It’s playoff season in the Canadian Premier League and the top five finishers from the regular season are set to battle for the North Star Cup. Starting on Wednesday, Oct. 22 and culminating in the CPL Final on Nov. 9, the CanPL.ca staff preview each team’s postseason hopes.
The Story
Halifax Wanderers FC — 4th place, 39 points
Record (W-D-L): 11-11-6
Goals For/Against: 41/34
Top Scorer: Tiago Coimbra (12)
Assists Leader: Wesley Timóteo and Sean Rea (4)
The Halifax Wanderers enter the postseason having met most of their goals. They endeavoured to be harder to play against, adopting an energetic press inspired by Canadian men's national team head coach Jesse Marsch. They aimed to be better away from the Wanderers Grounds and ended the year with the most away points (15) in club history. And, perhaps most importantly, they coveted a return to the playoffs following a disappointing 2024 campaign, a feat they confirmed with a win on Sept. 20.
This year, however, wasn’t without adversity as the club, led by head coach Patrice Gheisar, shot out of the gates for the best start in club history but hit a rough patch in July that tested coaches and players alike. They changed formations and, after a tough summer, broke out in late August, with impressive 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Valour FC and Pacific FC. Their form to end the regular season was middling (2-1-2) but they did enough to secure fourth place and the all-important home playoff match for their fans. Now, with several players returning from suspension, injury and international duty, it’ll be interesting to see if the Wanderers can find postseason success.
The Stats
34 goals conceded
The Wanderers were much improved defensively compared to 2024 and some of that can be attributed to their off-season signings. Centre-back Thomas Meilleur-Giguère and midfielder Isaiah Johnston did a lot to strengthen the spine of the squad with their work ethic and football IQ, while towering 'keeper Rayane Yesli's goals against average was the third lowest in the league (1.26), trailing only Nathan Ingham (1.00) and Jassem Koleilat (0.78). The combination of their high press, and a more athletic roster, helped the club concede nine fewer goals than 2024. They also had nine clean sheets on their road to playoff football.
Club record for goals scored (41)
Although much was made of the club's commitment to defending, it's worth noting that the Wanderers quietly set the club record for goals scored with 41. They surpassed the previous high-water mark of 39, established during Gheisar's first year at the helm, courtesy of excellent service from players like Timóteo, Rea and Johnston, and thanks to the rise of striker Tiago Coimbra. They finished in the middle of the pack offensively this year but third for shots taken (264), indicating their finishing can still be better.
353 tackles lead the league
The Wanderers aren't afraid of a challenge, leading the league with 353 tackles. Midfielder Lorenzo Callegari best exemplifies this mentality as he, and mifdield partner Johnston, are responsible for 99 tackles, again showcasing Halifax's willingness to engage defensively. Callegari (56), who leads the CPL, Johnston (43), Timóteo (43) and Adam Pearlman (37) all sit within the top 10 for this stat.
The Stars
Tiago Coimbra, Forward
The first few years of Gheisar's tenure saw the club searching for an answer at striker following the sale of Sam Salter to Atlético Ottawa. Thankfully for the Wanderers, they had their man this year in Tiago Coimbra as the 21-year old exploded offensively for 12 goals and three assists. The Brazilian-Canadian is undoubtedly in the conversation for U-21 Player of the Year and was also in the running for the Golden Boot until an injury on Sept. 1 sidelined him for a month.
The club lacked bite without their No. 9 so his return to action — with minutes against Valour and Atlético Ottawa — is huge as the Wanderers enter the playoffs. Coimbra is a much more complete striker since he first pulled on a blue shirt in 2023 and has the pace and size to beat defenders on the pitch or in the air. His back-to-goal play, once a weakness, is now a strength and he's showcased an ability to lay the ball off for teammates that wasn't previously there. SImply put, Coimbra is the Wanderers' most dangerous player in the box. There's also a case to be made that he's the most consistent striker in the CPL as his 0.88 goals average per 90 minutes leads the league. Given Halifax's goal scoring woes during the 2023 playoffs, it's possible the club may live or die by Coimbra's ability to convert.
Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, Defender
If Coimbra is Halifax's spear, then Thomas Meilleur-Giguère is their shield. The 2021 CPL champion raised the standards of the club from the first moment he walked onto the pitch for training camp and hasn't looked back, leading through both his actions and his words. Meilleur-Giguère isn't the fastest player in the league, nor is he the most technical. But he more than makes up for it with passion and a willingness to put his body on the line with an important block or a set piece goal. It's no coincidence that the Wanderers were better defensively this season: the 27-year old centre-back has quietly been one of the best defenders in the league for some time and led in headed duels and clearances while playing every second for his club. Meilleur-Giguère also continues to be a threat on set pieces with his aerial prowess, potting five goals across all competitions.
Lorenzo Callegari, Midfield
No player has encapsulated Gheisar's philosophy as thoroughly as former Paris Saint-Germain academy product Lorenzo Callegari. After two years on the East Coast, Callegari signed a new contract with the Wanderers this winter feeling that there was unfinished business. And although he hasn't contributed offensively as much as he has in previous years, the Frenchman remains central to the way the Wanderers play. Callegari's passing and vision remains his best attribute as his ability to ping a ball — best showcased by his assist on Ryan Telfer's goal versus Forge this year — is unlike anyone else on the squad. There's been some tweaks this season, with Johnston serving as a fantastic partner in a midfield pivot, that mean Callegari isn't routinely surpassing 100 touches. But, at 27 years old, Callegari remains at the height of his powers and will very much dictate the Wanderers' fortunes with his play on and off the ball. He — like the rest of his teammates — enters the playoffs with something to prove.
The Soundbites
“I'm really, really excited. I think if we were short of (hosting a home playoff match), it would've been disappointing. Really estatic to share that moment with our fans, who have been so committed and so supportive, it's very special. I think it has to be about us. We have to be energetic and ready to go.”
— Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar
"Either way, if we get third or not, we're going to end up having to play Cavalry. It's okay . . . It's very exciting to look forward to (a home playoff match) but like I've said before, it's playoffs. We've beaten York here before and we just can't take them lightly."
— Halifax Wanderers FC striker Tiago Coimbra
The Scenario
The Wanderers enter Wednesday versus an opponent they know very well in York United FC. They decidedly don't like each other, with a rivalry that's grown since their first match of the season, when former Wanderer Giorgio Probo stoked the fire with his comments about diving post-match.
Their match at the Wanderers Grounds on Oct. 4, in many ways, set the stage for a playoff showdown. The question is: will the Wanderers be able to replicate the form that saw them pull York apart York for a 4-0 victory? Or will they succumb to a strong Nine Stripes side which has plenty of firepower up front? Both the Wanderers and York United enter the playoffs in okay form. But one of the biggest determining factors will be how they set up, as Gheisar's squad has been playing in a 5-4-1 with wing-backs — a variant of York's preferred formation for much of the year — or some other formation, be it a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1.
Interestingly, Gheisar's players have played their last two matches conceding possession, relying on their defensive structure and counter-attacks to guide them to victory. It worked against Valour but not against Atlético Ottawa. But there's a steeliness to this Wanderers squad that could push them to victory. If they win on Wednesday, it's still a rocky road to the North Star Cup as they'll have a quick turnaround to ATCO Field, with Cavalry FC waiting in the wings, before facing the loser of the Forge FC-Atlético Ottawa heavyweight bout.