Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Tallman on December 05, 2018, 11:04:44 AM
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Halifax Wanderers coach Stephen Hart looks to Caribbean for potential winter signings
By Mary Thompson (canpl.ca)
Like many Canadians, HFX Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart has his eye on traveling south this winter.
The Wanderers bench boss was in the Dominican Republic last week, scouting players who could join his Nova Scotia outfit ahead of the inaugural Canadian Premier League season.
“There were around 20 players (in the Dominican Republic), but I’m looking at everybody,” Hart offered.
“There are a couple key positions I’m looking at and there are definitely players that caught my eye.”
The trip is part of Hart’s plans to flesh out his roster ahead of the inaugural CPL season. Versatile fullback Zachary Sukunda was announced as the club’s first signing last week, making the 23-year-old Ottawa native one of ten inaugural signings in league history.
“I’m in negotiations with the players I want. It’s just a matter if we can get them signed,” Hart added.
The CPL got its first bit of foreign flavour this week when York9 FC confirmed the addition of Swedish striker Simon Adjei.
Hart enters the 2019 CPL season with substantial international experience in the region.
The 58-year-old managed 88 international matches in the confederation while at the helm of both Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. He has managed in four CONCACAF Gold Cups and several World Cup qualifying cycles.
“I wouldn’t say (l have expertise in) the Carribean specifically, I would say CONCACAF as a whole,” Hart added. “You have a variety of playing styles in (CONCACAF). You have the players from Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago that are extremely athletic, some of them technically sound as well.
“And you have the players from Latin America that are technically sound. It’s a matter of what you’re looking for positionally and if they could best suit your style of play.”
Hart’s trip to the Carribean comes as his CPL colleagues continue to mine places like the United Kingdom, Europe and South America for international talent.
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Of course, I'm hoping that some of T&T players get an opportunity to develop there especially if the league proves to be more professional than the level of the Pro League.
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Of course, I'm hoping that some of T&T players get an opportunity to develop there especially if the league proves to be more professional than the level of the Pro League.
if the league proves to be more professional than the level of the Pro League.
You saying that in jest or what?
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Congratulations to Derek King on being named SH's assistant at Wanderers. Aside from the confidence and trust Hart has for King as his assistant, inherently it is also a testament and example of loyalty and that can't be praised high enough. :applause: For King it is obviously a firm professional opportunity with enormous room for growth.
There are people in the football circle who have been unwilling to give King his kudos. Some critics have openly regarded his success at Joe Public as having little to do with him and much to do with his cast of players. His success at North East and with the Big Cannons, would make for interesting follow-up enquiry with those critics.
From others who viewed themselves as better candidates for the role of NT assistant coach, there was also background static concerning whether SH's assistants were artificial limbs, props and "yes men" rather than key contributors in generating sessions and rendering opinions and more emphatically than ever, Stephen Hart has answered that in retrospect. Although when he was NT coach, he made comments that reinforced his trust in his assistants, this appointment at HFX pronounces as much more than doing someone a "solid". It is clearly deserved.
I wish both men success.
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Congratulations to Derek King on being named SH's assistant at Wanderers. Aside from the confidence and trust Hart has for King as his assistant, inherently it is also a testament and example of loyalty and that can't be praised high enough. :applause: For King it is obviously a firm professional opportunity with enormous room for growth.
There are people in the football circle who have been unwilling to give King his kudos. Some critics have openly regarded his success at Joe Public as having little to do with him and much to do with his cast of players. His success at North East and with the Big Cannons, would make for interesting follow-up enquiry with those critics.
From others who viewed themselves as better candidates for the role of NT assistant coach, there was also background static concerning whether SH's assistants were artificial limbs, props and "yes men" rather than key contributors in generating sessions and rendering opinions and more emphatically than ever, Stephen Hart has answered that in retrospect. Although when he was NT coach, he made comments that reinforced his trust in his assistants, this appointment at HFX pronounces as much more than doing someone a "solid". It is clearly deserved.
I wish both men success.
:beermug:
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Congratulations to Derek King on being named SH's assistant at Wanderers. Aside from the confidence and trust Hart has for King as his assistant, inherently it is also a testament and example of loyalty and that can't be praised high enough. :applause: For King it is obviously a firm professional opportunity with enormous room for growth.
There are people in the football circle who have been unwilling to give King his kudos. Some critics have openly regarded his success at Joe Public as having little to do with him and much to do with his cast of players. His success at North East and with the Big Cannons, would make for interesting follow-up enquiry with those critics.
From others who viewed themselves as better candidates for the role of NT assistant coach, there was also background static concerning whether SH's assistants were artificial limbs, props and "yes men" rather than key contributors in generating sessions and rendering opinions and more emphatically than ever, Stephen Hart has answered that in retrospect. Although when he was NT coach, he made comments that reinforced his trust in his assistants, this appointment at HFX pronounces as much more than doing someone a "solid". It is clearly deserved.
I wish both men success.
That's basically my feelings too. That the appointment of King augurs well for his track record (Or should that be the other way around?)
Glad too that Hart would look to T&T for talent and individuals deserving of an opportunity further themselves.
Looking forward to see which players get their beaks wet.
BTW how many teams in the inaugural league? It look like around 6 ah dem?
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Congratulations to Derek King on being named SH's assistant at Wanderers. Aside from the confidence and trust Hart has for King as his assistant, inherently it is also a testament and example of loyalty and that can't be praised high enough. :applause: For King it is obviously a firm professional opportunity with enormous room for growth.
There are people in the football circle who have been unwilling to give King his kudos. Some critics have openly regarded his success at Joe Public as having little to do with him and much to do with his cast of players. His success at North East and with the Big Cannons, would make for interesting follow-up enquiry with those critics.
From others who viewed themselves as better candidates for the role of NT assistant coach, there was also background static concerning whether SH's assistants were artificial limbs, props and "yes men" rather than key contributors in generating sessions and rendering opinions and more emphatically than ever, Stephen Hart has answered that in retrospect. Although when he was NT coach, he made comments that reinforced his trust in his assistants, this appointment at HFX pronounces as much more than doing someone a "solid". It is clearly deserved.
I wish both men success.
That's basically my feelings too. That the appointment of King augurs well for his track record (Or should that be the other way around?)
Glad too that Hart would look to T&T for talent and individuals deserving of an opportunity further themselves.
Looking forward to see which players get their beaks wet.
BTW how many teams in the inaugural league? It look like around 6 ah dem?
Seven
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BTW how many teams in the inaugural league? It look like around 6 ah dem?
Seven
Thanks Tallman.
How does that bode for competitiveness and development of players? Not ideal I imagine! Need more games.
Hopefully there'll be expansion teams joining soon
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BTW how many teams in the inaugural league? It look like around 6 ah dem?
Seven
Thanks Tallman.
How does that bode for competitiveness and development of players? Not ideal I imagine! Need more games.
Hopefully there'll be expansion teams joining soon
They say they want to have 10 clubs by 2020, 14 clubs by 2024, and 16 clubs by 2026
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BTW how many teams in the inaugural league? It look like around 6 ah dem?
Seven
Thanks Tallman.
How does that bode for competitiveness and development of players? Not ideal I imagine! Need more games.
Hopefully there'll be expansion teams joining soon
They say they want to have 10 clubs by 2020, 14 clubs by 2024, and 16 clubs by 2026
Great, thanks again! Whew!
Well they have the recent history of MLS to learn from as to how to develop their league.
I'm surprised I'm not hearing much buzz about this start-up league. I mean, the implications are potentially great for Caribbean and Trinidadian players and coaches. Not just because of Hart but just more opportunity, period!
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Wanderers announce first ever international player signings as Trinidad and Tobago quartet
By Gareth Hampshire (hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca)
HFX Wanderers FC have made their first overseas transfers by signing four high-profile players from Trinidad and Tobago.
Together, Jan-Michael Williams, Elton John, Akeem Garcia and Andre Rampersad are making history, as the club’s first international signings.
All four have won national championships with club teams in Trinidad and Tobago and three of them have played on the international stage for their home country, at both youth and senior levels.
‘Accomplished group’ signed to ‘help the team gel quickly’
Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart had the inside track on the players, having been in charge of Trinidad and Tobago’s national team, between 2013 and 2016.
“I’m delighted because we have a group of players who are familiar with each other and basically they play down the middle of the park, so I think that’s very important,” Hart said.
Building the spine of the team for the new Canadian Premier League has been the first concern for the Wanderers coach since taking the reins of Halifax’s new professional soccer club.
“They’ve played with and against each other. I see them competing for some of those key spots and I hope they help the team gel very quickly,” said Hart.
As well as expecting all four players to make an immediate impact for his team, Hart is counting on them to bring invaluable guidance to the younger Canadian players he’s planning to sign and develop.
“They’re accomplished players who bring lots of experience. They’re game savvy with the kind of dedication that comes from having the right attitude of being a professional,” Hart said.
‘Larger than life’ goalkeeper
Having amassed 81 full international caps for Trinidad and Tobago, goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams arrives at the Wanderers as the most experienced of the new Trinbago bunch.
34-year-old Williams has played in the professional leagues of Belgium, Hungary, Honduras and most recently Guatemala.
The 6 ft. 3 in. keeper has also won a number of league titles at club level in his home country for W Connection and Central FC.
“I am extremely excited to play in the Canadian Premier League and to be a part of the inaugural season,” said Williams, who has also played in CONCACAF Gold Cups and World Cup qualifying games, through a distinguished international career.
The keeper, described as “larger than life” by Stephen Hart is looking forward to being reunited with the Wanderers coach, after playing for and captaining Trinidad and Tobago, when Hart was the Soca Warriors boss.
“I like how Stephen treats his players and what he demands, so for me that’s a big plus,” Williams said. “We can set our standard high trying to be the best team and win the competition because it’s a new league, so it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
It’s a mutual feeling with Hart pleased to have got a goalkeeper he already knows with so much personality and know-how.
Strength in midfield and attack
A former Central FC teammate of Williams, midfielder Elton John, joins the club as another veteran professional, having also won titles with North East Stars FC and San Juan Jabloteh FC.
John, who has also played in Belgium and represented Trinidad and Tobago at both youth and senior levels, is equally at home playing at centre-back, making him another valuable addition for Hart.
The Wanderers coach rates him highly as a player who is versatile and also has composure on the ball.
“I’m excited and happy for a new challenge,” 31-year-old John said. “I’m ready to make the fans happy with the Wanderers and hoping they accept me as a player.”
The two promising younger players on their way to Halifax from the Caribbean are joining the club in part through the club’s other Trinbago connection — Wanderers assistant coach Derek King.
Akeem Garcia and Andre Rampersad were both key members of King’s recent championship winning FC Santa Rosa team.
“His movement off the ball is very good,” King said of Garcia. “He can play number 9 or 10 as well as on the right or the left. He’ll be a good asset because he can play any of these positions.”
‘Ready to give everything’
Garcia scored ten goals in FC Santa Rosa’s run to the top, playing as an attacking wide player or striker.
The 22-year-old has turned heads since forcing his way into Trinidad and Tobago’s U17 squad at the age of 14, moving up to his country’s U20 team, before playing twice for the senior international team.
“It’s a great feeling to sign for my first club away, that’s been one of my dreams. I’m really happy and I’m ready to give everything,” Garcia said.
Being a part of a brand new Canadian Premier League was another thing that Garcia liked the sound of.
Andre Rampersad, who is 23, describes himself as a box-to-box midfielder who is thrilled to be joining the Wanderers after eight years with FC Santa Rosa, where he formed a good understanding with Garcia.
He’s another player whose potential stood out from an early age, being just 15 when he first joined the club.
“It’s overwhelming for me as a player getting this opportunity and I want to make a big impact and do my best for my club,” said Rampersad. “We’ve all got something to show and something to prove.”
Like with Garcia, King knows Rampersad as well as anyone, having coached him at Santa Rosa and describes him as something of an unsung hero on the pitch.
A player who does the simple things well and has the respect of his teammates.
“His work rate and energy levels are very high and he has good quality skill wise,” King said.
All four players are signing for the Wanderers pending medicals and the completion of an International Transfer Certificate in the transfer window opening in February 2019.
More signings on the way
While the Trinidad and Tobago players are feeling more comfortable about taking on a big move to Halifax together, all four are also keen to meet new players at the Wanderers and become a part of the community.
Stephen Hart believes it’s that kind of character that will give all four the chance of becoming popular players with the fans and in the dressing room.
“They all have to compete for positions and there are no guarantees but at least they will bring a certain working relationship that makes the process of adapting easier. They all understand how my assistant coach Derek King and myself work,” said Hart.
The four new international players join the Wanderers first signing, defender Zachary Sukunda, who was announced by the club last November.
Three prospects chosen in the University draft, Peter Schaale, André Bona and Christian Oxner will also have the chance to fight for contracts in preseason trials.
While pulling off the Trinidad and Tobago transfer coup, Stephen Hart continues to work tirelessly on completing moves for a number of other players, as he gets his squad ready for the Canadian Premier League kick-off in April.
The club expects to announce some of those other signings in the coming weeks.
The Wanderers want to congratulate Jan-Michael, Elton, Akeem and Andre and wish them every success in Halifax.
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SH is a soldier....
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Not familiar with Andre Rampersad. But good luck to him.
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Congrats to these guys, all the best!
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Wish we coulda "like" a post
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21 Questions – The Trinidad and Tobago Edition
By Danae Iatrou (hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca)
Our roster is taking shape, so we’re starting a brand new campaign called 21 Questions with your HFX Wanderers. Our Social Media & Community Coordinator, Danae Iatrou, is getting in touch with our Wanderers each week to see who they really are.
We know these guys are fantastic athletes, but there’s a lot we don’t know. Danae will be asking all the questions, from our Wanderers biggest pet peeve, to their ideal vacation. Continue reading to learn a bit more about our most recent signings from Trinidad & Tobago.
Akeem Garcia:
Danae: What is the most exciting aspect that comes with the big move to Canada?
Akeem: I’ve never been so I’m just excited for the experience. I heard it’s very cold, but it’s very hot here in Trinidad, so it will be a nice change. I know I will adapt to the cold no problem. Also, I’ve never seen snow, I’m very excited to see snow!
Danae: Which famous professional footballer would you compare your skills to?
Akeem: Eden Hazard – we play the same position and we are both versatile, I usually try to copy his game play. I like his style, he’s tricky and very strong, just like me.
Danae: What sport would you play if soccer/football didn’t exist?
Akeem: Cricket – its huge in Trinidad! It’s our number one sport tied with football.
Danae: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Akeem: Cats! I mean, I don’t hate cats, I just don’t like them around me. They creep me out and you just can’t trust them!
Danae: Who is your biggest fan?
Akeem: My younger brother Aedan, he’s 3 years old. I wear number number 10 here in Trinidad and he wants number 10 printed on all his shirts so he can be like me.
Jan-Michael Williams:
Danae: So Jan, if you could have dinner with one player in the world who would it be?
Jan: Ronaldinho, for sure….Or maybe because I’m a goalkeeper Buffon because he is world class and I love Italian food.
Danae: What are you most excited for with your move to Canada?
Jan: Being with Steve again. I played 14 years on the national team, and I had the best time when Steve was in charge. I was nominated as CONCACAF goalkeeper of the year twice under Steve, I really excelled when he was in charge. I’m hopeful he can get me back to that level with the Wanderers.
Danae: What sport would you play if soccer/football didn’t exist?
Jan: If football didn’t exist, the world wouldn’t exist. Football is the greatest sport on the planet!
Danae: What advice can you give to young players trying to make it big?
Jan: Stay close to God and family, because they will be the ones who help you through the tough times. We never see the hardships but they are there. You need a good support system to get you through those bad days.
Danae: Our supporters group, the Privateers, are already calling you Big Bad Jan, do you approve?
Jan: I’ll take it, I mean, I don’t want to be classed as “bad,” but I will take it. Honestly, I’m the opposite of bad, I’m a good guy!
Danae: What would you be if you weren’t a footballer?
Jan: Do you want my professional answer, or my real answer?
Danae: Both!
Jan: For now, I can only give you my professional answer, maybe later I will tell you my REAL answer….But for now, I think I would make a great fireman!
Andre Rampersad:
Danae: Would you consider yourself shy and introverted or outgoing and more extroverted?
Andre: On the pitch, I’m outgoing and extroverted. Off the pitch, I’m shy with most people until I’m more comfortable.
Danae: Short corners, what do you think about those?
Andre: I don’t like them that much, mostly because I do well in the air. I can usually score off set pieces.
Danae: What was the highlight of your football/soccer career?
Andre: I’m young and this is my first professional contract, so of course, joining the HFX Wanderers FC!
Danae: What do you think you would be if you weren’t a footballer?
Andre: I would probably be in the army, serving my country.
Danae: What edge will you bring to the pitch?
Andre: I will bring energy, drive, and positivity. I play with a lot of passion and will work hard for the Wanderers.
Elton John:
Danae: What’s your favourite part about being a defender?
Elton: As a centre back, the chance to be in the middle of everything and being vocal. I can play in the midfield as well, I love being in the centre of the action.
Danae: Our fans are going crazy over your name, do you even like Elton John’s music?
Elton: I do! The Circle of Life is a good one, I also loved the Lion King as a child.
Danae: What was the best goal you’ve ever scored?
Elton: In high-school, I was 17 years old and the captain of the team. We were playing in the final match, it was 0-0 and time was running out. I took it on myself to lift the team and decide the match. It was the dying minutes of the match, I received the ball 35 yards out, put it on my right foot, and just hit it. It was a rocket and went top right corner of the net to win the match. The commentators started calling me the Rocketman and that’s when the nickname really caught on.
Danae: What do you think about your nickname, The Rocketman?
Elton: I welcome it, the fans have fun with it, and it makes them happy, so I’m happy!
Danae: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Elton: Bad taxi drivers, we have a lot of them here in Trinidad, I hope they are better in Canada!
There you have it, a little more information on our signings from Trinidad & Tobago. Stay tuned as our next edition of 21 Questions with the Wanderers will be coming soon!
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Cool!
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Really bodes well - I can't imagine those players struggling (not too familiar with Rampersad) in Canada unless the cold gets them!
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Guarantee: the cold will get to them, however success always provides a smidgent of warmth. Will it be enuff? ???
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Building from zero: HFX Wanderers coach Hart acknowledges different path to success in Season 1
hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca
A common refrain heard from Canadian Premier League coaches is how excited they are to have a chance to shape a club in their own image. A brand-new league means brand-new teams and a blank slate.
In practice, though, most managers are starting with a base to build from.
FC Edmonton, of course, has its academy up and running. York9 has made full use of its staff’s familiarity with League1 Ontario. Cavalry FC, Pacific FC and Valour FC have places to pull from. Every club, it seems, has a link to a local high-level development program of some kind to lean on.
Every club, that is, except one: HFX Wanderers. In Halifax, they really are building from zero — leaving boss Stephen Hart with one of the more intriguing roster-building challenges of the CPL’s first offseason.
“It’s one of those things you know is going to happen when you’re coming in,” Hart told CanPL.ca of his club’s unique situation. “I think the whole objective will be to get the team on the field and then you can build through the community into that (local) relationship.
“But you knew that coming in. You have to beat the bush and find the players that you don’t really know that well. I’ve been out of the (Canadian) system for about three-plus years, so the young players I don’t know that well. It is the reality of the situation, so you deal with it.”
Hart’s recruitment thus far demonstrates how he has cast his net wide. Most notably, he tapped into his contacts as the former coach of Trinidad and Tobago to bring in a quartet of players from the twin Caribbean islands.
Wanderers’ Canadian content, meanwhile, has been sourced from near and far, with forward Vincent Lamy arriving from the Montreal Impact’s academy and defender Zachary Sukunda returning home after a spell in Australia.
“You tap into the resources that you know can give you a heads up on certain players, and then you do your homework, try to get full games of them and see how they react in the games,” Hart explained. “The only thing you really don’t know are their personalities off the field. “And then, of course, travelling and scouting has been the other way of doing it.”
Another wrinkle in Hart’s planning is geography. Attracting players out to Atlantic Canada has presented one or two hurdles to overcome — but also, Hart believes, one major advantage.
“In an inner city like Toronto, you have (such) ready access to a number of players that you really don’t have to look at things like housing,” Hart said.
“But that being said, I think the players that you are going after, they seem to sense that they would be well received (in Halifax) because it’s a small city. They love their football. And the player thinks that the recognition would be far greater than in a place like Toronto or Hamilton.
“It’s a bit different that way.”
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Apart from Jan, are the other 3 T&T players under 25?
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Apart from Jan, are the other 3 T&T players under 25?
Garcia is 22 and Rampersad is 23.
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Apart from Jan, are the other 3 T&T players under 25?
Garcia is 22 and Rampersad is 23.
Thanks TM. That's a good age for those guys to be in the that environment.
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Stephen Hart looking for “right balance” as he builds HFX Wanderers squad from scratch
By Gary Griffiths (fromaways.com)
It’s a complicated task, this assembling a football team from scratch business.
A task akin to a man gingerly walking a tightrope whilst balancing a precious family heirloom upon his head. So many moving parts, so many pitfalls, such small room for error.
In Stephen Hart, Wanderers fans will hope to be in safe hands. Here is a manager who has coached multiple age groups in Canada’s youth system, has managed the national team in two periods from 2006 – 2007 and 2009 – 2012, and led the Trinidad & Tobago national team from 2013 – 2016. A little closer to home, Hart has also served as the Technical Director for Soccer Nova Scotia.
It’s this wealth of experience that Wanderers’ staff and players will turn to as they look for someone to assume the role of leader in these dizzy, early days of professional football in Halifax. On the surface at least, this appears to be a role that Stephen Hart has been subconsciously preparing for since arriving in Canada over 30 years ago.
So, as we inch closer to April 27 and the first round of fixtures, I was delighted to get the chance to ask the HFX Wanderers' coach some questions about how the club was progressing, what we could expect from the new signings and his hopes for the coming season.
In this wide-ranging interview, the boss was happy to provide some answers.
Firstly, thank you for taking the time do this, Stephen. I’d like to start by asking you how the preparations for the season are coming along. Do you feel happy with where you’re at in terms of player recruitment and ticket sales? 3,000+ season tickets sold sounds like an incredible number to me.
Very happy! The team behind the team has been working very hard to put all things in place and it is going very well with ticket sales and promotion of the team. Player recruitment has been very interesting, starting from scratch. So far, I am happy with the signings and the enthusiasm they have all shown to get started.
Pre-season training will begin in March. Will there be a lot of the old-school non-stop running in the opening weeks, or do you like your players to be working with the ball from the start?
Old school running is not preferable for me as pre-season is not a sprint, though some days it’s a part of training. We have to complete some testing first and that will determine who needs what individually. Then I will utilize a mix in the general physical preparation.
I’m really interested in the fact that every single club is starting from scratch in terms of player recruitment. How do you go about assembling a squad when you don’t have a clear idea of the level they’ll be coming up against?
Well not all are starting from scratch, but in general this is true. Correct, we do not have an idea of how each team will look. For me what is more important is how we look.
Managers in the opening few matches will have to be proactive instead of reactive, simply because it’s impossible to be tactically tailored to face a team which has never played a competitive game before. How many rounds of matches do you anticipate it taking before you have a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams in the league?
Difficult to say really! Some teams may come together smoothly, others will take time to get the relationships right. Most coaches will be very busy tweeking their own squads and learning about their players. The important thing within my own team, is creating the right balance.
Do you think your player recruitment methods have to be a lot different to the other managers in the CanPL, simply because population-wise, the Nova Scotia talent pool is a lot smaller?
Yes! Some teams have had relationships with an academy, League 1, PDL, or more recently national youth teams. This gives them an edge, or should I say a jump start.
I know the Nova Scotia talent pool quite well, however, though I have to be honest and question the level of competition within teams for starting positions and the league in general.
A lot of the players you’ve added to the squad so far have played with at least one other teammate in the past. Was this done consciously as a way of achieving on-field chemistry as quickly as possible?
This was done deliberately. Relationships on and off the field always help players settle better.
I thought the signing of the four Trinidadians was very interesting. Do you think there’s a bit of an untapped market in the Caribbean?
Originally, I had several players in mind from the Caribbean and a variety from Trinidad & Tobago, but I could not sign everyone.
If you look at Caribbean football nations, with respect to population and the number of players that play professionally, it is a bit eye opening. In 2006 when Trinidad and Tobago went to the World Cup, they had 24+ players applying their trade in the UK alone. It is not the same 12 years, later, however the potential is still there.
The majority of signings so far have been defensive players. Was it your intention to build from the back and work your way forward, or is it just a case of those players being the first ones you could negotiate deals with and announce?
Not particularly, I wanted to secure Canadian players in certain positions first and then build around them. It's just more a matter of how they are being announced.
Were you aware of Akeem Garcia and Andre Rampersad prior to hiring Derek King, or were they players he introduced you to?
Akeem I know very well. I first saw him in 2013 at the U17 CONCACAF tournament in Panama, and worked with him with the Trinidad & Tobago U20 squad.
In conversation with Derek about his own team FC Santa Rosa, he mentioned a young player that was doing very well for him, so I began keeping tabs on him. Eventually, I saw him play a couple of games live and he did very well.
Elliot Simmons & Scott Firth are both good passers who like to keep the ball and control the tempo of the game. Is retaining possession and playing with the ball important to you as a coach?
Controlling the tempo of the game is very important because playing without the ball is very difficult in terms of influencing play, not to mention never enjoyable. Almost all the players I have signed are comfortable in possession. Now, during a game when they’re under stress, who knows how they will react. However, I will always encourage players to contribute to the possession of the ball.
With regards to the full-backs you’ve signed so far, Zachary Sukunda and Ndzemdzela Langwa, both seem like very attacking players. Is that a position you see contributing more to the attack than the defence?
Not at all! It is about creating a balance. When we do not have the ball, the objective of the entire team is to win it back, be it individually or collectively. Full-backs are no different, they should know how to defend first, then if they have the capacity to attack we work them into it.
I think there’s a really nice squad balance at the moment between leaders (Williams, John, Hocine) and youngsters (Lamy, Firth, Simmons etc). How important do you think it will be for the younger players to have these established professionals to learn from?
The learning curve is great. They have to learn not only aspects of professionalism off the field, but also what type of character it takes to progress in a highly competitive environment. This is the toughest part, especially with young talented players today. Most have never had to compete for a starting position day in day out.
Among the Canadian players signed by yourself and the other clubs, do you think there are many with a realistic chance of making the national team squad over the next few years? 2026 must be a target for a lot of them.
That is not a question I can answer. However, there have been a few signings that I have always felt should have been given the opportunity. Canada’s soccer landscape has changed tremendously, not to mention the impact the MLS & USL (in Canada & USA) has had on providing opportunities for Canadian players.
However, those leagues do not belong to Canada, and not enough Canadian players were being exposed. Canada’s depth chart is presently quite impressive, so let us be fair. Coach Herdman and his staff are still finding their feet. However, this is exactly what the CPL is designed to achieve, the league will contribute to the depth chart, by providing a professional opportunity and pathway for young Canadian players.
And finally, tongue in cheek as this question may be, one of my favourite players growing up was Dwight Yorke. He was playing for Aston Villa’s first team while I was playing with their U11 youth team, and he was a player we all tried to imitate in training every week. As a player you've worked with before, is there any chance you could lure him to Halifax? I’m sure, even at 47, he could still come off the bench and do a job. Or more realistically, in a coaching capacity.
Good for you, imitation is the best form of flattery! Dwight remains in incredible shape. I know him quite well, from age 12 and even back then, you could see his passion and desire to be one of the best. I have not spoken to him about coaching. From the outside looking in, and knowing Dwight’s competitive tenacity, I believe his coaching ambition is focused on coaching in the UK. You never know though!
Thanks for your time, Stephen.
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HFX Wanderers coaching staff built on Hart foundation and connections
By Gary Griffiths (fromaways.com)
HFX Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart is the kind of man you might, in a moment of mid-conversation, what-the-f**k-did-I-just-say madness, refer to as ‘dad’, before scampering away to dimly lit corner to give yourself a straight red card for social foul-play.
These things happen, believe me. I had a mate at school who once referred to our math teacher as ‘mum’. How do you come back from that? You don’t, is the answer.
What this clumsy anecdote means to illustrate is that in Stephen Hart, HFX Wanderers have a head-coach that demands respect.
It’s evident in the quiet authority that ‘s born from a career which has seen him manage the national teams of Canada and Trinidad & Tobago, as well as various age groups in both countries’ youth systems.
It’s also evident when you hear the tonal shift from the league’s other managers as they talk about him. There’s a reverence there, an acknowledgement that their total combined experience as head coaches doesn’t come close to matching Hart’s.
It’s no great stretch to imagine Brennan, Silberbauer, Gale et al, cross-legged and rapt beneath a willow tree as a white-robed, heavily-bearded Hart delivers a sermon detailing the negative effects that playing with a trequartista can have on defensive stability.
A touch absurd, granted, but the reality is that no-one associated with the Canadian Premier League has the experience in top-level football that Stephen Hart does, at least not in a role directly pertaining to their current job. An argument could be made that Jimmy Brennan’s playing career puts him alongside Hart but being a professional player and a professional coach are wildly different disciplines.
It’s this experience that has also armed Hart with a War & Peace-length folder of contacts within the game. While most coaches have connections in Canada and maybe one other country, the Wanderers coach’s talons stretch across vast geographical areas. Namely, Central and South America.
It’s these contacts that helped him land a player as established as Jan-Michael Williams, the league’s most-capped international.
A brief aside, while we’re on Jan-Michael Williams: HFX Wanderers FC have an internationally established, 80-cap player in their squad, but you wouldn’t know it, would you? Beyond Halifax, this eye-opening piece of information has been largely ignored. Like an overworked, balding father who can barely glance up from the newspaper at his tapdancing son, the Canadian football community appear entirely unmoved by the league capturing such an established player.
Compare this to the buzz generated by Marcel De Jong, the only other player that comes close to William’s international caliber. The giddy, love-struck swooning from our friends on the west-coast (and the league as a whole) makes the collective blindness to Williams all the more baffling. HFX Wanderers FC, bottom of most fans Power Rankings (more on that nonsense some other time) have a goalkeeper with 80 international caps and a club career that has seen him play in front of 20,000+ fans in the CONCACAF Champions League in their squad, but that’s apparently not a big deal.
You can have your high-profile left-back, I’m sticking with Big Jan.
But back to Stephen Hart…
I heard an interesting story concerning last July’s Atlantic Select XI’s penalty shootout victory against Fortuna Dusseldorf U23 that demonstrates the caliber of manager we have at HFX Wanderers: a few days prior to the friendly the two teams faced each other in a warm-up match at Saint Mary’s and, to put it bluntly, the Atlantic XI team got absolutely battered. In the days that followed, Hart used his years of experience to take a well-beaten team and restructure them tactically, rebuild their confidence, and eventually turn them into an outfit that earned a 2-2 draw and the subsequent win on penalties.
Anecdotes like this, coupled with his years of experience, make it no great stretch to say that in Stephen Hart, Wanderers have the finest manager in the league.
Assisting Hart against Fortuna Dusseldorf on that balmy July day was the man that will be alongside him at the start of the season, too. Michael Hunter is the owner of Serious Soccer Consulting, a Halifax-based developmental school for local footballers (Christian Oxner and Scott Firth count themselves among his clients, with both spending time with him recently preparing for pre-season). His role covers a wide range of services, from one-on-one coaching and fitness work to post-game evaluations and analytics. It’s these analytical skills that Stephen Hart referenced when he was announced as assistant coach.
It’s in keeping with the trend towards versatility in this fledgling HFX Wanderers team that Michael Hunter brings a variety of qualities to his role with the club. Not only will the club use him as an assistant coach, he’ll also take responsibility for performance analysis and be the goalkeeping coach. He was once a goalkeeper himself, so this is a role that will come naturally to him.
Completing the coaching set-up is Hart’s fellow Trinidadian, Derek King.
Derek King had a distinguished playing career that saw him turn out for the Trinidad & Tobago national team 33 times, scoring once in the process. It’s remarkable, really, that he managed to acquire so many caps considering he was forced to retire at 24 years old due to a career-ending injury. It’s a testament to his character that within three-years he’d gained the necessary badges and was ready to enter the world of coaching.
His career as a coach began at the delightfully named Joe Public FC (“who’ve we got on Saturday lads, John Doe United?”) before spells with Trinidad & Tobago’s U20 side. During his time as a head coach he has won a number of national championships in Trinidad, most notably collecting five trophies in one particularly prosperous year. He leaves his home country with a glowing reputation.
King’s prior relationship with Hart has almost certainly played a part in his hiring. The two worked together with the Trinidad & Tobago national team for over two-years to largely great success. Notably, the pair managed to guide Trinidad to 49th in the FIFA rankings, a tremendous achievement when you consider they currently sit at 93rd.
King could most recently be found as head-coach of FC Santa Rosa, winners of Trinidad’s Super League One, where he managed a team featuring Wanderers new boys, Akeem Garcia and Andre Rampersad.
Stephen Hart’s life can perhaps be divided into two distinct periods: those spent in Trinidad and those spent in Canada, and in the construction of his backroom staff, whether consciously or unconsciously, he’s chosen two men that reflect his own cross-continental career path. With one foot in Canada, in the form of Michael Hunter, and one in Trinidad, in the form of Derek King, his coaching staff have been built in his own image.
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(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/53187998_698074600594729_1758649246396973056_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=2a09097c37f39155d7436d936b1a27bc&oe=5CDC7203)
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Nice! I see SH started preseason this week, I wish them luck.
If only the Pro League can have game schedules like this ;D
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Nice! I see SH started preseason this week, I wish them luck.
If only the Pro League can have game schedules like this ;D
Reminds me of my only ever job interview in TT, many years ago. My degree was Exercise Science.
A asst director at MoS said to me,
"Just because allyuh study foreign, allyuh feel allyuh know more than we, who on the ground. "
I felt I had no choice but to hightail it outta dodge.
The pro league can't function like that cause, after all, Canada field doh flood and grow pumpkin vine, players head not hard, dem outside does organize game, and keep all kinda stats, and inspection. Dem does even sometimes play in snow. Some ah dem doh even know how to fete self. Deh organization doh fight up in public, and dem Adminstrators doh sometimes ave to put ppl in deh place. Sometimes I feel we on d ground still. :devil:
How the boss saying go " In the fullness of time " ? or something like that :D
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Nice! I see SH started preseason this week, I wish them luck.
If only the Pro League can have game schedules like this ;D
Reminds me of my only ever job interview in TT, many years ago. My degree was Exercise Science.
A asst director at MoS said to me,
"Just because allyuh study foreign, allyuh feel allyuh know more than we, who on the ground. "
I felt I had no choice but to hightail it outta dodge.
The pro league can't function like that cause, after all, Canada field doh flood and grow pumpkin vine, players head not hard, dem outside does organize game, and keep all kinda stats, and inspection. Dem does even sometimes play in snow. Some ah dem doh even know how to fete self. Deh organization doh fight up in public, and dem Adminstrators doh sometimes ave to put ppl in deh place. Sometimes I feel we on d ground still. :devil:
How the boss saying go " In the fullness of time " ? or something like that :D
:rotfl: yuh buss it one time and leave de ministry to hang dry lol
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‘A special time’: Stephen Hart ready to lead Wanderers in first ever match
By Gareth Hampshire (hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca)
The Wanderers are on their way to British Columbia today for the club’s inaugural Canadian Premier League match.
Halifax’s new professional soccer team will make history by kicking off in the seven team CPL on Sunday against Pacific FC on Vancouver Island.
“It’s becoming more and more real,” Hart smiled. “It’s an exciting time and a special time.”
In what is one of the longest away trips in world sport, Hart’s Wanderers squad will travel 4,476 km — in a marathon journey from one coast to another — during a trip that also includes a four hour time change.
But that’s not much of a concern for the players, who are now just anxious to get out on the pitch.
“I feel happy and excited because I want to play like now,” said Wanderers Peruvian attacking midfielder Juan Diego Gutierrez. “We are doing a great job, we are working hard every day to play a good game and be good on the ball and to have some fun on the field.”
With neither team having yet played a competitive match, Hart admits there is something of an unpredictable feel to this Canadian Premier League debut for his first ever Wanderers team.
“We have not been in any situation from a competition perspective so we don’t know how they will play if they’re on top or how they will play if they’re down,” Hart explained, adding it’s now up to the players to go out and play to the roles that have been drilled into them in training.
One thing that’s bringing confidence to the Wanderers players is the strong team spirit that’s been around the camp since the beginning of preseason training.
It’s a bond they believe will translate well on the pitch throughout the season.
“The camaraderie around the camp is really good so we can’t wait,” said veteran Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Elton John. “We appreciate more than anything else our fans, so we would like to go out there and make sure they’re happy and play attractive football.”
The Wanderers squad will train a couple of times at Westhills Stadium following the long road trip to get a feel for the pitch before the big game.
And then Hart will name his starting line-up for the first ever Wanderers Canadian Premier League match.
Coach Hart has a healthy respect for the Pacific squad and their head coach Michael Silberbauer but his main focus is on the approach of his own team.
“I think it’s one of those games where it’s more important what you do than what they do because we’re both blind,” said Hart. “I’m guessing by their purchases and their selections what type of game they’re going to play but it’s just a matter of us settling down as quickly as possible into our task.”
The match kicks off at 8 p.m. AST on Sunday and Wanderers fans can stream the match online at https://onesoccer.ca/ which is free for a one month trial period, followed by a special rate for season ticket holders.
You can also take in the game at one of our pub partners who will be showing the live stream.
Athens, Auction House, Durty Nelly’s, Freemans (Downtown, Quinpool, Fairview, Sackville), Hali-Mac Axe Throwing and The Pint are all showing the game live.
Our Privateers 1882 supporters group are kicking off the season with a viewing party at Niche Lounge starting at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Come on you Wanderers!
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The Trini quartet of Jan-Michael Williams, Akeem Garcia, Andre Rampersad, and Elton John make their debut tonight in the Canadian Premier League with Halifax Wanderers FC as they face off against Pacific FC.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5RckBNWsAAI-SX?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)
Jan-Michael Williams and Elton John named as co-captains of Halifax Wanderers FC.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5RXZvhWAAUvAoS?format=jpg&name=large)
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What was the score?
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What was the score?
They lost 1-0
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What was the score?
They lost 1-0
Hard luck, dey!
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Jan didn't look good on that goal.
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WATCH: Together From Aways - The Documentary - Part 1 | HFX
https://www.youtube.com/v/TJ0LZo0RClM
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Then we sit and wonder why we are suck so bad at international sports and why countries like jamaica are always ahead of us in their respective sporting disciplines and has the respect of the world in that regard? and who could fault them, they put in the work and has the support of citizens who take pride in the sport and is willing to put their money where their mouth is.
just go to Jamaica during their athletic season and see if you could get a ticket in the National stadium to watch track and field and especially on days where the 100 and 200 is taking place, you will be locked out the stadium, but in trinidad our stadium is empty like the grand canyon where you could hear the echoing of voices, no kidding.
take a look at these canadians, their first season with no attachment to their team and you could already see the passion like the league has been in existence for a century. I went to a couple pro league games in trinidad and TBH there was no vibe no ambiance and very few in attendance, and they were not supporters of the respective teams but just football fans in general.
I told a friend of mine that this will never work, they must take football into the communities by building very small community grounds and the private sector has to be on board and the govt has to offer tax insentives to businesses who are willing to support teams financially. and this is no brain storm or rocket science, this is rudimentary thinking towards the basic success of any sporting league.
and you would think these dummies in trinidad would get it right.......but then again it’s trinidad where everyone’s an expert in their own head. these people love to think of themselves as patriotic and efficient when in fact nothing could be farther from the truth, they thrive on showing each other up instead of working together. there is no collective reasoning or revolutionary thought for the greater good of the anything that benefits the nation in general, very poor thinking indeed, no wonder we suck at every sporting discipline.
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WATCH: Catching up with Halifax Wanderers duo, striker Akeem Garcia and midfielder/captain Andre Rampersad.
https://www.youtube.com/v/TlAhWZN545Y
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Two Trinidadian players follow their dreams with HFX Wanderers as club struggles with immigration red tape
By Nebal Snan (saltwire.com)
Moving to Canada to play with the HFX Wanderers FC was “an opportunity of a lifetime” for Akeem Garcia.
But the journey to become one of the best players in the team didn’t come without challenges.
“The transition for me when I just came here was a bit hard because I've never really played on turf before. So, I had to get up to speed with that,” he said.
Garcia’s passion for soccer started in front of the television watching games with his family. He soon joined Arima Ball Masters, the soccer club in his small hometown of Arima in Trinidad.
Andre Rampersad, his fellow countryman and captain of the Wanderers, also started young.
“I first started getting into football at a pretty young age at probably like seven years old. You know, just playing in the street with some friends and … I played with the team at the school.”
Garcia and Rampersad continued following their dreams on the soccer field, but their paths didn’t cross until they played in the same Trinidadian team, FC Santa Rosa, where Rampersad had been playing for five years.
“Me and Akeem weren't really super close friends. I've heard of him. He's heard of me. But we weren't close friends until before we came here.”
The players are now getting ready together for their fourth season with the HFX Wanderers.
“I can see us doing really well in the season, even going on to win it too,” said Rampersad.
Growing with the league
Garcia and Rampersad have been with the Wanderers since the team’s inauguration in 2019. That year also marked the Canadian Premier League’s (CPL) first season.
Garcia scored the team’s first goal ever and finished the CPL season with seven goals under his belt, becoming the top scorer for the team in 2019.
Fan reception of his performance that year is a “memory that will live (with him) for a lifetime,” he said.
Both Rampersad and Garcia were ranked among the top players in the league that year. As the CPL enters its fourth season, things have changed on and off the pitch.
“The league has become harder. … Better players are coming into the league. And the league is getting more exposure,” said Garcia, who is the Wanderer’s striker.
“It's at a high level, and it's definitely growing, and it will keep growing.”
After struggling with injuries in 2021, Garcia said he is ready to bounce back.
“I'm taking care of that and just working hard, … working on my fitness a lot, too. And it's getting better so far. I know what I have to do in order to get back on top again,” he said.
As a midfielder for the Wanderers, Rampersad has played the second highest number of minutes in the entire CPL league in 2021. He’s also had 224 recoveries, the highest number in the league by a significant margin. A recovery is when a player regains possession of the ball after it had been held by the opposing team.
“I enjoy the role for sure. And I'm not the type to like the hype, so I'm just doing it for my team. And that's the main thing for me.
Finding comfort
Off the pitch, the friendship between the players has become stronger.
“In a different country playing a professional sport, you look out for each other and then eventually, when we were roommates, then everything just become natural. And now we just laugh at the same things,” said Rampersad.
The two players haven’t been able to find many people in Halifax who come from Trinidad, said Garcia. Without a community in the city, Garcia and Rampersad found themselves missing the people and food from back home.
Being miles away during a pandemic, Garcia could only FaceTime his family as often as he could.
Rampersad learned how to cook some of his favourite dishes.
“A big dish is actually curry and I kind of trained myself to cook it a lot. I try over and over to make it and just keep getting better,” he said.
“I grew up with my grandma and … we would always get home cooked meals and stuff. … I definitely miss that a lot; I miss her.”
Despite the challenges, they are both grateful to play soccer as a career — an option that Rampersad said is not viable for many players in Trinidad.
“The quality of the players, and I always say this, where I'm from, we have a lot of quality. … It's just harder climbing the ladder,” he said.
“In Trinidad, I think maybe most of the times, especially now, … you probably have to get a job to make ends meet with the soccer.”
Helping players feel at home
Although soccer has universal rules, the playing style can vary by country. Even with years of professional soccer under his belt, Garcia needed some time to adapt to the CPL at the beginning.
“Home is a bit more rough, a bit more stronger. But here it's more technical; it’s faster,” said Garcia.
Matt Fegan, the sporting director with the Wanderers, said the team do their best to ensure a smooth start for international players, including pre-negotiating apartments, helping players get a driver’s licence and providing interpreters. They also connected one of their players who has an engineering degree with firms in the city
“The more we can make them feel at home, the easier it is for them to just do their job on the pitch because they're not having to think of other things,” he said.
The club, with the help of an immigration lawyer, also handles the immigration paperwork required to bring the players into Canada. International players require a work permit to play professional soccer.
Although the club could sign multi-year contracts with a player, their immigration status makes renewals “an arduous process.”
“The work permits are usually only issued for either a one year or a two-year term, which means that each off-season, we're dealing with people having to get a visa renewal.”
“Especially with the pandemic, with the border restrictions, it's been a very big challenge,” said Fegan.
Processing delays an issue
Canada’s immigration department has been grappling with a backlog of applications, including work permits, student permits, and permanent residency paperwork, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wanderers is experiencing the effects of the backlog, which Fegan described as a “huge issue.” Recently, the club faced increased wait times as they tried to obtain work permits for two new players from Brazil and Jamaica.
Some Wanderers players who came to Canada as international students a few years ago are in the process of applying for a permanent residency (PR) card. Like many international students who want to stay in Canada, the players have to go through the complicated bureaucracy of the Canadian immigration system.
Fegan said the players first tried to apply through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, now called the Atlantic Immigration Program, which requires applicants to have worked at least 1,560 hours with pay full time or part time. The players found out they hadn’t accumulated enough hours, he said, so they reapplied through another immigration stream.
The players’ applications have been in processing for 13 months. Before the pandemic, processing times for PR applications averaged six months.
“We're not just attracting players to come in and leave. It's actually they're coming in and want to stay here,” said Fegan.
“It's going to take a bit of time but hopefully comes through.”
The Wanderers will also benefit from the players receiving the PR. The CPL, said Fegan, only allows the club to have seven international players at a time.
“If I can convert an international to a domestic player, now I can go and find two more internationals to bring to the region, raise the calibre of the league,” he said.
The Wanderers play their first match of the season against York United FC in Toronto on April 7.
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HFX Wanderers wrestling with immigration red tape
By Glenn MacDonald (Halifax Chronicle Herald)
Akeem Garcia and Andre Rampersad had the opportunity to play for their home country of Trinidad and Tobago.
Garcia, the HFX Wanderers’ star striker, and Rampersad, the Canadian Premier League side’s captain and cornerstone at midfield, were asked to join the national football team for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League series of matches.
But immigration red tape has kept the international players from leaving their pro club and adoptive home.
“They unfortunately had to decline those invitations because the time it would have taken to get their work permit and travel visas renewed, it wouldn’t have been feasible with the time line,” Matt Fegan, the Wanderers’ sporting director, said in an interview earlier this week.
“While that would’ve been processing, they were not allowed to leave the country. They were supposed to be involved in some upcoming international games, but they had to pass up the opportunity unfortunately.
“The risk could be that if they leave the country, they may not be able to get back in for about four months.”
Canada’s immigration department has been grappling with a backlog of applications, including work permits, student permits and permanent residency paperwork, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wanderers and their international players – who require a work permit to play pro soccer in Canada and a travel visa to leave and re-enter the country – are experiencing the effects of the backlog.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Fegan said. “There are certain options that we have explored.”
One option was flagpoling, where temporary residents could go to the Canada-U.S. border, immediately do a U-turn after crossing – travel around the flagpole – and return to Canada.
It’s done to expedite obtaining a renewed work permit, instead of waiting the weeks or months it takes to get an answer after applying online or in person.
“The risk is that the border agents that day might say no or say no but still start the application process and then you can’t go back in,” Fegan said.
“The priority for them is they want to stay in the country and earn their money. The spirits are down but at the same time they have accessed the risks.”
While Garcia and Rampersad must forgo an opportunity to represent their country, two of their Wanderers teammates have been waiting over a year for their permanent residency.
Forward Corey Bent and centre-back Peter Schaale, who each played four seasons of Atlantic university soccer at Cape Breton University before turning pro, came to Canada as international students.
Like many international students who want to stay in Canada, the players must go through the complicated bureaucracy of the Canadian immigration system. The players’ applications have been in processing for 16 months. Before the pandemic, processing times for permanent residency applications averaged six months.
“They’ve been working towards it for two years now,” Fegan said. “From our perspective, we’re trying to help them for the years beyond their football lives where they can stay in Canada and build a life here.
“There was a cutoff point – February 2021 – where permanent residents would be considered domestic players in our league. We got the paperwork in to start the process before that date. But it’s been over 16 months now. I understand the reasoning for it. There’s a backlog from COVID when the borders were closed. And then there’s the expedited invitations for Ukrainian refugees and Afghanistan refugees. It’s a backlog of different priority cases.”
The Wanderers will benefit from the players having their permanent residency.
The CPL allows each club to have seven international players at a time. When Bent and Schaale finally receive their permanent residency, because the paperwork was filed before the league’s cutoff date of February 2021, they will then be considered as domestic players.
“When those PRs go through, they will become domestics and it will open up two international spots,” Fegan said. “It will give us a chance to look overseas and beyond just the Canadian talent pool.”
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https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-wanderers-playoff-2022/
Halifax Wanderers Eliminated From Playoff Contention
BY JOHN JACQUES ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 0 264 VIEW
Halifax’s local Canadian Premier League team has been eliminated from playoffs following a coast-to-coast clash against reigning champion Pacific FC.
The two-nil home defeat came through a twice-delayed match at Wanderers Ground following storm Fiona, with the Pacific win also seeing York United eliminated.
It’s been a tough season for the Halifax Wanderers, with the result also ensuring they will finish on with no more points than they managed to procure a year prior.
The east coast CPL team has enjoyed rapturous fan support despite struggling to put out a consistent result on the pitch, with no back-to-back wins having come with two games left to play. The team did bring in a number of midseason reinforcements in an effort to get itself over the finish line, but they came to no avail.
The east coast side’s biggest struggle has been putting the ball into the net, with the team’s 22 goal tally clocking in as the league’s lowest outside of an already eliminated, ownerless FC Edmonton side.
With 10 of these 22 goals coming from the penalty spot, the club’s lack of tenacity in open play will be an expected improvement next year.
The team’s defensive acumen isn’t much better, with only FC Edmonton doing worse in terms of goals against – though Kieran Baskett has done well after stepping in during the closing stage of the season.
Things weren’t helped when star playmaker Joao Morelli – who won the league’s MVP award last year and procured the majority of the team’s goals – was ruled out for the season just a few matches in, causing the club to dig deeply for a suitable replacement.
While Fumpa Mwande and a contingent of mid-season reinforcements eventually found their way out east, the results didn’t follow in bulk.
Things weren’t helped when star playmaker Joao Morelli – who won the league’s MVP award last year and procured the majority of the team’s goals – was ruled out for the season just a few matches in, causing the club to dig deeply for a suitable replacement.
While Fumpa Mwande and a contingent of mid-season reinforcements eventually found their way out east, the results didn’t follow in bulk.
This season has seen underlying shouts to replace Stephen Hart as head coach grow in momentum, with some fans of firm belief that the club’s playing mentality and use of substitutions has hindered what may have been an otherwise decent campaign.
Hart is one of just three remaining original head coaches from the league’s launch, with the former Canada and Trinidad and Tobago gaffer earning a coach of the year award following his club’s surprise spring into the CPL Final back in 2020.
That year’s golden boot leader, Akeem Garcia, has suffered a fairly large fall from grace: in the two seasons since, he has procured six goals, just two of which came from open play.
It’s fair to say things have been a tough go since the Island Games: last year saw the club loosen its grip on playoffs late into the season, with York United eventually nabbing the final playoff spot after a string of poor results out east.
With the club now falling short of playoffs yet again, it’ll be interesting to see how the east coast side reshapes itself ahead of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season, where it’s expected to have CPL star Joao Morelli back in the mix.
The Halifax Wanderers face a tough conclusion to the season with matches against Atletico Ottawa and Forge FC.