Pacific FC focused on Marco Bustos during the Canadian Premier League off-season free-agent signing period. It proved a genius move by PFC co-owners Josh Simpson and Rob Friend.
The sa国际传媒-capped striker is a magician with his left foot. Which is a good thing because, with the clock draining, Pacific FC needed a moment of magic to keep their season alive. Bustos provided it with a deft left-footed touch to curl the ball inside the far post at 85 minutes to give PFC a 2-1 victory over FC Edmonton and a berth in the playoff round.
鈥淚 practice that shot every day in practice, 20 or 30 times a day, for moments like this,鈥� said Bustos, of his third goal of the tournament.
Kadin Chung 鈥� described by PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah as the best right back in the tournament and 鈥渙n the doorstep to knock on the national team鈥� 鈥� provided Bustos with the pass that led to the winning goal.
PFC (3-2-2) needed a victory in its final first-round game to advance. That task grew daunting when the Tridents fell behind 1-0 at 59 minutes when a goaltending error by Callum Irving allowed Easton Ongaro to score a gift goal for FC Edmonton. That looked to be a devastating blow. But hometown Victoria product and former Vancouver Whitecaps MLS draft-pick Josh Heard pulled PFC level. The Pac-12 University of Washington Huskies graduate slid his leg to a squirting ball in the box, after a free kick, to make it 1-1 at 64 minutes before Bustos鈥� heroics 21 minutes later.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a weird feeling knowing you have to score two goals or you鈥檙e going home,鈥� said Bustos, who scored seven goals last season for his hometown Valour FC of Winnipeg.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what to say [after scoring]. I just started screaming. We grinded it out, and dug deep, and never gave up. We put them under pressure in the last 20 minutes like they put us under pressure in the first half.鈥�
The game continued a league pattern in the first round of the CPL鈥檚 pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season, which is being played in a bubble in Charlottetown. Bustos鈥� goal was the 17th in the tournament scored after the 85th minute. Among them have been a head-spinning array of basketball-type whistle-beaters. It has provided edge-of-the-seat tension and has won rave reviews from soccer fans across the country. But that is small consolation if you find yourself on the wrong side of those heart-racing moments. That is what PFC was facing before it dramatically rebounded to claim the fourth playoff-round berth behind Forge FC of Hamilton, Cavalry FC of Calgary and the HFX Wanderers of Halifax.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 make it easy, but we showed resilience,鈥� said PFC bench-boss Kah.
鈥淥ur players were proper warriors.鈥�
He got no argument from the opposing side.
鈥淭hat was a character performance for Pacific in a must-win situation,鈥� said FC Edmonton head coach Jeff Paulus.
鈥淭hat last 15 minutes was a credit to them.鈥�
The last-place Eddies (0-6-1) go home winless.
鈥淥ur lads fought to the end,鈥� said Paulus.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel we鈥檝e been outplayed in this tournament. It鈥檚 little moments that have cost us.鈥�
It was Bustos who provided that moment Sunday.
鈥淐hance Carter had controlled him and that鈥檚 the one time Bustos got free,鈥� said Paulus.
That was one time too many for the Eddies.
The playoff group stage is a round-robin with Pacific FC opening Wednesday at 5 p.m. against 2019 CPL runner-up Cavalry FC. The Tridents meet defending champion Forge FC at 9 a.m. Saturday in a nationally-televised game on CBC before closing against HFX on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. All times are PDT.
The top team in the playoff round-robin earns a bye into the one-game league final. The fourth-place team is eliminated. The second- and third-place teams in the playoff round-robin will meet in a single-game semifinal, with the winner advancing to the final. Those dates are to be determined.
The CPL champion will advance to meet the top Canadian team from Major League Soccer for the Canadian Championship, this nation鈥檚 FA Cup-type title. The Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact and Toronto FC are playing in a sa国际传媒-only MLS tournament to decide who will advance against the CPL champion. The Canadian champion will represent the nation in the CONCACAF Champions tournament against the club champions from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.
