Friday April 15, 2022 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
After an inspiring win for his team in their first game of the 2022 season last Sunday, today on Good Friday Pacific FC Head Coach James Merriman is keeping things in check for game two.
That’s coming up on Easter Sunday, April 17. Game time is at 1 pm, at Starlight Stadium in Langford.
In a pre-game interview today, Coach Merriman said it’s a process. “We’ve got ideas that we’re trying to implement as a group and as a team. Things that we continue to discuss,” he told Island Social Trends and media on the Zoom call. He said there are a lot of areas that they want to continue to work on and improve.
“We’ll take to things that went well for us last weekend, and there’s a lot of areas that we want to develop and grow and build off and build onto,” said Merriman. “It’s very early in the season. So there’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of work ahead of us.”
Team insights:
Who were the team members who shone well in the April 10 game? “Overall the group did very well,” James Merriman said.
“TMG (Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, defender, age 24, #26)… it was great to see him have such a good game to start the game. He was great in the pre-season, with his mentality, after missing a lot of time last year,” James Merriman said.
“Same thing with Matthew Baldisimo (midfielder, age 25, #8) to come back, the performance that he had,” the coach said today.
“It was a very solid performance from a lot of our players. So I was very happy,” he said.
“Also with the players that came in. We made five changes. They stepped in and raised our level and lifted us, which is what we want from the players coming into the game. So overall I was just really happy with the approach, the mentality, and the overall group,” Merriman concluded.
“We make improvements everywhere we can,” said Merriman in an interview last week, ahead of the first game on April 10.
MORE: Pacific FC Team Roster
Up against Valour FC:
This weekend’s game — the second home game for Pacific FC — sees PFC up against the Winnipeg-based team Valour FC. Coming in from an unusually snowy Winnipeg (for mid-April), there might be travel challenges, but they will get here.
No masks required:
The COVID pandemic is still something to deal with (sixth wave), but as of April 8, 2022 the BC Vaccine Card is no longer required for access to public venues.
Masks are no longer required at sporting events.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends (formerly West Shore Voice News) has been covering news of the Pacific FC team since mid-2018, into their first season in 2019, and beyond.
===== RELATED:
Pacific FC scores a win in home-game season opener (April 10, 2022)
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New head coach James Merriman gears up for 2022 season (April 10, 2022)