PACIFIC FC 1 ATLETICO OTTAWA 0
The Pacific FC stylized lighthouse logo could have been replaced Wednesday by the famous yellow happy face. The PFC players indeed had a nice day in a 1-0 Canadian Premier League pro soccer victory over Atletico Ottawa.
鈥淭he guys were very unhappy after the last two games [tie and loss],鈥� said PFC head coach 颅Pa-Modou Kah. 鈥淚 challenged the boys and they challenged themselves. It was our best performance so far.鈥�
Frowns were suddenly turned to smiles as the Island club moved to 2-1-1 at the halfway point of the bubble portion of the season being played in Winnipeg.
Josh Heard scored the goal at 63 minutes as the former Pac-12 University of Washington Huskies striker, and Vancouver Whitecaps MLS draft pick, took an uncanny assist between a defender鈥檚 wickets from Marco Bustos.
鈥淭hey only way to get it to Josh was between the defender鈥檚 legs and I tried it and it worked out,鈥� said Bustos.
The burgeoning connection between defender Kadin Chung and forward Bustos was again effective in the top two-thirds of the field.
鈥淭hese are two young Canadian players with great 颅potential,鈥� said Kah. 鈥淚 believe it is the best [defender-to-forward] combination in the league and there is still more to unlock.鈥�
Bustos, who has six caps for sa国际传媒, said Chung is the best right back in the league.
鈥淸Chung] has a good football brain and is growing into it,鈥� said Bustos. 鈥淲e have a good understanding.鈥�
The Ottawa team is owned by big-time La Liga Spanish club Atletico Madrid and held its training camp with the parent club. 鈥淒espite having two months together in Spain, it鈥檚 still a work in progress,鈥� said Ottawa defender Drew Beckie, a former sa国际传媒 U-20 and U-23 team player. 鈥淭his was a frustrating one tonight.鈥�
The Ottawa club (1-3) is coached by Mista, a former La Liga veteran player with Valencia, who was twice capped for Spain. 鈥淧acific did a good job,鈥� said Mista. 鈥淲e suffered in contact. Tonight, PFC was a better team than us.鈥�
Atletico Ottawa was without Ryan Telfer, who is with the Trinidad and Tobago national team this month for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. 鈥淗e is an important winger for us,鈥� Mista said of the missing Telfer.
Fans were allowed into the game to a limit of 2,000, or six perc ent of capacity at IG Stadium in Winnipeg. It was the first live crowd since the 2019 inaugural CPL season. Last season was played without fans in the Charlottetown, P.E.I., bubble.
Pacific FC plays York United on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT.
