Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Pacific FC scores late to advance to playoffs in dramatic fashion

Pacific FC focused on Marco Bustos during the Canadian Premier League off-season free-agent signing period. It proved a genius move by PFC co-owners Josh Simpson and Rob Friend. The Canada-capped striker is a magician with his left foot.
TC_22490_web_DJ408718.jpg
Marcos Bustos, right, of Pacific FC and Dylon Powley of FC Edmonton seek control of the ball during a CPL soccer game in Charlottetown on Sunday. VIA CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE Sept. 6, 2020

Pacific FC focused on Marco Bustos during the Canadian Premier League off-season free-agent signing period. It proved a genius move by PFC co-owners Josh Simpson and Rob Friend.

The Canada-capped striker is a magician with his left foot. Which is a good thing because, with the clock draining, Pacific FC needed a moment of magic to keep their season alive. Bustos provided it with a deft left-footed touch to curl the ball inside the far post at 85 minutes to give PFC a 2-1 victory over FC Edmonton and a berth in the playoff round.

“I practice that shot every day in practice, 20 or 30 times a day, for moments like this,” said Bustos, of his third goal of the tournament.

Kadin Chung — described by PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah as the best right back in the tournament and “on the doorstep to knock on the national team” — provided Bustos with the pass that led to the winning goal.

PFC (3-2-2) needed a victory in its final first-round game to advance. That task grew daunting when the Tridents fell behind 1-0 at 59 minutes when a goaltending error by Callum Irving allowed Easton Ongaro to score a gift goal for FC Edmonton. That looked to be a devastating blow. But hometown Victoria product and former Vancouver Whitecaps MLS draft-pick Josh Heard pulled PFC level. The Pac-12 University of Washington Huskies graduate slid his leg to a squirting ball in the box, after a free kick, to make it 1-1 at 64 minutes before Bustos’ heroics 21 minutes later.

“It’s a weird feeling knowing you have to score two goals or you’re going home,” said Bustos, who scored seven goals last season for his hometown Valour FC of Winnipeg.

“I didn’t know what to say [after scoring]. I just started screaming. We grinded it out, and dug deep, and never gave up. We put them under pressure in the last 20 minutes like they put us under pressure in the first half.”

The game continued a league pattern in the first round of the CPL’s pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season, which is being played in a bubble in Charlottetown. Bustos’ goal was the 17th in the tournament scored after the 85th minute. Among them have been a head-spinning array of basketball-type whistle-beaters. It has provided edge-of-the-seat tension and has won rave reviews from soccer fans across the country. But that is small consolation if you find yourself on the wrong side of those heart-racing moments. That is what PFC was facing before it dramatically rebounded to claim the fourth playoff-round berth behind Forge FC of Hamilton, Cavalry FC of Calgary and the HFX Wanderers of Halifax.

“We didn’t make it easy, but we showed resilience,” said PFC bench-boss Kah.

“Our players were proper warriors.”

He got no argument from the opposing side.

“That was a character performance for Pacific in a must-win situation,” said FC Edmonton head coach Jeff Paulus.

“That last 15 minutes was a credit to them.”

The last-place Eddies (0-6-1) go home winless.

“Our lads fought to the end,” said Paulus.

“I don’t feel we’ve been outplayed in this tournament. It’s little moments that have cost us.”

It was Bustos who provided that moment Sunday.

“Chance Carter had controlled him and that’s the one time Bustos got free,” said Paulus.

That was one time too many for the Eddies.

The playoff group stage is a round-robin with Pacific FC opening Wednesday at 5 p.m. against 2019 CPL runner-up Cavalry FC. The Tridents meet defending champion Forge FC at 9 a.m. Saturday in a nationally-televised game on CBC before closing against HFX on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. All times are PDT.

The top team in the playoff round-robin earns a bye into the one-game league final. The fourth-place team is eliminated. The second- and third-place teams in the playoff round-robin will meet in a single-game semifinal, with the winner advancing to the final. Those dates are to be determined.

The CPL champion will advance to meet the top Canadian team from Major League Soccer for the Canadian Championship, this nation’s FA Cup-type title. The Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact and Toronto FC are playing in a Canada-only MLS tournament to decide who will advance against the CPL champion. The Canadian champion will represent the nation in the CONCACAF Champions tournament against the club champions from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com