'Showtime': Wanderers turn attention to playoffs following 1-0 loss to Atlético Ottawa

Despite a last-gasp goal, scored by Atlético Ottawa newcomer Richie Ennin in the 89th minute, the Halifax Wanderers end the Canadian Premier League (CPL) regular season knowing their playoff destiny. Now, they prepare to compete for the North Star Cup, with their performances very much guiding future decisions around the club.

The fact that the Wanderers rebounded from a disastrous 2024 campaign to clinch fourth on the table — and secured an important home playoff match — is heartening. As head coach Patrice Gheisar pointed out in several of his media availabilities, this season has been historic in some regards, with the club boasting their most away points (15) and goals scored (41) in club history.

But the truth is the best clubs in the CPL have raised their ceilings and it remains to be seen if the Wanderers, who enter Wednesday's match versus York United FC in what's best described as mixed form, having won two of their last five matches, can perform when it matters most. Could Halifax's performance versus Atlético Ottawa be indicative of what's to come?

Well, yes and no.

The Wanderers entered Saturday having only recently returned to full strength. Several important players had missed time due to a mixture of international duty, suspension and injury, forcing Gheisar to play an ultra-defensive squad last week versus Valour FC. They managed a 3-0 win, which ultimately proved the difference in them hosting a home playoff match. But they played a brand of defensive football in a 5-4-1 formation that saw the Wanderers concede 65 per cent possession. They were able to hit Valour — a club that allowed 62 goals against this season — on the counter.

But the same game plan, albeit with key players like goalkeeper Rayane Yesli and U-21 striker Tiago Coimbra starting, failed to create anything of substance versus a strong Atlético Ottawa side.

"We had a few moments, could've done a little bit more but I thought it was a very tactical game in regards to holding the ball in the middle and we denied a lot of entries into the 18 and we kept them in front of us until the 89th (minute)," said Gheisar post-match. "At that point, we needed to take a chance and pushed Thomas (Meilleur-Giguère) up front with (Ryan) Telfer, to go two up front, and the moment we did, they got the chance and we paid for it."

It's admirable that the Wanderers went for broke, pushing for a late win by moving their star centre-back up forward but it was partially borne by the reality they created very little. Gheisar's side had some looks early but, be it a heavy touch by Coimbra or a skied shot, nothing really came off. They finished the match with five meagre shots towards goal. And, like against Valour, they conceded 65 per cent possession in a sterile performance. But it wasn't just about the score.

Gheisar noted, aside from achieving their objectives around securing a home playoff match, Saturday was about getting players fit following absences.

"There's a lot of players who needed to build more continuity and I thought they did that today," he said. "It's a lot of good performances. To have Tiago back and play that long amount of minutes, we had to take him off to not push our luck. It was really good to see him play 70 minutes."

The Wanderers will need players like Coimbra firing to give themselves their best shot at a long post-season. It's likely one of the reasons attacking midfielder Vitor Dias, who Gheisar said was available for selection on Friday, didn't play: they're keeping their powder dry for when it matters.

And it's also interesting to see Gheisar's development as a professional coach. It's hard to imagine the coach he was in 2023 choosing to play without the ball yet, due to availabilities and circumstances, he's done just that the last few matches. Pacific FC knew in their 2023 playoff tilt that — after a hellish journey across the country — they could sit in a low-block and hit the Wanderers on the counter. With the match against York only a few days away, it remains to be seen which version of the Wanderers will greet head coach Mauro Eustáquio's squad. But there's no doubt a pragmatism has crept into the Wanderers as they look to make a deep playoff run. Given Gheisar's out of contract at the end of the year, the following weeks will likely determine his future at the club.

The Wanderers, of course, are betting on themselves, a notion Coimbra explained to media following his return to action at the Wanderers Grounds.

"It's just unlucky," he said of the loss, having not looked at all the results yet. "Either way, if we get third or not, we're going to end up having to play Cavalry (FC). It's okay . . . It's very exciting to look forward to (a home playoff match) but like I said before, it's playoffs. We've beat York here before and we just can't take them lightly."

The Wanderers striker added the squad is committed to doing whatever it takes to win, adding performances like the one versus Ottawa, like so much in football, can come down to luck.

"It almost worked for us," said Coimbra.

The mood following Saturday's loss is perhaps best summarized by Gheisar himself. Having answered all the questions from media, he rose from his seat and, as he headed towards the door, highlighted that the most important match of Halifax's season was yet to come.

"Showtime, let's go," he said.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC