AGR's High Press: Did Moses Dyer just rescue Pacific's playoff hopes? | Valour continues to quietly climb the table
Does Forge have the inside track towards winning their second-ever regular season crown?
After picking up another win this past weekend, their fifth in their past six CPL games, it’s hard to imagine them slowing down anytime soon, that’s for sure.
Sitting with a lead of four points over second-place Atlético Ottawa, they’ve certainly put themselves in a good position with six games to go.
At the same time, there’s still all to play for. With matches remaining against Ottawa and third-place York United, Forge could easily lose their place at the top if they don’t keep this up - such are the margins at the top right now.
Yet, that’s the beauty of the final round of matches, which kicked off this past weekend. For the final time this regular season, teams will face off against each other, with several six-pointers being contested each weekend.
This past matchday was no exception, as there were two direct six-point matches, and that’ll continue into the next matchday, where two more six-pointers await.
It’s that time of year when wins and losses seem to matter all that bit more given what’s at stake for teams, and that’s leading to some exciting matchups, something this latest matchday certainly delivered.
With that in mind, here’s what stood out from that matchday in this week’s “High Press”.
Can Moses Dyer help rescue Pacific’s playoff hopes?
Despite entering this past weekend’s clash against the Halifax Wanderers without a win in their last seven games, having picked up just one point across that span (0W-1D-6L), Pacific narrowly remained alive in the CPL playoff race.
Sitting with a game-in-hand over most of those in front of them, they knew they needed to get a win against Halifax, however, especially after seeing Vancouver lose back-to-back games, which opened the door for Pacific to climb within three points of their rivals in the CPL’s fifth and final playoff spot with a win over the Wanderers.
And they managed to get the job done in style, as despite being outscored 13-2 across that seven-game winless run, they beat the Wanderers 3-0, scoring three goals in a game for the second time this season.
To be fair, they were helped by what can only be described as a self-implosion from the Wanderers, who had two red cards and conceded a penalty in the defeat, but that shouldn’t take anything away from Pacific’s performance.
Given that their first goal came while the match was still at 11v11, and that they had hit the post before opening the scoring, they had done well to come out on the front foot and bring the game to their visitors from the opening whistle.
OFF THE POST!🪵@Pacificfccpl comes inches away from opening the scoring vs. Halifax, but Moses Dyer hits the post from close range to keep this game at 0-0
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 8, 2024
🔴Watch #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/kJF9IPDYqR
A big reason for that? Their summer arrival, Moses Dyer, who came flying out of the gates in this game, eager to leave an impact.
Making just his second start after arriving from Vancouver FC, he will have felt he owed the team a few goals after he had come close to scoring on a few occasions a week prior against Forge, finding himself denied by defenders, Forge's goalkeeper and in one case, the offside flag.
In this game, however, he turned some of that threat into end product, as he was everywhere for Pacific in the attack. First, he helped open up space for their opener, which came from a late run from midfielder Andrei Tîrcoveanu, as he did well to drag some defenders with him towards the near post on a cross that eventually fell to Tîrcoveanu for the finish.
GOAL🔱@Pacificfccpl have snapped their goal drought!
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 8, 2024
Andrei Tîrcoveanu slots home from close range to give the Tridents a 1-0 lead over Halifax in the first half
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Soon after, he even helped Pacific get the man advantage, as he snuck behind the Wanderers defence, leading Dan Nimick to take him down and earn a sending off for a second yellow card.
RED CARD🟥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 8, 2024
The @HFXWanderersFC are now down to 10 for the rest of this clash vs. Pacific, as Dan Nimick is sent off for a second yellow following a tactical foul
🔴Watch #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/BJaGWm6Qq3
Then, on the second goal, Dyer won a penalty for Pacific with pure determination, forcing his way into a dangerous position, one where he was forced to be hauled down before he got off a dangerous shot. From there, Dario Zanatta stepped up to take the spot kick, converting the attempt for his first Pacific goal, after Dyer had originally looked poised to take.
GOAL🔱🔱@Pacificfccpl have doubled their lead over Halifax, as Dario Zanatta slots home from the penalty spot to put his team up 2-0
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 8, 2024
🔴Watch #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/2mhc1efA1P
He eventually got his desired goal late, however, as he stayed alert in the box and pounced on a nice pass from Adonijah Reid to make it 3-0, sealing a strong performance from him and his team.
It wasn’t his most polished performance, as he only completed eight out of 13 of his passes and had just 35 touches, but he still generated 4 shots, created a chance, won the penalty (and five total fouls), and contested 18 duels.
Yet, that’s why Dyer was brought in. Certainly, his goalscoring abilities aren’t in doubt - he’s now found the net 24 times in 70 CPL games, but he brings a lot more to the pitch than just his goals.
GOAL🔱🔱🔱@Pacificfccpl have made it 3-0 vs. Halifax, as Moses Dyer slots home from close range after a nice cross from Adonijah Reid
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 8, 2024
🔴Watch #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/WEZNQPYJ3X
A relentless runner off the ball, a tireless defender and a feisty character, he can be tough to deal with when he’s at his best, and he showed that in this game.
That’s key, because as Pacific’s head coach James Merriman recently noted, a reason for their offensive struggles have been because they haven’t been willing to show that sort of desire in the attack lately. Be it with off-ball runs, how they press, and more, they haven’t been able to go the extra mile to get their attack clicking.
With Dyer leading the line, however, they’ve got someone who will have no problem doing that, which should open up space for their other attackers to find some form.
That Tîrcoveanu and Zanatta both scored in this game is key given that both have had quieter seasons than expected, and it’s also encouraging to see Reid step up with an assist as he’ll be key over this next stretch when fully healthy (and the same goes for Josh Heard).
Because of that, look for Dyer to build off this, especially when looking at what’s next on the calendar for Pacific - a massive six-point clash against rivals Vancouver FC, who Dyer will hope to have a goal or two for after his midseason departure from the club.
Déjà vù for Vancouver in 2nd straight loss:
Speaking of Vancouver, it was a massive game for them this past weekend, as they had a key opportunity to get within touching distance of the top four, allowing them to open up a bit of breathing room between them and the chasing pack while re-inserting themselves into the title race.
Faced off against York in a massive six-pointer, Vancouver had the chance to climb within three points of the top four with a win, as they entered that game six points behind the Nine-Stripes.
Instead, however, their dream of reaching the top four and hosting a playoff game is now on life support, as they fell 1-0 to York, extending that gap between them and the top four to eight points.
Plus, what will be most frustrating to Vancouver is that after a 1-0 road loss to Atlético Ottawa the week prior, where they conceded a second-minute goal and were unable to muster up a response the rest of the way, this York game was essentially a carbon copy of that Ottawa match.
Having taken an early lead thanks to a fourth-minute goal from Nyal Higgins, York were able to hang on the rest of the way to secure a victory, as they put up a defensive masterclass despite being short some key defenders.
GOAL 👑
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 7, 2024
Nyal Higgins puts @yorkutdfc ahead early in the match with a great header ⚽️
🔴 Watch the #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/D8ra6CFTzD
With that, Vancouver was shut out in back-to-back CPL games for the second time this season, and have now been shut out in eight of 22 CPL games this season, as they continue to be a “boom or bust” team offensively.
Yet, for Vancouver, this game highlighted a key concern they’ll have to deal with as they get set for this crucial stretch, in which they’ll want to fend off Pacific, Valour and Halifax to hold onto that fifth and final playoff spot.
They need to start games better, as they’ve made it a habit of having to chase matches after conceding goals, and while they’ve done a good job of clawing back points from trailing positions, it can be tough to consistently do so and still win trophies.
Especially against top defensive sides like Ottawa and York, who are the kind of teams Vancouver would be facing off against in the playoffs, it can play the game right into their hands to let them get an early lead and dictate the terms of proceedings.
Given that Vancouver’s a team that is most dangerous in transition, thanks to their speed out wide and the creative players they have centrally, conceding early can invite teams to sit back and dare them to break them down, which as seen over the last two matches, hasn’t been easy for Vancouver to overcome.
Seeing that they only generated a combined 12 shots (including just three on target) across both of those games despite trailing for most of both of them shows that, as they were unable to break down Ottawa and York once they scored early and set up shop defensively.
Because of that, it makes it imperative that Vancouver gets off to a flying start on the road against Pacific this weekend, given what’s at stake there. Sitting just three points ahead of Pacific, who have a game in hand on them, this is a must-win game for both sides, but Vancouver will have to be careful of how they go about it.
If they can do that, it’ll bode well for them as they look to clean that side of their game up ahead of a playoff push, but if not, it could prove to be costly for them in their hunt to make the postseason in their second campaign as a club. 
Valour continue to inch towards a playoff spot:
Quietly, Valour have continued to knock on the door in the playoff race, and that continued this weekend, as they picked up a draw against Atlético Ottawa.
A week after coming from behind to draw Cavalry, it’s been a good pair of results for Valour, who have a record of 3W-3D-2L (12 PTS) in their last 8, as they’ve slowly put together a good run of form as of late.
Thanks to that, they now sit four points off a playoff spot, sitting within touching distance of their first-ever playoff berth.
With four of their last six games coming at home, and with games still to come against the three other teams currently in the mix for that fifth playoff spot, they’ve got every opportunity to push for the postseason over this next stretch, too.
Now, however, they’ll just need to tighten things up at both ends. Between the boxes, they’ve been excellent as of late, doing well to go toe-to-toe with some tough opponents and come out no worse for wear, but they haven’t always been able to find the ruthless edge needed to turn those good showings into the right results.
GOAL 🦁@ValourFootball lead! Shaan Hundal opens the scoring with a great header after a perfect cross from Jordan Faria ⚽️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 10, 2024
Some beautiful football from the hosts in the opening 10 minutes 🤩
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That’s reflected in their goals for and against across that eight-game stretch, as they’ve outscored opponents 13-10, which has certainly been solid, if not unspectacular. At the same time, they’ve only kept one clean sheet and have given up two goals in a game on three separate occasions, which are all matches in which they dropped points, showing where they’ll feel they could’ve been better.
Given that they haven’t been a solid but not dominant team offensively, scoring more than two goals just once across this stretch, their sweet spot has been to grind out tidy one goal wins.
To do that, however, starts with a solid defensive foundation, which is something Valour has struggled with at times, sitting last in the CPL in xG against (via WyScout), as well as xG per shot.
GOAL 🦖@atletiOttawa ties things up! Rubén del Campo converts the pen ⚽️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) September 10, 2024
But was it a pen though? 👀
🔴 Watch the #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/jrJor9NftW
Having also conceded a league-high 36 goals, it shows that’s affected their overall defensive performance, too.
Because of that, look for them to lock things down defensively as they try and push for the playoffs. If they can do that, they’ve got every chance of clawing their way into the playoffs, finally snapping their drought.
They’ve got the pieces to be solid at the back, as Tass Mourdoukoutas has been a rock for them defensively, while Gianfranco Facchineri has stepped up in a big way as of late, but they’ll need a team effort to keep things tight, so look for some key defensive contributions across the board in the weeks to come. 
Who caught my eye? Jorge Guzmán
York did well to bolster their squad this summer with some key signings, and Guzmán was one of the big ones to watch, as he brought over 20 games of Liga MX experience with Atlas at just 20 years of age.
So far, he’s proven his quality, too, as he’s now generated four assists in his first seven games with York, while putting up some strong overall offensive performances along the way.
This latest showing against Vancouver was one of his best showings, as not only did he assist his team’s winning goal, but he was lively all game and nearly sealed the match with his first CPL goal, continuing what has been a strong start to his life at his new club. 
What I’m watching: Pacific FC vs Vancouver FC
There’s lots to watch for in the eighth installment of the Salish Sea Derby this weekend, as Pacific hosts Vancouver in a massive clash for both teams.
For Vancouver, it’s a chance to continue their dominance over Pacific with their sixth straight victory, while widening the gap between them and their fellow B.C.-based side to six points as mentioned earlier.
As for Pacific, however, they can climb back into a tie for a playoff spot with a win, while sitting with a game in hand.
Therefore, while Pacific will want to beat Vancouver to get a long-awaited derby win, there’s enough at stake where that might be a secondary focus, showing how important this match is for both teams.
