The Halifax Wanderers will head into the Outcome in control of fourth place, after beating Valour FC 3-0 in Winnipeg for perhaps their most impressive away win of the year. With the victory, they leapt ahead of York United and now have a better chance to secure a home playoff match in next week's final game of the regular season.
Despite a Halifax lineup without many of its usual attackers, they managed to score three as goalkeeper Aiden Rushenas posted the first clean sheet of his professional career to send the Wanderers home happy.
Missing a litany of usual starters due to injury, suspension and international duty, it was a somewhat makeshift Wanderers lineup to start the game, featuring Rushenas in his first start of the year, Alessandro Biello in midfield and Yohan Baï alone up front.
The hosts Valour were the more aggressive early in the contest, putting pressure on Halifax high up the pitch and controlling the ball. Halifax struggled to get the ball out of their end through a combination of Valour's press and unforced errors from the back, but they did generate a handful of good chances in transition.
Finally though, the Wanderers found an opening goal via some unlikely heroes in the 35th minute. Biello received it on the right side of the box and sent a low ball in toward the penalty spot as Valour's defence retreated. Defender Adam Pearlman, alone in a pocket of space, redirected it goalward with his first touch to beat Eleias Himaras and give Halifax a first-half lead.
Rushenas was called into action almost immediately after, as Valour kicked off and moved forward with renewed energy. Jordan Faria managed to get open behind Halifax's defence, onside and unmarked, and he fired a strong shot at goal but Rushenas reacted well to make a great kick save.
The second half had a similar flow, with the hosts Valour holding much more of the ball and searching eagerly for an equalizer. The home bench was incensed around 10 minutes into the half after a late challenge by Lorenzo Callegari, who had already been shown a yellow card in the match, but the referee opted not to give him the second and send him off.
Still, Valour continued to press forward, trying to challenge Rushenas by throwing the ball repeatedly into the box.
The match became increasingly physical in the second half, as both sides stretched the pitch more prompting some aggressive sliding tackles to break up transitions.
With 15 minutes left to play, the Wanderers doubled their lead to all but wrap up their victory. Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé found Kareem Sow on the left edge of the box, and Sow cut it back for Isaiah Johnston. The midfielder opted not to move the ball on, instead holding off his defender to turn to goal and slip it past Himaras for the second goal.
Not long after that, an even more welcome sight arrived for Halifax fans: a Tiago Coimbra goal. The club's leading scorer had checked into the match for the final half-hour, and in the 82nd minute he brought down a ball behind the Valour defence. Centre-back Diego Konincks hauled him down in the box, and the referee awarded a penalty kick.
Coimbra took it himself, slowing his run and placing it to the left to score the Wanderers' third of the day and his 12th of the CPL season — and his first since a hat-trick against Valour on Aug. 21.
With an emphatic road victory — their first since May 17 — the Wanderers now know they control their own destiny in next Saturday's home match against Atlético Ottawa. They'll have a one-point advantage over York United, meaning a win would at least ensure home field in that fourth-versus-fifth knockout match at the beginning of the playoffs.
If Vancouver FC were to beat Cavalry at the same time, then Halifax could finish as high as third.
All four CPL teams will be in action next Saturday, Oct. 18 simultaneously as part of The Outcome, kicking off at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on OneSoccer and TSN.
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Valour FC: Himaras; Alarcón, Konincks, Egwu, Antonoglou; Froese (Figueiredo 78'), Ohin (Venâncio 65'), Ressurreição (Mlah 78'); Twardek, Morgan (Pop 87'), Faria (Voytsekhovskyy 65')
Halifax Wanderers: Rushenas; Pearlman, Alphonse (Ciccarelli 87'), Meilleur-Giguère, Mekideche, Sow; Biello (Gagnon-Laparé 68'), Callegari, Johnston (Vasconcelos 87'), Rea; Baï (Coimbra 60')
Goals
35' — Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers)
76' — Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers)
83' — Tiago Coimbra (Halifax Wanderers) (Penalty)
Discipline
40' — Yellow: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers)
54' — Yellow: Roberto Alarcón (Valour FC)
60' — Yellow: Diogo Ressurreição (Valour FC)
70' — Yellow: Aiden Rushenas (Halifax Wanderers)
82' — Yellow: Diego Konincks (Valour FC)