Wanderers

Wanderers conclude one of the lowest seasons in club history with an eye on next year

A Wanderers season that began with so much promise ended with a meaningless match — at least, for themselves — on Sunday, with head coach Vanni Sartini's side falling 4-3 to FC Supra du Québec.

Given the ties between the two clubs, with several former Wanderers amongst Supra's ranks, it felt fitting that Sartini's first season should conclude with a tilt against the likes of Sean Rea and Alessandro Biello, two players who came into this campaign with something to prove.

That Rea scored Supra's fourth goal to ensure their playoff survival at the Wanderers Grounds is the sort of poetry that would make American poet Robert Frost sigh contemplatively, a reminder of the road not taken. Rea and his teammates looked hungry for a result. And they earned their spot in the post-season, celebrating in front of the Wanderers faithful in a joyous display that felt akin to CS Saint-Laurent's Canadian Championship victory that ultimately launched their club.

Supra have good reason to celebrate: they're the first expansion club to secure a playoff berth in their first season.

The Wanderers, however, very much looked like a club in its first season. The first half alone showcased a side unsure in itself, with Sartini giving youngsters like Francesco Troisi and 'keeper Sinclair Astridge a chance to show themselves. But Supra proved hungrier and more adroit, highlighting the gap — Supra outshot the Wanderers by 10 shots in the first half — between a club with something to play for and a club with an eye already on next season.

"I've got to be honest, the first half was horrible, horrible, horrible," Sartini said post-match. "Probably one of the worst first halves of the season. I was very angry at the end of the first half with the guys."

His message at halftime was undoubtedly fiery.

"That was part of the message at halftime. Let's not embarrass ourselves in front of the fans who have been loving and caring for us the entire season and been with us for the entire season. Let's give them something to remember in the second half, let's give them something to cheer for, and (the fans) responded like they always respond, which was with complete energy," said defender Kareem Sow.

The reality is the Wanderers could've used more of that fiery Italian spirit throughout the season. Although Sartini's announcement in December began with talk of trophies, by May, phrases like "young squad" and "rebuilding year" were part of the lexicon. They paid for their inexperience with points, bleeding a club worst 50 goals conceded — 16 more than in 2025 — across the season.

Make no mistake: the fact that Sartini managed to accumulate a mere 28 points, matching the club's lowest output in 2019, is a major disappointment for a club that's been batting to be in the league's upper echelon since 2023.

Following their loss to Vancouver FC last week, Sartini painted a picture of optimism, rightly highlighting the growth of young players like Lucas Olguin, Finn Linder, Sven Zitman and Miguel Arilla. But his words masked the fact that the club's best players remained those of a previous era, with both Isaiah Johnston and Lorenzo Callegari playing some of their best football in Wanderers shirts.

With players like Callegari, veteran defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, and Kareem Sow out of contract, Halifax could be entering another rebuild in which they're searching for a new core.

In fact, as Sartini noted following Sunday's loss, the club has already identified some holes that need to be filled.

"We need guys that can give an immediate contribution with the intensity of this league. This year we played catch up because we have seven, eight guys that were in their first years as a pro and coming from abroad," he said.

"I think what we need is to sign players that are proven, good players in this league. It's hard because other teams aren’t going to say: 'Here, take our players.' I say I want to keep the majority of the team and to add maybe three or four starters and maybe a couple of other players. I say those starters, at least two, at least two, need to already have already done very well in this league."

The hope, of course, is that several young players can take the next step. Olguin showed major growth this year, playing 1,709 minutes while learning under Callegari's wing. Arilla finished second in the league in assists with seven, trailing only Cavalry's Tobias Warschewski. And fox-in-the-box striker Tavio Ciccarelli finished tops for goals per 90 minutes, suggesting that a larger role and more support could unlock a deadly offensive weapon for the Wanderers.

The important part will be surrounding these young pieces with the seasoned players to insulate them. Olguin is slight and will need more robust midfielders around him; Arilla needs a target man; Ciccarelli does best in a partnership alongside a more physical striker.

A Wanderers season that began with so much promise ended in disappointment on Sunday. Supra got to celebrate at the Wanderers Grounds because they achieved what they set out to do at the beginning of the year.

Now, it's up to Sartini and the Wanderers staff to build off a year of harsh lessons so that 2026, which felt like one of the lowest seasons in club history, wasn't in vain. There's no doubt there was growth. But it's meaningless if the club doesn't start taking steps towards the rhetoric that began the Sartini era.

It was a hard year.

So, it's fitting that Sow, one of the longest tenured Wanderers, noted in his media availability a thank you to the supporters who have held strong through thick and thin.

“Thank you,” he said. “We absolutely felt the atmosphere throughout the entire game, 98 minutes, we definitely felt them throughout the whole game. When we were losing, when we tied it up, when we were losing again, when we tied it up again, when we were losing again, we did not hear them waver for a single second. We felt their energy. And all we can say is thank you, thank you for sticking with us even though, obviously, we didn’t get the results we wanted through the season but they were here until the very last game. A big thank you to them.”

Editor's Note: This article is part of our free coverage.