Pacific FC Re-Signs Five Players, Releases One

West coast Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC has announced that it has re-signed Marcel de Jong, Jordan Haynes, Matthew Baldisimo, Josh Heard and Sean Young, while also revealing that Zach Verhoven mutually agreed not to activate his 2021 option in order to pursue another playing opportunity.

Marcel de Jong was the marquee signing for the club when it was first founded, though the veteran left-back missed most of the inaugural season after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury. The 34-year-old has been a leader for the side both in the locker room and out, and made seven appearances throughout an Island Games campaign that saw the club reach the group stage on the back of a potential MVP-winning season for Marco Bustos.

The former Canadian international isn’t the only inaugural season Pacific FC player to return, with 22-year-old Matthew Baldisimo also re-signing with the side. He featured in all ten matches from the club’s 2020 season, recording an assist against Valour FC back in August.

The duo will be joined next season by Victoria native Josh Heard, a former Whitecaps draft pick who spent the last few years in both the USL and Austria. His debut season with the Tridents saw him make five appearances, with the versatile athlete scoring a goal against the Eddies in Pacific’s comeback win which saw them enter the postseason for the first time.

Peterborough-born defender Jordan Haynes has also re-signed following his short season with the Tridents, where the late signing proved to be a reliable additional throughout eight appearances.

The last of today’s confirmed returning roster is Sean Young, the 19-year-old who made history as the club’s first-ever Victoria-born signing. While few would have expected him to garner much playing time, Young had an excellent rookie season that saw him make nine appearances in the centre of the park, usurping Noah Verhoeven in the club’s depth chart.

All five of these players have been important pillars of the club and we look forward to them continuing on with us in the coming season.

Pacific FC CEO Rob Friend

This marks the first big roster update for Pacific FC, coming a day after York9 FC released a complete and thorough roster update regarding club contracts and player movement ahead of the distant 2021 Canadian Premier League season.

Assuming that the Whitecaps don’t take a chance on him, Canadian Premier League MVP Candidate Marco Bustos is expected to return to the side, while fans will be hoping that former Fury man Thomas Meilleur-Giguere will also return – especially given that he played for every single possible minute this year and was the only PFC defender not to concede a penalty.

Given that head coach Pa-Modou Kah recently backed Kadin Chung for a spot in the national team, one imagines the club will be eager to keep him, too.

With Zach Verhoven likely having come to terms with another club (hence the mutual decision not to activate his contract), it’ll be interesting to see where the 22-year-old lands next after a solid Island Games showing. He departs Pacific FC as the club’s fourth-most selected player with 33 appearances over the last two seasons.

Earlier this month, Pacific FC also announced that teenager goalkeeper Emil Gazdov would spend the next two seasons on loan with the FC Nurnburg youth academy.

Pacific FC did not disclose the length, options, or financial compensation regarding the contracts of the five re-signed players.