| Final Score: Halifax Wanderers FC 1-2 Vancouver FC Goalscorers: Meilleur-Giguère 89'; Campagna 40', Mbongue 46' Game of the 2025 season: 67 CPL Match: 662 |
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Match in a minute or less
Vancouver FC got back into the win column for the first time since May on Monday afternoon, beating Halifax Wanderers FC 2-1 for their first victory under interim head coach Martin Nash.
Matteo Campagna scored the opening goal five minutes before half-time, putting the ball into the wide open net from close range after Aidan O'Connor headed a Vasco Fry corner kick back across goal to his centre-back partner. Hugo Mbongue doubled the advantage for the visitors 33 seconds after half-time -- a finish from close range that would prove to be the match winner after Thomas Meilleur-Giguère pulled one back for the Wanderers in the 89th minute.
The hosts pushed hard for an equalizer in stoppage time but came closest with a Tiago Coimbra header off the crossbar as they suffered a fourth defeat in a row -- their worst stretch of results since losing five straight in July 2019.
Three Observations
Eagles pick up long-awaited victory with rare multi-goal performance
Vancouver FC had not won a game since May 3 prior to Monday's victory on the east coast, and in doing so scored multiple goals in a match for just the third time this season.
They had drawn the previous two such ocassions, tying 2-2 with Atletico Ottawa in May and 4-4 in an chaotic Salish Sea Derby in June against next weekend's opponent Pacific FC. The Eagles had not won a game at all since a 3-1 win over Valour FC on May 3, their only other victory of the season so far, so Monday's result was a long time coming, and much-needed.
It is also the first win under interim head coach Martin Nash in just his second match since taking over from Afshin Ghotbi. Nash has historically had favourable results at Wanderers Grounds, having now won in four of his five trips to the east coast and drawing the other when factoring in the four trips he made while in charge of York United as well.
Under Nash, Vancouver has put an emphasis on playing on the front foot and being the aggresors -- something that was especially clear on their second goal. Hugo Mbongue, who said this week that he wants to score ten goals for Vancouver while on loan from Toronto FC until the end of the season, scored his first for the club just 33 seconds into the second half -- charging up the pitch and battling for position on a Thierno Bah cross into the box that he had two stabs at before it found the back of the net.
That came after Matteo Campagna scored his first in the CPL, putting the ball away from a couple of yards out after Aidan O'Connor headed it laterally to him after a dangrous corner from Vasco Fry.
The Eagles have been waiting all season for improvement offensively, and while they can't expect Campagna to be a regular source of goals, getting them from multiple sources is a positive sign, as is Mbongue opening his CPL account in just his second appearance for the club.
Wanderers' recent slide continues with fourth-consecutive defeat
With Monday's defeat to Vancouver FC, the Halifax Wanderers have now lost four matches in a row -- the club's worst stretch since losing five straight in July 2019.
Going forward, the Wanderers did not look particularly threatening in the first half, taking just two shots with neither of them hitting the target, and the timing of the two Vancouver goals only added to the pressure placed on them. Matteo Campagna's goal came five minutes before half-time and Hugo Mbongue's was 33 seconds after, killing the momentum the Wanderers had been building prior to the goals.
They did well to not let it faze them and keep pushing for goals -- and nearly pulled off the comeback after Thomas Meilleur-Giguere scored, the woodwork was struck twice, Callum Irving made a big stoppage time save, and Ryan Telfer had a goal called back for an alleged offside. Ultimately, it was not enough as Vancouver was able to hang on for the full three points.
While understandably frustrated after the match, head coach Patrice Gheisar was adamant that he won't let his side lose focus on their target for this season -- holding on to a playoff spot and bringing the North Star Cup to Halifax for the first time. Always level-headed in his approach, Gheisar preached in his post-game press conference that he wouldn't take his foot off the gas pedal after four-straight wins, so he won't give up after four losses either.
The Wanderers started the season unbeaten in five, were sitting in first place after eight weeks, and have not dropped out of the playoff positions yet this season, so they know they belong with the league's top clubs this season. Winning the CPL Shield is unlikely given that this recent slide has left them 13 points back of current leaders Forge FC -- who they lost to last weekend -- but this Wanderers group still has the potential to do something special.
They will look to bounce back in a big way next Saturday when they travel to reigning CPL champions Cavalry FC, who are ahead of them in the table and also looking to string a few positive results together.
Centre-backs contribute on both sides of the ball for Vancouver as partnership continues to grow
After a huge victory on the road in which he scored the opening goal, Vancouver FC centre-back Matteo Campagna was asked by the OneSoccer broadcast crew about his partnership with centre-back partner Aidan O'Connor, and Campagna referred to him as his "brother". The idea of a team being a "brothership" is not a new cliche in the world of sports, but Campagna and O'Connor have clearly built a strong relationship that is beginning to pay dividends.
Campagna has started every match for the Eagles this season, most of them at centre-back alongside O'Connor since the latter player joined on loan from MLS Next Pro club New York Red Bulls II in April -- with the exception of O'Connor missing three games in late May and early June through injury.
Both have been among the best players for Vancouver this season at times despite conceding two goals per game on average, but now they are showing signs of being the partnership in the middle of the backline that the Eagles have desperately been looking for to turn their defensive woes around. O'Connor in particular led the team with three interceptions and 12 clearances on Monday, and won five of his six aerial duels in another strong showing.
The two also combined for Campagna's goal, with O'Connor making a designed run to the back post to meet a corner kick from Vasco Fry, heading it across goal to Campagna, who made no mistake and placed the ball into the now-wide-open net. Campagna said that in training they were calling it the banana peel run, and in the end it worked perfectly.
Interim head coach Martin Nash was pleased with the performance from his young defensive duo, but also added that he believes they have another level to reach. Their continued emergence will be important if Vancouver is going to turn around their season in any capacity and try to find some consistent positive results.
What They Said
"We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror, starting from me being the leader of the team, and we've got to keep fighting. I think in the season, sometimes you hit a dip, but we've got to be ashamed of this, four in a row we've lost now. Vancouver coming to us and taking the full three points in front of our crowd is very disappointing, and you've got to look in the mirror and put our heads down and keep working. We've got a hard game next week against Cavalry and we go to Pacific, it's not going to be easy so we've got to stick together and try to get ourselves out of it." -- Halifax Wanderers captain Andre Rampersad
"It's been a tough season. It's a great group of guys, they work extremely hard as you see today and it's nice for them to get some reward from the hard work they put in, so hopefully we can build from this one going forward." -- Vancouver FC interim head coach Martin Nash
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Aidan O'Connor, Vancouver FC
Aidan O'Connor and Matteo Campagna are continuing to form a strong partnership at centre-back, and combined for Vancouver's opening goal on Monday. They nearly held on for a clean sheet as well, and were crucial in holding down the fort as the Eagles faced pressure from the Wanderers in stoppage time, with O'Connor leading the way.
What’s next?
The Wanderers hit the road for a trip to Calgary next Saturday to take on Cavalry FC (6 p.m. AT/3 p.m. MT), while Vancouver FC return home for the Salish Sea Derby against Pacific FC on Sunday (3 p.m. PT)
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