It’s been one heck of a transfer window for the CPL.
When the window opened on July 5, I don’t think many could have imagined the scope of talent destined for clubs across the country. From Spanish legends to former CPL Golden Boot winners, clubs have loaded up on some tantalizing football talent to add a layer of decadence to the already highly competitive league table.
Halifax’s signing of Doneil Henry — a player with over 200 professional appearances and 44 caps for Canada’s senior men’s national team — is the cherry on top of the footballing sundae.
And it’s sent shockwaves across the country’s footballing landscape.
Henry’s signing is a watershed moment for both the Wanderers and the league in a lot of ways. Here we have a high profile 30-year old Canadian footballer with talent, one year removed from helping Canada qualify for the FIFA World Cup, looking to re-establish himself.
And he chooses the CPL as his platform, his avenue, to showcase his talents in the hopes of earning a spot back in either the MLS or Europe.
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand Henry wouldn’t have gone the CPL route if he had MLS offers on the table. He has to work to show the footballing world that he’s still got the skill to go along with his known leadership and drive.
But it still adds legitimacy to the league and in this case, the Halifax Wanderers: he believes in the project.
As a writer covering the Wanderers, all I can say is bravo. From Henry to Alejandro Díaz to Alberto Zapater, the storylines to follow moving forward are fantastic. The table has been set.
So buckle up, CPL fans. The second half of the season is about to get very, very entertaining.
8 CPL Thoughts:
- Rumours around the Wanderers making a move have been circulating for some weeks now. The fact that Derek Martin and company were able to keep a tight, heavy lid on the Henry deal is impressive, the club locking in the centre-back for the remainder of this season with an option for 2024. Looking back, I reported in late June that the club was exploring adding another attacking option during the window but I think injuries to defenders Jake Ruby and Ryan James changed their priorities. When James opted for surgery and effectively ended his season, the Wanderers exercised a league provision that allows for roster relief to add Henry. By adding Henry, Halifax have brought in a defender who fills the leadership void left by James on the pitch and signed themselves a player highly motivated to prove himself. His comments during his fantastic interview with Charlie O’Connor-Clarke read like a challenge to the world: “I have something to prove. I have a new fire in me, I have my why. It’s not about me, it’s about the team atmosphere but I’m definitely going in with my mind knowing that I’m definitely going to show people I have so much left to give.” The Coast’s Martin Bauman also did a fantastic job highlighting the move.
- Talk about making a splash; the Wanderers have been the toast of the CPL town online. It’s honestly a bit strange as I’m not used to league moves drawing the attention of larger media but lo and behold, everyone wants to weigh in on Henry. For myself, I checked in with some of my sources to get their gut reaction to the move. To say people are impressed is an understatement. Unanimously, sources lauded Henry’s signing, saying Halifax added a star player to an already good lineup. They commented on the value of his leadership and experience to a young backline. One text summed it up best: “I think this is the best signing of the year.”
- So how much can a mid-season signing change a club’s fortunes? I’d argue a lot, especially if you look at Atlético Ottawa. They addressed their lack of a defensive midfielder with Zapater and added to their striker group with Ruben del Campo. As much as their performances on the pitch have helped (and Zapater has looked about as skilled as we could expect given his resume), the energy around the club has changed and that can’t be overlooked. They look to have found their groove, picking up three straight wins and a much needed nine points to vault them up into a playoff spot. Players like Zapater give their teammates confidence; their presence at midfield is like a security blanket and makes everyone that extra inch taller. Lorenzo Callegari does something similar for Halifax.
- Speaking about defensive midfielders, Vancouver FC got in on the fun and signed 37-year old Renan Garcia through the end of this season with an option for 2024. Factoring in their moves for Cantave and Díaz, the club has worked hard to restructure their roster given their lack of goal scoring. Díaz certainly hasn’t lost his touch, having scored in his Vancouver debut so look for them to have a little more bite moving forward. While I was checking in about Henry, I also asked about Díaz heading back to British Columbia. The bottom line: the club has added firepower and a good midfielder but they need to work to defend as a unit instead of as individuals.
- It was interesting to see VFC winger Gael Sandoval’s contract termination tucked into Garcia’s press release like an afterthought. I had heard it wasn’t working (as had every coach, scout and agent in the league somehow) and I think both the club and player tried to make a move happen but after a few weeks, nothing had materialized. The result is what looked like a slam dunk signing for a young VFC squad fizzled out in less than 10 matches. Best of luck to him moving forward.
- According to sources, MLS interest in Pacific FC midfielder Sean Young continues to remain high. Both club and player are in fine form at the mid-season mark with titles in their sights and larger clubs are keeping tabs. MLS sides hoped to see consistency — across the pitch but especially in the final third — from the 22-year old Victoria-native this season. In fact, head coach James Merriman also set a goal with the midfielder to improve his offensive numbers. Well, Young has delivered so far with three goals and four assists across all competitions, making him one of Merriman’s most consistent players. Young was previously named CPL Player of the Month for May after renewing his contract this past offseason.
- CTV News Atlantic dropped a bombshell last Friday after a group in Halifax hired a lawyer to file a cease and desist letter to the mayor concerning the Halifax Wanderers lease at the Wanderers Grounds. The group, known as the Friends of the Halifax Common, say the lease is a bad deal for the municipality and robs the public of access to the Grounds, which is part of the Halifax Common. As per CTV, the letter says Sports Entertainment Atlantic (the group that owns the club) is in violation of the HRM charter and the 1994 Halifax Common Plan. All of this adds an extra layer of complexity to the club’s hopes to build a more permanent facility, especially given they likely need government funds to achieve their goal. I haven’t had a chance to do any work on this file but I did want to direct readers to the Wanderer Grounds podcast as they did a full episode breaking down the issue. And although I need to brush up on the facts, I did want to say that the Wanderers are a success story for the province of Nova Scotia but also for the CPL. I hope something can be worked out which ensures fantastic football continues to be played in the heart of Halifax.
- I had the chance to interview Isaac Raymond, the manager of Canada Soccer’s referee department, last week. Something I had noticed and asked Raymond about was the frequency of penalty kicks this year. In particular, at the mid-season mark, there have been 11 penalty goals this year compared to 35 by the end of last year. The Wanderers alone had 10(!) penalty goals, making me wonder if Canada Soccer, who is in charge of the refereeing in the CPL, had made a change to the way they call penalties. Raymond said they aren’t calling them differently but trying to be more accurate in awarding (or in this case, not rewarding) penalties. “I can tell you in 2023, we are in step or perhaps a little ahead of 2022 in our accuracy rate. And when I say accuracy rate, I refer to whether the penalty kick was given or not,” explained Raymond. “That maybe tells us there isn’t as many decisions to make (as last year).” I know a lot of people, myself included, have been perturbed by some of the mistakes made by referees. But sometimes the line between a correct call and a wrong call is razor thin and this difference is exacerbated by fans. For example, Raymond and I discussed the Wanderers’ late penalty goal against Forge, which he called a world class decision and 100 per cent the correct call. Many Forge fans may disagree. “We put a lot of effort into making sure referees have all the tools at hand to eliminate or at least minimize making mistakes,” he said. I’ll have a piece about the rest of my conversation with Raymond coming out next week.
- A bonus thought for today: I wanted to take a moment to congratulate the five Canadian referees selected for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. The excitement starts tomorrow.
Cover Photo Credit: Halifax Wanderers FC
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