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HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific ends winless streak with 2-1 triumph at Valour

WINNIPEG – A goal and an assist from 20-year-old Terran Campbell powered a makeshift Pacific FC past Valour FC on Thursday at IG Field in PFC’s first road win in club history and ending an eight-match unbeaten run that stretched back to April 28.

Both sides started the match conservatively, keeping numbers behind the ball and play in front. Marco Bustos broke through PFC’s backline several times as an attacking midfielder behind a new-look forward group that featured Tyler Attardo and Frederico Pena, both of whom earned their first starts for the club.

PFC’s breakthrough came in the 37th minute when a beautifully-floated cross from Tarran Campbell found Victor Blasco at the back post. The Spaniard thumped the ball first-time, powering it past Valour goalkeeper Mathias Janssens.

Valour would soon find an equalizer with teenager Tyler Attardo, who nodded home his professional first goal – in his first professional start – just at the stroke of halftime. The goal made 17-year-old Attardo the youngest goalscorer in CPL history so far.

Pacific FC came out of that break the stronger team, despite losing forward Marcus Haber and defender Lucas MacNaughton due to injury.

Then, in the 67th minute, Campbell put PFC ahead with a scorching outside-the-box effort that dipped around Janssens, which would prove to be the winner.

Pacific will head home to host FC Edmonton on Sunday, June 23 (6:00 p.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. PT, on OneSoccer). Valour gets a break until next Wednesday, June 26, when they’ll take on HFX Wanderers FC out east in Halifax (6:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. AT, on OneSoccer).


Box Score

Goals
37′ – Victor Blasco (Pacific FC)
45+4′ – Tyler Attardo (Valour FC)
67′ – Teran Campbell (Pacific FC)

Disciplinary
21′ – Yellow Card – Victor Blasco (Pacific FC)
69′ – Yellow Card – Noah Verhoeven (Pacific FC)
80′ – Yellow Card – Louis Béland-Goyette (Valour FC)
85′ – Yellow Card – Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC)


Three key performers

Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)

Campbell’s dipping effort was a moment of quality, but it wasn’t his only one on the night. Showing great vision and technique to find Blasco for the opener and great holdup play replacing Haber up top at halftime, Campbell gave PFC’s attack a cutting edge that lastest 90 minutes.

Tyler Attardo (Valour FC)

The second-youngest player in the CPL, 17-year-old Tyler Attardo was a surprising name listed on Valour’s teamsheet. He performed up to snuff in his first professional start, however, scoring a composed header to become the youngest goalscorer in league history. Attardo nearly notched an assist, too, with a cross-goal pass that just missed Marco Bustos at the back post.

Matthew Baldisimo (Pacific FC)

Pacific FC midfielder Matthew Baldisimo slotted at centreback in a makeshift backline and performed admirably. Making a match-high 85 passes, Baldisimo was key to moving the ball for PFC, who held good stretches of possession, while also holding a defensive structure that secured a victory.