Why Saturday's tilt versus Cavalry FC feels like the most important match of Patrice Gheisar's tenure in Halifax

What does Saturday's contest at ATCO Field, which features two struggling clubs, mean?

On paper, the Halifax Wanderers and Calvary FC are playing league match No. 70, yet another affair in a football-laden season. But for head coaches Patrice Gheisar and Tommy Wheeldon Jr., it's an opportunity to right the ship or potentially face the consequences. Their positions come with heavy expectations. And both have lost four matches in a row in varying style.

For Gheisar, who is helming his third campaign in Halifax, it feels like the most important match of his tenure. The Wanderers season hangs in the balance despite their best start in club history.

“The stage is set up where, I hate to call this an early playoff game, but it’s got huge playoff implications and I think we have pressure on us but I would say, in my opinion, (Cavalry) are the only other team in the league that we currently play that has more pressure on them, more than us. I think both teams will be looking to respond," Gheisar told reporters on Friday.

"We've got to take control of our destiny. I don't want to say it's now or never but the guys know we have to perform."

Wanderers claim top of the table and highlight how — through the jigs and the reels — they’ve changed

It’d be easy to point to Thomas Meilleur-Giguère’s header or Tiago Coimbra’s penalty, to draw a circle around Atlético Ottawa’s meagre attempts on net or the Wanderers’ clean sheet and proclaim: this is the story. These are, of course, the simple facts of Halifax’s victory on Saturday. But to understand

HFX FOOTBALL POSTJosh Healey

The Wanderers, like Cavalry, have played some excellent football for parts of this year. They've enjoyed time atop the table and stymied opponents early with their refreshed style, which includes an emphasis on pressing and winning the ball back, while registering 17 out of a possible 24 points through their first eight matches.

But their current form has seen them drop consecutive matches versus Pacific FC, Atlético Ottawa, Forge FC and Vancouver FC. They've won only two of their last seven. Most worryingly, their defence seems to be springing leaks as their goal differential has dropped to zero after allowing nine goals in their current skid.

Certainly, the Wanderers likely deserved a better fate in some matches. Several players, be it Isaiah Johnston or Lorenzo Callegari, showcased their best selves at the Wanderers Grounds versus Forge a few weeks ago. Striker Tiago Coimbra has developed nicely this year, his third on the East Coast under the former Vaughan Azzurri boss. But Gheisar stressed it comes down to returning to their previous philosophies.

"I think, for me, what it comes down to is what got us to be in first place in week eight or nine, whatever it was, is we just didn't give up chances. There's a lot of talk about scoring goals, scoring goals, scoring goals, and I'm fully compassionate about that but our game model was hold onto the ball, wear out the opponent, wear out the opponent," he explained.

"That's what got away (from us). We weren't proactive, we were reactive."

Gheisar has often opted for a similar starting XI this season, including in the Canadian Championship, and has relied on Thomas Meilleur-Giguère and Kareem Sow as centre-backs. Wesley Timóteo, who was having his best season as a Wanderer, has tapered off in recent weeks, having played 1,482 minutes in a demanding role. Adam Pearlman remains solid.

Given the importance of the match, it wouldn't be surprising for all of the above to start on Saturday. The question marks almost entirely lie in the midfield as both of the No. 10s that started the year on a heater — former CF Montréal product Sean Rea and Giorgio Probo — have cooled, with one relegated to the bench and the other, as this publication reported on Monday, in the middle of a contract termination. Veteran Ryan Telfer, who has been used as a Swiss Army knife in his two seasons in Halifax, has donned the mantle of attacking midfielder during Gheisar's hour of need. But is he the right choice? Or will Rea draw back into the fold after an electric, albeit short, cameo versus Vancouver FC on Natal Day?

“That’s my work and challenge to be pushing Sean to be in the window for what he was in the last 30 (versus Vancouver FC) for 90 minutes. I think he’s there. We’ve had so many conversations with him. But I’ve never stopped believing in Sean and I will continue to say the things he can do are very, very rare to do in this league, his ability to create magic. I know his best is to come," said Gheisar.

A rivalry is born as Wanderers fall 2-1 to Portland Hearts of Pine in heated international friendly

Although there was no history between them, no great triumph or loss upon which to draw enthusiasm, Wednesday’s first international friendly featuring the Halifax Wanderers and USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine had the look and feel of a genuine derby. The match, which saw the Wanderers playing

HFX FOOTBALL POSTJosh Healey

There are other options, of course, with several first-team players having recently traveled to Maine for an international friendly versus USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine. Youngsters Tavio Ciccarelli, Alessandro Biello and Camilo Vasconcelos all started for the Wanderers, with the Winnipeg-born Ciccarelli scoring his third goal in four appearances when going back to the International Summer Series.

The line up, said Gheisar, will be decided by balancing experienced players and those who know what Cavalry is made of. But there resolve to push through, to score first, and put an end to this losing streak must be the same.

"Monday was a really tough day," said Gheisar. "There will always be bumps. We've just got to get over this and get back to where we need to be."

Glancing at the league table might provide some respite for the casual supporter: the Wanderers are in a playoff spot, a mere point off third place and nine points ahead of sixth-placed Pacific. Their situation looks decent on paper.

But like Saturday's contest, context matters. Gheisar and Wheeldon Jr. know more is expected of them and, likely, one of them will lose a must-win match. There'll be consequences for he who continues to underperform given the talent at their disposal. These are the stakes of the beautiful game.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC