Pacific Football Club | Jack Longo
After nine months, and a 10-minute weather delay, Pacific FC opened their 2021
Canadian Premier League season against HFX Wanderers in Winnipeg on Saturday.
Both teams spent the first 15 minutes of the match feeling each other out before Marco
Bustos sprang to life to score the first goal of the match.
The build up to the goal should have Pacific fans excited as some slick interplay
culminated in a back-heeled assist from Alejandro Diaz that Bustos took into his path
beautifully before sweeping the ball into the far corner with his left foot.
After the goal Pacific held firm as HFX fashioned a couple scoring opportunities.
Once before the stoppage when in the 23rd minute Lukas Macnaughton’s quick thinking
allowed him to get a foot in before Corey Bent was able to get on the end of a loose ball
in the box, and another immediately following the resumption of play in the 34th minute
when Callum Irving was called into action and made an important save from a Stefan
Karajovanovic header.
It was then Ollie Bassett’s turn to announce himself to Pacific FC fan’s and the league
as a whole in the 37th minute.
A loose ball fell to Bassett outside the box and his first touch set the ball up perfectly for
a volleyed finish into the bottom corner past a driving Christian Oxner in the Wanderer’s
goal.
GOAL 🔱
Ollie Bassett with a STUNNER, giving @Pacificfccpl a 2-0 lead over @HFXWanderersFC after returning from a lightning delay#CanPL action, LIVE on OneSoccer 🔴 https://t.co/hishXepRT3 pic.twitter.com/kilo57HnlU
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 26, 2021
Easily the best goal of the opening day of The Kickoff in Winnipeg and an early
contender for goal of the season.
From there Pacific limited Halifax to just one dangerous chance when in the 67th minute
Wanderer’s forward Karajovanovic got past MacNaughton but couldn’t get the better of
Irving as the Pacific goalkeeper made a sprawling save to preserve the clean sheet.
Whereas the first half was all about some moments of brilliance in attack for Pacific, the
team’s togetherness and solidity was on display for most of the second half.
If this match is a sign of things to come Pacific supporters should be very excited about
the potential this team has to break the monopoly Forge holds on CPL Championships.
In addition, Pacific FC fans were treated to their first viewing of Bassett, Manny
Aparicio, and Chris Lee after Pa-Modou Kah named all three in the starting XI.
MATCH DETAILS
PFC Fan’s Man of the Match: Ollie Bassett
Scoring Summary
17’ – PFC – Marco Bustos (assist – Alejandro Diaz)
37’ – PFC – Ollie Bassett
Statistics
Possession: PFC 59 % – HFX 41 %
Shots: PFC 9 – HFX 5
Shots on Goal: PFC 4 – HFX 3
Saves: PFC 3 – HFX 2
Fouls: PFC 14 – HFX 10
Offsides: PFC 2 – HFX 0
Corners: PFC 6 – HFX 6
Cautions
60′ Josh Heard – PFC – Yellow
69′ Kadin Chung – PFC – Yellow
72′ Joao Morelli – HFX – Yellow
79′ Chris Lee – PFC – Yellow
Next Match
York United vs Pacific FC – Thursday, July 1st, 2:00pm PT.
Pacific FC have started their 2021 CPL Season in Winnipeg for “The Kickoff”. Following “The Kickoff”, Pacific FC will return to Starlight Stadium in August. Be a part of the action with 2021 Season Tickets or support from afar with a Global Fan Membership! Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.
ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB
Founded in 2018, Pacific Football Club brings professional football to Vancouver Island. Playing out of a renovated, 6000-seat 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.