PACIFIC FC 4 ATLÉTICO OTTAWA 1
Pacific FC head coach James Merriman challenged his attackers to “play with a smile in front of goal.” They did more than that Saturday evening in the nation’s capital. They let out a belly laugh, even a guffaw, in recording a 4-1 Canadian Premier League victory over Atlético Ottawa at TD Place Stadium.
“I told them: ‘Don’t overthink it. Take even half-chances,’ ” Merriman said.
The players took the advice in full measure as Island-based PFC moved to 2-1-1 in league.
“We executed everything we had been talking about this past week,” said Merriman.
It reversed the storyline of the season as the Tridents had created chances but did not finish well heading into Ottawa.
“We were tight and not playing with freedom and we were feeling a little bit of pressure to score goals,” said Merriman.
Then, suddenly, the goals came, in a torrent, and early, as homegrown Victoria products Sean Young and Josh Heard made it 2-0 before the game was nine minutes old as PFC’s pressure created turnovers deep in the Ottawa end.
“This was our breakout game,” said Young, who is out of the Island Wave program.
“It’s a perfect game to build off.”
Dutch import Ayman Sellouf made it 3-0 before halftime on a graceful individual rush through the gobsmacked Ottawa defence. Pinching defender Amer Didic closed the scoring account at 69 minutes for the visitors off a corner kick from Sellouf that looked to be curling in, regardless, over the head of Ottawa goalkeeper and Victoria product Sean Melvin.
Sellouf, despite his modest size, has been a revelation this season. He comes with credentials from a great soccer nation. During his time with his hometown Dutch club NEC, the 21-year-old saw it earn promotion to the professional top-tier Eredivise. He also played on the second team of Eredivise giant FC Utrecht.
“[Sellouf] does not do it with speed or power but intelligence and technical ability,” said Merriman.
Former PFC player and defending league MVP Ollie Bassett brought the hosts to within one at 3-1 at 52 minutes. But that’s as good as it got for winless Ottawa, owned by La Liga giant Atlético Madrid, as it fell to 0-2-2.
“The fans come out to support us, but before you know it, we are down 3-0 and chasing another game and gave ourselves a mountain to climb,” said Bassett, a crafty-quick former Northern Ireland under-19 international.
“For a team that had the most points in the regular season last year, having two points after four games is an unacceptable start.”
Bassett did acknowledge Ottawa has lost several of the key players from last season’s team that made it to the North Star Shield CPL playoff championship game only to lose to Forge FC of Hamilton, Ont. Bassett, however, did lift the North Star Shield with CPL champion PFC in 2021.
“There was a bit of revenge feeling the first time I played PFC last season [as a member Atlético Ottawa]. But now it’s just another game,” said Bassett.
The get-back-at-them angle was also prevalent on the PFC side after Atlético Ottawa eliminated the Tridents in last season’s playoff semifinals.
“It was a bit of revenge for us. For sure it was in the back of our minds,” said Young.
“But this game was about us. It was a real team performance and showed we have the capability to score 3-4 goals a game with dynamic attackers.”
Next up for PFC is a Voyageurs Cup Canadian Championship quarter-final game Wednesday night at Starlight Stadium against Canada’s newest soccer darlings, the semi-pro B.C. League-1 TSS Rovers of Burnaby, who upset Winnipeg’s Valour FC of the CPL in the opening round. PFC outlasted Cavalry FC of Calgary on penalties in its all-CPL opening-round game.
“We are humble enough as a group, and respect the spirit with which TSS played Valour,” said Merriman, saying his side is taking nothing for granted.
The winner of PFC-TSS will advance to the Cup semifinals to play the winner of a quarter-final between the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS and York United of the CPL.
The Tridents’ next league game is against York United next Sunday at Starlight Stadium.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
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