HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC vs. York United FC (June 18, 2023)

Pacific FC extended their lead at the top of the Canadian Premier League table on Sunday afternoon, beating York United 1-0 on a late headed goal from midfielder Sean Young.

After both Ayman Sellouf and Brem Soumaoro had shots blocked in the first few minutes of the match, for Pacific and York respectively, both teams spent about ten minutes just getting a feel for one another. Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé tried to test Tridents netminder Kieran Baskett with a shot from distance in the 14th minute after spotting an opportunity to shoot, but his effort went low and wide of the goal.

Usually one of the most involved players any time he’s on the pitch, Sellouf would get a few more opportunities in the first half. In the 21st minute he had another shot blocked, but five minutes later he was able to test Niko Giantsopoulos from the edge of the area, but the York goalkeeper was equal to it.

Giantsopoulos was tested again late in the half, as Amer Didic fired a free kick on goal. The Pacific centre-back’s thumping effort beat the wall and hit the target, but the Nine Stripes goalkeeper again pushed the ball out for a corner.

Mo Babouli, seconds after picking up an unnecessary yellow card for something he said to the referee, nearly gave the Nine Stripes the lead in first half stoppage time. Clément Bayiha played a low cross into the box to Babouli, whose shot struck the right post before coming back across goal and  out for a goal kick. That would be the closest either side came to scoring in the opening half.

Babouli tried to hit the target with a free kick in the 51st minute, but his effort curled wide of the mark. Brem Soumaoro also tried to score from distance seconds later, but his shot hit the top of the crossbar. Adonijah Reid had a chance at the other end of the pitch a few minutes later, but Giantsopoulos came out of his net to make a crucial diving stop. The York goalkeeper made another important stop moments later to deny Steffen Yeates from point-blank range.

The second half got feisty as both teams pushed to win the match. Manny Aparicio was perhaps lucky not to be sent off after a studs-up challenge on Tass Mourdoukoutas, just a few minutes after being booked for another reckless tackle — one of several players to get booked in a 10-15 minute window as the sides traded blows. Later in the half Babouli would also be lucky to escape a sending off, after seemingly kicking at Djenairo Daniels, who was laying on top of the ball.

With time running out, Pacific finally found the first goal of the match in the 88th minute of play. A cross into the six-yard box on a corner from Bradley Vliet met Sean Young, whose thumping header ended up in the back of the net to give the Tridents a late lead.

That would be the winning goal, extending Pacific FC’s lead atop the CPL table to five points — with a game in hand on the two teams, York United and Forge FC — below them.

BOX SCORE

Goals

88′ — Sean Young (Pacific FC)

Discipline

40′ — Yellow: Brem Soumaoro (York United)
45+1′ — Yellow: Mo Babouli (York United)
50′ — Yellow: Cédric Toussaint (Pacific FC)
54′ — Yellow: Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific FC)
56′ — Yellow: Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
56′ — Yellow: Austin Ricci (York United)
73′ — Yellow: Paris Gee (York United)
81′ — Yellow: Djenairo Daniels (Pacific FC)