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Wanderers show the squad they aim to be, as well as what they hope to avoid, in 2-2 season opener versus Atlético Ottawa

Wanderers show the squad they aim to be, as well as what they hope to avoid, in 2-2 season opener versus Atlético Ottawa

The Halifax Wanderers, for 60 precious minutes, looked like the club they aspire to be on Saturday.

Kicking off their 2025 season versus Atlético Ottawa at a soaking TD Place, the Wanderers began brightly with a myriad of new faces in their midst. Former stalwarts like Dan Nimick and Zachary Fernandez were gone, replaced in head coach Patrice Gheisar's 4-2-3-1 formation by newcomers like Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, Toronto FC loanee Adam Pearlman, and speedster Jason Bahamboula. But the DNA of this revamped Wanderers squad remains the same from years past: they covet the ball, they spur full-backs — exemplified by Wes Timóteo on Saturday— forward to join the attack, and wheel freely in their pursuit of goals.

They were rewarded early versus Atlético Ottawa, churning a ball over thanks to a savvy press by midfielder Isaiah Johnston. Within moments, the ball progressed into the box and onto the boot of attacker Ryan Telfer, who found Giorgio Probo unmarked to make it 1-0.

Probo then delivered an excellent cross early in the second half, finding a streaking Sean Rea who, tied up by a defender, managed to take a touch and wiggle himself free to double Halifax's lead.

Although Atlético Ottawa had some half-hearted looks up until that point, the Wanderers were firmly in control, keeping the red and white clad attackers at a distance. They looked, in many ways, like the club they aspire to be and that pundits expected before a disastrous 2024 campaign re-wrote the narrative around a side that delighted in Gheisar's first season at the helm.

A large contingent of Wanderers supporters made the trek to TD Place for the first match of the season. (Photo Credit: Phillipe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa)

But if the first 60 minutes were a glimpse at the Wanderers' potential, the last 30 were a window to the past as newly minted Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejia made key substitutions that ultimately turned the tide. Manny Aparicio's appearance shored up Ottawa's midfield, and with the addition of Aboubacar Sissoko in the 72nd minute, tilted the match so that the Wanderers were outshot (15 to 4) and out-possessed (59 per cent to 41) in the second half.

Pearlman, who had a decent showing in his first Wanderers match, failed to keep up with a chipped ball, leading to Atlético Ottawa's first goal. Later, a box-wide scramble saw substitute Sissoko bury a sitter, leveling the score 2-2 in the 79th minute.

Although the Wanderers briefly had a man advantage, with Ottawa defender Tyr Walker receiving a second yellow late in the match, they depart the nation's capital with an important point — not be to undervalued given the club's road woes last year — but also a squandered lead.

The result, albeit positive in a vacuum, is a blueprint for what the Wanderers hope to iron out of their game in 2025.

"We should never be giving up two goals with 30-minutes left to go," Rea told reporters post-match. "I think we just have to stay mentally strong, because this game was a battle mentally, and I think we got unlucky with the last two goals. But there's a lot of positives to take from this game."

One of the positives is certainly the Wanderers high press, something that Meilleur-Giguère said in pre-season would be a tenet of their game and a nod to Canadian Men's National Team head coach Jesse Marsch's system. And the fact that the Wanderers looked dangerous on the road, scoring two goals early, is another feather in their cap.

"We know we can do good things, we're going to surprise some people and I think we showed a little of what we can do this year," said Rea.

But there's no doubt that blowing a 2-0 lead goes back to the mental fortitude Rea mentioned; all too often in 2024, the Wanderers simply weren't strong enough mentally to keep their cool when it mattered most. Saturday, although a different group, smacked of past lessons.

When asked directly if he was late making substitutions post-match, Gheisar said he felt he needed to trust his players in the moment. The club's principles of play, he later explained, are based on the freedom and trust he gives his players to rely on improvisation and instinct.

"The one thing I've learned about our guys is we've got to trust them," he said.

"We've got to trust them with a lead, we've got to trust them when we're down. Of course, that means everybody will have different roles and responsibilities but to try and say let's make a change when you're up 2-0, when you have the ball, and they didn't have many chances, for sure, it's nothing that would come across my head. But I think their subs came in with a lot of enthusiasm and I think, if they don't get that first goal — a few more minutes goes by and we're able to stabilize things — maybe the result's different, you don't know."

Gheisar stressed in his pre-match call — win, draw or lose versus Atlético Ottawa — his desire to keep the Wanderers steady, a key message if the players are to keep the ghosts of matches past from creeping into a fresh season.

"I think it's integral for us to look at this like a 28 game season and not to base our entire pre-season on one game, and that's win or loss. All the practices we've put in place will hopefully come in to help us over the entire season," he said.

"This is two really good teams on display that both gained a point."

If the Wanderers can replicate their play from the start of Saturday's match, they'll quickly find themselves in a favourable position on the table. But one match into a new year, it's entirely too early to tell which version of the club — the one they aspire to be or the one they were in 2024 — they'll ultimately become.

Further reading:

Cover Photo Credit: Phillipe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa

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