Whether it turns out nasty or nice, November will be the most important month in Pacific FC history.
The Canadian Premier League has announced its playoff dates, and barring a complete collapse, current league-leading PFC should be involved. The top seed will host the fourth seed and second seed will host the third seed in the CPL semifinals on Nov. 20 or Nov. 21. The 颅championship game will be played Nov. 27 or Nov. 28 at the home of the 颅highest-remaining seed.
Meanwhile, Pacific FC will be playing Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in a Canadian Championship semifinal Nov. 3 at BMO Field. In the other 颅semifinal, CF Montreal of MLS meets Forge FC of the CPL at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. The Canadian champion will advance to the CONCACAF Champions League.
鈥淣ot only will some of our clubs be playing in some of the biggest matches in North American football over the next two months but all of our CPL clubs continue to push for the playoffs as our 2021 final draws nearer,鈥� CPL commissioner David 颅Clanachan said in a statement.
It鈥檚 getting closer to the moments of truth that will define the season but PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah is very much a task-at-hand sort of guy. That immediacy involves tonight鈥檚 league game at 6 p.m. PT against FC Edmonton at Clarke Stadium in the Alberta capital.
鈥淲e will be ready for when the time comes in November but right now we have to focus on October,鈥� he said.
Kah knows his club (11-4-6 in league and 13-4-6 overall) hasn鈥檛 clinched anything yet and that Cavalry FC and Forge FC also have designs on the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the CPL playoffs.
That鈥檚 not to mention seventh-place FC Edmonton (4-10-7) have played PFC tough. The Tridents have a victory and two draws in their three previous games against the Eddies this season.
鈥淭hey have made life tough for us and provided a bit of drama in all our games against them,鈥� said Kah.
As to be expected from an Eddies side which features Fraser Aird, a former Rangers and Whitecaps winger capped eight times for sa国际传媒, twice sa国际传媒-capped Amer Didic and Tobias Warschewski, who leads with CPL with five assists and is showing why he was a 颅former Germany U-19 player and 颅Dortmund prospect.
But the most potent FC Edmonton threat has been six-foot-six, hard-to-miss target Easton Ongaro, who has scored in all three games against PFC, and is tied with Alejandro Diaz of PFC for second in league 颅scoring with nine goals.
鈥淸Ongaro] is a fox in the box and always in the right place at the right time,鈥� said Kah.
鈥淗e smells goals. You can鈥檛 give him the space.鈥�
PFC鈥檚 Diaz is also on nine goals in league play.
鈥淒iaz has been fantastic for us. You don鈥檛 get to play for Club America [Mexico鈥檚 Man U equivalent] if you鈥檙e not a good player,鈥� said Kah.
鈥淏oth he and Terran Campbell [seven goals in league] have found their offensive groove for us.鈥�
Meanwhile, injured star midfielder Marco Bustos appears close to a return. He hasn鈥檛 played since Aug. 16. Kah said Bustos is in full-pace training and could be brought back into the lineup as soon as tonight in Edmonton or Monday in Halifax against HFX.
鈥淗e is another weapon for us,鈥� said Kah.
