2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #86
Pacific FC vs. Halifax Wanderers FC
September 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. AT
Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

The final match of a super soccer Saturday takes place at Starlight Stadium, with Pacific FC hosting Halifax Wanderers FC at a pivotal point of both teams’ seasons.

The coastal clash could be the one with the most consequence, though, as both teams try to avoid being left behind in the race for the final spot in the CPL Playoffs.

Tied at the bottom of the CPL table on 20 points from 20 matches, this game provides an opportunity for one team to climb up — at least temporarily — into sixth in the table, over Valour FC who have 21 points and play on Monday.

These sides have met twice already this year — on the opening day of the season in a match that the Tridents won 1-0, and again in a scoreless draw on June 8 at Wanderers Grounds. The two sides will meet two times in as many weeks, playing again on September 18 in Halifax. That second match will be the game that these two sides have in hand over the rest of the league, so winning one or both of them could potentially be the difference between getting back into the playoff race and missing on the postseason after both were involved last year.

It’s a commonly-used cliche at this time of the season, but both teams need to treat every match from here to the end of the year as a final. Must-win territory has arrived for the teams at the bottom of the table, and especially Pacific, who play the team currently occupying the fifth playoff spot — BC Derby rivals Vancouver FC — next weekend. They will want a good result in that match anyway, but if they can beat Halifax and York United beats VFC in the first match of this weekend on Friday night, they could jump into a playoff spot with a win over the Eagles next time out.

The Wanderers are coming off a big win last weekend against York, however, while the Tridents’ season-long goalscoring woes have shown little sign of turning around. Both sides will be looking to pick up a bit of momentum with a win, and a draw doesn’t particularly help either side at the moment.

If the Wanderers do win, it would be their first at Starlight Stadium since Patrice Gheisar took over as head before the 2023 season.

Josh Heard is still unavailable for Pacific as he works his way back from a knee injury, but the Tridents are hopeful he might be back in action by the end of September according to head coach James Merriman. Pacific will also be without three players on international duty — Marco Domínguez with Guatemala, and Reon Moore and Steffen Yeates with Trinidad and Tobago.

Halifax will be without a pair of Soca Warriors players as well, as Ryan Telfer and Andre Rampersad link up with Moore and Yeates. Head coach Patrice Gheisar said that all of his other players are available for selection for this match, although Wes Timoteo’s selection is subject to a gameday decision on if he is 100 per cent ready to contribute fully after missing out last week.

All CPL and Canadian Championship 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

• Can either side propel themselves back into playoff race with a win?: Saturday’s match is a chance for both Pacific and Halifax to climb off the bottom of the table. Both sides sit on 20 points from 20 matches so far this season, one point back of Valour FC in sixth place and six back of Vancouver FC in the fifth and final playoff spot entering this weekend’s matches. One of these sides can jump over Valour with a win, and put some pressure on them ahead of the Winnipeggers hosting Atlético Ottawa on Monday. They could also potentially move within three points of the playoffs if Vancouver fail to pick up any points against York United on Friday night. Pacific also meets Vancouver next week, so they will be extra keen to pick up a result in this match on Saturday before a potentially season-defining BC Derby that could give them the opportunity to jump into the top five.
• Can Pacific break lengthy scoreless streak?: Pacific FC have found goals incredibly hard to come by this season, hitting the back of the net just 14 times in 20 CPL matches. The Tridents have not scored a goal since a 1-1 draw with York United on August 2, and have not scored an open play goal since a 1-0 away win in Ottawa on July 7. It goes without saying that that isn’t good enough for any team in the Canadian Premier League, especially one that came into the season with championship aspirations and started the season well. James Merriman said in his pregame press conference on Friday that his side need to take better advantage of half-chances as opposed to always waiting for the best possible opportunity, a ruthlessness that they have been missing this season.
• Both sides missing key players to international duty: Five players that would be expected to be potential difference-makers in this important match will be missing from their sides, as they are away on international duty. Four of them will be with Trinidad and Tobago — with Reon Moore and Steffen Yeates both absent from Pacific, and the Wanderers missing club captain Andre Rampersad and forward Ryan Telfer. Marco Domínguez will also be missing for the Tridents, away with the Guatemalan national team. While James Merriman and Patrice Gheisar likely wish these players were available, it is important for other players to step up in their absence, with the potential to find some good form and maybe even win a starting job for this final crucial stretch of the season.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Pacific FC wins: 9 || Halifax Wanderers FC wins: 5 || Draws: 7

Last meeting:

June 8, 2024 — Halifax Wanderers FC 0-0 Pacific FC

KEY QUOTES

“Both teams are fighting for everything right now. We need to bring that mentality to the game. I’m sure they will and I don’t think either team’s going to hold anything back. It’s a playoff match really.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman