HFX Wanderers suffer first loss of season to York United

"They bossed us and this can't happen at home," says captain Rampersad

Progress isn't linear and Saturday's match against a motivated York United showed just how much this new-look Halifax squad still has to learn.

The Wanderers had their moments but conceded three goals on home turf to suffer their first loss of the regular season. Their record now stands at 0-5-1.

But what is worrying for head coach Patrice Gheisar is that Halifax has yet to shine at the Wanderers Grounds.

"That’s two games at home that I almost feel like these great fans deserve more, but our guys are intimidated by them which is a bit silly," said Gheisar post-match. He added he felt his squad only played so-so against Vancouver in April but that each match is a chance to grow.

"I don't want to be a cliché but even when you get beat that bad, you learn," he said.

York United proved the dominant team from the first minute, stifling Halifax's midfield and showcasing a pressing clinic that would bring a smile to any coach's face.

Halifax midfielder Lorenzo Callegari was absent due to suspension, causing Gheisar to shuffle his starting XI with Mo Omar slotting into the No. 6 position and captain Rampersad and Aiden Daniels rounding out the centre of the pitch.

However, the Nine Stripes attack proved too much as they turned over several balls and caught the Wanderers midfielders flatfooted or in transition.

York midfielder Matthew Baldisimo would score his first of the season off a turnover at the 11' minute mark while Oussama Alou doubled their lead off a curling shot 20 minutes later.

Gheisar attempted to adjust to York's attack at halftime, subbing off Omar and Théo Collomb for attacker Kosi Nwafornso and midfielder Tomas Giraldo but the Wanderers still couldn't build through the press. York ultimately put the final nail in the coffin via a goal from Brem Soumaoro at the 46' minute mark.

Halifax would go on to make more tactical adjustments to try and get on the board and had their best chance off a Massimo Ferrin break but he would ping his shot off the crossbar. This would prove to be the highwater mark for the Wanderers offence as they landed only two shots on target.

Gheisar said his players are going to learn from this loss while preparing for their match against Pacific FC next week.

"It's gone and exactly seven days from today we play one of the best teams in league so we can sit here and be upset and kick the wall. We've got no one to blame but ourselves," he said.

Halifax's next match at home is on June 10.

From the Notebook:

1. Well, at least it wasn't a draw. It's a disappointing result but the fly in the ointment is how thoroughly York thrashed Gheisar's squad; they were simply the better team from start to finish. Their head coach, Martin Nash, said in his presser that he challenged his squad to come out strong following their poor showing against Pacific FC last week and they played with a chip on their shoulder. They also flew into Halifax earlier in the week, giving themselves time to adjust and find their legs ahead of the match and effectively taking away Halifax's home advantage. For his part, Nash said the Wanderers are a good club with a lot of offensive threats and he was glad to hold onto the clean sheet. "Not too many teams will shut (Halifax) out as the season goes on," he said. I don't want to make excuses for the Wanderers but they were going to lay a goose egg at some point. Now it's Gheisar's turn to challenge his squad.
2. In addition to being rested, York had a plan to counter Gheisar's 3-box-3 formation. For starters, knowing that we'd have a defender tuck forward, they kept four attacking players hovering near Halifax's back line at all times. They pressed like madmen for the first half and, when the Wanderers had the ball, overloaded whichever side of the pitch with their 10 outfield players. The results speak for themselves; they turned over balls, won the battle in midfield and stifled Halifax's build up. Gheisar has said previously his team's principles of play wouldn't change depending on opponents. His goal, he said, is for his players to be so good at playing his system that they can play through tactics meant to stop them. We've seen glimpses of what this Wanderers squad aspires to be (think to the end of the first half against Cavalry) but Saturday brought them down to Earth. York had a plan to stop the Wanderers and it worked.
3. Let's address the French elephant in the room. This was the first match the Wanderers have played without Frenchman Lorenzo Callegari and it showed. Both Rampersad and Gheisar mentioned in their availabilities how Callegari's absence was felt, specifically in the battle for midfield. "I had a feeling we would miss (Callegari) but not to the level we missed him today," said Gheisar. “But they have three centre-mids, we have three centre-mids. Names are whatever — Lorenzo, Mike, Miguel, Bob, whoever it is it’s three men against three men." Callegari has been one of the best players in the CPL so far this season and is the straw that stirs the proverbial drink. I think he's most effective at the No. 6 role, offering the Wanderers both the ability to build up how they want but also to sling long balls to keep the opposition honest when pressing. I also think the team feels most comfortable with Callegari slotted in just above their defensive line. His skill is a calming presence and he's a master at knowing when to pause, to take a moment to settle things down and when to move. Needless to say, he'll be back in the starting XI next match but Callegari needs to be more clinical in his challenges moving forward so as not to put Halifax in this position again.
4. I don't think it was Omar's fault but Halifax's midfield was exposed against an aggressive York squad. Slotted as the No. 6, Omar offers a very different profile to Callegari. He's big, a strong challenger and has a good left foot. He's also a pillar of the squad's leadership team and is quite vocal. But York's overloading strategy took away the Wanderers' time and space with the ball, resulting in a number of turnovers from Omar and the other midfielders. On the first goal, Omar challenges York attacker Alou and eliminates him but the ball squeaks forward to Baldisimo, who slams a shot home. Later, the Wanderers lose the ball but Omar tracks back and is one of three Wanderers defending against four York players on the counterattack. Alou ends up with the ball in the box and picks the right corner. Gheisar subbed Omar off at the half. He did mention that it wasn't anything Omar did but he needed to change the dynamic in midfield. I bet if you were to ask Omar, he wouldn't say it was his best match but you know he'll be eager to bounce back.
5. Rampersad took Omar's position in the second half but instead of stabilizing it, Halifax quickly conceded another goal off a scramble, leaving Rampersad to watch as his mark, Soumaoro, put the ball into the back of the net.  Again, it's not directly Rampersad's fault but Gheisar needed his veteran players to step up and I don't think we can say they did that. "They bossed us and this can't happen at home," said Rampersad post-match. "I look in the mirror first and we come (back) tomorrow, we watch some video and we get back to it this week." He took responsibility and added he needs to play better to set an example. However, if Gheisar's veteran players can't reward his trust in them, they'll soon find themselves on the bench.
6. But there were some bright spots, eh? Massimo Ferrin looked dangerous returning from injury. Eager to change things up, Gheisar's moves at the half saw Ferrin move over as the centre forward and slot big Nwafornso on the left wing. I though Ferrin's movement looked good and he perked up as his side pressed to get on the score sheet. His ball control was excellent and his shot off the crossbar was awfully close to getting Halifax on the board. Gheisar noted Ferrin was unlucky not to score. "I thought Mass had some good moments but I think he was still a bit off his usual pace and ability."
7. The Wanderers eventually started to send diagonals across the pitch to evade York's overloading strategy. The happy recipient of all this space was Nwafornso. From the press box, it looked like Nwafornso had an entire pitch to himself and he had several good runs into the box. Funny thing about Nwafornso is that he doesn't seem very fast, especially when maneuvering, but he always seems to come out with the ball. He did end up with a shot on goal but I felt there were a few instances where he should have shot versus trying to lay it off. Saturday also saw season debuts for Tomas Giraldo and Lifumpa Mwandwe. I thought they were fine but the most noticeable substitution for me was Wesley Timoteo. Timoteo came on in the 74th minute and was instantly noticeable. He had two dangerous crosses into the box and helped Halifax with their build up. Given the success of his loan at FC Edmonton last year and what he's shown in spurts, I'd like to see him with another chance in the starting XI.
8. This was the first match that stirred the ghosts of last season. But it doesn't mean that this squad is doomed to repeat the failures of yesteryear. On the whole, when they're clicking, Gheisar's version of the Halifax Wanderers is a treat to watch. They own the ball, they attack and until yesterday, they score. The club wants to win and that hasn't happened yet but I think you could argue that the Wanderers' record isn't reflective of how they've played. With a bit of luck, they could have had two wins already. At some point, the ball (or phantom penalties) will bounce their way. Great clubs aren't build in a day.

Cheers,

-WN

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan/  HFX Wanderers FC