Three assists from Marco Bustos led his side to victory on Sunday afternoon, as Pacific FC beat Valour FC 3-2 to remain at the top of the Canadian Premier League table.
After an end-to-end beginning to the match, it would be the home team that opened the scoring. Bursting through the backline and running out of space, Bustos used the outside of his left foot to flip the ball into the six yard box, where it met the head of Manny Aparicio. His header redirected the ball off the post and in, giving the reigning champions a 1-0 advantage.
To make matters worse for Valour, right back Diego Gutierrez was forced off with an injury moments after the goal, replaced by Tony Mikhael. Mikhael didn’t even have a touch of the ball in the match, sent off by referee Alain Ruch four minutes after coming onto the pitch, for a high boot that struck the face of Nathan Mavila.
Now down to ten men, Valour conceded a second time, and it was again created by Marco Bustos. After Manny Aparicio played a long diagonal pass to Bustos, he took a few touches before turning his body and curling another cross to the back post. Alejandro Diaz dived and swung his leg at it, squeezing the ball past Jonathan Sirois at his near post.
Valour got a lifeline in the 42nd minute, as a nice run and cross from William Akio created an own goal from Kunle Dada-Luke. Akio sprinted down the right wing and skipped past a challenge from Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, before playing the ball into the box. It struck Dada-Luke, before beating Callum Irving and into the back of the net.
Sirois would prevent a third Pacific goal in stoppage time of the first half, stopping a penalty from Bustos after Akio brought down Josh Heard in the box. Bustos aimed for the bottom right corner, but Sirois was equal to it and turned it away for a corner kick. From the ensuing kick, Bustos found Matthew Baldisimo alone in the box, and the midfielder put the ball in the back of the net. It would be called back, however, for a handball by Baldisimo as he controlled the cross in.
Pacific didn’t lose any momentum at halftime, and finally scored that third goal ten minutes after the break. Counter-attacking quickly after a corner was caught by Callum Irving at the other end of the pitch, Manny Aparicio played the ball up the line for Bustos, who cut in from the right wing to play a pass through the middle to Heard. The local product took a touch before firing the ball under a rushing Sirois, doubling the lead again.
Valour pushed to try and get back into the match, but The Tridents held strong defensively. Moses Dyer took his opportunity to make it 3-2 from the penalty spot, pulling his team within one in the 93rd minute, but it would be the final kick of the match — too little too late for Valour.
With the win, Pacific have jumped back to the top of the table — joining Atletico Ottawa on six points through two games.
BOX SCORE:
Goals
20’ – Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
33′ — Alejandro Diaz (Pacific FC)
42′ — Kunle Dada-Luke (Pacific FC) — own goal
56′ — Josh Heard (Pacific FC)
90’+3′ — Moses Dyer (Valour FC) — penalty
Discipline
26′ – Red: Tony Mikhael (Valour FC)
32′ — Yellow: Kunle Dada-Luke (Pacific FC)
45′ — Yellow: William Akio (Valour FC)
