HFX Wanderers earn fourth draw in cagey match against Valour FC
Coach Gheisar 'disappointed' with result but still hungry for first win
It was a tale of two halves for Patrice Gheisar's Halifax Wanderers in Winnipeg.
The match started closer to a back alley brawl at IG Field than football as both the Wanderers and Valour FC wrestled to hit their marks in a sloppy opening 20 minutes. Ultimately, both clubs would finish with less than 80 per cent pass completion.
Valour seemed to grow as the half went on and both Pacifique Niyongabire and Kian Williams began cutting dangerous swathes into the Halifax's 18-yard box. Their midfield swelled, taking away time for the Wanderers build up and their defensive line went mostly untested.
But the Wanderers held firm and, in contrast to previous matches, kept composed in the face of the Valour onslaught going into half.
Unhappy with his squad, Gheisar made two key changes which altered the match; he took off first-year players Riley Ferrazzo and Callum Watson and put on veteran Ryan James and Aiden Daniels.
The move changed the flow of the game, representing the best of times for the Wanderers; James was given free-reign along the left side and, with captain Andre Rampersad falling back to play deeper with Lorenzo Callegari, allowed Halifax to win the battle in midfield and attack.
The Wanderers best chance came in the 65' minute off free-kick from Aiden Daniels who had picked the top left corner of the net with a laser shot but was stopped by Valour keeper Rayane Yesli.
The match would end as a draw, the first scoreless result of this CPL season and left both coaches wanting more.
“It’s massive because these are the games that will set you up for our goal, which is to make the playoffs and to be involved in the playoffs,” said Gheisar post-match. “I know we’re disappointed, we’d rather win, but with this setback, there’s something for us to take away with us.”
For his part, Valour coach Phil Dos Santos said he was happy to stifle Halifax's game plan for much of the match, allowing the Wanderers only 54 per cent possession.
“So I think that any time you force the opposition to get out of their normal offensive patterns and habits, it means you’re doing something right defensively. So we have to hold on to that, build on that, and make sure we grow in areas where we weren’t as good today," said Dos Santos.
From the Notebook
- I had a chance to interview Gheisar before they left for Winnipeg and, given we're a month into the season, asked him how he plans to keep the Wanderers unpredictable. I asked the question with the Vancouver FC match fresh in my mind, having noticed that Ferrazzo's right flank was the one Vancouver tried to exploit given he inverts to play with Lorenzo Callegari in midfield. At this point, every club in the league has scouted the Wanderers system, which is why I found Gheisar's answer fascinating: “Some of the most successful teams in the world have had the same system for the longest duration. I think if you’re really good at what you do, it’s very difficult to match it. Yeah, we have personnel unpredictability but our principles will never change." He continued on to mention that the clubs he hopes to emulate — possession monsters like Manchester City and Brighton — always play the same system but are so good at it, they can't be stopped. He acknowledged the Wanderers have some work to do but I think this match showed how little tweaks make a world of difference.
- The double substitution at half-time completely changed the Wanderers attack as James was a force at leftback and Daniels was able to give Halifax's forwards more time and space with his creative passing. Ferrazzo had his usual chemistry with Callegari but struggled to contain Niyongabire, who looked particularly dangerous. I believe Valour went into the match hoping to target which ever side of the pitch Ferrazzo was deployed and it worked. But once the substitutions were made, Rampersad slid back to keep that double pivot with Callegari and gave James the freedom to push along the outside. He did so with gusto, making several good runs and he even broke through Valour's defensive line to hit a shot on net. The Wanderers didn't change their system in the second half; Gheisar adjusted the players roles in the system given their opponents and allowed them to flourish.
- Gheisar highlighted two items when asked about what his club needs to work on. The first was capitalizing on chances, although the result tells the tale for this match. The second was to better manage moments — to slow things down when needed, to pause, to regroup and go again. I thought they did a great job of managing the game, especially early on when Valour were pushing for a goal and Halifax was caught flatfooted. Be it Rampersad or Cale Loughrey or Armaan Wilson (who made his professional debut), the squad didn't panic and directed traffic out of bounds or took the penalty to slow their opponents. Wilson was given a yellow card seconds into his debut for practically pulling a Valour player's arm out of its socket but it was the right decision at that moment in the game. And although they are still in search of their first win this season, proving to themselves that they can keep a clean sheet was a win unto itself. There's a beauty to pause in football.
- To quote a Notebook past (specifically addressing the centrebacks in the Vancouver FC draw): "All of this makes me want another look at Cale Loughrey, who I thought was solid in his first appearance while adding some height and pace to the backend." Well, young Cale didn't disappoint. He formed a formidable bastion-like partnership with Daniel Nimick and was solid, albeit tested early by Valour's forwards. No play is more emblematic than in the 62' minute where Loughrey was one on one with Niyongabire. Through several fakes and cutbacks, Loughrey held his ground and stabbed the ball out of bounds. I think Loughrey has a shot at sticking in the starting XI for next match.
- Just a quick note on Daniel Nimick, who I profiled earlier in the week and have praised to all who will listen. He was supreme on the pitch, be it defending or lobbing beautiful diagonals to streaking wingers. Chad Wiseman, Nimick's coach in the NCAA, said he thinks Nimick will play in the MLS before too long. We'd best enjoy our Labrador-version of John Stones (thanks to Tyler Fleming) while we can.
- It's a wild statistic to contemplate but the One Soccer crew said that Callegari has averaged 107 touches per match. Similar to my first note, there's not a club in the CPL unaware of the Frenchman's ability to control play. Halifax's movement lives and dies by Callegari's boot so teams are going to try and take away his time and space. Valour's no slouch in midfield but I thought Callegari faired well, especially once Rampersad dropped back to support. Even when he's quiet, Callegari has still been effective.
- One facet of the Wanderers game in need of work is their set pieces. In training in Halifax on Wednesday, Callegari and Wesley Timoteo spent 10 minutes practicing crosses into the box off a free kick and it left a lot to be desired. The Wanderers have been good when in striking distance (Daniels' attempt was very close to a goal) but are struggling to find the verticality to go back post from further out, be it a free kick or corner. Things to work on.
- It's hard not to admire Zachary Fernandez's passion. He's a proper firecracker and lit up the pitch yesterday with his pace and bravado. I liked his pressing and he showed creativity, highlighted by a reverse header back into the box which created a chance for Rampersad. When in possession, he drove when he had space and showed some attitude in the 89' minute by pushing over Valour's Samaké. If you're Gheisar, you've got to be happy with Fernandez's play but aware that you're playing fire; you can't let him boil over.
Cheers,
-WN
Cover Photo Credit: Canadian Premier League
