What Went Right

A TON! From the very first minute the Tridents were the only team that looked like winning this match. The pressure Pacific put on the visitors right from the start completely set the tone for the rest of the match. Marco Bustos’ goalazo in the 24th minute was the only goal in the first half, but Pacific created many chances before the break and were incredibly diligent in how they kept their shape at the back while also pressing effectively when they needed to.

The second half was more of the same as Pacific always looked more and more comfortable in possession and simply didn’t allow the away side to get settled at all. The cherry on top was Alejandro Diaz slotting home the penalty to become Pacific FC’s all-time top goalscorer with 26 goals in all competitions!

What Can Improve

 Honestly, I don’t have a ton for this section… Every single player in purple was on top form on Friday. The atmosphere from the crowd at Starlight Stadium was incredible, the pre-match Pride performances were amazing, and the intensity on the pitch was electric. Coming away with a huge 3-0 win made Friday night an unforgettable occasion.

Looking Ahead

We’re off to Jamaica! A huge match in the club’s history is taking place on Tuesday night as the Tridents travel to Kingston to play Waterhouse FC in the first leg of their Preliminary Round matchup of the 2022 Scotiabank CONCACAF League. This is a can’t-miss match as Pacific FC make history with their first-ever match in a continental competition.

Favourite Moment

Alright, this section is strictly reserved for praise of Callum Irving. The singular moment in question is his 82nd minute save to keep out the close range Cavalry free-kick but Pacific’s goalkeeper was a force between the sticks all match long. As the aforementioned free-kick made its way over the wall, it looked as though it was absolutely destined for the top corner, however, Irving bounced across his goal and flew to tip it over the crossbar. Irving’s save was his sixth of the match and earned him his fifth clean sheet of the season. Irving has been unlucky on many occasions to not come away with a clean sheet this season, so to see Pacific’s captain on the day pull out another important stop to maintain the shutout was fantastic. Irving is now just two clean sheets off the league lead and is in top form at a crucial time in the season for Pacific.

Favourite Photo

 PFC Standout Player: Marco Bustos

Pacific’s no.10 had somehow still not found the back of the net in 2022 heading into this match on Friday. That streak didn’t last much longer once this match got start though as Bustos opened his account in style! After the Cavalry goalkeeper scuffed an attempted clearance, Bustos, without a split second of hesitation from just inside the Cavalry half, curled the ball first-time with the outside of his boot and perfectly placed it in the far corner of the goal without the ball hitting the ground. Just sensational.

Even if we were to put aside his spectacular goal, Bustos was the liveliest player on the pitch for most of the match. He twice bamboozled the Cavalry defence in the early stages of the match and earned a yellow card for the Cavs’ players both times, he essentially forced Jose Escalante to put the ball in his own net thanks to the beautiful ball he played in from the free-kick, and he constantly pressured the Cavalry players in possession down his side of the field. Simply put, Bustos was magic again on Friday night.

Scoring Summary

24’ – Pacific FC – Marco Bustos

50’ – Pacific FC – Jose Escalante (Own Goal)

68’ – Pacific FC – Alejandro Diaz (Penalty)

Statistics

Possession: PFC 41 % – CAV 59 %

Shots: PFC 11 – CAV 12

Shots on Goal: PFC 4 – CAV 7

Saves: PFC 6 – CAV 1

Fouls: PFC 21 – CAV 11

Offsides: PFC 0 – CAV 2

Corners: PFC 4 – CAV 4

Cautions

15’ – David Norman Jr. – Yellow

25’ – Marco Bustos – Yellow

26’ – Daan Klomp – Yellow

32’ – Manny Aparicio – Yellow

32’ – Charlie Trafford – Yellow

43’ – Jose Escalante – Yellow