Story of the Match
The heat didn’t slow down Pacific FC on Sunday, as the Tridents recorded their second straight 4-1 victory in the league with a fantastic performance over the visiting York United FC. The match was played at a high intensity despite the need for a drinks break in each half, but it was the Tridents who provided the finish touch necessary to win.
It was a fantastic occasion all around at Starlight Stadium as a house full of happy families got to see their Tridents put on a goal-scoring show on Mother’s Day. Starting early with Amer Didic’s powerful headed finish (after which he pointed to his mom in the stands), and followed by Manny Aparicio’s cool first-time strike from a Sean Young assist that gave Pacific a 2-0 lead at halftime. York got a goal back early in the second half, but the Tridents showed great resolve to come back and kill off the game in the last 10 minutes through a David Brazão goal (his first for the club) and an Easton Ongaro finish, again assisted by Young, in the final minutes.
The win gave Head Coach James Merriman his 21st as the man leading Pacific FC from the sidelines. He is now tied with Pa-Modou Kah for most wins as PFC head coach. Merriman reached the win mark in 42 games, one less than Kah, and can set the record next weekend against Valour FC.
Tactics Talk
The Tridents finished a match with less possession than their opponents for the fourth time in seven games this season. This trend points to the increasing comfortability of Pacific’s back four in soaking up pressure and not breaking. While I don’t have the stats at hand, I would be surprised if last year’s team finished a match with less possession as often. With Didic, Thomas Meilleur-Giguére, Kunle Dada-Luke, and Georges Mukumbilwa as the first choice back four right now, Pacific has the best defence in league having only conceded four goals in five games. This year’s squad has already shown the ability to play and win matches in different ways, a crucial quality to have in championship hopefuls.
Another fascinating trend that showcased itself on Sunday was the continued growth of Young as an attacking force. Young played the most passes in the final third of anyone in the match and was often playing as a no. 1o behind Adonijah Reid. The 22-year-old’s heatmap shows the very high position he often found himself in, from which he was rewarded with two assists. Young is playing at the highest level he ever has right now and has to be considered the CPL’s best box-to-box midfielder as well as one of its best players period.
Looking Ahead
Next on the schedule is a trip to Winnipeg to take on Valour in the club’s second away match of the season. The Tridents will also be looking to continue their win streak which now stands at three – Atlético Ottawa away, TSS FC Rovers at home in the cup, and York at home on Sunday.
The next home match: Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 24th in the Canadian Championship semi-final. We’ll talk more about this game in the coming days and in the lead up to the match itself, but rest assured that will absolutely be a can’t-miss occasion at Starlight Stadium.
Favourite Moment
It’s tough to pick a single moment from all of the Mother’s Day happenings at the stadium on Sunday. But a fun one to see was when Cheryl Merriman, mother of Head Coach James Merriman and Assistant Coach Chris Merriman, came out to take part in the coin toss. I don’t remember if we won the actual toss or not, but at the very least we won the match and so there has got to be some good luck attached to this.
Favourite Photo(s)
PFC Standout Player: David Brazão
Talk about immediate impacts… Just seconds after coming onto the pitch as a substitute, Brazão made a smart run into the box and was picked out by Djenairo Daniels before expertly slotting the shot past the goalkeeper with his left foot and effectively settling the game. The Portuguese also played a role in the fourth goal when his delicate touch took the ball past the defender and into the path of Young who then laid the ball on a plate for Ongaro to finish.
In a new league and new country, Brazão has done incredibly well to adapt to the speed of play – which he talked about during the post-match press conference. And in this match in particular, the 21-year-old stepped into a fast-paced affair in intense heat and didn’t shrink in the moment.
With an assist in the Tridents’ 2-0 win over TSS Rovers in the mid-week fixture, that is now one goal contribution in each of the last two matches for Brazão. Given that he has only played around 10 minutes in each match, that is a fantastic way to announce yourself to your new home supporters.
Scoring Summary
7’ – Pacific FC – Amer Didic
42’ – Pacific FC – Manny Aparicio
55’ – York United FC – Kevin Dos Santos
82’ – Pacific FC – David Brazão
90+3’ – Pacific FC – Easton Ongaro
Statistics
Possession: PFC 46 % – YRK 54 %
Shots: PFC 14 – YRK 16
Shots on Target: PFC 6 – YRK 6
Saves: PFC 5 – YRK 2
Fouls: PFC 13 – YRK 13
Offsides: PFC 0 – YRK 3
Corners: PFC 4 – YRK 3
Cautions
60’ – Lassana Faye – Yellow
61’ – Georges Mukumbilwa – Yellow