Pacific FC dazzled and entertained at home on Tuesday night, as they dispatched FC Edmonton by a convincing 5-1 scoreline to climb back into first place in the CPL, as they took one step further toward securing a home playoff game.

Entering the game with nine days’ rest, FC Edmonton made no changes to their previous starting lineup, as the imposing front three of Azriel Gonzalez, Easton Ongaro, and Tobias Warschewski lined up together as they have done in most recent contests. Pacific, meanwhile, rotated a little after a loss to Cavalry FC last Thursday, with four fresh faces joining the fray — the biggest story undoubtedly being star forward Marco Bustos, who made his first start for the club since late August after a lengthy layoff due to injury.

Pacific came out of the gates red-hot, attacking with full force immediately at a rainy Starlight Stadium. They found their reward very quickly, too: in just the sixth minute, right-back Kunle Dada-Luke came blazing down the right flank with the ball and played a perfect cross to the head of Alejandro Díaz, who nodded it home for his team-leading 10th goal of the 2021 CPL season.

Shortly after, the Tridents struck again in similar fashion — albeit from a set-piece this time. Ollie Bassett delivered a corner kick from the left side sharply across goal, where Manny Aparicio was waiting at the back post for another good header to make it 2-0. The first half was, in fact, almost all Pacific, as they pressed the Eddies with over 70% possession and refused to step off the gas pedal.

Shortly before halftime, Bustos himself joined the scoring party after looking strong through the first 40 minutes. Picking up the ball inside his own half, he ran through acres of unattended space through the middle before dribbling around an Edmonton centre-back and finishing with his weaker right foot across goal to the far post.

Although the Eddies made a pair of halftime subs to try and spark their side with some youth — U-21 players Prince Amanda and Antony Caceres both entering the fray — things continued to unravel for them as Pacific kept going. In the 51st minute, Aparicio banked his second of the night as the ball popped out to him at the top of the box and he flicked a volley over the keeper and just under the crossbar for another stunning goal.

As the Tridents continued their attacking onslaught, they added yet another to the pile of goals midway through the second half. Bustos, cutting in from the right as he so often does, drew a foul in the box from Tboy Fayia, and the Pacific captain scored the penalty kick himself to give himself a brace and his side a 5-0 lead.

Edmonton found small consolation near the end of the contest, as a handball in the box from Bustos gave Fraser Aird a chance to pull one back from the penalty spot — which he did — but it ultimately wasn’t their night as the scoreline remained lopsided (although Warschewski nearly added another for them with an 89th-minute shot that struck the post).

BOX SCORE

Goals

6′ — Alejandro Díaz (Pacific FC)
20′ — Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
41′ — Marco Bustos (Pacific FC)
51′ — Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
69′ — Marco Bustos (Pacific FC) (PK)
78′ — Fraser Aird (FC Edmonton) (PK)

Discipline

27′ — Yellow: Ollie Bassett (Pacific FC)
56′ — Yellow: Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)
58′ — Yellow: Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)