RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Halifax Wanderers vs. Vancouver FC | August 4, 2025

Vancouver FC picked up a long-awaited victory on Monday afternoon, beating Halifax Wanderers FC 2-1 on the east coast for their first win since May.

The Eagles were the sharper of the two sides from the opening whistle, making a few moves up the pitch toward the Wanderers backline, but each time they failed to connect with the final pass to create a scoring opportunity out of it. The first shot of the game wouldn't come until the momentum swung in the Wanderers favour, with Ryan Telfer taking a shot from the edge of the penalty area that was blocked by Aidan O'Connor and collected comfortably by Callum Irving.

Vancouver looked to quickly charge up the pitch in the 27th minute for what would have been their best chance of the match to that point, but Kareem Sow stopped the charging Hugo Mbongue with a sliding challenge that had to be perfect and was to get the ball away.

Nicolás Mezquida had the game's first attempt on target when he fired a shot from long range, and the VFC midfielder tried to challenge Rayane Yesli from a direct free kick attempt a few minutes later from a similar position, but the second effort went over the bar.

Time was running out in a relatively quiet half when the visitors won a corner, and it ended up resulting in the game's first goal. After Vasco Fry's deep cross from the corner kick, the ball was headed back across goal by O'Connor, and Matteo Campagna was in the right place at the right time to poke it into the back of the net.

It was Campagna's first professional goal, and one that saw the Eagles take a 1-0 lead into the break after Isaiah Johnston had a late shot blocked by Kunle Dada-Luke.

Vancouver wasted no time once play resumed, with Hugo Mbongue scoring his first CPL goal just 33 seconds into the second half. His initial redirection from Thierno Bah's cross went straight at Yesli, but he was able to slip the follow up attempt past the Wanderers goalkeeper to give the Eagles a 2-0 advantage. By scoring a second goal, Monday's match was just the third occasion all season in which Vancouver has scored multiple goals in a match.

Whenever the Wanderers tried to find a response, they let the chance go to waste. Tiago Coimbra had an attempt blocked a few minutes after Mbongue's doubler, Yohan Baï missed the target with a header from inside the penalty area just after the hour mark, and Jason Bahamboula smashed a shot well wide of the target on a counter-attack after opting for power rather than placement, or perhaps a lateral pass to a teammate.

Thomas Meilleur-Giguère tried to pick out the bottom right corner with a shot following a set piece in the 74th minute, but his effort whistled past the post as the hosts continued to pick up the pace and look for a goal.

Ryan Telfer thought he cut the deficit in half when he beat Callum Irving with a low shot from close range, but the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, to the displeasure of the Wanderers faithful. They did find their breakthrough in the 89th minute, though, with Meilleur-Giguère heading the ball home after Tiago Coimbra's initial header from a Sean Rea cross hit the post.

The goal saw the Wanderers raise their game to another level, and stoppage time was spent with the hosts throwing everything they can at Callum Irving and the Eagles. The VFC netminder made a huge stop on Telfer to keep his side in front in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Coimbra headed another one off the woodwork three minutes later.

The Eagles were able to hold on for a gutsy victory, and just their second win of the season with a complete 90-minute performance.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timoteo (Dias 59'); Callegari, Rampersad (Bahamboula 59'); Baï (Rea 70'), Telfer, Johnston; Coimbra

Vancouver FC: Irving; Dada-Luke, Campagna, O'Connor, Enyou; Mezquida (Powell 90+5'), Fry, Cavalcante (Essoussi 65'); Campbell (Gee 79'), Mbongue (Ndiaye 65'), Bah

Goals

40' -- Matteo Campagna (Vancouver FC)
46' -- Hugo Mbongue (Vancouver FC)
89' -- Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Halifax Wanderers FC)

Discipline

53' -- Yellow: Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers FC)
83' -- Yellow: Vasco Fry (Vancouver FC)
84' -- Yellow: Mehdi Essoussi (Vancouver FC)
90+5' -- Yellow: Nicolas Mezquida (Vancouver FC)