win on the road, especially for a side like the Wanderers who has to travel a bit extra compared to most teams due to their location, but it just gives an idea of how dominant they’ve been at home. Because of that, look for them to continue that strong play at the Grounds in their 2025 home opener. Given that it’s a long weekend and the weather looks good, the crowd will be lively and energetic - now, it’ll be up to the Wanderers to put in a performance to match that. "We can't take that for granted," Gheisar said of his team's home record. "Just because you're at home, it doesn't mean that someone's going to roll over and just give you the three points - we have to work for it."

Can Bustos ignite Pacific’s attack? While it’ll be easy for Pacific to look at their offensive performance from their loss to Forge and be frustrated with the fact that they failed to score, there are still a lot of positives for them to take away from that game. A big one was how involved Marco Bustos was, as he had 70 touches, which is a positive sign, even if he wasn’t able to find a goal or assist. Given that he’s still adjusting back to this league and team after a stint in Sweden, one has to imagine it’s only a matter of time before he’s back to his usual best, having scored 14 goals and added 15 assists across three seasons for Pacific in CPL play before transferring to IFK Värnamo in 2023. Pacific are certainly banking on that - that’s why they brought him back, as they lacked a player like him last year, in which no one had more than three assists for them in CPL play - Bustos alone has had at least three assists in four different CPL seasons, including years of six assists in 2021 and 2022 with Pacific. Because of that, look for him to get the ball rolling in terms of this year’s assist haul in this game. "We know the quality that he brings to us and what he can add in the final third," Merriman said of Bustos. "We need to be cleaner and more decisive as a group in the attack; we were a bit hesitant and indecisive in good moments (last week)."

Will Halifax find a rhythm on the ball despite Pacific’s counter threat? Even though they played both of their first two games on the road, Halifax have made it clear - they want to be aggressive on the ball, breaking teams down with their possession play. That they were able to keep an average of 50.3% of possession in those two matches, despite going up against two strong ball-dominant sides in Atlético Ottawa and York United, shows that. Because of that, expect them to be aggressive on the ball against a Pacific side that held an average of just 44.3% of possession in their first two matches, despite being at home. That’s not a figure Pacific wants long-term, as they’re also comfortable holding the ball, but they want to be efficient with their possession, as the first few weeks showed. The balance, however, will be to find moments where they can get on the ball and dictate the tempo, ensuring they don’t wear themselves out by defending all game, while also realizing that the Wanderers' aggression can also be their own biggest enemy. That’s not lost on the Wanderers, who have tried to improve their counter-press this offseason to help overcome that, but as York learned last week, there are still moments where Halifax’s ambitions on the ball can put themselves into trouble, something they’ll want to limit given Pacific’s proficiency in those dangerous transition moments.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timoteo; Callegari, Johnston; Telfer, Probo, Rea; Coimbra

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Young, Ndom; Kratt, Bustos, Zanatta; Heard

ALL-TIME SERIES

Halifax Wanderers wins: 5 || Pacific FC wins: 10 || Draws: 8

Last meeting:

Sep 18, 2024 — Halifax Wanderers 2-2 Pacific FC

KEY QUOTES

“It's always exciting to be here for the home opener, it's always exciting to be home, it's great to be in front of our fans - it's just always good to see the Grounds again. It's been quite some time since we've been here, but we've got to make sure that we manage that excitement and make sure that it doesn't overwhelm us, but at the same time, (enjoy) those jitters, as there's that excitement aspect, as well.”— Halifax Wanderers FC head coach, Patrice Gheisar

“We need to be strong in our mentality. If there are moments we're without the ball, we need to stay together, stay composed and work together... we weren't clean in our transitional moments last match, and that's something that we've been very strong at in preseason, so we want to be tidy here, and we want to make sure that we take advantage of those situations and those actions. Then, on the ball, in possession, I think we can show our personality, and have a bit more confidence.”— Pacific FC head coach, James Merriman

MATCH ANALYSIS: New-look set piece routines help Forge to 2-0 win vs. Pacific FC

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:06:49 +0000

Final Score: Pacific FC 0-2 Forge FC Goalscorers: Kane 44', Achinioti-Jönsson 60' Game of the 2025 season: 5 CPL match: 601

Match in a minute or less

Forge continued their strong start to the 2025 CPL season on Saturday, as they defeated Pacific 2-0 at Starlight Stadium. After coming close to opening the scoring on a few occasions early in the game, Forge finally found their breakthrough in the 44th minute, as Khadim Kane found the net with a cool finish following an intricate set-piece routine from his teammates. Then, Forge doubled their lead in the 60th minute, and it also came off a corner, as Tristan Borges found Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson at the near post, and he headed home into the top corner to make it 2-0, a lead his team wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way en route to victory.

Three Observations

Set piece magic paces Forge victory:

On a Starlight Stadium pitch that's a bit smaller than usual, teams have to be creative to score goals. There are many ways to find those goals, but it's not as if teams have to reinvent the wheel to get chances - usually, the big difference comes down to execution. With a lack of space, decisions have to be made a little faster and passes have to be a little harder - the margins are much tighter, after all. To Forge's credit, they found a way to make the most of their opportunities in this game, and they did so by using the moments in the game where teams have the extra time to take those decisions - on set pieces. There, they showed off some impressive routines, which they executed perfectly on a couple of occasions, allowing them to find the goals they needed to win. In particular, their first goal will be one that both their players and coaching staff will take pride in - there, they put together a sequence on a direct free kick that saw three different players touch the ball before Kane slotted home, as they completely caught Pacific off guard defensively. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1911176884819259508 On a sequence where most teams might've tried to fire a low-percentage shot toward goal or a cross toward Pacific's defenders, they showed good creativity to drag Pacific's players out of position by playing a short pass and then a cross, before further catching Pacific by surprise by flicking that subsequent cross onto the foot of a wide-open Kane, who had drifted into an open space in the box. Given how prepared teams usually are on defensive set pieces, making it hard to generate shots, a play like that makes you wonder why some teams don't attempt something like that more often - perhaps Forge themselves will be willing to do so when seeing the impact it had on this game. Certainly, Forge will feel they left some goals on the table in open play in this one, as it's not like these were the only goals breaking open a cagey game - but they won't mind that in the end, as sometimes you need to rely on moments like this to make a difference in matches like this. As Forge noted afterwards, this is a side that wants to be more dangerous on these set-plays, so look for them to make routines like this a staple of their play going forward, which could add another layer to a team that is usually pretty dangerous in open play, too.

Pacific struggles to find rhythm in possession:

After a smooth, free-flowing attacking performance from Pacific in their opening match, one that looked very different from the team that struggled to score goals in 2024, some old habits resurfaced in this loss. In particular, they just never seemed to find their rhythm in possession in this match, as they were unable to break down Forge's resolute defensive shape. The numbers tell the story - they finished with just five shots, for a total of only 0.4 Expected Goals (xG), as they didn't threaten Forge's defensive line as much as they would've hoped on the day. Credit has to go to Forge for that - they did a great job of limiting space behind their backline, which Pacific was looking to target, having done so to great success against Valour. Yet, at the same time, Pacific will feel they could've been much more dangerous than they were, as they got to the final third, but didn't execute with their chances - that they had 52 final third entries (one more than Forge), but had just 19 touches in their box, shows that. That'll be the challenge for them going forward, however - this is a team that can be very dangerous in transition, something they also proved in week one. In possession, however, they'll want to find ways to break open set defences with more regularity, as they'll want to avoid making games like this a habit, or else they'll have to get used to facing a steady diet of low blocks in games going forward. Given that it's still early in the season, they won't be too worried about it becoming a trend, but it's something to watch, as they've struggled with this in the past. They've got the pieces to break down a low block - they'll be pleased that someone like Marco Bustos had 70 touches, for example, as in most games he'll turn that into more than the one shot and two chances he created on the day - so they'll now just focus on putting more robust patterns of play together and steading the attack around Bustos, making sure that these choppy offensive performances don't turn into a trend like they often were in 2024.

Forge's right side shines amid changes:

Forced to tweak their lineup after the suspension of Zayne Bruno, who was sent off after earning a second yellow against Cavalry in the season opener, Forge decided to completely alter the composition of their right side in this match. Having deployed David Choinière in front of Bruno in that game, they instead went with Nana Ampomah in his position, with Khadim Kane filling in for Bruno at right back. The decision to go with Ampomah wasn't shocking to see - he'll look to feature regularly after scoring two goals and adding two assists in his first season with Forge in 2024 - but the insertion of Kane certainly came as a surprise. Given that he'd almost exclusively played as a central midfielder for Forge before, it was going to be interesting to see how he'd be deployed in and out of possession, however. Turns out, Forge would use his skills to their advantage. Instead of building out in a back four as they did against Cavalry, they used more of a back three, with Kane dropping in as a centre back alongside Dan Nimick and Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, giving them a different look in possession. There, he tried to help give his team a different look on the ball, as they looked to break down Pacific's press. Knowing that Pacific would press in a 4-4-2, Forge tried to create triangles around Pacific's two forwards and wingers, who would press together in a four. By dropping Kane in as a centre back, and their use of two wing backs and two central midfielders, that ensured that everyone on the ball would have at least two options in possession - one centrally and one either in front or behind them, depending on who received the ball. That ended up giving Forge a big edge on the ball - they carved through Pacific's press on several occasions - showing the benefit of dropping Kane into that position. Of course, for all of the work that Kane looked to do in possession, however, he also had to put a lot of focus into his defensive play, too, where he was tasked with a tough assignment, as Pacific shifted Ronan Kratt over to the left wing after deploying him on the right last week. To his credit, he held his own there, too, keeping Kratt off the board after he scored a great goal last week, which is a credit to the work Kane did to keep him contained anytime he received the ball, doing so confidently and assertively. That confidence rubbed off his teammates, and none more than Ampomah, who had an excellent game in front of Kane - he created three chances, completed two dribbles and had seven touches in the box in a top showing, as he certainly benefited from the freedom his right back gave him to push forward. Because of that, look for Kane to build off this performance going forward, as he'll offer something different for Forge at that right back position. Plus, this could be a good move for him, personally, - given his ability on the ball, size and defensive ability, he could profile nicely in a deeper role on the pitch, as this game gave a glimpse of. Given how competitive Forge's midfield is, it won't be the worst thing for him to use a role like this to earn more minutes - which perhaps could help pave the way for a switch back to the middle down the road, too.

What They Said

"For the most part, tactically, I think we were very good, we controlled the tempo, and moved the ball around to certain areas of the field. We knew that would not only help us create opportunities, but also neutralize specific counter-attacking situations. That's important, as what we do on the ball is not just about how we attack, but it's about how we defend, and I thought for the most part, we controlled those situations." -- Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis "We've done a lot of stuff with our set pieces this year, and on this one, it all worked perfectly. I think we saw how it's supposed to work, and you hope to at least get at least one chance a game from your set pieces, you want to catch them off guard, which we did, but when everyone executes their roles like that, that's what happens. " -- Forge FC defender Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson "They were tough to break down. They were solid, but we were also very loose with the ball, we had a difficult time with our final pass, and our combinations. The transitional moments were there in the first 30 minutes, but when you don't capitalize on them, you're not going to see the ball much, and we ended up defending more than we wanted here, especially in the first half, and then to concede two set pieces (on top of that), was disappointing as well." -- Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Khadim Kane, Forge FC

Kane put in a complete performance at a new position, scoring his first professional goal, completing 53 out of 61 passes (87%), including two passes into the final third, while also chipping in with two tackles, four interceptions, seven recoveries, winning six out of nine duels and drawing two fouls.

What’s next?

After playing their first two matches at Starlight Stadium, Pacific will head out for their first road match of the season, which will come against the Halifax Wanderers at Wanderers Grounds on Saturday, April 19th (12:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. AT). Meanwhile, Forge will return to Hamilton for a clash against Valour FC at Tim Hortons Field later that same Saturday (5:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

PREVIEW: Pacific FC vs. Forge FC — CPL Match #5

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 22:21:58 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #5 Pacific FC vs. Forge FC April 12 at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia Watch Live: TSN 5, OneSoccer // Tickets available here

Matchweek #2 of the 2025 Canadian Premier League season kicks off on Vancouver Island, where Pacific FC is getting set to host Forge FC at Starlight Stadium in Langford on Saturday. Two of the three CPL teams to pick up victories on opening weekend, both sides will look to carry that positive momentum into this match, where they’ll want to build on what worked for them in week #1. Certainly, that’s the case for the hosts, Pacific, who had about as perfect of an opening game as they could’ve drawn up, as they defeated Valour 2-0 at home last Saturday. There, they scored two first-half goals before cruising to victory, putting in a complete showing on both sides of the ball. In particular, they did a great job of closing out the game in the second half, as they never really felt at risk of losing their lead once they had it. Yet, it’s a great glimpse of what this team wants to be about in 2025. Much like last year, where they were an excellent defensive team, they want to keep that identity, but are also looking to be much more dangerous offensively after scoring the fewest goals in the league. Given that they kept a clean sheet against Valour, they succeeded on the defensive front, and they’ll look at the fact that they scored twice and could’ve added more as a sign that they had a good offensive showing, too. Now, they’ll want to repeat a similar performance against the defending CPL Shield winners, proving that their week one success wasn’t a fluke. "It's important for us to keep building confidence in what we're trying to do," Pacific's head coach, James Merriman, said this week. "It's important for us to challenge ourselves, and to accept that challenge to be organized and be together, knowing what we want to do without the ball, but also be on the front foot and attack quickly when we do win the ball back and when we keep the ball. We're going to try and bring that alive again tomorrow." Speaking of Forge, they also had a game to remember on opening day, as they defeated rivals 1-0 Cavalry FC at Tim Hortons Field. Unlike Pacific, however, their result won’t have been as convincing as hoped, as Cavalry had several occasions to rescue a point late, but were denied by some combination of Forge’s defenders, goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat and the woodwork. At the same time, Forge won’t mind that. Ultimately, they were very much full value for their opening goal, and did a good job of bending but not breaking in the face of the late Cavalry pressure that was always going to be strong given the game state they found themselves in. Cavalry are the defending North Star Cup winners for a reason, so it’s a credit to Forge that they survived that late push, which will be a good sign of their ambitions to lift that North Star Cup for a fifth time this season. Of course, it’s far too early to say that results like this will help them in that quest. Still, it’s never a bad thing to build momentum early - Forge are very familiar with the fact that the season is long. Consistency is what separates champions from the rest of the pack, which is why they’re just focused on putting in another good performance this week. "The one thing that came out of it when reflecting hours later is that I was able to see my team in many different situations within one match," Forge's head coach, Bobby Smyrniotis said this week on the Cavalry match. "I thought in the first half we were excellent, we created some high-quality opportunities, and we controlled the rhythm." In terms of player availability, Pacific looks set to welcome back a couple of players who were absent due to injury and knocks in week one, including Sean Melvin, Aidan Daniels and Aly Ndom, otherwise noting they have no other concerns. Meanwhile, Forge will be without Zayne Bruno, who is serving a one-game suspension after getting sent off against Cavalry, and Malik Owolabi-Belewu, who is returning from an injury.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Pacific’s transitional threat: One thing that stood out for Pacific in their win vs. Valour? Their ability to find joy in transitional moments, as they did a great job of taking advantage of the attacking moments that materialized immediately after they won back the ball. Yet, this was something that was by design - thanks to the insertion of winger Josh Heard as a striker, that gave Pacific a different look up front, allowing them to play more directly in those moments. Against a Valour team that wanted to hold the ball, it proved to be a smart ploy, as Pacific caught them with players high up the field on a few occasions, doing well to attack into the space they vacated. Against a Forge team that also likes to hold onto the ball, look for Pacific to try and seek out those transitional moments again, led by Heard and supported by the likes of Ronan Kratt, Dario Zanatta and Marco Bustos underneath. Of course, Pacific will also want to be dangerous in possession, too, which won’t be easy against a Forge team that does a good job of getting numbers behind the ball and defending, but that’s also why those transitional moments are going to be so key for Pacific - any opportunities to use Forge’s aggression on the ball against them might produce the best chances of the game. Pacific found those spaces against Valour, and now they’ll look to repeat that formula against this Forge side. "We looked really dangerous," Zanatta said of his team's win vs. Valour. "We realized they were playing a bit of a high line, and Josh (Heard) exposed that quite well." He added: "I think we have different personalities in terms of some of the attacking threats we have (this year)."

Koleilat looking to build on strong first game: While Forge will be pleased to see Jassem Koleilat earn a team of the week nod for week #1 after a six-save effort, as he continues to show why he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the league, Forge will also prefer if they keep him less busy in the weeks to come. At the same time, as this team continues to adjust to what is essentially a new-look backline, with three of their four defenders who started in week one all offseason arrivals in Dan Nimick, Zayne Bruno and Marko Jevremović, Koleilat may have to come up with some big performances as Forge adjusts to their new defensive group. Yet, that’s the benefit of having a goalkeeper like Koleilat in the fold - it can allow Forge to be patient with that group, knowing that any growing pains won’t be as costly given his presence. Plus, there are other added benefits of having him in goal - Forge can be much more aggressive on the ball, throwing numbers forward in chase of a goal - otherwise, they can also be confident that as long as they find the net once, which they did against Cavalry, that Koleilat will give them a chance at winning. Because of that, look for him to step up again for them in this game if called upon, continuing his strong start to the season. "I feel like it does that confidence does rub off," Koleilat said. "If your goalkeeper has a good performance, then the backline knows that there's a guy behind them that can pick up the scraps and the mistakes, but it also encourages them a lot to work more together defensively to prevent chances from occurring."

The importance of shielding the backline: As mentioned earlier, with Forge’s new-look backline, that also puts pressure on the players in front of them to step up, as they also look to provide them with protection out of possession. Yet, that’s something that Forge will be used to - this is a team that has one of the deepest midfield groups in the league, which they showed in week one by starting Kyle Bekker, Alessandro Hojabrpour and Noah Jensen together. Three players who have a big impact on both sides of the ball, their work off the ball will be quite important early on in this season, helping this backline find their feet. Against this Pacific team, that should make for an interesting battle, as they’ve got an impressive group of their own to rely upon. In week one, they went for a midfield double-pivot of Sean Young and CPL newcomer Lukas Lagerfeldt Browning, before bringing in another new arrival in Daniel de Pauli off the bench, and they all did an excellent job of providing similar protection to their backline. Because of that, look for the midfield battle between both teams to be quite physical, especially off the ball, with the advantage going to whichever side can find some control on the ball. Both sides are certainly capable of providing that, but it won’t be easy in a game where both will want to clog up central areas and make them hard to play through, especially on a smaller Starlight Stadium pitch where space can already be at a premium. "Our best way of defending is how we control the game, and which zones we try and control it in, and how we react in those areas of the pitch," Smyrniotis offered. Merriman then added: "The midfield, they accept that (defensive) role and cover that ground, and that can allow (our forwards) some freedom to go and enjoy the attack."

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Quintana, Machado, Greco-Taylor; Young, de Pauli; Kratt, Bustos, Zanatta; Heard

Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Nimick, Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremović; Bekker, Hojabrpour; Choinière, Borges, Babouli; Wright

ALL-TIME SERIES

Pacific FC wins: 5 || Forge FC wins: 14 || Draws: 3

Last meeting:

Oct. 19, 2024 — Pacific FC 1-0 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“It's the second game of the season, so we need to enjoy the challenge, and we know we need to be at our best (vs Forge). We need to be very focused and organized so we can play on the front foot at home. We always look forward to this game, Forge plays good football, so we'll take confidence from our last match, we've been preparing well this week, and the guys are ready to test themselves and see where we're at.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

“The offseason is long, you're itching for that first game, and there's no better feeling than to have it at home, and to get those first three points in front of your home fans. We heard Valour had a good preseason, so we knew they'd come with some good energy, there's no easy game in this league, so picking up three points can help us build a little confidence going into a tough game this weekend.” — Pacific FC forward Dario Zanatta

“The biggest thing at this point of the year is how you focus on yourself and being better as a team. You can't take much from one match, we don't know exactly what they will look like, and we can't draw conclusions from seeing the one match that they played last week against Valour, whether that's about their attack or defending, we just have to look at things that we want to work on, we have to look at the little things that make the difference in these games. Playing at Starlight Stadium, it's a smaller pitch, and there are smaller spaces (available), so our ball circulation needs to be a lot quicker, and we need to find the right moments in the right places to attack. We've had success there in the past, but we need to focus on ourselves.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

“It's a good confidence booster for myself, but it's also a good sign for the team that we're able to face adversity in the first week, it shows what we're capable of doing. I think we had good spells on the ball and off the ball, so now it's just about trying to keep doing the right things, day in and day out, and hopefully, we can carry some momentum into game week two and so on.” — Forge FC goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat

Gatorade Team of the Week 2025 (Week 1)

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:42:37 +0000

The Gatorade Team of the Week for the first week of Canadian Premier League action in 2025, brought to you by Kristian Jack and OneSoccer’s Oliver Platt.

Goalkeeper

Jassem Koleilat (Forge FC)

Koleilat was outstanding in preserving Forge's victory, and a clean sheet, in their season-opening 1-0 win over Cavalry on Saturday. He made six saves, including a stunning stop on a header from 2024 CPL Golden Boot winner Tobias Warschewski. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1908643082758660235

Defenders

Kadin Chung (Pacific FC)

In his return to the Island, Chung was spectacular. The full-back won all five of his tackles, made 11 clearances and won 7 of 8 duels while completing 90.6 per cent of his passes in his side's 2-0 victory over Valour.

Dan Nimick (Forge FC)

Nimick played a key role in Forge's 1-0 victory over Cavalry FC on Saturday with several important defensive interventions. He finished with five of eight duels won, including three of five in the air, and two interceptions.

Juan Quintana (Pacific FC)

The Colombian central defender put in a dominant display to help Pacific keep a clean sheet against Valour. He won seven of eight duels, won three tackles and made a stunning 16 clearances for the Tridents.

Marko Jevremović (Forge FC)

Jevremović's ability to get forward down the left flank was critical to Forge's attack on Saturday. He set up Mo Babouli's winner with a lovely cross, one of seven he played during the match with three chances created. Defensively, he won nine of 13 duels.

Midfielders

Ronan Kratt (Pacific FC)

Kratt's stunning goal in the 30th minute against Valour on Saturday is an early candidate for the league's goal of the season. The Pacific attacker also played a big role in the team's opening goal, and had three shots, all on target. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1908681862337490985

Elijah Adekugbe (York United)

York United's captain was the engine of his side in their 2-0 victory over Vancouver FC on Saturday. He completed 90.7 per cent of his passes, created three chances and won possession eight times.

David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa)

In his debut for Atlético Ottawa, Rodríguez was nothing short of brilliant. He scored the club's first goal of the season, and constantly created dangerous opportunities throughout the 90 minutes, finishing with four shot attempts, 13 touches in the Halifax box and five chances created.

Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers)

Rea opened his account for 2025 with a lovely turning effort in the 47th minute. One of the CPL's top creative midfielders, he demonstrated why against Ottawa, creating three chances and making 18 passes in the final third.

Forwards

Julian Altobelli (York United)

After coming off the bench in the 65th minute against Vancouver FC, Altobelli made an instant impact, scoring with his first touch less than a minute after joining the match. He added a second in the 84th minute to complete a brilliant debut performance for the Nine Stripes. https://twitter.com/CPLsoccer/status/1909046931449393454

Mo Babouli (Forge FC)

Babouli marked his CPL return to Hamilton Stadium with a lovely headed goal which stood as the winner against rivals Cavalry FC. Lively throughout the match, he attempted four dribbles and 15 passes in the final third.

MATCH ANALYSIS: Pacific continue season opener dominance in 2-0 win vs. Valour

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 16:12:11 +0000

Final Score: Pacific FC 2-0 Valour FC Goalscorers: Zanatta 18', Kratt 30' Game of the 2025 season: 3 CPL match: 599

Match in a minute or less

For a fifth straight year, Pacific FC have opened their CPL season with a win, as they defeated Valour FC 2-0 at Starlight Stadium on Saturday. Pacific came out flying to start this game, as they looked to kick their season off on a high note. They'd be rewarded for their strong start, too: first, Dario Zanatta opened the scoring on a rebound in the 18th minute, before Ronan Kratt doubled their lead with an audacious volley in the 30th minute, which gave Pacific a two-goal lead heading into the break. Then, from there, despite a late push from Valour in the second half, Pacific held strong defensively as they made sure to keep their clean sheet and secure all three points that were up for grabs on the day.

Three Observations

Pacific's new-look attack shines thanks to surprise tweaks:

When looking at Pacific's lineup pre-game, nothing looked out of the ordinary, as James Merriman put together a relatively straightforward lineup. Deployed in what looked like a 4-4-2, it was expected that his attacking group would have a lot to do, led by Ronan Kratt and Dario Zanatta up front, and the pair of Josh Heard and Marco Bustos underneath. Or at least that's what the plan appeared to be. In reality, Pacific's front four ended up looking a lot different, as they were instead deployed in a 4-2-3-1; Heard ended up leading the line, with Bustos underneath him, leaving Kratt on the right wing and Zanatta on the left wing. From there, the plan was clear: use Heard's pace to stretch the Valour backline, opening up space for Bustos in the pocket, and room for Kratt and Zanatta to drift centrally. Because of that, Pacific ended up looking dangerous every time they got the ball, as Heard's pace gave them an early outlet, and they caught out Valour's line a few times because of that. Then, once Valour adjusted by dropping their back line a bit more, that then opened up more space for Kratt and Zanatta, who took advantage of the fact that Valour's full backs would push up in possession. As a result, it made for a smooth and free-flowing attacking performance from Pacific. Having spoken a lot this offseason about wanting to be more aggressive offensively after scoring a league-low 27 goals in 2024, they certainly lived up to those ideals in this game, looking a lot more like the Pacific of past seasons, who were typically among the league's top-scoring teams. Now, the challenge will be to sustain this going forward, but this is an encouraging start, one they can build off of. When Pacific is at their best, this is the kind of swagger they have in possession, which is a good sign of what could be to come for them this year.

Valour struggles to find chances despite new-look possession-based approach:

Often a team that is less aggressive in possession, Valour wants to change that this season, as they look to be more aggressive on the ball. That approach was evident to see early - they finished the first half with 59.3 per cent possession, and had 56.9 per cent of the ball in the entire match, as they spent most of the game on the front foot. Part of that came due to score effects - Pacific ended up sitting back a lot more than they perhaps otherwise might've due to their two first-half goals - but that doesn't change that Valour wanted to be the ones on the front foot, even if it wasn't maybe to that extent. On the ball, however, they faced some challenges, as Pacific offered stiff resistance defensively. Sat back in a 4-4-2 block off the ball, they clogged up central channels by keeping the space between their blocks of four compact, but still stretched wide enough to limit space on the flanks. As a result, Valour weren't able to find as much joy in wide areas as hoped, with wingers Kris Twardek and Jordan Faria struggling to find space, which then made it hard for full backs Themi Antonoglou and Roberto Alarcón to get the ball in dangerous spaces when they overlapped. Yet, a big reason for that is they seemed to lack movement in the final third, as they looked unsure of where they needed to be. Because of that, they lacked the final action, as they only had five shots despite having 20 touches in the box, showing that they were getting in the right areas but were not as good as they could be when they got there. That's not unexpected for a team that is still getting used to each other, however, but it'll be something they look to clean up going forward, as they have the pieces to be dangerous offensively, with finding that chemistry and their patterns of play the next step for them.

Max Anchor leads strong Pacific defensive performance in debut:

When it was announced that Max Anchor would be making the loan move to Pacific, it was expected that he'd have every opportunity to step up for Pacific at some point this season. Having already gotten some MLS minutes under his belt with the Whitecaps, along with a couple of seasons of MLS Next Pro, this was seen as an exciting opportunity for the 20-year-old to develop. What wasn't as clear, however, was how long it'd take for him to get an opportunity. Given that he was coming in to share the net with Sean Melvin, who had a great end to 2024 for Pacific, it seemed likely that he'd keep that spot to begin 2025, especially after the departure of Emil Gazdov to MLS side CF Montréal. Unfortunately for Melvin, however, he didn't get a chance to build on his strong end to last season, as he picked up a small injury ahead of this game, giving Anchor a chance to start. There, the youngster showed exactly why the Whitecaps have been so excited about his development in recent years, as he didn't look out of place in his debut, making one save, four high claims and three punches. Despite sitting behind a backline that has been significantly remodelled, Anchor looked comfortable, doing well to command his penalty box, which can sometimes be harder for younger goalkeepers to do, which is a credit to the work he has already put in to be ready for this opportunity. While Anchor shone, however, it's worth noting that it was overall a strong showing from Pacific's backline, who looked a lot like the team that was among the league's best defensive groups in 2024. Considering the improvements made to their offence, that's encouraging, as there was some worry their defensive game would take a step back as they searched for more goals. Yet, credit has to go to Pacific's full backs in that regard, as Kadin Chung and Christian Greco-Taylor put in a big shift on both sides of the ball. Not only did they help their team create some of their most dangerous chances, but they defended well in their 1v1 matchups, with Chung having an excellent defensive performance, in particular. Now, the goal will be to ensure this isn't a one-off performance, but it's worth noting that this game was exactly what Pacific's blueprint is supposed to be - aggressive attacking play combined with stingy defensive work. Having recruited players like Anchor and Chung to help them with that, they'll hope this continues going forward, helping them get off to a strong start to 2025.

What They Said

"It's important to send a message to our fans and ourselves by starting with confidence. We wanted to be on the front foot today, we wanted to get a positive result to build from, but we know it's a long season. We're not going to get carried away - we've got a lot of work to do (...) But when you win your first game, you take confidence from it, and it's perfect for us to build on that heading into a big, big match next weekend." -- Pacific FC head coach James Merriman "I think the narrative of what Valour has been has changed this season. I think today we did a good job of showing that, we can be on the front foot in games, we can retain possession in the opponent's half, and now it's just about working on the fine details of breaking lines, finding that pass, and getting to the final third. " -- Valour FC centre-back Rocco Romeo

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Kadin Chung, Pacific FC

Chung couldn't have asked for a much better game in his first match back with Pacific, as he put in a dominant showing on both sides of the ball for his team. He finished with 29 out of 32 passes (91 per cent), one dribble, five passes into the final third, and four out of five long balls in possession, along with five tackles, 11 clearances, one interception, four recoveries and won seven out of eight duels defensively.

What’s next?

Pacific will stay put this week, as they get set to host Forge FC at Starlight Stadium on Saturday, April 12th (2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET). Meanwhile, Valour will get some extra time off, as their next match will come against that same Forge side at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton on Saturday, April 19th (5 p.m CT/6 p.m. ET). Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

PREVIEW: Pacific FC vs. Valour FC — CPL Match #3

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 19:42:01 +0000

2025 CPL Regular Season — Match #3 Pacific FC vs. Valour FC April 5 at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here

Following busy offseasons, Pacific FC and Valour FC will show off their new-look teams at Starlight Stadium on Saturday evening, as they get set to face off in the last game of a Saturday tripleheader on CPL’s opening weekend. Coming off 2024 campaigns that fell short of expectations for both sides, they’re looking to take a big step forward this season and push into the top half of the table, with the goal being to turn their successful offseasons in the transfer market into strong campaigns on the pitch. To begin, there’s Pacific, who aren't just looking to improve on last year, but are also looking to return to past heights, as they try and forget a campaign that fell below their lofty standards. For many teams, a playoff appearance and a deep Canadian Championship run would be plenty to celebrate, but for a Pacific team that has won the 2021 North Star Cup, they’ll feel frustrated that they’ve now gone three straight seasons without silverware since that triumph. Not only that, but they’ve been trending in the wrong direction each year, too, finishing fourth in the regular season table with 46 points in 2022, fourth with 40 points in 2023, and fifth with 34 points in 2024. Therefore, even though they’ve lost a few key leaders, they feel confident in their ability to return to their usual standard, one where they expect to win every match they play, starting with this opener. "You always want to have a strong start to build off of, especially when we're at home in front of our fans," Pacific head coach, James Merriman, said. "We want to give them a good impression. Most importantly, though, we're focusing on ourselves - we know the things that we're trying to do with and without all the ball, and that's what we need to see tomorrow because it's a long season." Meanwhile, for Valour, they’d love nothing more than to taste the postseason, remaining without any playoff appearances in their six-year existence. Having come closest to doing so in 2021, when they missed the postseason by one point, it feels like this season will be about getting over the hump and snapping that playoff drought. Certainly, their offseason moves have reflected that ambition - not only did they target several high-calibre players at key positions, but also added significant CPL experience to their group through the likes of Rocco Romeo, Zachary Fernandez and Kris Twardek - showing that they truly mean business. Now, however, they’ll have to put it together on the pitch. It can be easy to have a strong offseason and still come up short of expectations, so look for Valour to now back up their ambition with results. "The preseason has been good for us," Valour's head coach, Phil Dos Santos, said this week. "I don't look so much at results, but I look at the response of the players, the way we want to play and the ideas that we put forward, and they were out there embracing that. That's the most exciting part for me, seeing their buy-in, seeing the collective commitment that they've shown, and that hunger and desire to achieve something together." In terms of roster availability for this match, Pacific will be missing goalkeeper Sean Melvin and midfielder Aidan Daniels, who are both dealing with small knocks, as well as Emmanuel Montejano, who had a delayed arrival into Pacific's camp following his signing. Meanwhile, Valour might be without Dante Campbell, who is a doubt for this game, and will definitely be without Zachary Fernandez due to a suspension, as well as head coach Phil Dos Santos, who is serving a three-game ban of his own to start the season.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Pacific aims to entertain in possession once again: It’s no secret - Pacific struggled to score last year. With a league-low 27 goals in 28 league games (and none in their lone playoff appearance), it was a tough year for the Tridents offence, which has usually been a strength of this team. Because of that, look for goals to be a big priority of this team early on. Between returnees such as Dario Zanatta, who caught fire at the end of 2024 after a slow start, and Josh Heard, who can chip in with goals but dealt with injuries last season, as well as new arrivals such as Marco Bustos, Ronan Kratt, Emmanuel Montejano and Aidan Daniels, it feels like this team can find the goals that felt elusive for them last year. For what it’s worth, though, Pacific’s success in this area won’t necessarily be down to individual play, but their collective approach, too. For their struggles offensively last year, they were quite good defensively, as they put a lot of their attention towards being good without the ball. This year, they’ll need to find a balance between keeping that defensive solidity, especially after having lost some key names at the back, while still tweaking the attack enough to give freedom for their attackers to find goals. It won’t be an easy balance to strike, but it’s one that contending teams tend to do - you’ve got to be good at both ends of the pitch to push for titles, and 2024 Pacific lacked production in the attacking side. "We've scored a lot of goals in preseason, but that's preseason," Merriman said. "The most important thing right now is that we can create chances, that we have that aggressive personality in the final third, that we want to go to goal, create chances, are brave enough to take players on in 1v1 situations, and feel strong and confident in front of goal."

Can Valour improve their road record? When reflecting upon what ailed them in 2024, one big area that will stand out for Valour is their record away from Princess Auto Stadium, as they claimed just 11 points from 14 road games, winning only two of those matches. A big reason for that? Their defensive play, as they conceded 26 goals in those matches, which was joint-most in the league with the Halifax Wanderers (who had the worst road record). Because of that, look for Valour to be much more solid defensively away from home, starting with this match. For what it’s worth, they’ll have some confidence in starting their 2025 slate of road games at Starlight Stadium - one of their two road victories in 2024 came against Pacific, who they beat 3-0 last July. In that game, they put together nearly the perfect template road performance, earning their lone road clean sheet with a strong defensive showing, while chipping in with some timely goals. Can they repeat something similar this time around? They’ll certainly hope so, as they feel they've got the group to make road results like that a regular occurrence. "When you look at the characteristics of the guys that we brought in, I feel that it's all players that have blood in the eyes," Dos Santos said. "Guys that appreciate the daily process, guys that have been in the game for a bit and know that nothing's going to be given to you."

Which new faces will impress early? One big thing to watch early on in the season? How quickly both teams will be able to integrate their new signings, given that they’ll be expecting some big things from their new arrivals early on. Interestingly, both have brought back players who are familiar with their clubs - Pacific’s Marco Bustos and Kadin Chung were both part of the team’s 2021 North Star Cup-winning outfit and each spent several seasons on Vancouver Island, while Valour’s Rocco Romeo had a prior stint at the club - so look for those three to feature prominently for their teams early on. Along with those who have come to their new teams with CPL experience, such as Pacific’s Ronan Kratt, Aidan Daniels and Matteo Schiavoni, and Valour’s Kris Twardek, Zachary Fernandez and Kelsey Egwu, those names will also expect to hit the ground running. The wildcards, however, will be the other new arrivals - Pacific’s Max Anchor, Pedro Machado, Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt, Daniel de Pauli and Emanuel Montejano will hope for swift integration into the team, and the same goes for Valour’s Bruno Figueiredo, Xavier Venâncio, Erik Pop and Myles Morgan. After big offseasons, finding a way to integrate these names as swiftly as possible will be the big challenge, as it can sometimes be hard to hit the ground running when turning over the roster as much as both teams have.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Machado, Ndom, Mukumbilwa; Browning Lagerfeldt, Young, de Pauli; Bustos, Kratt, Heard

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alárcon, Romeo, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Ohin, Ressurreição; Twardek, Faria; Hundal, Williams

ALL-TIME SERIES

Pacific FC wins: 16 || Valour FC wins: 4 || Draws: 3

Last meeting:

Sept. 30, 2024 — Valour FC 1-0 Pacific FC

KEY QUOTES

"We want to be on the ball. We always want to be setting the tempo and controlling matches, especially here at Starlight Stadium. We want to be in control of games, we want to be aggressive, on the front foot and want to try and keep teams in their own half, then we want to create chances and score goals. I think you can expect us to be more on the front foot to start games (in 2025).” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

“I'm looking forward to playing with my new teammates, we get a lot of preseason games (together), but you can't compare that to when the stadium is full and there's a good opponent, it's going to be a fight, and I'm excited about that. Also, playing in front of our fans, friends and family is going to be quite special.” — Pacific FC forward Josh Heard

“It's easy for us to come out and say that this club has to be in the playoffs - yes, this club needs to achieve something we haven't achieved yet, that's the easy way of putting it. I think that for us to do that, however, we need to take care of every weekend, we need to go one day at a time, we need to be the best version of ourselves in every game, and then everything else will fall in place. For us, it's not looking too far ahead, it's not looking ahead 28 matches, it's about looking at the next opponent and believing that we have everything we need to come here and start the season by winning matches.” — Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos

“I think this year we're going to have a lot of multiple goalscorers. That's what's going to make up a good team. I'm excited to get started and be ready for the chances I get. I know this year that I'll get a lot more chances than I did last year, so it's just about being ready to put them in the back of the net, even if that means not being involved in the game for the whole 90 minutes, I know that I'm going to get chances, and I've just got to be ready and sharp to put them into the back of the net.” — Valour FC forward Shaan Hundal

Pacific signs goalkeeper Daniel Zadravec to a Short-Term Replacement Contract for Saturday’s match vs. Valour FC

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 17:29:41 +0000

Langford, B.C. – April 4, 2025 – Pacific FC has signed native of Victoria Daniel Zadravec to a Short-Term Replacement Contract ahead of Saturday’s 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) home opener against Valour FC.

The signing comes after Pacific goalkeeper Sean Melvin was ruled out of this weekend’s match after suffering an injury.

The CPL can approve the signing of a player to a Short-Term Replacement Contract in cases of extreme hardship, such as if a club has fewer than two available goalkeepers through short-term injury, suspension or unique circumstances.

Zadravec, 24, returns to Pacific after previously being signed to a Short-Term Replacement Contract last year. He started three matches for Pacific last year and made a total of six saves. His first win was on June 15, 2024 against Valour.

He went through the Vancouver Island Wave program from U13 to his high school graduation, and has worked with PFC goalkeeper coach, Trevor Stiles, since age 11. He played five years with the UNBC Timberwolves, earning the Top Defensive Player Award and Team MVP in the 2023 season.

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ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Founded in 2018, Pacific Football Club brings professional football to Vancouver Island. Playing out of Starlight Stadium in Langford, the club provides an outlet for Canadian soccer players to compete at the professional level of the sport on home soil through the Canadian Premier League.

2025 CPL Season Preview: Pacific FC

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:37:21 +0000

The 2025 Canadian Premier League season kicks off April 5, as Canada's top-flight domestic league enters its seventh season. In the lead-up to matchday one, we at CanPL.ca will have all you need to know about each of the league's eight clubs. To see every CPL team's season preview, click here.

After taking a step back in 2024, it’s all systems go for Pacific FC in 2025, as they look to re-establish themselves among the top sides in the CPL. To their credit, they were still able to make plenty of noise last year despite their struggles, making the playoffs for a fifth straight season, but they fell well short of their expectations, as their fifth-place regular season finish and first-round playoff loss is below the standard they’ve been used to operating at in past seasons. As a past North Star Cup winner, the goal is to return to those heights, while improving their regular season results following fourth and fifth-place finishes over the past two years. Certainly, their offseason ambitions have so far reflected that goal - some champions from that 2021 team have returned, joined by some players who know this league very well. Because of that, Pacific is aiming to bring a purple wave to the CPL, returning the Tridents to the level they’ve shown in the past.

Story of 2024

2024 CPL regular season record (W-D-L): 9-7-12 (34 pts, 5th place)
Goals scored: 27
Goals against: 32
Goal difference: -5
Top scorer: Dario Zanatta (5)
Canadian Championship: Lost in the semi-finals to the Vancouver Whitecaps

Despite making the playoffs, 2024 was a year of regression for Pacific, who took a step back in nearly every major category compared to the past year. In terms of their record, they had six points fewer than in 2023, having lost two more matches, which pushed them from fourth to fifth. Then, as for the counting stats, they scored 15 fewer goals, although they conceded three fewer - unfortunately, their improvements in the latter category were not enough to make up for their big struggles with the former, as their goal difference swung from +7 to -5 as a result of that. Yet, these numbers paint a good picture of Pacific’s struggles in 2024 - they were a strong defensive team all year long but struggled to score, with most of their results coming from low-scoring affairs. That’s why they finished where they did despite having one of the better defensive records in the league.

Arrivals and Departures

Players in:	Players out:
GK - Max Anchor (on loan)	GK - Emil Gazdov
DF - Kadin Chung	DF - Paul Amedume
DF - Pedro Machado	DF - Kevin Ceceri
DF - Fin Tugwell	DF - Kunle Dada-Luke
MF - Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt	DF - Thomas Meilleur-Giguère
MF - Aidan Daniels	MF - Zakaria Bahous
MF - Daniel de Pauli	MF - Marco Domínguez
MF - Matteo Schiavoni	MF - Pierre Lamothe
FW - Marco Bustos	MF - Cédric Toussaint
FW - Ronan Kratt	MF - Andrei Tircoveanu
FW - Yann Toualy	MF - Steffen Yeates
FW - Emanuel Montejano	FW - Moses Dyer
	FW - Reon Moore
	FW - Devin O'Hea
	FW - Adonijah Reid
	FW - Ayman Sellouf

To get an idea of how Pacific felt about their 2024 results, one just has to look at their offseason movement, as they’ve put in a lot of effort to rebuild the squad ahead of this new season. Out are over a dozen players, including 2024 CPL goalkeeper of the year, Emil Gazdov, who joined MLS outfit CF Montréal in an exciting move, as well as several others who have stuck around in the CPL such as Kunle Dada-Luke, Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, Adonijah Reid and Steffen Yeates. In particular, Dada-Luke and Meilleur-Giguère are two big losses, both being fan favourites at the club given their status as key players and 2021 North Star Cup winners. To replace their leadership, however, Pacific brought back some familiar faces - fellow 2021 North Star Cup winners, Kadin Chung and Marco Bustos, are back after stints elsewhere - Chung with Toronto FC in MLS and back in the CPL with Vancouver FC, Bustos in Sweden with IFK Värnamo. Given their importance to that 2021 team, and that both are still in their primes, those are two huge additions for Pacific, helping give them more juice on both sides of the ball. Those aren’t the only key signings, however - Matteo Schiavoni, Aidan Daniels, and Ronan Kratt all bring CPL experience and will hope to help Pacific’s attacking struggles. Then, elsewhere, Pacific has brought in an intriguing crop of international players in defender Pedro Machado, midfielders Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt and Daniel de Pauli, as well as striker Emanuel Montejano, giving them strong depth at each position. Lastly, Max Anchor is one to watch in goal - the young goalkeeper arrives on loan from the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he has loads of MLS Next Pro experience and a taste of MLS play, making him a good candidate to compete with Sean Melvin to replace the outgoing Gazdov. Along with a core of returnees led by captain Josh Heard and midfielder Sean Young, head coach James Merriman will hope these new additions can provide the juice he often felt his 2024 lacked, helping push them forward in 2025.

2025 Outlook

Based on the offseason they’ve had, Pacific have made it clear - they weren’t satisfied with their 2024 campaign. It wasn’t a bad one, on the balance - most would be happy to make the postseason and make a run to the Canadian Championship semi-finals, but not Pacific. In particular, their league performance is going to be a big focus for them, as they feel they’ve not been at the level they expect from themselves over the past two regular-season campaigns. This is a team that wants to push for the top two spots in the league, especially given the advantage those positions have in the playoffs, making it frustrating that they’ve ended up in the #4 vs #5 game the past two years in a row. To do that, however, they know what they have to do - score more goals. Teams that finish high up the table tend to score goals, doing so early and often, something that isn’t lost on a Pacific team that was once known for those sorts of exploits. At the same time, Pacific can’t sacrifice their defensive solidity for those goals, which will be tough after losing Meilleur-Giguère, Dada-Luke, and Gazdov, who were all so crucial to their strong defensive play. Yet, Pacific will hope that their new additions can slot in seamlessly and will point to the fact that they tended to have strong defensive results no matter who they had in the lineup in 2024, a sign of their strong overall team system. Elsewhere, a run in the Canadian Championship will be a big goal, as Pacific have now made the semi-finals three times in the past four years, doing well to establish themselves as a team that loves those big cup matches. Having given the Vancouver Whitecaps a tough time in last year’s semi-final, they’d love nothing more than to return to that stage for a potential rematch, so look for them to capture more cup magic. Lastly, this will be a big year for James Merriman, who is entering his fourth season as head coach with Pacific. Having been with the Tridents since day one as an assistant coach, he’s seen all sorts of highs and lows with this club and will want to push this team to past heights. Given the work they’ve put in this offseason, he now knows that he’ll have to find a way to put all of the pieces together while finding the balance that they lacked last season, which will be easier said than done.

What They’re Saying

“I think we’ve done a great job in the offseason. We've made a lot of changes, probably more than maybe any other offseason, There’s been significant change in our roster, but I think it was needed after the end of last season (...) Some of the new players that we've added, we've added some different types of players, different dynamic players, very position-specific players (...) So yeah, we've made good additions. They've come in, and they fit into the team seamlessly, and so there’s been a positive energy in our early preseason.” – James Merriman, head coach “I think that's the culture we want to build here. We don’t ever want to settle. We have had past successes, but it's been a while since we've lifted a trophy again. We want to be a club that's always in contention (to do that), so to be frank, I think last year we took a bit of a dip. We were in a cup semi-final, and we made the playoffs, but we want more, we want to compete for more. Guys are hungry to go and make a difference, and we have a lot of fresh, new faces, guys are excited to go, and hit the ground running, as we want to win something - we want to be successful at this club, we want to compete.” – Josh Heard, attacker

Projected Starting XI

(4-2-3-1) Melvin; Chung, Machado, Ndom, Mukumbilwa; Young, de Pauli; Bustos, Daniels, Heard; Kratt It’s going to be fascinating to see who Merriman selects for a day one lineup, as this Pacific squad is littered with competition at each position. In this lineup, however, there’s no doubting the ability of Chung, Ndom, Young, Bustos, Daniels, and Kratt, who have all shown they can shine in the CPL. To the point of depth, however, you can see that in the names that miss out on this hypothetical squad. For example, while this backline and goalkeeper could be a formidable group, it leaves out Max Anchor, Christian Greco-Taylor, Eric Lajeunesse, and Juan Quintana - the latter three were all key pieces last season. Then, in midfield, new arrival Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt isn’t included despite his experience, showing the competition in central areas. Lastly, the frontline is crowded - returnee Dario Zanatta and newcomer Emanuel Montejano will fancy their chances of playing a big role themselves. Yet, this depth will be a big asset for Pacific. A big reason for their 2024 struggles was injuries, but they’ll look at this squad and feel they’ve got the depth to push an already strong starting group while having names ready to step up when the time calls for it.

Roster Notes

Domestic U-21	International	Loaned In
Max Anchor	Pedro Machado	Max Anchor (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Christian Greco-Taylor	Aly Ndom
Sami Keshavarz	Juan Quintana
Eric Lajeunesse (U SPORTS)	Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt
Mattias Vales (Development)	Daniel de Pauli
Fin Tugwell ( U SPORTS)	Emanuel Montejano

Pacific FC Welcomes Ross Marshall as New Managing Director

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:32:55 +0000

Local businessman and founding investor steps in to lead The Island’s Club

Langford, B.C. – April 3, 2025 – Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced Ross Marshall as the club’s new Managing Director, effective immediately.

Marshall, 51, has been involved with Pacific since its launch as part of the original, and existing, ownership group, Vancouver-based businessman Dean Shillington alongside former Canadian pro players and Canadian Men’s National Team Alum Rob Friend, and Josh Simpson, who serves as club president. Marshall will now take on the leading role in guiding the Pacific’s executive team and overseeing its strategic growth and vision.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of Pacific since day one and I’m honoured to be taking on a leadership role within a club that means so much to me and my family, as well as the loyal supporters in Victoria and across the Island,” said Marshall. “I’ve witnessed first-hand the growth of the league and the game in Canada over the past six years. More importantly, I’ve seen how Pacific has become a much-loved part of our community, and I am excited to contribute even more to the continued development of that relationship.”

Marshall replaces Paul Beirne who served in the role since September 2022. Beirne will continue to serve alongside Marshall in the coming weeks before officially stepping away at the end of April.

“Ross is the perfect person to come in and lead our club as we look for ways to continue our growth trajectory both on and off the field,” said Simpson. “Ross has been a trusted part of our club since our inaugural season on Vancouver Island. He understands our club’s culture and our fan base. He knows where we have been and where we need to go, and we’re confident that his acclaimed business acumen and deep appreciation for our community will take this club to the next level.”

Marshall comes by his love of Pacific honestly. He grew up playing soccer in Vancouver Island’s Metro program, then the top-tier of soccer for local players. He is particularly passionate about the pathway to professional opportunities that Pacific and the CPL now provide for homegrown players, including his three young sons who currently play for Pacific’s youth academies.

Marshall currently serves as Senior Vice President of CBRE Limited in Victoria, where he co-leads the Investment Properties Group. He will continue his commercial real estate advisory and brokerage business.

Beirne was instrumental in developing the club’s mandate to work with Vancouver Island youth during his tenure with Pacific and has played a key role in strengthening the club’s relationships with local Indigenous communities. Last year, played a role in developing a strategic partnership with Germany’s VfL Bochum and launching youth development camps in six cities across Mexico.

In May, Beirne will return to his native Toronto to be with his family.

Pacific’s season kicks off on Saturday, April 5 at 5 p.m. at Starlight Stadium, when the club takes on Valour FC of Winnipeg in its home opener. Tickets are available here.

Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

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ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Pacific FC sign explosive forward Yann Toualy

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:04:44 +0000

Langford, B.C. – April 2, 2025 – Pacific FC today announced the signing of forward Yann Toualy to one year guaranteed contract, with an option for 2026, ahead of the upcoming Canadian Premier League (CPL) season.

Toualy, 23, was part of the Ligue1 Quebec’s CS Saint-Laurent that reached the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship Quarter-Finals against Toronto FC after defeating CPL side Halifax Wanderers in the Preliminary Round. He plays as a second striker or on the left wing and is known for his speed on the ball and ability to take players on in one-on-one situations.

Toualy was most recently on trial with Larnaka Gencler Birligi SK in Northern Cypress before joining the Pacific setup, where he will contribute to the Trident’s attack alongside fellow forwards Marco Bustos, Josh Heard, Ronan Kratt and Dario Zanatta.

“Yann showed good qualities and personality in the Canadian Championship matches last season,” said James Merriman, Head Coach, Pacific FC. ”Solidifying the pathway between League1 and the CPL is key to the growth of the soccer in our country, and so is providing more opportunities for players to be seen, like Yann was in the Canadian Championship, an important competition. He is dynamic on the ball, creative on the dribble and a great addition to our club.”

A native of Cote d'Ivoire, Toualy moved to Canada at age nine and lived in several cities in Quebec. He is now a dual citizen. His formative football years were spent with CS Saint-Laurent from U-10 to U17, before he competed in La Première Ligue de Soccer du Québec (PLSQ) the following year for FC Gatineau. From there he joined CS St. Hubert side for 2020 and 2021, before returning to Saint-Laurent in 2022 to represent their Ligue1 Québec squad.

Following his success in the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship, Toualy loved to Vermont Green in USL League Two for a partial season before trialing in Cypress. He returned to Canada in January 2025.

Toualy will be available for selection at Pacific’s home opener on Saturday, April 5, at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.

Current 2025 Pacific FC Roster as of April 2, 2025:

Goalkeepers: Max Anchor, Sean Melvin

Defenders: Kadin Chung, Will Edgson, Christian Greco-Taylor, Mattias Hallam, Eric Lajeunesse, Pedro Machado, Georges Mukumbilwa, Aly Ndom, Juan Quintana, Fin Tugwell

Midfielders: Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt, Aidan Daniels, Daniel de Pauli, Sami Keshavarz, Matteo Schiavoni, Mattias Vales, Sean Young

Forwards: Marco Bustos, Josh Heard, Ronan Kratt, Emanuel Montejano, Yann Toualy, Dario Zanatta

Photos of Toualy here. Photo credit: Sheldon Mack.

Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

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ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Pacific FC Schedule Update

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 16:17:24 +0000

Pacific FC Announces Match Schedule Changes

Langford, B.C. – (March 29, 2025) – Season seven of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) is set to kick off in a major way next month, as TSN partners with OneSoccer to bring select matches to an even wider audience.

The first Pacific FC match to be broadcast on TSN’s national television feeds this season will be the club’s home game against Forge FC on Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m. PT at Starlight Stadium. All the Tridents’ matches will also be broadcast on OneSoccer through the 2025 regular season and CPL Playoffs.

The new partnership between TSN and OneSoccer was previously announced last week. Further coverage of the CPL on TSN, which will feature OneSoccer’s production on TSN channels, will be announced in the coming days.

Kickoff time of the following PFC matches will be adjusted by one hour to accommodate match coverage:

Pacific's match against Valour FC on Saturday, April 5 at Starlight Stadium, previously scheduled for 4 p.m. PT, will now kick off at 5 p.m. PT
Pacific's match against Forge FC on Saturday, April 12 at Starlight Stadium, previously scheduled for 3 p.m. PT, will now kick off at 2 p.m. PT
Pacific's match against York United FC on Saturday, May 10 at Starlight Stadium, previously scheduled for 4 p.m. PT, will now kick off at 5 p.m. PT
Pacific's match against Forge on Saturday, May 24 at Starlight Stadium, previously scheduled for 3 p.m. PT, will now kick off at 2 p.m. PT

Ticketing information for Pacific matches can be found here.

Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.