| Final Score: York United FC 5-1 Pacific FC Goalscorers: Hundal 11', 73', 81', 84', López 17'; Díaz 45+1' Game of the 2025 season: 80 CPL Match: 675 |
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Match in a minute or less
York United kept pace in their battle for playoff positioning on Sunday afternoon at York Lions Stadium, as a pair of early markers and a four-goal day for Shaan Hundal led them to a 5-1 win over Pacific FC.
Hundal, who got the start up front with Julian Altobelli dealing with a knock, opened the scoring just over 10 minutes in, receiving a dangerous pass from Massimo Ferrin and slotting a finish into the bottom corner. The home side doubled their lead just a few minutes later, this with thanks to Leonel López who smashed home a shot inside the box despite heavy coverage from Pacific.
Pacific clawed one back just before halftime thanks to Alejandro Díaz, but Hundal would add a second midway through the second half, then a third to complete his hat-trick in the 81st minute. Moments later, he added yet another, becoming just the second player in CPL history to score four in a match.
The three points put York just one behind Cavalry for third in the table. Pacific, meanwhile, now find themselves 10 points out of a playoff spot with eight weeks left to play.
Three Observations
No Altobelli, no problem as Hundal steps up for York
The most notable storyline to come from the teamsheets for this contest was the surprise omission of York United leading scorer Julian Altobelli. The striker and Golden Boot contender was completely absent from the matchday 18, dealing with a minor case of hamstring tightness.
Although Altobelli's exclusion was precautionary and he's unlikely to miss much more action, it meant York coach Mauro Eustáquio did have to change up an attack that has been largely consistent throughout this season. He gave Shaan Hundal his first start for the club, just over a month after he joined York from Valour FC.
Hundal had introduced himself to his new club several weeks ago with a debut assist off the bench against Vancouver (another of his former sides), and on this occasion he again wasted no time. Hundal needed just about 10 minutes to score for York with what was a collected, professional finish.
This York attack seems to be a good environment for Hundal, who had scored twice this year for Valour but seems to have already built up more confidence and chemistry with his new side.
Only once before in CPL history has a player scored four in a game (earlier this year in fact, when Sam Salter did it). Hundal had a kind of inevitability about him in this match, and not just because of Pacific's increasing defensive frailty as the game continued. Whenever the ball came to him, he had intent to turn toward goal and score, and a strong plan for how to do so.
He's a striker who thrives on confidence, and he also explained postmatch that he's enjoying the attacking structure and tactical plan that Mauro Eustáquio and his staff are providing. Hundal guessed that he doesn't think he's ever scored a hat-trick in a senior match, let alone four, which makes this surely his best-ever game.
York already had a top CPL forward in Altobelli, so with Hundal finding this sort of form they're a scary opponent in these next few weeks of the season.
The question now for Eustáquio? If Altobelli is fit next week, who starts in the number nine spot?
Pacific struggle defensively in catastrophic defeat
This game was essentially a must-win affair for Pacific, who would've been just four points out of a playoff spot had they won, but now sit 10 back and are all but out of the running.
A week ago, they were in a similar situation against Halifax, and went down 2-0 very early, like they did this week. On that occasion, they managed to claw back a 2-2 draw, to at the very least keep pace with the Wanderers and set up this second chance at getting back into the mix. Now, they find themselves in a deep hole, after a disastrous missed opportunity.
James Merriman has had a difficult task the past two weeks, as he's been forced to get a largely new group of defensive personnel up to speed. After Eric Lajeunesse and Fin Tugwell returned to university, Merriman was left with just one healthy natural centre-back who had been with the club all year: Aly Ndom. The club had just signed Ahmad Mansour, Matthew Baldisimo and Roshawn Juhmi, all of whom are capable of deputizing at the position, which gave him options.
It was a tough debut last week for Mansour, who scored an own goal while playing in a trio with Baldisimo and another natural midfielder in Sean Young (Ndom had a knock and couldn't play). Merriman stood by the young player, but changed his back three for the trip to York. Thankfully, Ndom was fit this time around, and his presence was a clear boost — it was his dangerous long ball that created Pacific's first-half goal.
Against York, Ndom centred a back three alongside Baldisimo and Young, two midfielders which gave the defensive line outstanding ball-moving ability, but perhaps wasn't the most comfortable defensively.
Both of York's two early goals showed clear signs of a Pacific defence that's still working out how to play together. Both goals featured a pass that split the line too easily, and a group that's more in sync could perhaps have closed down space more quickly and prevented the chances.
The frustration had clearly become overwhelming by the second half; the mountain became too high to climb by the time of York's third goal. It became too easy for York to break them down, and a late deluge of additional goals seemed almost inevitable.
York keeping pace with unforgiving third-place battle as Pacific slip away
With the win, York finish matchweek 20 where they started it — in fourth place, and in the midst of a furious battle for positioning in the Canadian Premier League table.
Three sides are currently jockeying for the coveted third place spot, because it offers the benefit of not playing a midweek knockout match at the start of the playoffs, instead granting the right to host the semi-final qualifier (with a full week's rest) against the winner of that fourth-versus-fifth contest.
Cavalry FC occupy the third position still with 30 points, but after they managed just a draw this week, York's win allowed them to make up some ground and move up to 29. The Halifax Wanderers, who also won this weekend, are likewise on 29 points, but sit behind York on a tiebreaker.
There's truly no margin for error in this three-way battle; now that there's only eight games left in the regular season, any dropped points on a weekend where one of the other sides wins could spell doom.
The reason that it's now quite definitively a three-way race is that Pacific are now unlikely to be a factor. They have not been able to step up on these occasions where they desperately needed a result.
Pacific captain Josh Heard said postmatch that he and his side fully intend to continue fighting for every point they can, but they know how difficult their road ahead now looks.
The top five in this year's CPL is looking fairly set; the question, however, is who will land where within that five. Forge are pulling away a bit at the top, and there's a considerable gap between second-place Atlético Ottawa and the clubs from third to fifth.
However, all of Cavalry, York and Halifax seem to have hit a second wind in this campaign after some bumpy moments during the summer. That means we're set up for a photo finish as each club fights desperately to finish a little further ahead of the other, and reap the rewards the playoff format is structured to provide.
None of them look likely to let anything slip at the moment, especially after a weekend where all looked dangerous and enjoyed some star-quality contributions. Tiago Coimbra scored a hat-trick for the Wanderers, Ali Musse found the net twice for the Cavs, and of course Hundal tallied four for York; this is going to be an eight-week showdown headlined by some major star power.
What They Said
"The structure we have and the way we're taught to play, it's easy. You know what movements to make. ... The plan is clear, so it makes the football easy." — York United forward Shaan Hundal
"It's massively disappointing. It's not good enough. This is a game that we should be coming out fighting for, and it didn't happen that way. It's a lot of emotions right now and maybe I don't have the right answer for you, but all I can say is it's disappointing." — Pacific FC forward Josh Heard
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Shaan Hundal, York United
Hundal was a star in his first start for his hometown CPL club, scoring four on five shots. He also created two chances and won three fouls in an all-around dominant performance up front.
What’s next?
These teams are both on the road next weekend, beginning on Sunday, Aug. 31 when Pacific visit Winnipeg to play Valour FC (3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT). York, meanwhile, will play a Labour Day matinee in Nova Scotia against the Halifax Wanderers on Monday, Sept. 1 (3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT).
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