The last time Pacific FC traversed the 5,803 kilometres from Victoria to Halifax — the third longest distance between teams in a pro soccer domestic Premiership league — they were met with an Atlantic summer fog bank that engulfed Wanderers Field and delayed the start of the game July 11.
Further suppressing the mood for the visitors was the 2-1 Canadian Premier League loss by the Tridents against the HFX Wanderers.
“Sean Young also picked up a red card and that was a difficult match for us, and this is a big opportunity for us to show ourselves and have a really good performance against them,” said PFC head coach James Merriman.
The currently second-place Tridents (8-4-5 in wins-losses-draws) will get that chance Monday at 11 a.m. PT against HFX (6-4-7) at the Wanderers Ground. The Halifax club is the hottest team in the CPL with two consecutive victories and three wins in the last four games. PFC and HFX tied their first game of the season 1-1 May 27 at Starlight Stadium.
“They were two different games,” said Merriman, of the two previous clashes this season with HFX.
With six-foot-four PFC striker Djenairo Daniels still under concussion protocol, six-foot-six Easton Ongaro will become the featured big target of the PFC attack. A prize off-season signing, Ongaro has four goals this season for the Tridents after scoring 25 goals in the CPL in three seasons with the now-defunct hometown FC Edmonton. The former Danish First Division pro, on the provisional roster for the Canadian U-23 team for CONCACAF 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifying before the tournament was postponed due to the pandemic, has been lurking but his expected eruption in purple hasn’t come despite that four goals is nothing to sneeze at in soccer.
“Easton has been quietly effective for us but he wants more for himself. He wants to impact this league,” said Merriman.
He already has as Ongaro’s 29 career CPL goals are second only to Terran Campbell’s total of 37 with PFC and Forge FC.
“Easton is where he is in terms of all-time goal scoring in the CPL for a reason,” said Merriman.
“He has yet to show his best self and catch his form [with PFC]. It’s his first year with us and it’s never easy for players to transition into new teams and catch their rhythm and their form. But he’s been an excellent professional and comes in each day consistently whether he’s starting or not starting. It’s just a matter of time and his best for Pacific is yet to come.”
PFC returns home to face Atletico Ottawa next Sunday at Starlight Stadium.
