Final Score: York United FC 2-0 Pacific FC
Goalscorers: León 47, Babouli 90+2′
2024 CPL Playoffs
4th vs. 5th Match

Match in a minute or less

For the first time in club history, York United have advanced in the Canadian Premier League playoffs after a 2-0 victory over Pacific FC on Wednesday night.

The club’s first-ever home playoff match gave an outstanding crowd at York Lions Stadium plenty to cheer about, as Oswaldo León opened the scoring on a header in the 47th minute, before captain Mo Babouli put the match to bed in second-half stoppage time.

York United now advance to the quarter-final, where they will face Ontario rivals Atlético Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 27 at TD Place Stadium in the nation’s capital. Pacific’s season is over as they have been eliminated from the 2024 CPL playoffs.

Three Observations

York United defeat Pacific for first playoff victory, set up a spicy clash with Atlético Ottawa in the quarter-finals

When York United head coach Benjamín Mora went for a coffee with sporting director Jorge Villalpando on Wednesday morning, ahead of the biggest match in club history, he had a confident prediction.

“I told him, don’t worry, I think, I feel, that we will win two-zero,” said Mora.

It took a while for that prediction to come true, and there were certainly moments in the first half, especially, when the hosts looked overawed by the occasion. But by the time captain Mo Babouli had made his coach’s prediction a reality in second-half stoppage time, York had been value for their first-ever playoff victory.

Babouli led the way with a tenacious and hardworking performance, contesting 13 duels and winning possession six times, including three in the final third. As his side struggled to find their footing early in the match, he did a brilliant job of holding up the ball and giving his team time to get into the match.

After perhaps feeling out their opponent in that opening half, York came out swinging to start the second. Less than two minutes in, a second-phase ball from a free kick played by Juan Córdova created the opening goal — with Oswaldo León open at that back post to head home. Opening goals have always been incredibly important in the CPL Playoffs, as only once in 23 all-time postseason matches has the team who scored it lost.

Mora said that taking more chances, and being more bold, in the final third was a big message for his team at the half, after failing to register a shot on target in the opening 45. That clearly resonated, as York were far more direct and dangerous in the second half.

Moments later, with York United sensing blood, Córdova hit the post on a lovely individual effort and it felt like the tide had entirely turned. While it took York until stoppage time to land the knockout punch, they put in an excellent shift defensively to earn that opportunity.

Their victory sets up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash with Atlético Ottawa, as they travel to the nation’s capital on Sunday for the quarter-finals. After their most recent meeting, a 1-0 victory, Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González called York the “weakest team” in the CPL playoffs, kicking off a war of words with Mora.

Following a 2-1 loss in the season opener in Ottawa, a match played under former York United manager Martin Nash, York will feel plenty confident after winning the following three by a combined scoreline of 7-2. Mora was quick to point out that those regular season results have no barring on what will transpire on Sunday, but it was clear he had not forgotten the slight González uttered against his team.

“We have nothing to lose, we are a small team that wants to grow,” Mora told the media. “we’re not built to be super champions. We are not injecting everything to be ‘super York’. We are just workers and we want to go there with the heart and with the mind and with the composure that we showed today.”

York United’s first home playoff match delivers a monumental moment for the club

As York United’s players and coaches linked arms and celebrated in front of a boisterous supporters’ section following the club’s first-ever home playoff match, the significance of what they had accomplished seemed to truly set in.

It was a moment that the club had been building towards all season, with each of a club-record seven home wins during the 2024 regular season the Nine Stripes further established York Lions Stadium as a true fortress.

“The team is just, it’s something special honestly, and again, with the fans, like we were so happy that we had this first playoff home game ever, and then to win it to make history,” said York United attacker Dennis Salanović.

Wednesday went a long way toward proving just how special this team can be. Having already set a club record for points this season, with 39, there has been a lot to celebrate in the club’s first year under Game Plan Sports. But leaving the season without at least one signature win, especially after they had flirted with the top of the table at times, would have felt like a huge missed opportunity in their continued growth.

Against Pacific, they made sure not to let this moment pass without taking advantage. The fantastic crowd at the grounds was given a night they won’t soon forget, complete with what felt like a walk-off late goal from Mo Babouli that led to rapturous celebrations throughout the grounds.

Having a moment like this, in front of their home fans, will only add to the already immense belief of this group as they travel to what will surely be a hostile environment in the nation’s capital on Sunday. York haven’t been quite as prolific on the road this season, as they actually recorded the fewest away points in club history with just 15, but they will do so battle-hardened by the way in which they closed the book on the home portion of the season has to bring plenty of confidence.

“You see the evolution this team made from comparing the beginning of the year, now we have this winning mentality,” said Salanović.

This may have been the first taste of playoff football for fans at York Lions Stadium. But for an ambitious club that is very much in its ascendency, it feels like there will be many more nights like Wednesday to come, and with the stakes even higher.

Pacific FC frustrated in failure to fight for match they felt was there for the taking

As Wednesday’s match kicked off, it looked like Pacific FC’s momentum from a strong run to sneak into the fifth and final playoff spot had carried over into the postseason.

They instantly put York United under pressure, and in the 11th minute had an excellent chance to take the lead through a ball over the top that Moses Dyer couldn’t push past Thomas Vincensini in a one-on-one. That miss, and their failure to take advantage of a nervy start for the hosts, would ultimately be their undoing.

“When it’s there for you, you need to take it, especially in a playoff game, a cup game,” said Pacific FC head coach James Merriman.

He felt his team wasn’t nearly ruthless enough thereafter. Despite holding 53.5 per cent of the ball and having more touches in the box, and final third entries than their opponent, Dyer’s chance was the only time they tested Thomas Vincensini in the York net.

“The most disappointing thing with today is how hard we fought to get this opportunity, and we can’t say we gave everything in the game,” said Merriman. “That’s the most frustrating to leave the match, and not give ourselves the best chance at going through and putting everything physically and mentally that we can.”

That failure to take control of the game in the first half quickly cost them early in the second half when León was left far too open at the back post and made the Tridents pay by opening the scoring.

Goals change games, and in this case, the goal seemed to completely embolden the hosts, who from that point onward showed incredible fight to get the result over the line.

“I don’t know the stats, but it felt like they were winning more duels than us,” said Pacific FC attacker Josh Heard. “In a playoff game, in a knockout match like that, if you want to win this game but have to want it more.”

That was true in the second half especially, where York United won 58.1 per cent of the duels, and won 10 tackles, to just two from Pacific FC.

As a result, the Pacific captain and his coach were left to eulogize their season in front of media on Wednesday, with emotions still incredibly raw. While he admitted he would need more time to fully reflect on what had transpired this season, Heard said he felt like the team’s inconsistencies this season finally caught up to them when it mattered most.

“It’s consistency, I think you’ve seen us this year where we can beat any team in this league and we’ve done it if you look at our record. “And then we’ve also lost games we should have won. You can’t be inconsistent with the approach and everything you do, especially as you travel away from home. I think that’s what we need, that’s the next big step is finding consistency.”

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Juan Córdova, York United 

Córdova set up York’s opening goal with a lovely cross to the back post, and had a team-leading 68 touches during an outstanding performance. He also completed three dribbles, won 10 of 16 duels, was fouled four times and was incredibly unlucky to not get on the scoresheet himself after one of his three shots struck the post early in the second half.

What’s next?

York United advance to take on Atlético Ottawa on Sunday, October 27 (1 p.m. ET) at TD Place Stadium in the 2024 CPL Playoff quarter-final. For Pacific FC this is the end of the road as they have been eliminated from the 2024 CPL Playoffs.

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