LANGFORD, BC – Pacific FC was the better team at Starlight Stadium. However, they could not trouble Herediano’s goalkeeper, Esteban Alvarado, and a lapse in concentration late in the game cost Pacific the game.
Jefferson Brenes scores late game-winner goal at Starlight Stadium
Three keys to the game
Full Game Summary:#ForTheIsle had chances to score but was unable to convert on them.#SomosElTeam played well defensively.
The goal by #Herediano's Jefferson Brenes was the difference in the game.#PACvHER | 0-1 | #SCL22
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) August 17, 2022
First Half
Pacific FC goalkeeper, Callum Irving, made an easy save in the sixth minute of play. John Ruiz’s shot was easily stopped. Kunle Dada-Luke made a great defensive play in the 18-minute. Pacific FC tried to counter-attack in the 21-minute, but Djenairo Daniels was unable to control the ball. All the Pacific games will be shown live on OneSoccer and Telus. Irving made an easy save in the 35-minute.
Miguel Basulto made a great defensive play as they gave up a corner in the 37-minute. Thomas Meilleur-Giguère got underneath the ball in the 37-minute. Djenairo Daniels hit the post and Josh Heard’s shot was off-target. Irving made an easy save in the 35-minute. Basulto made a great defensive play as they gave up a corner in the 37-minute. Meilleur-Giguère got underneath the ball in the 37-minute. Daniels hit the post and Josh Heard’s shot was off target.
Second Half
Djenairo Daniels could not convert in the 49-minute. Meilleur-Giguere makes a good defensive play and John Ruiz got a yellow card. Jamar Dixon’s shot in the 57-minute was off-target. Irving made another easy save in the 60-minute. Waylon Francis of Herediano made a good defensive play in the 63-minute. Young was on the wrong side of the defender as he caused a foul in the 69-minute. Amer Đidić made two key defensive stops in the 71-minute.
Josh Heard made a good defensive play in the 73-minute. Amer Đidić got a header off as it went past Heard and into the goalkeeper’s hands. Gianni dos Santos passed the defender but was unable to get the ball inside the opposing team’s box.
83’ #SomosElTeam scores! #ForTheIsle could not clear the ball as Jefferson Brenes receives a cross and puts his header into the back of the net! #Concacaf#PACvCSH | 0-1 | #SCL22pic.twitter.com/owjlRuMT4I
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) August 17, 2022
Jefferson Brenes got a late game-winner as he headed the ball into the back of the net with a header from a receiving cross. Pacific FC could not clear their lines as Pacific goalkeeper, Irving, was unable to clear the ball. As a result, Pacific goes into the second leg down a goal heading into the road next week.
Game Summary
A decent result turned into a negative result with one play at Starlight Stadium. Pacific was the better team on the day but failed to trouble the goalkeeper and force him to make a big save. Saying that Pacific played well defensively, with Amer Didic making some big defensive plays. Also, the three shots on goal for C.S. Herediano were deceiving, as two of those shots were saved easily by Pacific’s goalkeeper, Irving.
Pacific FC will have a lengthy travel schedule ahead of them. First, they will travel to the other side of the country to face the HFX Wanderers FC at Wanderers Grounds. That game will be on August 20 at 1:30 p.m. ET. They then travel to Heredia, Costa Rica on August 23. That game will take place at 8:15 p.m. ET. C.S. Herediano also has a game before their second leg against Santos de Guápiles F.C. on August 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET. All the Pacific games will be shown live on OneSoccer and Telus.
Read More: The Relationship Between the Canadian MLS Teams and CPL
Three keys to the game as Pacific FC loses at Starlight Stadium
Thank you to every single amazing supporter who filled Starlight with noise and energy tonight 💜
Not the result we wanted but we have another match to fight in next week!
We aren’t done yet 😤😤😤#ForTheIsle | #PacificFC | #SCL22 | #PACvCSH pic.twitter.com/h89FOGzHLR
— Pacific FC (@Pacificfccpl) August 17, 2022
Pacific FC has not gotten results at home in non-CPL competitions. The only win Pacific FC had in non-CPL competitions was their 6-0 win against Waterhouse F.C. in the preliminary round of the Concacaf League. They also played at home at Starlight Stadium to York United FC, a game in which they lost in penalties and were eliminated from the Canadian Championship.
C.S. Herediano got the game-winner. It was not pretty, but it got the job done. Pacific was unable to clear their lines, which resulted in Jefferson Brenes getting a header off, which got past Pacific goalkeeper, Irving, and into the back of the net.
Both teams played well defensively. Amer Didic, Dada-Luke, and Meilleur-Giguère made some key defensive plays in the game. However, C.S. Herediano also did the same, as Waylon Francis made a good defensive play in the 63-minute, and made sure that Young did not get to the ball inside the box in the 69-minute.
Photo Credit: Sheldon Mack of Pacific FC on August 16, 2022.
