3 KEY tactical battles to watch ahead of Pacific vs. York United's CPL playoff opener
The 2024 Canadian Premier League playoffs kick off with a familiar matchup, as York United hosts Pacific FC at York Lions Stadium on Wednesday.
A rematch of the 2023 CPL playoff opener, which Pacific hosted at Starlight Stadium on October 11th of 2023, this matchup promises to be far different than that 2023 clash, however, which finished 1-0 in the favour of Pacific.
Seeing that both teams are armed with several new players, new tactics, and in York’s case, a new coach, both teams are far different from the sides that met just over a year ago.
Despite that, the mission remains the same. A win and both sides will feel capable of making a deep run in the playoffs, but a loss will make their respective seasons feel like a disappointment.
Because of that, it should make for a fun playoff opener. Almost like a wild card match of sorts, one that determines if a team is worthy of a top-four finish, it’ll offer a good glimpse of what this year’s playoffs could look like.
With that in mind, here’s a look at three key battles that will be crucial to help decide this game.
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— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 21, 2024
The 2024 #CanPL PLAYOFFS kick off as @YorkUtdFC host @PacificFCCPL looking for a spot vs. @AtletiOttawa in the next round 🔥
Who will come out on top at York Lions Stadium on Wednesday night in Toronto? 👀 pic.twitter.com/NXiCvkmWyN
Who will win the wide battle?
To begin, the big area to watch will be out wide, as both teams' tactical approaches put a lot of emphasis on dominating central areas, which then puts a lot of pressure on the wide players to offer them support.
On one side, there’s York, who have mostly used a 5-3-2 and a 5-4-1 under head coach Benjamín Mora, with the goal being to sit compactly defensively, before springing forward in the attack.
Meanwhile, Pacific have used more of a 4-3-1-2 as of late, but have used a similar tactical approach to York, as they look to absorb pressure before pushing numbers forward in the attack.
In both cases, however, the teams' width in the attack comes from their wide defenders, with that being York’s wing backs and Pacific’s full backs.
To be fair, both also have attackers who are dangerous in wide areas - Jorge Guzmán’s five assists are someone to watch for York, while Dario Zanatta’s five goals and two assists are a threat for Pacific out wide - but for the most part, York looks at their best when a Max Ferrari or Orlando Botello is pushing forward from deep, while Pacific thrives when Kunle Dada-Luke and Christian Greco-Taylor play aggressively at full back.
Because of that, it’ll make for a fascinating tactical battle between that set of wid defenders. Whichever pair can make the most impact offensively while not getting caught too high up the field could give a big advantage to their teams, as it feels like the middle of the pitch is going to end up getting quite jammed up with how both teams play.
In their last meeting of the season, that ended up being Pacific, with Dada-Luke playing a key role in their winner in a 2-1 result - but that could easily change.
GOAL 🔱🔱
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 11, 2024
REON MOORE SCORES AGAIN! @Pacificfccpl have turned it around at York Lions Stadium and may have just secured a crucial victory in the race for the last playoff spot. Scenes! ⚽️
Kunle Dada-Luke’s tackle though… 😍
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The one advantage York has here is that by using a back three, they can afford to employ their wing backs even more aggressively than Pacific might their full backs, so look for Pacific to counter by perhaps offering more of a defensive threat centrally, like a Marco Dominguez, which will allow them to push their wide defenders higher up the pitch. 
Will York offer enough support to attackers?
The one downside to York’s tactical set-up?
The support they offer to their attackers, as despite sitting third in the CPL in possession with 51.9% (per FotMob), they’re seventh in touches in the box and sixth in big chances created, as they don’t push the ball up the field as much as they would like to.
Yet, that’s the trade-off they make with their current system, as they’ve focused on being much more solid defensively, instead of being more attack-oriented. That’s ended up making a big difference for them this year - they’ve still managed to score 35 goals, matching their total from 2023, but they’ve conceded eight fewer goals, pushing their goals against total down to 36 after conceding 44 goals last season.
They’ve got the players to be dangerous offensively, as Brian Wright (9G+6A), Mo Babouli (5G+2A) and Guzmán (0G+5A) have been Mora’s preferred attacking options as of late, but it’ll be important that they find a way to provide them with the support needed for them to be dangerous.
GOAL 👑
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 3, 2024
Brian Wright finds a quick equalizer for @YorkUtdFC vs. @PacificFCCPL, feinting with a deft touch before firing at net 🔥
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Of course, they’ll want to do so without sacrificing their defensive game, as that’s been the biggest reason for their surge up the table this year, so look for them to find that balance.
For what it’s worth, a big way will be to get their midfielders more involved - as seen above, their wing backs have been crucial in offering support through players like Max Ferrari (0G+3A), but they’ll also want to see more from their central midfielders, with Elijah Adekugbe (1G+2A) and Juan Cordóva (3G+2A) two players to watch, in particular.
GOAL👑👑
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 6, 2024
Juan Córdova has doubled @yorkutdfc's lead with a thunderbolt, hammering home a shot from close range to put his team up 2-0 over the Halifax Wanderers in the 58th minute
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Both crucial pieces for what York can offer in possession, with Cordóva proving to be a revelation in midfield after coming to the CPL this offseason as more of a full back, and Adekugbe becoming the heartbeat of Mora’s system in midfield, they’ll want to find a way to balance their defensive responsibilities while ensuring Wright, Babouli and Guzmán get the support they need.
Against a Pacific side that is comfortable sitting back and defending, having that extra support will be crucial if they’re to break down their defensive block, and they’ll know that.
For what it’s worth, they also will have options to look to off the bench later depending on how the game goes, with 16-year-old Shola Jimoh (3G+0A) sitting as a big wild card - perhaps York might use him and change into a 4-2-3-1 if they feel they lack juice in their attack with the 5-3-2 or 5-4-1. 
Can Pacific start aggressively?
When Pacific’s been at their best this season, they’ve done well to score first, allowing them to dictate the terms of the game.
There’s no better example of that than the performance they put in their playoff clincher this past weekend, in which they were able to nab a first-half goal and hold on the rest of the way in a 1-0 victory over Forge.
GOAL 🔱
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 19, 2024
Dario Zanatta puts @Pacificfccpl ahead against @ForgeFCHamilton and are now in pole position to finish in the final #CanPL playoff spot ⚽️
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Now, look for them to try and replicate a similar blueprint in this match, as they’ve only gained five points from losing positions in 2024, which is the lowest in the CPL, winning just once all year after going down in a match.
Even though they’ll feel confident since that come-from-behind win came in their latest match against York, they’ll know that their style of play is best suited to them starting the game with a goal.
With a solid defensive spine, armed with players who are comfortable defending deeper and absorbing pressure, and complemented by some talented attackers, ones who thrive from having extra space on the pitch, being able to sit back and hit on the counter has proven to be a good route to go for Pacific.
At the same time, they’ll have to be careful not to sit back too deep, and not to do so too early. While they’re good when sitting back, it’s worth noting that they don’t want to be a team that sits back on their six-yard box and defends - they want to push up the field and play more of a mid-block, even pressing their opponent when they can. 
By doing that, they ensure they don’t invite any unnecessary pressure while ensuring they’re able to push forward in the attack when they win back the ball. Ultimately, they dictate a lot of what they do based on their work off the ball, which then supports what they do on both sides of the pitch.
The best way to impose that sort of control on a match? To score early, so look for Pacific to start aggressively, much like they did against Forge, as sitting back and going down early could prove to be fatal for them given their struggles when conceding first.
