Pacific FC was eliminated in the CONCACAF League Round of 16 but not before showing it belonged at this level on a dramatic Tuesday night of whiplash twists in Heredia, Costa Rica.
The defending Canadian Premier League champion Tridents defeated C.S. Herediano, a side that has six players on the Costa Rica national team that has qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 1-0 despite being down to 10 men after a straight red card to captain Jamar Dixon at 55 minutes.
PFC striker Gianni dos Santos’ last-gasp goal in the 89th minute tied the two-game set 1-1 on aggregate following C.S. Herediano’s 1-0 victory last week at Starlight Stadium in Langford. That sent matters to the penalty spot, from which C.S. Herediano outscored the Tridents 7-6 on kicks to advance to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
“Our group showed who we are,” said PFC head coach James Merriman.
“It showed how far the CPL has come as a league and us as a club in just four years. We showed our quality against a very strong team. It can go any way when it comes to penalties. Unfortunately, it did not go our way. We wanted more but are proud of how far we got and showed a ton of grit and spirit.”
C.S. Herediano has won the Primera División de Costa Rica, that nation’s top league, 29 times since 1921 and has contributed many players over the years to Costa Rica’s 1990 Sweet Sixteen, 2002, 2006, 2014 quarter-finalist, 2018 and now 2022 FIFA World Cup teams.
Herediano midfielders Yeltsin Tejeda, Keysher Fuller, Gerson Torres, Orlando Galo, Jewison Bennette and goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado were on the roster for Costa Rica’s 1-0 victory over New Zealand in the Intercontinental playoff in June that clinched for the Ticos their sixth World Cup berth since 1990. sa国际传媒 is also going to the 2022 World Cup but for only the second time in its history.
“This is why this league [CPL] was created, for young Canadian players,” said Merriman.
“We will take a lot of growth from this. We are still very young.”
PFC logged ample air miles getting to Costa Rica following its cross-country Canadian flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia, which resulted in a late 1-0 loss in CPL play Saturday to the HFX Wanderers. Now it’s off to Winnipeg for a CPL game Sunday against Valour FC.
“This was not an easy trip for us, coming from Halifax, but our players are very professional,” said Merriman.
PFC defeated Jamaican National Premier League regular-season champion Waterhouse FC 6-0 on aggregate in the first round of the CONCACAF League by scoring six goals in the second leg at Starlight Stadium following a scoreless draw in Kingston.
The CONCACAF League quarter-finals are Sept. 6-8 for the first legs and Sept. 13-15 for the second legs. The semifinals are Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13. The finals are Oct. 25-27 and Nov. 1-3. Six teams — the semifinalists and top-two quarter-finalists — will advance to the 22-team 2023 CONCACAF Champions League featuring the big-league clubs of the region. C.S. Herediano has played in the Champions League on many occasions and is looking to get back.
