Halifax Wanderers FC will host Pacific FC on Saturday afternoon in the first CPL playoff match ever played in Nova Scotia. The third-place Wanderers will be kicking off their postseason campaign against the fourth-place Pacific, who qualified for the quarter-final match by defeating fifth-place York United on Wednesday night back at home, before flying all the way from Vancouver Island to Halifax to continue their North Star Cup bid. The head coaches of the two sides — Halifax’s Patrice Gheisar and Pacific’s James Merriman — spoke to reporters via conference call on Friday. Here are some highlights of what they had to say.
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Patrice Gheisar, Halifax Wanderers FC
On learning his opponent for the game on Wednesday:
“It was such a close game, and you can see with how the result was done last minute; it doesn’t matter because both teams were in Victoria. For us, it doesn’t matter if it’s York or Pacific, it’s kind of pick your poison because both teams are really good teams, they all offer different kinds of problems. … Pacific is a team that’s been in many, many, many playoff games, have a lot of experience, so we’ll see. Looking forward to it.”
On adjusting to a playoff style of play:
“Our style is so distinct and different that generally in the playoffs, you don’t see anyone try to play more; you try to play not to make mistakes. If we win, we win; if we lose, we lose. It happens. Everybody wins a game they’re not supposed to, and everybody loses a game they’re not supposed to. We just want to stick to our principles, play the way we want to, play free and enjoy this moment. If we didn’t have a good season, we wouldn’t have our first ever home playoff game. There’s no reason to be uptight, really anxious and worried about the game.”
On balancing excitement with nerves in a playoff match:
“It’s funny, you go into this game trying to think who’s the favourite, who’s the udnerdog, and there’s all those feelings; all I’m trying to tell our guys is dismiss all that. It’s not our first playoff game because we’ve been in playoff positions the past five, six games. The Ottawa game at home was must-win. The Forge game at home was must-win. We painted the picture that playoffs started for us four or five weeks ago, so nothing changes. “It’s 11 against 11 guys, one ball, four officials, a lot of supportive fans. Just enjoy the moment. Don’t feel worried about it. If you’re worried leading up to the game, it’s okay to be anxious, just use that and channel it to bring excitement into it. Like they say, pressure is a privilege. If you’re in a pressure position, it’s because you did something right. If you’re in last place, you don’t have any pressure.”
On this being the biggest game in Wanderers history:
“As a staff, for sure, without a doubt. [There was] the Island Games, being a shorter season with the final, but I think with the Canada-Brazil game coming here, with the discussion of an expanded stadium, with the season that we’ve had, this is one of our bigger games. We love it. Our guys are becoming addicted to this feeling. We want to keep this going, we want to be able to live a bigger game next week and the week after, but one game at a time, one half at a time, one pass at a time.”
On the team’s reception from fans in Halifax:
“You look at everywhere, you look at the news, today fans came and watched our session, it’s great. The joy that it brings to the city; it’s been a couple rainy days and as we get closer to the game, the sun’s coming out. It’s very nostalgic and emotional. “I’m really happy that our guys were able to give this gift to the city. The organization, it’s been five years of hard work through the ownership and the staff that was here to lay this out. To see it come alive, I’m extremely excited and I hope it’s a sign of bigger and many more things to come.”
James Merriman, Pacific FC
On embracing the challenge as visitors in Halifax:
“We have to. Especially with the schedule. We know they have a great atmosphere and a great environment, and their fans; they’ll be celebrating the playoff match, but we have a strong group and we have guys in the room that are going to take this challenge on to be there for the game because this is not easy. This is not just travelling to play an away game. It’s not easy to recover and play this match this quick with this much into the game at this point in the season, it’s a difficult situation for our players and they can channel that toward the match. That’s what we need to do. “I think the pressure has to be on [Halifax]; I wouldn’t say that in the season, I thought we played them very well, very even. They’ve had a good season, we know the progressions they’ve made as a team and the way that they play, but in terms of this moment right now, it’s on them in front of their home crowd. We’re going to use that to go in and mix it up, and put pressure on them.”
On a whirlwind few days after Wednesday’s game:
“It’s come and gone fast. Time for recovery, there’s not been any time. We had to get on a ferry, go across to Vancouver, fly to Toronto; we arrived here around 1:30 last night or this morning, we went to the airport hotel at 2:30, now we’re here waiting for our flight to Halifax. “There’s been no time for recovery; it’s 100 per cent mentality to accept the challenge. We’ll get to Halifax this evening, go for a walk, have dinner and prepare for the match.”
On his team’s depth:
“This is why we have depth. We’ve been challenged the last part of the season but we still have a great spirit and good relationships inside the locker room. Our team’s very close, and this is when you need to come together, when you’re challenged like this, when you’re going against adversity like this with this schedule. Going into their atmosphere, with their crowd, we need to rely on players that have played big minutes of course, but also players that haven’t been given as much opportunity. They need to step up now and give us that energy.”
On managing fatigue and injuries in the squad:
“The guys have been alright, they’ve recovered the best they can and this is the part of the season where, honestly, I don’t know if they’re going to tell me a hundred per cent how they feel anyways. They’re just going to nod and carry on. That’s the type of character those guys are, but that’s also what we need. We need that mentality of, let’s push through, whatever it is. Let’s get on with it, let’s get on with the travel, let’s tackle the match, whatever time. “That’s the attitude in the group right now, that’s the attitude we have to have, and I appreciate it because I can see it and I can feel it.”
On the benefit of previous playoff experience:
“It’s important in the lead-up to the match, in the dressing room, in the warm-up and in the approach to start. All the little moments, the momentum shifts and swings in the match, halftime; it’s managing all those moments. Like that set-piece [against York United] with Paris [Gee], with the offside, pushing the line up in the last moments. Staying focused, staying concentrated even when you’re tired. “We’re going to lean on those guys in our dressing room. Once the game starts they’re going to be the ones on the field and they’re going to feel it and be tired, and we need to be together. In all the moments, in all the details with that focus.”