2020 CPL regular season (The Island Games) — Match #3
HFX Wanderers FC vs. Pacific FC
August 15, 2019 at 3:00 p.m ET/4:00 p.m. AT
UPEI Artificial Turf Field in Charlottetown, PEI
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca and CBC

Canada’s “Coastal Clash” will begin anew in Charlottetown on Saturday as Pacific FC and HFX Wanderers FC open their Island Games accounts, slightly reducing one of the longest away trips in top-flight football by just a stone’s throw.

The Wanderers have 14 newcomers on their roster, trading in players who led them to a league-worst 28 points in 2019 for a new, exciting crop led by Louis Beland-Goyette and international attackers Alex Marshall and Joao Morelli. It’s the largest player turnover of any CPL club.

Pacific, meanwhile, took on a similar makeover – starting with coach Pa-Modou Kah. The first-time manager leads an impressive new-look roster, including CPL free agent Marco Bustos and former Liga MX veteran Alejandro Díaz. They’ve kept their young impressive core from 2019, too, with Noah Verhoeven and Terran Campbell back for the Tridents.

With no pre-season friendlies due to COVID-19 restrictions and so much turnover, it’s hard to predict how these teams will fair Saturday. But after almost 300 days of waiting, it won’t be long now before we find out.

These coastal rivals return to action next week, with Pacific taking on York9 FC on Tuesday (1:00 pm E.T;/2:00 p.m. AT), while HFX Wanderers plays Forge FC on Wednesday (8:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. AT).

RELATED READING: CPL regular season: The Island Games || CPL season previews for all eight teams

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• The Bustos Factor: Pacific FC has one of the CPL’s most dangerous weapons, and could bust him out for the first time on Saturday. Marco Bustos has the ball control, speed of touch, and finishing ability to undo any CPL defence. If slotted on the right, with support from Noah Verhoeven, Alejandro Diaz, and Terran Campbell, the 24-year-old attacker could be even more lethal than last year, when he led Valour FC in scoring with seven goals.

• More Morelli: On the other side of this coastal clash is Brazilian newcomer Joao Morelli, who mirrors Bustos style of play, but is inexperienced in the CPL. The 24-year-old has the potential to be a game-breaking figure, with goalscoring ability from open play and dead-ball scenarios. It will be interesting to see how he fares,  especially with one of the CPL’s best attacking midfielders on the other side.

• Wide Wanderers: Look for both teams to gain control of the wide spaces early. HFX coach Stephen Hart is known for having his players pounding the touchline in search for openings (think of Mo Kourouma in 2019) and using overlaps to gain ground – Cory Bent and Alex Marshall will be catalysts in these wide roles. Pacific, meanwhile, can rely heavily on quality fullbacks such as Marcel de Jong and Kadin Chung to shoulder more than their fair share of defensive responsibilities. Watch to see how these battles develop.

WHAT BOTH SIDES ARE SAYING

“There are so many unknowns in this entire tournament, that I’m going to be like you; I’m going to be doing a lot of observing, trying to figure out how to best manage the squad and rotate the squad… Hopefully, we can come out of it without a lot of major injuries.” – Stephen Hart, HFX Wanderers FC coach

“The adrenaline will get the boys going on. We have 17 players, but they are fit – our conditioning team has done them so well.I have no concern with their physical or mental states, to be honest.” –Pa-Modou Kah, Pacific FC coach

INJURIES
HFX Wanderers FC
Christian Oxner – Doubtful (lower body)

Pacific FC
None

ALL-TIME SERIES
HFX wins: 1 || Pacific wins: 3 || Draws: 2

Previous match:
October 9, 2019 – HFX Wanderers FC 1-1 Pacific FC

REFEREES
Referee: Myriam Marcotte
ARs: Lyes Arfa & Jason Olinski
4th Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere