2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #101
Halifax Wanderers FC vs. Vancouver FC
October 5, 2024 at 3 p.m. AT/11 a.m. PT
Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

It’s about as close as you can get to a playoff game in the regular season on Saturday, as Halifax Wanderers host Vancouver FC in matchweek 26 with both sides desperate for three points that could put them into the playoff picture.

The Wanderers technically sit at the bottom of the Canadian Premier League table, but with 26 points they’re just two back of Pacific FC for the fifth and final postseason spot. Halifax kept pace with most of the sides they’re battling last week, as a late equalizer in the capital meant a 1-1 draw with Atlético Ottawa and a vital point away from home.

It hasn’t been easy to beat the Wanderers recently, as they’re unbeaten in their last four, but three of those have been draws; with this being their second-to-last home game of the 2024 season, they’ll be eager for all three points to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the playoff spot.

Vancouver, meanwhile, have a slight advantage over Halifax in the standings, sitting one point ahead at 27 — and therefore one behind Pacific. Last weekend, the Eagles were defensively sound on the road in Calgary, as they held firm to keep Cavalry FC to a 0-0 draw. The split decision was Vancouver’s first point after a four-game losing streak, but they now feel they’ve recovered some momentum and remain a very strong candidate to book their first ever trip to the playoffs.

Also on the line in this contest is the head-to-head series between these sides, which could be the crucial tiebreaker if it comes down to that in a couple of weeks. Halifax have won two out of three meetings so far this year, including the most recent game — a 3-2 win for them at home in August. Vancouver won the first game however, so if they win on Saturday they’d tie the season series and thus avoid losing out on that tiebreaker; a win or draw for Halifax would guarantee them that advantage.

Everything is at stake in this game, and both managers will be pleased to know they’ve got most of their squads available for selection. The Wanderers had a first-choice XI last week in Ottawa, which was a luxury after various suspension issues for the previous few weeks, and Patrice Gheisar mentioned on Friday that Wesley Timoteo has now also returned to fitness and is available.

Meanwhile, Vancouver made some changes to their lineup in Calgary, but it seems those were largely tactical. Allan Enyou was a surprise omission last week, so he might be the most significant name to watch; the club has also recently been without Kadin Chung and they announced that Tyler Crawford has suffered a season-ending injury, but Chung and Crawford were the only players Afshin Ghotbi confirmed will be out. He did, however, reveal there was a collision in training on Thursday which may rule out one player whose identity he did not divulge.

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

• Mekideche a revelation in Wanderers defence: Nassim Mekideche only arrived in Halifax three weeks ago, but he’s started all four matches in that stretch and the Wanderers have yet to lose with him in the lineup. After not playing a match since September 2023, he stepped into the side the day after signing and helped hold Forge FC off the scoresheet in a massive 3-0 win. Mekideche has also scored two goals already, including the equalizer last weekend in Ottawa. It’s been remarkable how quickly he’s fit into the side, and at a perfect time when the defence has been otherwise turbulent amid a slew of suspensions and other struggles on the pitch. “Not just what you see on the field, what he’s doing in the changeroom and off the field, he’s an exceptional young man,” Patrice Gheisar said of Mekideche. “He speaks like a veteran, a very composed man. He’s a giant, but plays with the greatest level of composure. He came in at a very tough time, only a few days before the Forge game, and through the necessity of the red cards we had, he went in and he hasn’t stepped off the field, hasn’t set a foot wrong. He’s been really good for our group, and I’m happy to have a good player, but I’m ecstatic to have a good person.”

• Vancouver seek goalscoring impact: Last week, VFC set up very well to keep a clean sheet in Calgary and they frustrated the Cavs over 90 minutes, but they didn’t manage to create many opportunities to counter-attack and potentially snatch all three points. They need to do better in that department on Saturday; although a draw would probably suit them better than the Wanderers, a win could put them right into the playoffs. Vancouver have scored just one goal in the last five games, and that was TJ Tahid’s last-minute consolation marker in a 3-1 loss to Forge. Striker Alejandro Díaz, who has eight goals on the season, hasn’t found the net in his last seven matches; it would be ideal for Vancouver if he can return to form. Likewise, recent newcomers Austin Ricci and Ayman Sellouf have begun to make an impact, but this would be the perfect time for a true breakout game. “We can win in Halifax,” VFC head coach Afshin Ghotbi said Thursday. “I feel that Halifax is vulnerable at home, even though they’re a very difficult team to play at home. They’re under a lot of pressure; they’re in an even worse situation than we are with points in the table. We’re going in there with confidence.”

• Wanderers need to channel home atmosphere: It’s very unlikely at this point that the Wanderers Grounds host a playoff match this year, but these final two regular season home games will have a playoff feel — that is, if Halifax can remain alive before their season finale against York United. To do that, they absolutely need something from this game on Saturday, and it’s not unfair to call it essentially a must-win for the Wanderers. Fortunately, they have a good home record this year — 20 points, which is fourth-best in the CPL. Five of their six wins this year have been at home, including their last meeting with Vancouver. Saturday is forecast to be a cloudy, gusty day in Halifax but a packed house is expected nonetheless; the Wanderers have to feed off the atmosphere and energy in their stadium to produce another magical afternoon at home, which they’ve had a few of already this year.