ANALYSIS + HIGHLIGHTS: York United stun Halifax Wanderers in dramatic & instant CanPL playoff classic
In the most dramatic playoff match in Canadian Premier League history, York United came from behind twice to stun the Halifax Wanderers on penalties at the Wanderers Grounds on Wednesday in the knockout match.
After both sides traded goals in 90 minutes, and then extra time, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé's miss in the sixth round of penalties handed victory to the Nine Stripes. But that doesn't even begin to tell the story of what was an instant epic in Halifax.
York's road play odyssey now continues in Calgary, where they take on defending champions Cavalry in the semifinal qualifier at ATCO Field on Sunday.
Just the second-ever home playoff match in Halifax Wanderers' history was greeted with an expectedly electric atmosphere on a windy fall night at the Wanderers Grounds, made all the more idyllic by the falling leaves that fluttered onto the pitch.
For the first time this year, York United elected to start the match with Shaan Hundal and Julian Altobelli playing together up top. Adonijah Reid joined them on the right.
The Wanderers, meanwhile, also shifted their frontline, bringing in Ryan Telfer to partner with Sean Rea and Tiago Coimbra. Coimbra was one of just two players, the other being Lorenzo Callegari, who started the club's first-ever playoff home match on October 14, 2023.
The intensity of the match was clear through the opening 20 minutes, with York United coming out and playing a physical brand of football that saw them concede seven fouls in that stretch. A yellow card was shown to both sides during the opening exchanges.
All of the stoppages made for a cagey opening half hour, with few chances for either side. Halifax had a couple of tame shots on target on a Thomas Meilleur-Giguère header, and an off-balance Sean Rea effort from distance. Atlobelli had the first York United shot on target in the 28th minute after a clever turn, but his low strike from outside the box was fairly comfortably gathered by Rayane Yesli.
The Wanderers came close to opening the scoring in the 37th minute in audacious fashion. Sean Rea drifted down the right and picked out Coimbra with a lovely lofted cross, and the Halifax striker pulled off a stunning acrobatic overhead kick that Diego Urtiaga was able to stop.
That moment only served as foreshadowing, however. A lovely one-two down the right side allowed Rea to cross into the box again in second-half stoppage time. This time, Coimbra met it with his head, redirecting the ball into the bottom left corner to open the scoring. It was the first playoff goal in Wanderers' history.
A few moments later, the referee blew the half-time whistle, with Coimbra firing up the already rapturous home crowd as he retreated to the dressing room.
The Wanderers came out in the second half and immediately pressed their advantage. In the 49th minute, Lorenzo Callegari hit a knuckling free kick from well outside the box that Urtiaga could only deflect up and off the crossbar. Minutes later, Coimbra attempted another bicycle kick, this time hitting the post.
Shortly thereafter, rain began to pelt the already slick pitch. As the skies opened up, so did the match.
York looked to reply quickly with some great interplay and one-touch passing in the 53rd minute, playing Hundal into the box. Yesli, however, came out bravely and took the ball off of the York striker's boot.
Knowing that there was no tomorrow, York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio made some aggressive substitutions, bringing on Shola Jimoh and Massimo Ferrin in the 55th minute.
Urtiaga made another big save in the 57th minute, as Adam Pearlman sent a rocket from the right flank that he got his shoulder to in order to keep it out.
The Wanderers were put under immense pressure in the 66th minute, as Jimoh pelted the area with multiple free kicks, corners and crosses from the right side. The hosts, however, survived the danger. Knowing their season was on the line, the Nine Stripes continued to put Halifax under pressure.
They finally found a crack in the Halifax ship in the 86th minute. After a Gabriel Bitar shot from distance was blocked, Steffen Yeates picked out Shola Jimoh, who slipped a pass to Julian Altobelli in a pocket of space in the box. York's leading goalscorer this season turned and sent a brilliant strike across goal into the side netting to equalize the match at 1-1.
Halifax desperately searched for a late winner, and came painfully close. First, a Pearlman cut back in stoppage time barely eluded Coimbra in the six-yard box. Then, Andre Rampersad picked out Isaiah Johnston in the box, who came within inches of being the hero with a shot that drifted just wide of the left post.
Altobelli's goal forced extra time. Just seconds in Halifax went on the attack, and Urtiaga was forced to make a save on an attempt from Wesley Timoteo.
The attacker had an even better chance in the 100th minute. Callegari dispossessed Luke Singh at the back, and played the ball across from Timoteo who sent a shot across goal and forced a great save from Urtiaga.
It was fairly one-way traffic, as the Wanderers put the York box under siege in the first half of extra time. Again, seconds into the second half, Halifax substitute Gagnon-Laparé forced an acrobatic save from Urtiaga -- a stunning 11th of the match from the York goalkeeper.
What had already been nothing short of an epic match took another stunning turn. In the 113th minute, the match was stopped for a lightning delay. A half-hour later, the match was finally able to resume.
Just a minute after the match resumed, Halfiax won a free kick on down the left flank. Timoteo curled in an inch-perfect free kick, which Gagnon-Laparé crouched down to head past Urtiaga. It was an unlikely goalscorer for the Wanderers, as the veteran midfielder had played just 70 minutes this season before Wednesday, and hadn't made a single start.
But this was the kind of night where another twist was never far around the corner. This time off a York free kick in the 119th minute, Jimoh's delivery bounced around in the box. Halifax failed to clear, as Frank Sturing slid to force a save from Yesli. Hundal latched onto it and pushed it past Yesli to once again equalize the match in front of a stunned Halifax supporters' section.
A match of this level of chaos could only end in one way: penalties. It was just the second penalty shootout in CPL playoff history.
From the spot, York United took an early lead as Halifax's second shooter, Callegari sent his shot wide of the left post. Two shooters later, however, Yesli guessed right and made a lovely save to deny Steffen Yeates. After the next three shooters all scored, the match that didn't want to end went to an extra round of penalties. After Kembo Kibato perfectly placed his corner in the lower corner, Halifax's Gagnon-Laparé stepped up and sent the ball well over the net, sending York United into frenzied celebrations.
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Halifax Wanderers: Yesli; Alphonse, Meilleur-Giguère, Mekidèche; Pearlman (Gagnon-Laparé 102'), Callegari, Johnston, Sow (Baï 114'); Telfer (Timoteo 71'), Rea (Rampersad 80'), Coimbra
York United: Urtiaga; Singh, Adekugbe (Bitar 70'), Sturing; Ferrari, Yeates, Kibato, Ferrazzo (Jimoh 55'); Reid (Ferrin 55'), Hundal, Altobelli
Goals
45+1' — Tiago Coimbra (Halifax Wanderers)
86' -- Julian Altobelli (York United)
114' -- Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Halifax Wanderers)
118' -- Shaan Hundal (York United)
Discipline
13' — Yellow: Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers)
17' -- Yellow: Riley Ferrazzo (York United)
27' -- Yellow: Adonijah Reid (York United)
38' -- Yellow: Kembo Kibato (York United)
52' -- Yellow: Jefferson Alphonse (Halifax Wanderers)
67' -- Yellow: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers)
86' -- Yellow: Luke Singh (York United)
90+1' -- Yellow: Shola Jimoh (York United)
105' -- Yellow: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Halifax Wanderers)
Penalty Shootout
- York: Julian Altobelli (GOAL)
Halifax: Tiago Coimbra (GOAL) - York: Gabriel Bitar (GOAL)
Halifax: Lorenzo Callegari (MISS) - York: Shaan Hundal (GOAL)
Halifax: Wesley Timoteo (GOAL) - York: Steffen Yeates (MISS)
Halifax: Isaiah Johnston (GOAL) - York: Massimo Ferrin (GOAL)
Halifax: Yohan Baï (GOAL) - York: Kembo Kibato (GOAL)
Halifax: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (MISS)
