Canadian Premier League — Match #11
FC Edmonton vs. Pacific FC
May 12, 2019 — Clarke Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. MT)
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca

There’s no place like home for FC Edmonton.

Soccer returns to Edmonton, and to Clarke Stadium, as the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural 2019 campaign continues on in this third week of action, and while the Eddies are used to hosting visiting outfits on these grounds, never before has this club faced teams with a local element.

Case in point? Rather than squaring off with teams from across the United States, FC Edmonton takes on Pacific FC from Vancouver Island, in the first of many CPL encounters at Clarke Stadium, and you can be sure Eddies head coach Jeff Paulus will look to build on a successful 2-1 opening win away at Valour FC in Winnipeg with his team’s home debut. Paulus’ side comes into this match hungry for three more points, but will need to stave off a Pacific FC team that needs to get their own campaign back on course after suffering a pair of back-to-back losses.

Paulus will be counting on plenty of local players – the most of any roster in the CPL – to bear fruit once again, as well as other standout talents, such as Son Yongchan, who earned the praises of his head coach after his debut last week. Meanwhile, Pacific FC will rely on a young contingent of B.C. locals, with the club smashing through the cumulative 1,000-minute threshold for under-21 players after just three matches of action, the first CPL club to do so.

Pacific FC next heads into Canadian Championship action, taking on Cavalry FC at Westhills Stadium on May 15, in the first of two legs (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, available on OneSoccer). FC Edmonton has a bye in the first round of the tournament, meaning the Eddies will need to start preparing for another league encounter on May 18, away to Cavalry FC in the first match of the “Al Classico” derby (6 p.m. ET/4 p.m. MT, available on OneSoccer).

KEYS TO THE MATCH

• On the front foot: FC Edmonton put on a professional away display against Valour FC last time around, but will be expected to take the game to Pacific FC on home turf. Does that mean onlookers will finally get a taste of the free-flowing, attacking 4-3-3 football promised by Paulus ahead of the season? Fingers crossed.
• Neutralizing the winger-forwards: Both Pacific FC’s Ben Fisk and FC Edmonton’s Randy Edwini-Bonsu love to move across the front line, creating new angles of attack to try and exploit over 90 minutes. It will be up to midfielders Ramon Soria of Edmonton and Matthew Baldisimo or Noah Verhoeven of Pacific FC to keep track of these crafty forwards.
• No number nines? Both Pacific and Edmonton’s centre-forwards are facing injury concerns ahead of this matchup, with Marcus Haber likely still out with a toe injury, and Tomi Ameobi of Pacific FC a 50-50 decision come gameday. Without their No. 9s, the team that adapts best – especially on set piece duty – may have the advantage here.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

FC Edmonton: Connor James; Kareem Moses, Mele Temguia, Amer Didic, Allan Zebie; Ramon Soria, James Marcelin, Son Yongchan; Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Jeannot Esua, Philippe Lincourt-Joseph

Pacific FC: Mark Village; Kadin Chung, Lukas MacNaughton, Ryan McCurdy, Blake Smith; Noah Verhoeven, Matthew Baldisimo, Victor Blasco, Ben Fisk; Issey Nakajima-Farran, Terran Campbell

HEAD-TO-HEAD

First meeting between these clubs

STATS LEADERS 

Mele Temguia, Oumar Diouck – 1 goal (Edmonton)
Hendrik Starostzik, Jose Hernandez – 1 goal (Pacific FC)

INJURIES

Tomi Ameobi (Edmonton) – Knock (questionable)
Marcus Haber (Pacific) – Toe (questionable)
Hendrik Starostzik (Pacific) – Knock (questionable)

INTERNATIONAL DUTY

None

SUSPENSIONS

None

ACCUMULATION

None

REFEREES

Referee: David Gantar
Assistant Referees: Peter Manastyrsky, Michael Mund
4th Official: Giancarlo Pavone