Match Thread: October 14, 2023 - Playoffs - Quarterfinal (3v4) - HFX Wanderers v Pacific

[narduch]

Game is at 3pm AT (2pm ET / 11 am PT) on One Soccer and Fubo.

The season series was split with each team winning twice and 2 draws.

The winner will face the loser of the Cavalry v Forge match in the 2nd Semifinal.

[InglewoodJack]

Would this be the longest distance a team had to travel to play another team in the same league in the world? There are no Russian Premier League teams east of the Urals, and that’s the one place I could think might have farther distances. 

[gwsmith63]

47 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Would this be the longest distance a team had to travel to play another team in the same league in the world? There are no Russian Premier League teams east of the Urals, and that’s the one place I could think might have farther distances. 

A-League in Australia?

[K Edgar]

7 minutes ago, gwsmith63 said:

A-League in Australia?

Perth to Wellington (a NZ team in the A-League) 5,254 km

Victoria to Halifax 4,475 km

[jonovision]

Brisbane to Perth would be about as far as you could stretch it in Australia, and that is a shorter flight (by distance) than Vancouver (or Victoria) to Halifax.

Edit: I stand corrected (see above)

Edited October 13, 2023 by jonovision

[BearcatSA]

I am not a betting man, and I apologize for spitballing here and not being in the loop, but I am gonna guess that Pacific parts ways with Merriman after this match if it's a loss for them.  Such a poor second half of the season and it looks like a side right now that is weaker than the sum of its individual parts.

[Copes]

Feeling really good about Halifax's chances. Flying in from St. John's with my dad to catch the game. Incredibly excited!

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Think Baltika Kaliningrad vs Okean Nakhodka is hard to beat on most extreme domestic league fixture travel distance. May not be happening these days but it has in the past.

[grasshopper1917]

I mean these are professional athletes with their feet stretched out on an airplane snacking on baguette sandwiches. It not like they are spending days crossing the prairies on horse and buggy.   lol

[Unnamed Trialist]

Travel time notwithstanding, it's a long flight and you arrive 10 hours, with time change, after you've left.

The only day for Pacific to train properly was Thursday, if they left yesterday, or Friday in Halifax. Then they play an early game. Real rest time between game end Wednesday and today's start is about 60 hours.

Also remember York stayed in BC after their VFC match and Pacific flew back from Calgary.

They'll have to solve that for next year.

Edited October 14, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist

[gwsmith63]

14 hours ago, grasshopper1917 said:

I mean these are professional athletes with their feet stretched out on an airplane snacking on baguette sandwiches. It not like they are spending days crossing the prairies on horse and buggy.   lol

Ah, the original bus league days!!!!

Edited October 14, 2023 by gwsmith63

[SoccMan]

So just looked it up Halifax to London UK flight time 6 hours , Vancouver to Halifax 5 hours and 45 minutes . I’m assuming no direct flight from Victoria so they must fly out of Vancouver I’m thinking ? Just shows you how incredibly large this country is lol . Moreover, what’s the drive time to Vancouver airport from Victoria ? Therefore, quite a journey for Pacific , anyways looking forward to a great game . Playoffs may not be the  best way to crown a true champion but they are definitely exciting .

[narduch]

9 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

So just looked it up Halifax to London UK flight time 6 hours , Vancouver to Halifax 5 hours and 45 minutes . I’m assuming no direct flight from Victoria so they must fly out of Vancouver I’m thinking ? Just shows you how incredibly large this country is lol . Moreover, what’s the drive time to Vancouver airport from Victoria ? Therefore, quite a journey for Pacific , anyways looking forward to a great game . Playoffs may not be the  best way to crown a true champion but they are definitely exciting .

They would more likely fly out of Victoria to Vancouver and then to Halifax. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

14 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

So just looked it up Halifax to London UK flight time 6 hours , Vancouver to Halifax 5 hours and 45 minutes . I’m assuming no direct flight from Victoria so they must fly out of Vancouver I’m thinking ? Just shows you how incredibly large this country is lol . Moreover, what’s the drive time to Vancouver airport from Victoria ? Therefore, quite a journey for Pacific , anyways looking forward to a great game . Playoffs may not be the  best way to crown a true champion but they are definitely exciting .

They'd fly out of Victoria and then probably change in YVR or YYC. Note the Pacific stadium is in the extreme other end of Greater Victoria from the airport. So even more travel time.

To answer @SoccMan to drive to Vancouver from Victoria you'd need to leave 4 hours before a flight considering you have to catch a 95 minute ferry in between.

I suspect they reserved a WestJet charter for either of the 4-5th match winners, as both teams were in the same boat with the HFX fixture.

It's quite a screw up, frankly, @masster described it well on another thread. The match could have been scheduled for tomorrow. They rescheduled last Sunday's games to coincide, they can do it on short notice all the time. But not here. 

Edited October 14, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist

[Aird25]

12 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

So just looked it up Halifax to London UK flight time 6 hours , Vancouver to Halifax 5 hours and 45 minutes . I’m assuming no direct flight from Victoria so they must fly out of Vancouver I’m thinking ? Just shows you how incredibly large this country is lol . Moreover, what’s the drive time to Vancouver airport from Victoria ? Therefore, quite a journey for Pacific , anyways looking forward to a great game . Playoffs may not be the  best way to crown a true champion but they are definitely exciting .

It's like 3.5 hours from Langford if you hit the traffic and ferries right. Much longer by public transit. 

[RJB]

Flew direct from Halifax to Vancouver this summer but it's not every day and they'd have to get to Vancouver airport from Victoria. I'd be curious to know their itinerary for this trip, hopefully it gets shared.

[Lurker]

According to the preview article they flew to Toronto first, then to Halifax.

The deck definitely looks stacked against Pacific for this one.  An early lead for Halifax could prove insurmountable.  As the game wears on the fatigue could set in for Pacific.

The conditions are pretty cool, the kind of weather that gets you running and keeps you running.  Looking forward to a raucous atmosphere at the Wanderers Grounds, going to be fun regardless of the result.

[Big_M]

[Big_M]

wow pacific starts daniels ongaro reid manneh and puts heard sellouf on the bench...though heard did get a knock and sellouf badly lost balls last game...canada beats out perruzza and ruby beats ferrazzo for hfx

[Lurker]

I think this is the same ref that did the last game here between these two teams.  He made that horrible call on Ferrin for simulation in the box… (starting my calm breathing exercises now haha).

[Lurker]

Wait… I think he might be the 4th official… crisis averted.

[Aird25]

This looks like a totally new formation from Merriman

[Big_M]

manneh does a great run and ends with a own goal...0-1 37'

[Cheeta]

Oh boy.  

[Big_M]

hfx playing way too slow which allows pacific to get in place and easily defend