Injuries are the rogue waves of sport and they have drowned many a season for teams. Roster depth is the only way to stay afloat. Pacific FC had enough lifejackets to hand out last year in overcoming a season of injuries to win the Canadian Premier League soccer championship.
Saturday’s opponent at 4 p.m. at Starlight Stadium, the HFX Wanderers of Halifax (1-1), will need a bigger lifeboat after losing 2021 CPL MVP and Golden Boot winner João Morelli for the remainder of the season following his ACL injury in last Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Atlético Ottawa. The loss of the 26-year-old Brazilian, who had 14 goals in 21 games last season and 19 goals in 31 appearances since 2020, is a brutal blow for HFX’s season prospects. Before the injury, Transfermarkt listed Morelli’s market value at $495,000.
“It’s a difficult time for me, but it happens. Our job is cruel sometimes,” Morelli told Kristian Jack of CanPL.ca.
Rivals can relate because they know that same cruelty can visit them at any time.
“It’s unfortunate for Halifax to lose Morelli. I feel for the team and I feel for him,” said PFC head coach James Merriman.
“It’s a part of the game. It’s how you respond that counts. You need to rely on the depth in your squad and for players to step up. We created a next-man-up mentality last season.”
That has had ramifications into this season. Part of the reason PFC is off to a 2-0 start, despite losing four key players in the off-season — two to CPL rival Forge FC and two moving up to MLS with Toronto FC — is the full-time return of a trio of 2021 injured players.
“They feel like new signings,” said Merriman.
PFC defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère was limited to 12 games last season after being injured with the Canada U-23 team on the eve of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympics. Midfielder Marco Bustos was on league MVP pace after going down mid-season and missing much of the 2021 campaign. Dual-citizen Matthew Baldisimo, a call-up to the Philippines national team for World Cup qualifying, missed almost all of last season to injury. All three have played important starting roles this season.
“You see TMG [Meilleur-Giguère] and his leadership and his voice. You could see it when he came back for the semfinal and final last season,” said Merriman.
“Baldisimo is essential in the middle of the field and to how we want to play, defend and attack. He has had such a great start for us and has such good quality on the ball.”
Bustos, the field general, has been the most critical return to full-time play from the 2021 corps of the injured.
“You’ve seen the impact all three of them have had in the first two games of the season,” said Merriman.
Saturday’s game is between two clubs located among the furthest distance apart in any domestic pro sports league.
“Halifax has had two good performances although they were a bit unfortunate last week [losing in the 80th minute away to Atlético Ottawa after opening with a 1-0 victory over York United with Morelli scoring on a penalty kick].”
“They are organized defensively and good in possession and we all know how well [former Canada and Trinidad national coach] Stephen Hart prepares his teams.”
With three home games to start, PFC knew it was imperative for its season to get as close as possible to accumulating the full nine points in these three fixtures at Starlight Stadium. The Tridents are two-thirds of the way there with six points.
“We want to make this a very difficult place to come into for teams, and a difficult atmosphere, and our fans help with that,” said Merriman.
“We have a great fan base here and it’s always growing. We want to continue to work for them and play for them and put on good performances at home and make it a very, very difficult place for teams to come into.”
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
