The heat didn’t just hang in the Langford air Saturday afternoon – it weighed heavy on Pacific FC’s shoulders.
On a sweltering 24-degree afternoon that felt closer to 30 at pitch level, the Tridents were shut out for a fourth straight match, falling 1-0 to league-leading Atletico Ottawa in front of 2,506 at Starlight Stadium.
Pacific's goalless streak has now stretched to 360 minutes – a month-long drought dating back to May 10.
“We created some really clear chances,” head coach James Merriman said post-match. “We need to take those goals. Somebody needs to decide and score a goal, put the ball in the back of the net. That’s what changes games.”
The club shifted to a 4-3-3 formation, looking to spark creativity with Marco Bustos, Emanuel Montejano, and captain Josh Heard leading the charge.
But the story stayed the same.
The Tridents showed flashes of life – most notably in the 29th minute when Lucas Browning Lagerfeldt unloaded a thunderous right-footed volley from the top of the 18-yard box.
It was bound for the top corner, until Aletico goalkeeper Nathan Ingham extended every inch to swat it wide. It was the only shot on target Pacific would register.
That moment briefly ignited the home side. They strung together ten minutes of aggressive possession and three corners in a row, pushing forward with purpose.
But hope turned to heartbreak just before halftime.
A slick Atletico attack in the 43rd minute sliced through the Tridents’ back line, forcing a penalty call that drew the ire of the Starlight faithful.
Ottawa’s Ballou Tabla calmly rolled the spot kick into the bottom left corner for his third goal of the season, handing the visitors a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
GOAL 🦖
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) June 7, 2025
Ballou Tabla converts from the spot and @atletiOttawa lead in Langford! ⚽️#CanPL | 🔴 Watch LIVE on @onesoccer pic.x.com/eRrWpPpHqu
“I don’t know about the penalty – I need to see it again,” said Merriman. “Maybe we had a case for a penalty with Bustos in the second half. But at the end of the day, I think we created enough to score goals, and we didn’t do that.”
It wasn’t for lack of effort.
Pacific pushed in waves after the break, but between fatigue and frustration, their composure wilted in the second half heat.
The match turned scrappy – five yellow cards were handed out in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, four of them to Ottawa. Both sides emptied their benches, with Pacific using all five substitutions.
Max Anchor, Pacific’s young goalkeeper, was again a steady presence.
His highlight moment came early in the match – a near own goal as Aly Ndom’s mistimed header nearly fooled Anchor, who reacted with an acrobatic diving save to swat the ball away from his own net. Merriman credited the team’s recent defensive discipline.
“We’re not giving up too much, not giving up clear chances,” he said. “We’ve been solid and organized on set pieces. It’s difficult to say that when you lose, but we’ve been there as a team.”
But defensive structure alone isn’t earning points.
Saturday’s result kept Pacific at 8 points on the season, now trailing Atletico Ottawa by 13 in the standings. It also snapped a 7-7-7 all-time deadlock between the two clubs, tipping the historic series in Ottawa’s favour.
With the lowest goal total in the league – seven goals in 10 matches – Pacific’s attacking struggles have become the defining storyline of their season.
Still, Merriman believes in the group.
“We need to force it,” Merriman said. “We need to make it happen. We need to be decisive and ruthless and take those chances.”
They’ll get their next shot on June 14, when York United comes to town. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. – and for the Tridents, the hunt for a goal continues.
