Pacific FC were on the wrong end of a 97th-minute goal a week ago when Supra du Québec pipped them 3–2 in the rain on Vancouver Island. This time around, Pacific striker Bul Juach scored in the 98th minute to earn a 2–2 draw on a sunny, windy day at Wanderers Grounds in Halifax. Juach’s last-gasp heroics got the Tridents their first point in 2026, but their winless streak, which began in August 2025, has now reached 13 matches.
HFX Wanderers FC, after beginning the season with a win in Langley, BC, and a draw in Toronto, were playing their home opener. For colourful coach Vanni Sartini (formerly of the ’Caps) and decorated goalkeeper Marco Carducci (formerly of Cavalry FC), the match was a home debut in front of the boisterous Halifax fans.
Daylight Delight for Díaz
Arsène Wenger, former Arsenal manager and current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, has campaigned for the daylight offside rule whereby an attacking player is offside only if their entire body (arms excluded) is ahead of the entire body (arms excluded) of the second-last defending player. The CPL is the world’s first league to adopt this rule, and Pacific’s Wero Díaz just became the first player to take advantage of the extra room it gives attackers.
A 20th-minute corner kick for Pacific led to a Matthew Baldisimo volley that was saved spectacularly by Carducci. Díaz reacted quickly to Carducci’s bouncing rebound and scored from the top of the six-yard box, giving Pacific their first lead of the season. Díaz then raised a finger to his lips to shush the Haligonian hecklers behind the goal.
Carducci raised his arm for an offside call, but the fourth official informed head referee Fabrizio Stasolla that there was no daylight between Díaz and the second-last defender. The validation of the goal meant the 30-year-old striker from Mexico City tied Samuel Salter’s all-time CPL scoring record at 46. A true poacher, Díaz will continue positioning himself as close to goal as possible under the daylight law and, with Salter now playing in Sweden, will probably become the CPL’s top all-time scorer.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Heard
The two appearances of Pacific captain Josh Heard this season have been a tale of Jekyll and Hyde. Against Supra du Québec, he made all the right moves and even scored a fantastic goal. In Halifax, a week later, his volatility reared its ugly head.
After generating minimal offence in the first half, Wanderers woke up, equalizing in the 56th minute with a Cyprian Kachwele header and continuing to push forward. In the 73rd, Heard conceded a penalty kick for overaggressive use of his arms while marking Finn Linder on a corner kick. Coach James Merriman challenged the call via Football Video Support (FVS) to no avail, and Isaiah Johnston converted to give Wanderers a 2–1 lead.
The match was swinging heavily in the home team’s favour, and Pacific — who had not won in Halifax since 2023 and had lost 6–1 on aggregate there in 2025 — seemed unlikely to claw their way back. Shortly after conceding the penalty, Heard seemed overcome by Pacific’s endless frustrations as he reacted to a clean slide tackle against him by kicking the opponent in the gut. His outburst was what the British might call “throwing the toys out of the pram.”
Stasolla brandished his red card, and Merriman did not even bother challenging. The coach could only mutter to himself in consternation as his captain disappeared down the tunnel into the change room.
New Faces, New Fortunes?
Heard seemed to be feeling the heaviness of not having won since August, but the same cannot be said of Pacific newcomer Bul Juach, who subbed in for Díaz in the 78th. The 25-year-old, a dual citizen of South Sudan and Australia, received the ball as Stasolla was on the verge of blowing the final whistle, and he slalomed through a group of Wanderers defenders before netting a left-footed finish, a glimpse of what Juach can bring to this team.
Ronan Kratt, a 2025 signing, was also lively off the bench. He looks like a new face in the squad because he went down with an ACL injury in May 2025, after his first five matches for Pacific, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Now, the 22-year-old US–Canada dual national is being eased back into action with short stints. When he returns to full fitness, and when Heard returns from a likely multi-match suspension, a 4–2–3–1 formation with a starting front four featuring Kratt and Heard on the wings, Marco Bustos in the #10 role, and Díaz up top could be very effective.
Pacific should also feel good about newcomers Taras Gomulka (midfield) and Diego Konincks (centre-back). Gomulka has shown skill at set-piece deliveries, and Konincks has proved to be reliable defensively, comfortable on the ball, and able to make some offensive contributions, such as scoring Pacific’s first goal of the season and assisting Juach’s dramatic equalizer in Halifax.
Heard has 125 appearances for Pacific and wears the captain’s armband, but the team — Heard included — need to follow the example set by new, hungry, forward-looking players like Juach, who has played only 36 minutes for the club.
What’s Next?
Pacific will play four consecutive matches at home, a scheduling quirk that offers a chance to build momentum. Their next test is against Forge FC on Sunday, April 26.
(Image: CanPL)