Final Score: Pacific FC 1-3 York United
Goalscorers: Dada-Luke 30′ ; Babouli 48′, De Rosario 57′, Gutiérrez 81′
Game of the 2022 season: 89
CPL match: 339
Match in a minute or less
It was a tale of two halves at Starlight Stadium on Saturday, as York used three second-half goals to cancel out a 1-0 Pacific FC half time lead, throwing the latest wrench into a now wide-open CPL playoff race with a big 3-1 road victory over the Vancouver Island-based side, who were left wanting in their 100th game as a club.
To begin the match, Pacific came out strongly, nabbing that lead through a tidy finish from Kunle Dada-Luke, who put his team up 1-0 as they headed into the break. But then in the second half, York would swing things in their favour, as first Mo Babouli tied things up, before Osaze De Rosario gave them the lead not long after.
From there, Sebastián Gutiérrez would make it three late on, allowing York to cruise to a big victory, one that keeps them alive in the playoff race for now, while making things really interesting for Pacific, who narrowly holds onto the fourth and final playoff spot in the table, for now.
Three Observations
Strong York second half surge paves way for big win for visitors:
Heading into half time, the game might’ve just been 1-0 in the favour of Pacific, but it seemed like the result was already secured, meaning that all was left for them to do was to cruise to victory.
Given that Pacific has statistically been one of the best teams in the league at home all season long, making a habit out of seeing games like this over the line, it seemed hard to imagine York clawing back into the game, even if they had flashes in the first half, making a heartbreaking loss for them seem like the likely outcome.
Yet, York didn’t quite get that memo. Be it the threat of nearing the playoff abyss, the idea of dropping the season series to Pacific, or something else that clicked in their heads, they then came out for the second half with a vengeance.
As a result, right from the first kick of the second stanza, the game went from slightly tilted in Pacific’s favour to very much in the hands of York, who looked like a whole new team in the last 45 minutes.
At the same time, that didn’t mean anything quite yet. It’s one thing to control a game – a whole other to turn around the score completely.
Despite that, York kept chipping away at it, and it’d soon pay off. First, Babouli would give them that sign of life just a few minutes into the half, before De Rosario gave them the lead not long after.
Then, ensuring that they’d see it over the line, Gutiérrez inserted the dagger late on, capping off a memorable half for the Nine Stripes, who had played one of their best, if not their best, halves of the season to cap off the match. And that’s reflected in the stats.
Despite a relatively even first half, York blew away Pacific in the Expected Goals (xG) battle (3.32-0.67), shots on target (10-5), big chances (6-1), duels won (52.5%) and tackles won (14-8), just showing how much more they wanted it, both on and off the ball.
All thanks to some key half-time adjustments, which saw York come out with a new hunger, as well as a refined approach, that was all that was needed to turn this game on its head, making for a dramatic finish.
Speaking of those adjustments, however, what was actually said in York’s dressing room to spark this comeback? According to De Rosario, the old-fashioned hairdryer treatment from head coach Martin Nash and assistant Barry Smith, actually, giving his team that fire that they just were lacking in the first half.
“Yeah, what was said at half was the coaches getting on us, actually,” De Rosario sheepishly admitted. “Because in the first half, we were very flat, I don’t know why, it’s like we took a little bit of time to get into the game, and we were not at the highest level in terms of tempo and ability, and Pacific exposed us (because of that).”
“So at halftime, the coaches got on everybody, and we all stood up, took it, and then went out there and did the business.”
“Absolutely (we gave it to them),” Nash said with a grin when asked. “It was Barry, actually, who really gave them a go, as the energy just wasn’t there. So we did that and we made one sub just for energy purposes, and I think it worked out, and helped us out, as I thought we went out in the second half the way that we wanted to for the whole game.”
![York's heat map from this game (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204513/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.42.28-730x331.jpg)
You combine that with some smart adjustments, which allowed York to be a more well-organized, compact group, one that had a clear intent on and off the ball, that was all that was needed to make this result happen, something that quite pleased Nash in the end.
“Yeah, there were a few things tactically I thought (we needed to change),” Nash said. “We were too spread out, too open, we were leaving key passing lanes open, which against a team like this, can really hurt you.”
Through that, they picked up a win that could potentially have seismic implications on the rest of the playoff race, one that remains more wide-open than ever following this result, further ensuring that these last half-dozen matchdays are going to be filled with entertainment and drama for those watching.
Which for the likes of York and Valour FC, is quite exciting, ensuring that this playoff race could very well come down to the wire.
One team that won’t be quite so pleased with that, however? Pacific, who after seeming in control of their playoff destiny a few weeks back, now sit just two points ahead of Valour, meaning that they could very well finish this matchday outside of the playoff line given that Valour plays on Sunday.
Currently on a run of three straight losses, this one had to be the most frustrating of the lot for Pacific, too, as not only did they end up losing, but got run off of their own field, too.
Because of that, head coach James Merriman did not mince words post-game, noting that it was an ‘unacceptable’ performance from his team, one that can absolutely be seen as a wake-up call for the rest of the season, as they look to hold onto their playoff spot.
“It has to be (a wake-up call). It has to be,” Merriman bluntly noted afterwards. “We need to understand that we need to fight, we need to play with fire, we need to play with desire, we need to have to really want to win and want to get into the playoffs and want to be there in the end.”
“We have to bring so much more than we did in the second half, and it’s an unacceptable approach the way that we came into that second half, we have to learn from it, and be better going forward.”
“I think we got complacent, really,” Dada-Luke added. “I think we got a little too comfortable with the game at first, and then sort of laid back, and then they started pushing us, and we weren’t ready for that sort of big surge, as we stopped playing our style of football.”
If one thing is clear, however, is that no one is going to be done playing until the final matchday, ensuring that this race for the playoffs goes down to the wire, which from a neutral standpoint, will be excellent for drama as the stretch run continues on here.
![The action map from this game, showing how York were able to penetrate Pacific's final third more in this game, mainly thanks to their second half performance (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204559/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.42.08-730x490.jpg)
Bustos and Dada-Luke combination a bright spot for Pacific to build off of:
Returning to Pacific for a minute, what has to be even more frustrating than the loss? How well they came out of the gates, as they played a very solid first 30 minutes of soccer, before things evened out by half time.
Paced by the partnership of Marco Bustos and Kunle Dada-Luke on the right, which looked as good as it has all season long, they were causing York all sorts of problems down their left-hand side, even leading to their goal.
Plus, even as York ramped things up in the second half, Bustos and Dada-Luke remained a big bright spot offensively, even if York did take advantage of that side a few times offensively (two of their goals came from that side), looking likeliest to find the goal that would drag Pacific back into that game.
Therefore, while the result will be one that Pacific will look to put behind them, there’s a lot for them to take from how well that right-sided partnership went offensively, at least.
Through Bustos’s creativity, which saw him unleash three shots (including one big chance) and create one chance, as well as Dada-Luke’s overlapping threat, which saw him pick up the goal to go along with one created chance, they really caused York problems when they got running in transition moments.
“I think we read the game well,” Dada-Luke said of that partnership. “We knew where the other was, so when I go up, when he stays, when one of us goes in the middle, we just see the spaces well.”
![Pacific's attack map from this game, reflecting how much they ran the play through Marco Bustos and Kunle Dada-Luke on the right (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204525/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.44.11-546x730.jpg)
If anything, what hurt Pacific was that the lack of a true #9 seemed to stagger the field a little, forcing them to play a little direct, which against some teams, works, but against a team that likes to defend a little deeper like York, is a little more of a difficult task to endure.
Because of that, as they look to prepare for these last six games of the season, finding a way to both build off of this Bustos and Dada-Luke pairing, while also finding the right formula up front, has to be a goal for Merriman, and he admitted as much post-game.
“When they’re connecting on the right side, and then Gianni Dos Santos is active on the left, that’s when we’re the most dangerous,” Merriman said of the Bustos and Dada-Luke partnership.
“We can build from (what we showed) the first 30 minutes.”
They do that, and they should be in good hands, especially given that they had just gone on a run that had seen them concede four goals in their last nine games (all competitions), an elite defensive record, making this game a bit of an outlier for them defensively.
If they can prove that this game was a blip on the radar on that side of their game, not a sign of things to come, and keep building off of that Bustos/Dada-Luke partnership in the attack, that could be enough for them to see things over the line, because if not, things could get dicey, quick, for the defending champions.
![Marco Bustos and Kunle Dada-Luke's combined action maps from this game (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204437/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.43.47-730x478.jpg)
Mo Babouli continues to develop partnership with Osaze De Rosario, breathe life into York attack:
Returning to York, however, one key thing to note about this result? This was the third time in their last four games that they’ve scored three goals in a match, something that they had just done once in their previous 19 league games.
Just chalk that up to the Mo Babouli effect.
Since subbing in against FC Edmonton to make his debut for York four games ago, he’s become a central figure in the team’s offensive efforts, showing why he was once regarded as one of the best attackers in the league during his time with Forge.
Just look at how things have gone for York since he made his debut with the club.
First, in that Edmonton game, York managed to score two late goals to win 3-2 after Babouli was subbed in, before picking up a key 3-2 win over Forge a week later (a game in which Babouli scored). Then, they lost 1-0 to Cavalry FC last week to be fair, although they did create a high number of chances, but returned to form in this game, with Babouli once again pitching in a goal in a winning effort.
Yet, that’s a credit to what Babouli has brought since first donning the York United kit. Deployed as more of a #10 underneath Osaze De Rosario, he’s become a key creative hub for York, often participating heavily in the team’s build-up play, dropping as deep as the centre backs to receive the ball.
Then, from there, he often bursts forward, pushing right up the pitch, where he’s done well to find spaces in opposing boxes, much as he did on his goal.
Through that, not only is he profiting massively from doing that, doing well to generate a boatload of chances for himself, but he’s also helping his team out big time, too, especially De Rosario, who has come alive the last few games, also scoring two goals.
Often an isolated figure up top for York earlier in the season, with teams doing their best to limit his space on the pitch, De Rosario’s partnership for Babouli has changed that, as teams are often left to pick between trying to keep marking De Rosario, or trying to interpret Babouli’s late runs, which often means one of the two is finding space on the pitch at a time.
Which for York, is key. There was no doubt that while De Rosario and his team-leading 10 goals (after this game) are a big part of the team’s offence, it was no secret that they were quite dependent on him to score the team’s goals, making them a bit predictable offensively.
Now, however, with Babouli emerging as a second threat, that’s given York a whole new look offensively, one that has had them scoring goals for fun as of late (the 9 goals they’ve scored in the 4 games they’ve played since Babouli’s arrival accounts for just under 40% (!) of their total goals in 2022).
“It’s going very well,” De Rosario said of his partnership with Babouli. “It’s been a learning curve for me, because he’s more experienced, and with the way he moves, I’ve got to make counter movements towards him, I have to compliment his game, but he’s also been able to complement mine.”
“I feel like he’s able to score goals, and I’m able to score goals, so we are complementing each other well, and moving forward, we’re only going to build a bigger ball, we’re going to trust each other even more, which is good.”
![York's average position map, showing how closely Mo Babouli and Osaze De Rosario ended up combining in this game (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204635/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.41.52-730x537.jpg)
All of a sudden, that’s huge for them, as not only does it provide a spark for the team to build off of in 2023, but is keeping their playoff hopes alive in the now, helping contribute to this late surge in which York has won three of their last four games, and five of their last eight overall.
Thanks to the signing of one former rival, that was all it took to reignite the offence, and now, they’re certainly reaping the rewards of their surprise late summer arrival on the field.
“Yeah, I think he’s been really good,” Nash said. “Mo’s come in with a fantastic attitude and application, and does anything you ask him to do, but is also bringing some new things to our team, these little nuggets (of information), which I think helps the rest of the players.”
“And I think Osaze, in particular, is playing well off of him, and I think with Mo’s movement, once you get how he moves and finds pockets, it makes it easier for a striker or someone to play off, he finds good pockets, he’s a good passer and holds the ball really well.”
“So yeah, it’s been a pretty good partnership so far, and hopefully it continues that way.”
![Osaze De Rosario's and Mo Babouli's combined action map from this game, reflecting how active they were (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204456/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.43.12-730x478.jpg)
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Mo Babouli, York United
As mentioned before, Babouli was quite active for York in this game, scoring the goal that started the comeback, while also completing 37/47 of his passes (79%), creating a game-high three chances, nabbing six shots (for 0.95 xG) and completing three dribbles. All-in-all, a pretty complete offensive performance from the York attacker, who showed his importance to his team’s attack once again.
![Mo Babouli's action map from this game (OPTA)](https://cdn.canpl.ca/app/uploads/cpl/2022/09/03204446/Screen-Shot-2022-09-03-at-17.43.27-730x478.jpg)
What’s next?
Pacific will get a chance at revenge against a fellow Ontario side next weekend, as they get set to host league-leaders Atlético Ottawa at Starlight Stadium on Sunday, September 11th (1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET). Meanwhile, York will head home, as they get set to host FC Edmonton at York Lions Stadium on Friday, September 9th (5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET).
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