Notes from HFX Wanderers training camp

Although the city was wet and sullen, things were lively inside the BMO Soccer Centre on Friday as the Halifax Wanderers prepare to kickoff their season.

Over the next few weeks, head coach Patrice Gheisar and his staff will be working hard to integrate several new signings — highlighted by the likes of Christian Volesky, Vitor Dias, Giorgio Probo and Julian Dunn — into a squad which tied for second on points in the CPL last year. The club will be training in Nova Scotia over the next three weeks before departing on a coast-to-coast trip for pre-season friendlies before their first match against Pacific on April 13.

Friday marked the first time local media had the opportunity to observe training as the Wanderers look to build on last year's campaign. Here are some quick observations from that session.

Growing coverage

Just a small note about the media in attendance.

Over the course of the session, which was scheduled to started at 9:30 a.m., several media outlets made the drive to speak to coaches and players. In addition to the Wanderers Notebook, Martin Bauman of The Coast, Anthony Abbott of Down the Pub podcast and Paul Brothers of Global News were on hand to observe training and set up interviews. Now, this may seem like a mundane point but speaks volumes to the interest around the club. Newsrooms are smaller than they've ever been; reporters are being asked to do more with less. The fact that the Wanderers' pre-season training is attracting more attendees than Toronto FC's end of the year press conference shows what's happening in Halifax is special.

And it shouldn't be taken for granted. If you haven't already, please subscribe, read and listen to any of the aforementioned outlets. You won't be disappointed.

Let the games begin

Although training camp jus started, the players are already working hard to show their mettle. Competition, to put it mildly, is fierce.

This is just an observation but after having attended several training sessions last year, there was a different feeling around the group on Friday. There's never been more competition for spots and the players obviously realize this as, be it in warm ups or in a drill, everyone seemed focused on raising the bar. If striker Tiago Coimbra scored a goal in the scrimmage, it was only a matter of time before veterans Christian Volesky or Ryan Telfer made their mark. The intensity was palpable.

And there are jobs on the line.

One of the biggest training camp battles to watch is for the role of backup keeper. Although Aiden Rushenas spent all of last season with the club, Daniel Clarke is coming into training camp fresh off a national U Sports championship with Cape Breton University. Having spoken to him in January, Clarke is focused on fighting for a permanent spot and isn't going to let up without a fight. It's still early but the coaching staff opted to let starter Yann Fillion keep one net the entirety of their nine-a-side and rotated Rushenas and Clarke. All three looked sharp.

The other big battle will be at centre-back as the Wanderers signed 23-year old Julian Dunn and brought back Kareem Sow. Mixed with the dynamic duo of Cale Loughrey and Daniel Nimick, the club now has four genuine starter options. I think it's safe to say Nimick will continue to be a fixture of Halifax's backline (he looked very, very good yesterday) but it will be interesting to see if the Wanderers keep Loughrey with him given their partnership or test out a few different combinations. To note, Loughrey was recently on the Wanderer Grounds podcast and mentioned he's been working on his passing and vision to add another dimension to his game.

Nimick and Loughrey were paired together for the nine-a-side scrimmage.

Looking sharp

Although it was only a two hour session, a number of players made sure to make their presence known.

As mentioned previously, Nimick looks every bit as poised as last year and was a commanding presence. Zachary Fernandez, who is back after significant interest from clubs in MLS and Europe, looks like a man with something to prove and scored a goal with one of the most violent volleys I've ever seen, causing those of us in the press galley to collectively clutch our pearls. Yorgos Gavas, who is at camp as a U-18 development player, also looked sharp and assisted on Fernandez's goal.

Aidan Daniels, who is trying to build on his breakout 2023 campaign, scored a nifty brace.

But the player everyone is talking — and was pointed out to media upon arrival — is 25-year old Brazilian midfielder Vitor Dias, who impressed with his technical ability, vision and work ethic over the first few days of camp. I had the chance to interview Dias after training (article to come out next week) and he was all smiles as he discussed his experience with the Wanderers so far.

"It's been amazing. It couldn't be going any better, really," he said.

And when asked who he was most excited to play with this season, Dias didn't hesitate: Lorenzo Callegari.

"Lorenzo is one of the guys I like a lot. Already, in these first few days, we're building that connection and chemistry," he said.

Injury report

As the club released in a statement earlier, Sow will miss the first few weeks of camp as he recovers from a planned wrist surgery; he is not currently in Halifax. No other players are listed as injured.

Cover Photo Credit: Halifax Wanderers FC