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PREVIEW: HFX Wanderers vs. Pacific FC — 2022 Match #103
2022-09-26
by
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke, Digital Content Editor (@charliejclarke)

2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #103
HFX Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC
September 27, 2022 at 7 p.m. AT/6 p.m. ET
Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

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The season is on the line for HFX Wanderers FC this week, as they host Pacific at the Wanderers Grounds for the second time in 2022, in a rare Tuesday night match — rescheduled from the weekend after the effects of Hurricane Fiona in Halifax.

Stephen Hart’s Nova Scotian side will welcome James Merriman and the Tridents to the Maritimes hoping to build on a three-game unbeaten run. The Wanderers sit seventh in the CPL standings with an 8-5-12 record and 29 points, entering the weekend eight points out of a playoff spot with just three games left to play.

This is do-or-die time for HFX, who will be eliminated from top-four contention if they fail to win this match.

Last weekend, Halifax settled for a 0-0 draw with York United, in a match where neither team found much joy in the attacking end. They’ve scored just once in their last three games (a 1-0 win over Valour the week before last), but the Wanderers managed to hold the other team scoreless in two of those as well.

Pacific, likewise, come into this game hoping to spark their own attack and keep their postseason hopes intact. The defending playoff champions entered the weekend in fifth place, technically tied with fourth-place Valour on 37 points but trailing behind on goal differential. It’ll be difficult for the Tridents to make up a seven-goal deficit in their last four matches, so their best hope of getting into the top four will be passing the Winnipeg club on points outright.

The Vancouver Island side find themselves in a five-game winless rut at the moment, their last victory coming Aug. 13 against Atlético Ottawa. Since then, they’ve lost three and drawn two, scoring just three goals. They have a game in hand on most of the other sides in the CPL, but work remains to be done for Merriman’s group to return to the playoffs.

The last trip Pacific made to Halifax was the beginning of their winless skid, as an 82nd-minute Pierre Lamothe goal secured a 1-0 victory for the Wanderers. That match saw midfielder Manuel Aparicio sent off for Pacific, and he hasn’t featured since for his club — though he’ll be eligible to return this week.

The Wanderers will be without midfielder Pierre Lamothe this weekend as he serves a suspension for card accumulation. Both teams, however, will be getting players back from suspension; Pacific will get Aparicio and defender Amer Didic back in the squad, while Zachary Fernandez and Marcello Polisi return for Halifax.

The historical series between these opponents has been tight — four wins for HFX, five wins for Pacific, and four draws — but this season has seen the scales tip toward the Wanderers. Hart’s side beat Pacific 3-0 at Starlight Stadium on their last visit, though Pacific took the first meeting 2-1 back in April.

Make your match picks prior to kickoff at canpl.ca/predictor for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a trip to the 2022 CPL Final! To learn more about ComeOn!, click here.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

  • Pacific seek production up front: The last Pacific goal in the CPL scored by a forward or winger was Josh Heard’s on Aug. 13 against Atlético Ottawa. Since then, they’ve lost three and drawn two games, with the only three goals they’ve scored either coming from defenders (Kunle Dada-Luke and Amer Didic) or an own goal (Forge midfielder Alex Achinioti-Jönsson’s last weekend). It’s no secret that the Tridents have struggled to put the ball in the net since the departure of Alejandro Díaz, but the offensive drought has become a major concern for Merriman and co. as their position in the playoffs becomes increasingly tenuous. In recent weeks, Merirman has challenged the likes of Marco Bustos and Josh Heard to find another gear and push their side over the edge. Jordan Brown, to his credit, helped create Pacific’s goal against Forge and nearly got credit for it, so he’s increasingly finding his footing in his new side since joining in mid-August.
  • Wanderers defence looks to keep rolling, needs attacking support: Stephen Hart’s side has been much improved at the back in recent weeks, and two figures in particular have been a big part of that. Jake Ruby, a 22-year-old natural fullback, has slotted into the back three the past five games, and the Wanderers have four clean sheets in that span. Likewise, 20-year-old Cristian Campagna has yet to be on the pitch for a goal against, with four appearances and three starts. The latter, who only recently joined the Wanderers from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, has already made the Gatorade Team of the Week twice since arriving in the Maritimes. This new-look young Wanderers defence has been exceptional the past few weeks; now, Hart will be hoping his attackers can support that backline with some goals to turn draws into wins.
  • Aparicio, Didic returns rejuvenate Pacific: Manuel Aparicio will be back in the squad for Pacific this week — for real this time, after he initially thought he’d return last weekend only for him to have a fourth match in his suspension for a red card against Halifax in August. As it stands, Aparicio has played just 13 league matches for the Tridents this year with injuries and suspensions keeping him out, but there’s a massive difference in Pacific’s play with him in the lineup. With Aparicio playing, they have eight wins, three draws, three losses in CPL action; without him, they’re 2-4-4. With their midfield engine returning — as well as ever-reliable central defender Amer Didic — this Pacific team looks much stronger for its final few games of the season.

ALL-TIME SERIES

HFX Wanderers wins: 4  || Pacific wins: 5 || Draws: 4

Previous match:

August 20, 2022 — HFX Wanderers 1-0 Pacific

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