Damage control: stinging loss to Cavalry FC and injury to João Morelli leave HFX Wanderers in tough spot

Despite loss, Wanderers remain fourth on the table with 33 points but lose game in hand on York United FC

It was never going to be easy.

Starting on Sept. 4, the Halifax Wanderers began a run of fixtures which would push the club to its very limits: four matches across 13-days, including a cross-country trek to Vancouver Island and back. Wanderers president and owner Derek Martin described the match-mad schedule as the most important stretch in the club's history.

Head coach Patrice Gheisar had said in numerous media availabilities he liked his odds at scoring important points as three of the four matches were scheduled at the fortress known as the Wanderers Grounds. Earning nine out of a possible 12 points, so went the thinking, would be a resounding success if all went their way.

And although the schedule didn't start as hoped with a loss to York United at home, a hard-fought draw against Pacific FC put Halifax back on track. The fact that many of the Wanderers' starters were rested heading into Tuesday night was a feather in Gheisar's cap.

But that narrative has been shattered and — sitting on the other side of a tough 2-1 loss to league-leading Cavalry FC — the Wanderers can only hope to collect a possible four points assuming they can best Atlético Ottawa.

In a nutshell, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Wanderers during this stretch and it's not over yet. They have lost their game in hand over York United, have now only won once out of their last five matches and Brazilian star João Morelli's injury didn't look good. Cue Hurricane Lee working its way up the East Coast.

Speaking to media post-match on Tuesday night, midfielder Aidan Daniels said it's time for the squad to tighten up given the stakes.

"Both of their goals came off set pieces tonight. It's just that time of season where all those little things matter even more," he said. "I think that's a big thing for us; we're always going to play our brand of football whoever we play. As a side, we just need to buckle down on those small details."

Halifax certainly didn't play their brand of attacking football to start the match as Cavalry sent 14 shots towards keeper Yann Fillion's net in the first half, including a curling effort from 19-year old Maël Henry which fooled the 27-year old Ottawa native and gave Cavalry a 1-0 lead. Despite having 58 per cent possession, Halifax registered only three shots in the first half and, aside from a few individuals, looked listless in their 5-2-3 formation.

A second goal, this time by Cavalry defender Daan Klomp, roused Halifax to a much better second half. The Wanderers turned up the pressure and got within striking distance thanks to another Daniel Nimick penalty goal.

Later, Nimick would head in the ball off a perfect Massimo Ferrin corner kick but the play was called dead by referee Yusri Rudolf for an apparent foul.

The Wanderers finished the match strong, registering 66 per cent possession in the second half alongside 11 shots, but were unable to crack Cavalry's defence a second time.

When asked about the performance of his back three of Nimick, Doneil Henry — who made his third start in a row — and Cale Loughrey, Gheisar admitted post-match that things didn't start the way they would have liked.

"It was definitely rocky to start. (Cavalry) are a team that makes it hard to play. It was challenging," he said. "But as the game went on, they started to open up and we started to try and grab it, build and play the way we wanted to."

Looking ahead to their match against Ottawa, the Wanderers will want to rebound from a difficult stretch and show the league, should they make the playoffs, that they can produce in big moments; competing for the North Star Shield demands nothing less.

The Wanderers are scheduled to host Ottawa this Saturday at the Wanderers Grounds.

From the Notebook:

1. This isn't the first time referee Yusri Rudolf has made a call at the Wanderers Grounds which has left the club seething. The last time was back in August, causing Halifax's head coach and players to take to social media criticizing Rudolf's decision to give Massimo Ferrin a yellow for simulation on a play which could have led to a penalty kick. On Tuesday, Rudolf blew his whistle mid-way through a corner kick which Nimick ultimately directed into the net and would have tied the match at 2-2. I've watched the replay a number of times and don't see anything worthy of blowing the whistle. In fact, One Soccer's broadcast crew of Adam Jenkins and Jimmy Brennan were mystified as to what Rudolf had seen, calling his decision the moment of the match. I was unable to join Gheisar's post-match press conference but his response to a question from CanPL's Mitchell Tierney says it all: "For me Mitchell, that's a 2-2 game. I'm still counting it. I know that sounds childish but . . .  (long pause) In a game where the players give their best, the coaches, fans and officials have to give their best. You know when you score a goal that is questioned like that, in a game like that, that's madness. That's absolute madness. People have to be held responsible. It's just crazy and unacceptable, man." I have since sent a request to the Wanderers asking if they intend on reaching out to Canada Soccer for an explanation or meeting on the no-goal call as it could have huge implications given the tight playoff race. Every point matters.
2. I expect the Wanderers will make an announcement about Morelli once they have more information and do some tests but things didn't look good on Tuesday. Morelli left the pitch at the 38 minute mark and needed assistance, causing many to fear the worst given his injury history. Asked about an update after the match, Gheisar said it was too early to know but that "he can't walk so it's not ideal. To lose (the game) and also lose one of our key attackers is challenging."
3. I had a note after the Pacific match about Halifax's new formation which featured a 5-2-3 in defence and a 3-4-3 in attack. As they were trying to tread water in British Columbia, the formation worked well at starving Pacific's attackers, especially in the second half. It was a different story against Cavalry and the result was the Wanderers looked flat. They did a good job of keeping Cavalry to the outside as they only managed three shots on target but didn't have much to offer during their own attacks. It was only when they reverted to their standard formation that they gained any momentum, including the substitutions of Doneil Henry and Jordan Perruzza for Callum Watson and Armaan Wilson.
4. Speaking of Perruzza, I get the sense he's lost his way a bit. For a player who has amassed an impressive 21 goals in Toronto FC's system, Perruzza seems to be lacking that goal scorer's touch in the final third. It's not from lack of trying or opportunity; he's had a number of golden chances which have been a razor's edge away from counting. To his credit, he has scored once on his 14 shots with the club but one has to wonder if youngster Tiago Coimbra or Théo Collomb would be better served in that No. 9 spot. As per Sofascore, he's missed five big chances and it's hard not to wonder where Halifax would be if he had converted on even half of those chances. All three of Perruzza's shots against Cavalry went high or wide.
5. I got a reader question from Marty Beckles of Toronto (thanks for reading!) a few hours before kickoff in which Marty asked if it was time to try Perruzza out as a right winger. When I spoke to Perruza when he was initially signed, he said he's comfortable playing as a centre-forward or on the right wing. Now, he's mostly played as a striker but with Morelli potentially out for a while, it would give the Wanderers the opportunity to give Perruzza minutes to honour their loan arrangement with Toronto FC while opening a spot for another player. Regardless, it will be very telling who Gheisar starts against Ottawa given the heavy rotation and injuries of the past few matches.
6. A note on Massimo Ferrin, who I had rated as the best Wanderer on the pitch. He was one of the few starting players who had energy at the match's start and worked his tail off on the left side of the pitch. He ended the match with three shots on target, won nine of 11 ground duels and critically earned the penalty for Nimick. In the absence of an injured Wesley Timoteo, I thought Ferrin did a great job taking corners and managed to connect with Nimick on what would have been the tying goal. On a squad of fatigued players, Ferrin had his legs.
7. The injury bug is really starting to go around. Gheisar had mentioned after York that five players had heavy knocks and the club provided an update before the match: both Tomas Giraldo and Timoteo will be out with short-term injuries and Fumpa Mwandwe was out due to illness. Obviously, we're still awaiting more information on Morelli. There isn't a single club in the league that doesn't have a few bumps and bruises at this point but I feel like the Wanderers have more than their fair share of injuries. We saw Ferrin gut out a rib injury earlier in the year; I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there are three or four players who are working through notable injuries or strains.
8. Saturday's match, if it happens on time, will be a huge measuring stick for the Wanderers. Mo Omar said after the York loss that the ensuing few matches would show the character of this squad and you know they'll want to finish on a high note. However, with a hurricane bearing down, I wouldn't be surprised if the match is delayed a day or two. If that is the case, it might be some of the first good luck the Wanderers have received in a while as a delay means rest and this squad is sorely in need of some downtime. Stay safe this weekend.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan (Halifax Wanderers FC)