HFX Wanderers beat Pacific FC 2-1 amid João Morelli's emotional return

Club holds onto fifth place — and a playoff birth — with 19 points

With the Wanderers two goals up and Pacific FC down to 10 men, head coach Patrice Gheisar decided to write yet another chapter in a storyline which has hung over the club, like the fog across the Wanderers Grounds on Tuesday, since it was announced on June 9.

Wearing number 11, Brazilian star João Morelli stood and prepared to once again step onto the pitch after more than a year's absence to make his season debut.

It began as a murmur and rose like a wave across the Grounds, fans rising to their feet to applaud their favourite son's return.

Yesterday was Morelli's first CPL appearance in Wanderers kit since tearing his ACL on April 16, 2022 and was the culmination of a long and arduous rehab process which he has called "nine months of hell." It was also his first match at home since November 7, 2021.

Coming on in relief of Lifumpa Mwandwe in the 80th minute, it didn't take long for the 2021 Golden Boot winner to showcase his vision as he punched a perfect ball up the right side of the pitch to create a chance for a streaking Callum Watson.

A few minutes later, Morelli received the ball from captain Andre Rampersad and drove for Pacific's 18-yard box, cutting down the centre of the pitch. A Pacific defender ahead, Morelli made a fake and then juked left before firing a shot off with the same foot, the crowd cheering him on in anticipation.

But Pacific keeper Kieran Baskett wasn't about to let Morelli complete the fairy tale finish, equally as motivated in his own return to Halifax, and made sure to snuggly corral the ball.

And although he didn't score, just seeing Morelli don the blue and grey was an important moment for both the player and the club.

"I'm not putting pressure on him," said Gheisar post-match when asked about Morelli's return. "He's doing a lot of work to get himself going but we're being mindful. I would say sooner than later, we're going to see him involved in a bigger role but we got to get through Saturday (in Calgary) where it kind of eases off back to one game a week."

However, Gheisar mentioned even he got caught up in the moment when he saw the Brazilian dribble up the pitch and shoot.

"When he cut onto his left, I said no, it's going to go in," he said.

Morelli may have only played 10 minutes but the fact that he looked like himself is a huge win for the Wanderers. He had a shot, five touches and three accurate passes in his return.

It'll take time for him to get into match shape and trust his body.

But if he can find even a modicum of his former glory, Morelli will help this iteration of the Halifax Wanderers climb further up the league table and solidify itself as one of the best clubs in the league.

"We need him at his best in September," said Gheisar.

Because, with a little luck, the Wanderers are hoping to make some noise in the playoffs and are hoping their star is ready, too.

The Wanderers next match is away versus Cavalry FC on July 15.

From the Notebook:

1. Another day, another win at the Wanderers Grounds. With their victory over Pacific, the Wanderers earned an important three points and won their record fourth home match in a row. Obviously, Gheisar and the squad would like to see their away form improve but knowing you're going into every home match with a good shot at winning must be comforting. There's been a lot of talk about making the Grounds back into the fortress it once was and I think it's safe to say, that's happened. Although I was unable to attend yesterday's match in person (I didn't much fancy a late drive home to Lunenburg in the pouring rain) I can attest to the fact that the fans, and their influence, have been building to help the club. In fact, the win against Forge was one of the best sporting atmospheres I've ever been a part of. The energy, from minute one to the end, was palpable. And the players feed off of it, coveting the noise and chants and snarl like sharks covet blood. Many of the players have transformed before our eyes into professionals who welcome the pressure versus the youngsters who wilted when things became undone against York. It's a stark difference.
2. Not to take away from the win but James Merriman, Pacific's head coach, turfed his own chances from the beginning, opting to heavily rotate the squad and trimming the bench to ribbons. The result was six changes with many younger players getting the start in a quest to shell out playing time (Pacific needed just over 1,000 U-21 minutes before the match to meet the league's requirements). Only Sellouf, Giguère, Didic and Dada-Luke remained in the starting XI after their last match. But with four out of their next five fixtures on the road, Merriman was trying to give his regulars some rest given their heavy schedule.
3. Halifax were the brighter side from the start and no player exemplified this more than Fumpa Mwandwe, who earned his first start of the season. He was a little ball of energy all night and was crucial to Massimo Ferrin's goal, getting the ball over to the streaking attacker through sheer determination. Playing on the left wing, Mwandwe was involved all match and made two fantastic tackles (both of which were of the sliding, muddy variety) to put an exclamation mark on his performance. He would finish with an assist, two shots, a couple of interceptions and 42 touches. Not bad for a player who was playing in the Wanderers U-23 squad in Moncton 10 days ago.
4. Ferrin continued his run of good form but was shifted to the centre of the pitch to accommodate Mwandwe. I was a bit surprised by the move, expecting that Collomb might draw in as a traditional striker with Coimbra out due to injury. But Ferrin didn't disappoint, notching another goal and an assist on Callum Watson's tally in the 49th minute.  Ferrin now has four goals in all competitions and two assists, making him one of the Wanderers' most dangerous players with the ball. I had the chance to ask Ferrin post-match if playing as the centre forward changed how he saw the game: "I've always thought playing a position takes time to master. Obviously, over the past couple of years, I've played primarily on the left. But playing down the middle has its benefits. As you saw today, sometimes when you get the ball, you're a little closer to the net with more opportunities for a shot or to play a slip pass. So yeah, I'm open to playing multiple positions." If Coimbra's injury keeps him out against Cavalry, I wouldn't be surprised if Ferrin again draws in as the centre forward.
5. Gheisar was asked about both Mwandwe and Ferrin post-match and was full of praise. Speaking about Mwandwe, Gheisar praised his work ethic and play on both sides of the ball. "I'm really proud of him. He's been, like, the perfect pro. He's never, ever slacked off while he has not started and its our 14th game," he said. Meanwhile, Gheisar said he'd love for Ferrin to play in Halifax with him forever but wouldn't be surprised if someone gives him a chance with a bigger club down the road. "I've known Mass for almost 10 years and what we're seeing — and I don't want to put pressure on the young man — he's still not playing at his full abilities. Mass is a really special young man because he really has the heart of a lion." My take away: Gheisar loves players who compete.
6. I've felt like captain Andre Rampersad has struggled this season so when he got called to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Gold Cup, I thought it was a great opportunity for him to reset. He notched a goal while away but with Halifax's run of form, I wasn't sure he'd crack the starting XI. Well, Gheisar bet on his captain and Rampersad rewarded him with perhaps his best performance of the season. Rampersad slotted in for Mo Omar and was partnered with Lorenzo Callegari in a double pivot as we've seen in recent matches. He was solid throughout and did his job well, winning five of his seven duels. Together, Rampersad and Callegari overwhelmed Pacific's midfield, especially so when Sean Young was given two consecutive yellows and kicked from the game. Overall, a solid return for the captain.
7. Callum Watson scored again and what a goal it was as he picked the far top corner with as precise a strike as you'll see to give the Wanderers a two goal cushion. The English midfielder is doing his bit and is part of a mind boggling five-way tie for the team lead in goals. Now, this comparison may be a direct result of Gheisar's admiration for Pep Guardiola but the Wanderers are scoring by committee much like Manchester City pre-Haaland. Like those Pep squads, Halifax doesn't have one focal point of attack. Instead, be it Ferrin or Collomb or Coimbra or Watson or Daniels, they are able to pick opponents apart and players are stepping up to finish. One more note about Watson's goal: it doesn't happen without Callegari stepping up to turn the ball over in midfield.
8. Although I'm a little late on the news, I wanted to take a minute to recognize Gheisar being named Manager of the Month for June. There was a lot of flack being directed towards the club as they were winless through the beginning of the season and it would have been easy to change their course given the pressure. But Gheisar and his staff persevered and are exactly where they said they'd be: competing for a playoff spot and playing exciting football. At the half-way mark, Gheisar is delivering what he promised. That's worthy of recognition.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / HFX Wanderers FC