Pacific FC have hit the road this weekend with a trip to face last year’s finalists Atlético Ottawa in the nation’s capital. This brings an end to a four-game run of home fixtures for Pacific to kick off the fifth season of the Canadian Premier League, as well as their opening game in the Canadian Championship.
A new challenge now faces James Merriman and his team as they prepare to be visitors, though this may take away some of the pressures which have been building in front of their home fans so far this season. Defeat to Forge last weekend, along with some frustrations in the final third, could mean this away trip may provide some welcome relief. With many teams sitting deep and frustrating Pacific, they now plan to face a side who are off to a poor start to the season. Ottawa sits bottom of the table with two points from three games. Their defeat to York United last week at home brought even more pressure on the side who too are struggling for goals. With both sides coming off defeats, their 2022 match up in the playoffs will be in mind which saw Atlético Ottawa progress to the final 3-1 on aggregate.
Ottawa will be searching for their first win this season, and especially so in front of their home fans, who were expecting much more after the highs of last season. Their 2-0 victory in the playoffs at TD Place saw Pacific dominate possession with 64% but Ottawa hit late on the break scoring in the 79th and 94th minutes. “I think we played them very well last season, but it didn’t go our way” Merriman said at the pre-match press conference. With Ottawa under pressure, this may give Pacific players like Easton Ongaro and the wide players a little more space to attack into with Ottawa needing to get out and try to dominate the game as the home side.
If they remain “on-brand” with last season’s success absorbing pressure and hitting teams on the counterattack last season, Pacific will need to make this wide pitch, much bigger than that at Starlight Stadium, as open as possible to create space to attack. “We are not going to change how we play, obviously, but we do respect how Ottawa plays and keep a balance going into the match…. We think we have started in a good way, and we are adding detail and trying to improve…. The group is hungry, they are confident in the way we are doing things and are ready for the game.” Said Merriman.
Both sides have Canadian Championship ties coming up in the midweek, Pacific will host TSS Rovers while Ottawa will travel to Forge, which could affect the starting line-up decisions made by both managers. With only Pierre Lamothe as an injury absence, everyone else remains in contention and Merriman mentioned how good all these games are to ensure players can earn and get their chance on the field. As Merriman explained: “There will be rotation because of the travel, but also because players deserve it. If anything, right now, more games suit us, so that everyone gets opportunities”.
(Image Credit: CPL)