The struggling Halifax Wanderers aren’t ready to push the panic button just yet.
But their meager start to the 2024 Canadian Premier League season is concerning. The Wanderers are without a point through three games with their latest setback coming in their home opener on Saturday, a 3-1 loss to Atletico Ottawa at the Wanderers Grounds.
“I think everyone has that sense of urgency of trying to get a result but it’s not the panic button yet,” Wanderers veteran midfielder Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare said. “Everyone in the locker room, the coaching staff, everyone still has a good view of the games that we have played. I think there’s been a lot of good and then obviously there’s been some mistakes and some things that we can correct. But I wouldn’t say we’re close to the panic button.
“It’s a long season. I’ve been with teams where we’ve had difficult starts and found a way through the season. Everyone’s feeling the urgency right now. It’s about making those little adjustments that I think can lead to positive results.”
After being shut out in their first two games in B.C. – losses to Pacific FC and Vancouver – the Wanderers returned to the east coast looking for a fresh start at home.
A sunny spring afternoon in front of 6,500 rabid fans seemed to rejuvenate the Wanderers early on.
Massimo Ferrin nearly opened the scoring for the Wanderers in the seventh minute as his free kick curled into the hands of Ottawa keeper Rayane Yesli.
The turning point in this match came 20 minutes in as standout midfielder Lorenzo Callegari was handed a red card after catching Ottawa’s Manny Aparicio with a high tackle. That put the Wanderers down to 10 players for over 70 minutes.
Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar questioned the call in his post-match interview.
“If we were sure about it, we wouldn’t ask about it. So, the fact is, the question makes it a questionable call,” Gheisar said. “I think that’s a call you have to be 100 per cent about.
“I think Ottawa has improved some from last year. Halifax has improved since last year. Every team has improved. Has the officiating improved since last year? That’s the question I ask.”
Despite being down a player, the Wanderers had their chances. Yesli was forced to make a save on Julian Dunn’s header off a corner and Dan Nimick’s header from a perfect cross by Wesley Timoteo ricocheted off the crossbar.
Ottawa finally took advantage in the 39th minute as Ruben del Campo netted his first goal from just outside the 18-yard box to give his side a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Aparicio extended the lead by two early into the second half. In the 73rd minute, Ballou Tabla, after he was denied twice by Wanderers keeper Yann Fillion, scored easily into an open net from a brilliant cross by Gabriel Antinoro.
“That’s not a game that looked like we were a man down for 70 minutes, and 70 minutes is a long time,” Gheisar said.
“They all ran their socks off. The guys really worked. There was a lot of commitment from everybody. Crazy enough, we were more dangerous today in the attack with a man down than we were against Vancouver.
“Don’t forget it’s not the average person that got the right card. It was Lorenzo. He was instrumental in the first 20 minutes. Not only do we lose a player, we lost a key player. It was a double whammy.”
The Wanderers finally broke through in the dying minutes as Riley Ferrazzo scored the team’s first goal of the season in the 89th minute, curling a shot into the bottom corner.
“That first goal, everyone was talking about it, thinking about it, so it’s good to get that done,” Gagnon-Lapare said. “It’s a pressure off our shoulders.
“Now we’ve just got to move forward and get to the next step which is getting results.”
While the Wanderers are seeking their first win, Ottawa remains unbeaten this season, improving to 2-0-1.
