Today I'm once again going back just 2 years to 31st July 2019 and the Canadian Premier League game between FC Edmonton and HFX Wanderers at Clarke Stadium, Edmonton.
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is a relatively new competition. Indeed 2019 represented it's inaugural season. FC Edmonton had decided to join the CPL following the demise of the North American Soccer League (NASL). That first season was run in two parts with a Spring and Fall season with the Champions of each playing off to determine the inaugural Champions (and no I don't know what would have happened if the same team won both parts), There were only seven members of the CPL that season although this has now been expanded to eight as follows: Altetico Ottawa, Cavalry FC (near Calgary), FC Edmonton, Forge FC (near Hamilton), Pacific FC Langford, Valour FC (Winnipeg), York United (near Toronto) and opponents in this match HFX Wanderers. Given the distances involved and the low attendance levels, it is remarkable that Canada can afford to operate a fully professional national league at all and you do wonder how the finances work. For example, when Pacific FC (based in Langford on the West Coast of British Colombia) play HFX Wanderers (based on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia), the distance between the two is 3,879 miles (a 59 hour non-stop car journey!). The air fares and hotel costs each season must be crippling!
Quite why HFX Wanderers have decided to call themselves HFX as opposed to Halifax is beyond me but, hey, perhaps it's something to do with being down with the kids which I no longer seem to be! It's all the more curious when you learn that their club badge is adorned by the far from modern Scottish Gaelic motto: "Ar Cala, Ar Dachaigh, Ar n-Anam" or "Our Harbour, Our Home, Our Soul". Apparently Scottish Gaelic is used to signify that Nova Scotia is one of the few places remaining where the language is still spoken. Who knows, perhaps HFX is Scottish Gaelic?
The game took place in front of a crowd of 2,873 (no travelling supporters were to be seen) and Edmonton took the lead on 21 minutes thans to a fine headed goal from 21 year old Easton Ongaro. The Eddies scored their second goal early in the second half following a penalty from Tomi Ameobi. Tomi, or Oluwatomiwo, to give him his full first name was born in Newcastle and is the brother of former Newcastle United's Shola and of Middlesbrough's winger Sammy. The match finished 2-0 to the Eddies and HFX's winless run on the road continued. In my world, Halifax have never had a successful side and now nor has HFX.
CRB Match No. 2317
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