HFX Wanderers head home pointless following 1-0 loss to Cavalry FC

Late goal gives Tommy Wheeldon Jr.'s squad the edge in tight marked match

It'll be a long, contemplative flight back east for the Halifax Wanderers.

Their match at ATCO Field on Saturday was packed with tight, cagey football and seemed destined to conclude with at least a point in their back pockets.

But with a draw in their sights, the Wanderers conceded in stoppage time off an own goal from centre-back Daniel Nimick to give Cavalry the edge and an important three points.

The victory was Cavalry's fifth win in seven matches and helped them climb to second place on the CPL table. They currently have 24 points, two off league leaders Pacific FC.

“It doesn’t matter how, it just matters how many you score more than the opposition, and that was us today,” said Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. post-match.

Both sides struggled to break down the opposition, resulting in nearly identical ball possession (49 per cent for Halifax) and minimal xG (0.89 for Cavalry, 0.72 for the Wanderers) numbers.

However, the match wasn't without its highlights, in particular a 90 second flurry of action in the first half.

Wanderers midfielder Lorenzo Callegari delivered a perfect pass to a sprinting Aidan Daniels on the left side of the pitch in the 30th minute. Daniels took a touch and worked his way through a pocket of Cavalry players until he was at the edge of the 18-yard box before unleashing a hard right-footed shot which hit the far post before bouncing out and being cleared to midfield.

Now on the break, the ball was corralled by Cavalry striker Myer Bevan, who laid it off to Sergio Camargo. Camargo took a low shot which was stopped by Wanderers keeper Yann Fillion but Cavalry reclaimed the ball only for Ben Fisk to ring one off the post as well.

Halifax's best opportunity came from midfielder Callum Watson a few minutes later as he received a Massimo Ferrin cross just outside the six-yard box. Somehow, Watson's first shot was blocked and he collected the rebound but put the second attempt wide.

Cavalry would finish with 10 shots and the Wanderers with 11.

For the Wanderers, the result is something to move on from, especially as they are finishing up a difficult stretch which saw them play three matches in nine days with multiple trips across the country.

But that doesn't make the loss any easier for the players or their coaching staff.

“To give that goal up in the 90th minute, it’s an absolute killer,” said head coach Patrice Gheisar following the loss. “It hits you right in the gut, but we’ve got to be better. I don’t think it’s the free kick, but it’s the actions before we gave up the free kick. So we just have to be smarter (in those moments).”

The loss is also the Wanderers' second in three matches and underscores the fact that they have yet to win on the road this season. All four of their wins have come at home.

The Wanderers next play against Atlético Ottawa at the Wanderers Grounds on July 22.

From the Notebook:

1. I wanted to start my notes off by acknowledging the Wanderers have had a horrific travel schedule. They played in B.C. on July 7th, flew back to Nova Scotia to play on July 11th and then turned around and flew to Alberta for Saturday's game. Like most journalists, I abhor math (similar to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, I was promised there would be limited arithmetic on my part as a scribbler) but without knowing their direct flight paths, I count nearly 17,000 kilometres of air travel as the crow flies. That amount of travel takes a toll on anyone and is the type of wear and tear which can have a significant impact on play and heightens the risk of injuries. It's one thing to play a number of matches in a short span in the EPL but Canada is a huge country and I don't think asking any athlete to perform after so much flying is fair. I certainly understand that extreme travel is baked into the CPL pie as Halifax is the only easterly club but there needs to be a modicum of consideration. In fact, a number of clubs complained at the beginning of the year that the congested schedule around Canadian Championship matches were responsible for a slew of injuries. It could have been the same case here.
2. Which brings us to our next note: injuries. The Wanderers sent out a press release saying left-back Ryan James was having season ending surgery. It's a big loss to the club, especially as James is the best left-back the club has ever had but it's not surprising as he's been seen sporting a full-leg brace for a while. Jake Ruby and Tiago Coimbra also continue to be unavailable due to injury. And despite starting every match to date, it looks like Yann Fillion is dealing with something nagging.
3. So why not give Fillion rest? He went down a number of times during the Pacific match on Tuesday but if it was injury or gamesmanship, I couldn't tell. He fell to the pitch twice within the first 20 minutes against Cavalry, causing the commentators on One Soccer to implore Gheisar to swap in 20-year old keeper Aiden Rushenas. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join the post-match press conference but I would have asked about Fillion's health and giving Rushenas a chance (I plan to follow up this week). The club needs U-21 minutes so giving Fillion a break would seem wise, especially if the veteran is nursing a nagging injury. But I think it comes down to points: the club believes Fillion gives them the best chance to win. They wrap up potentially their hardest stretch of the season with three of a possible nine points. You could argue they deserved a better fate.
4. Gheisar alluded to it during his post-match comments but the play directly before the own goal could have been better. It comes down to decision making. Already in stoppage time, Cristian Campagna challenges Cavalry midfielder Bradley Kamdem just outside of his own box, lunging his leg out to break up the play. Kamdem goes down, giving his side a free kick in a dangerous area which ultimately ends up going in off Nimick. By lunging, Campagna is admitting he's beat by Kamdem and gives the referee a reason to award a foul. I would have liked to have seen him try and match Kamdem's speed, maybe slowing him down so a teammate can drop down to offer support. Campagna's lunge was the high risk option and the scoresheet will say it's Nimick who should bare the blame for the own goal but the truth is the Wanderers should have never put themselves in that situation to start with.
5. I also wanted to touch on Nimick. You could tell he was devastated to have the game winner bounce off his shoulder but he should chalk it up to a learning moment. He's been exemplary this season and is the Wanderers' best defender; play enough football and a ball is bound to go off you into your own net at some point. The kid is still the real deal so look for him to be dynamite against Ottawa.
6. Lorenzo Callegari has broken the 1,000 pass mark this season, sitting atop the list with 1,069 as of today. He's got nearly a 100 passes on Forge's Manjrekar James, who rounds out second.   I noted it in my mid-season report cards but Callegari is the league's best midfielder for my money. As an aside, Nimick is fourth in the league with 817 passes.
7. Gheisar again opted to start Ferrin as the centre forward with Coimbra's injury and he nearly rewarded his coach with a couple of goals. In fact, Ferrin looked downright deadly throughout the match, continually putting himself and teammates in dangerous positions to score. His cross to an open Watson was sublime and just plain unlucky not to get an assist for his efforts.  Ferrin also had five attempts of his own but couldn't quite zero in, with three of his attempts blocked and two going wide. Once Théo Collomb came in, Gheisar shuffled Ferrin to his habitual home on the left side of the pitch. Overall, I've come to appreciate that Gheisar shuffles Ferrin wherever he needs a spark on the pitch and for good reason: the man delivers.
8. Last but not least, I thought João Morelli looked good in relief. He's incredibly smart and already seems to be developing chemistry with his teammates, particularly Ferrin. The two of them had a good give and go sequence in Cavalry's box, playing through defenders to get into a good position. Similarly, Morelli set up a great free kick opportunity for the Wanderers near the end of the match by drawing a foul off a cheeky cutback. He played 27 minutes and looked like himself. That's all anyone can ask for at this point but you know he wants to make a difference offensively. It'll come with time.

Cover Photo Credit: Canadian Premier League.