'This is where we want to be': Pacific comes up clutch vs. Ottawa to set up Ferryside rematch with Vancouver Whitecaps
Pacific knew they needed a response.
As they got set to face Atlético Ottawa in the second leg of their Canadian Championship quarter-final tie, which was knotted at 0-0 on aggregate, they knew that they needed to have a big game as they looked to advance to the semi-finals of this tournament for a third time in four years.
Especially after coming off back-to-back losses to Ottawa and rivals Vancouver FC in CPL action, which halted their five-game undefeated run in league play to start the year, they knew the last thing they needed was to be eliminated from the cup.
Having dealt with some rough injuries, including a season-ending Achilles injury to Aly Ndom and several other knocks to key players which include Cédric Toussaint, Georges Mukumbilwa and Adonijah Reid, a loss could’ve been a big demoralizing hit for a team whose confidence was already seeming to shrink.
And to their credit, they found a way to put all of that behind them in time for this game. Arguably their biggest of the season, they responded with their best performance, as they picked up a big 2-1 win to advance to the next round.
GOAL 🔱@PacificFCCPL take a 1-0 lead over @AtletiOttawa in this 2024 TELUS #CanChamp quarter-final as Ayman Sellouf scores from the penalty spot 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 30, 2024
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/gv5CpAHFR8
The scoreline doesn’t do the performance justice, either - despite going up against an Ottawa side who was undefeated in all competitions this season, Pacific outshot them 22-9, put 11 shots on target to their three, and won the xG battle 3.15 to 0.66, putting in a complete showing at both ends of the pitch.
They were made to sweat for the win in the end, as some missed Pacific chances gave Ottawa a late lifeline that they nearly capitalized on to advance on away goals (as they would’ve if they tied it at 2-2), but Pacific did what they needed to make sure they didn’t waste their strong showing, giving them a deserved win.
“Yeah. We talked about it, we never want to lose twice in a row, and unfortunately, that's what happened to us - we lost twice,” Pacific forward, Josh Heard, said afterwards. “So we came out and reacted, we were hungry, we were on the front foot, we were disciplined and we took our chances.”
“I think we could’ve (scored) even more, there were more goals there (for us), but we'll work on it and we'll do better to put the ball away, but I thought it was a great game for everybody, I’m really proud of the group.”
Speaking of Heard, however, he led the way for Pacific with his play, putting in an excellent performance in the attack for the Tridents.
The club’s captain, he seemed to want to will Pacific to victory in this game, scoring a goal in the first half, before setting up several glorious chances for teammates to put the game away. As a result, he finished with two shots, three chances created (including two big chances), completed one dribble, won two fouls and had five recoveries in a strong performance.
GOAL 🔱🔱@PacificFCCPL go up 2-0 over @AtletiOttawa in this 2024 TELUS #CanChamp quarter-final as Josh Heard rounds out Ayman Sellouf's post-smacking effort 🕺
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 30, 2024
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/tnazrj6HaI
In a game where his team needed a big response from their players, he found a way to lead by example, showing why he was named captain at the beginning of last season.
“He was a captain tonight,” Pacific’s head coach, James Merriman, said of Heard’s showing. “We spoke before the game about our big performance against the Whitecaps here in 2021 (Heard scored in that win), and I think I think Josh brought (similar) focus in the intensity, the energy and his presence inside the locker room before the game, and throughout the match in the minutes played.”
“He was a captain, he was a leader, and that's what we need in difficult moments, we’ve lost some players, and he steps up and he shows that we don't fear anybody regardless of who's in or who’s out, it's next man up and I thought he was excellent tonight.”
A player who relishes playing in big games, Heard understood the gravity of the situation at hand for his team, and he ended up giving a big boost to a group that needed it.
“I don't like to go into a game and think ‘This is going to be my game’,” he explained. “I just show up and do my job every day, some days it goes really well, and some days are not as good, but I think as long as you're consistent in your approach you average out into having some pretty good games, I like to think.”
Now, however, Pacific will face their stiffest challenge of the season in the semi-finals, where they’re now set to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in the third iteration of the Ferryside Derby, making it fitting that Merriman and Heard were talking about the first meeting between the two sides before this match.
A night that lives forever in Pacific lore, as they famously beat the Whitecaps 4-3 in the preliminary round of the 2021 tournament, they’ll be hoping to recapture similar magic this time around, especially after falling 3-0 in their second meeting with the Whitecaps in last year’s semi-finals.
This time, however, it’s going to be a tougher challenge, as the Whitecaps are the current two-time defending champions in this tournament, and have been off to a solid start to their MLS season. You add in that this game will be two legs, instead of single elimination as in their previous encounters, and that adds another factor that will make things tougher for Pacific to win.
More battles between #CanPL and @MLS are coming soon ⚽
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) May 30, 2024
Here are your #CanChamp semi finals! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1awLBK1c44
At the same time, that’s something that Pacific doesn’t mind, as that change doesn’t just guarantee a third visit from the Whitecaps to Starlight Stadium, but ensures that Pacific gets to play at BC Place for the first time, which is something they’ll relish.
Plus, it gives them a chance to further prove what they’re all about as a club, too, which is to trust young players, play high-octane soccer and win while doing so, showing why they feel several members in their team could be set to make the jump to a higher level.
You add that it’s a big match for the province of British Columbia, with several faces on both sides who have spent time at both clubs, this will be a big game for the continued growth of the sport in BC.
Merriman knows that and he’s seen it first-hand, having spent time at the Whitecaps himself, and it isn’t lost on Heard as a Vancouver Island native, either, something they both stressed when asked about the matchup.
“That's a club I spent six years at, spent six seasons there working in the youth system and spent time out on the pitch with the first team,” Merriman explained. “I spent a lot of time there, I still know people there on the staff.”
“To bring them here to our fans again is everything, it’s massive, it gives our players with ambition and our team an opportunity to showcase themselves, they wanted this game, they wanted to play an MLS team, and now they went and deserved it, they earned it. We'll set up for that match when it comes, I know it's later down the line, but that's the reward for the performance tonight.”
Heard added: “It’s going to be great. This is why we play the game, it’s to play in big matches like this. We have a little bit of history now, as well. Obviously, in 2021 we had a great night here, and then last year it was their night, but I'm just excited as it’s great for BC Soccer and Canadian Soccer to have these games. We’re narrowing the gap towards those MLS clubs, and I'm excited for the test.”
“They're in a great spot right now, too, so we have to bring everything.”
But while Pacific will look to make the most of the occasion to play the Whitecaps, make no mistake - they want to try and win. Having seen Cavalry nearly upset the Whitecaps in the quarter-finals, falling 2-2 on aggregate, and Forge beat CF Montréal, they’ll feel there is no reason why they can’t go toe-to-toe with their Ferryside rivals.
No doubt, the Whitecaps are runaway favourites due to their pedigree and the quality of their squad, but that doesn’t mean Pacific can’t show up and make some noise, and these quarter-finals proved that there can be space for CPL teams to surprise their MLS foes, especially when not taken seriously.
Certainly, the Whitecaps will not tempt fate with Pacific after their near-miss with Cavalry, but that doesn’t bother the Tridents.
No matter what happens, these are the sort of games Pacific wants to be playing as a club, having won a ‘North Star Shield’, played in big CPL playoff games, tasted Concacaf competition and been to this stage of the Canadian Championship before, so they’ll look to make the most of the occasion and see what happens from there.
“I think this is where we want to be,” Merriman finished. “We want to be fighting for trophies, we want to be fighting to bring big games to our fans, to our club, we're always in the playoffs in the Canadian Premier League, that's a big goal and a target for us as an organization, and now we head to another (Canadian Championship) semi-final and we want more, for sure.”
“We have guys in the room that have been here before a couple of times, we know it's a big task and that the Whitecaps have been very good this season, and we know the quality that they have, but, of course, this is what our players want, the challenge and the opportunity that they asked for at the beginning of the season, and we deserve to be there completely.”
