Friday night saw FC Supra defeat Pacific 2-1 in a match filled with FVS controversy, with the Tridents finishing with nine men after the sending-offs of Josh Heard and Marco Bustos.
It can be argued that neither dismissal was fully warranted, but the circumstances surrounding Heard's red card are unlike anything seen before.
After Diyaeddine Abzi was fouled inside the box, referee Niko Jecanski pointed to the spot and judged Josh Heard to be the culprit. Disagreeing with the call, Pacific head coach Terry Dunfield used his FVS card to challenge the decision, prompting Jecanski to head to the monitor.
After a short review, Jecanski upheld his original decision, but also produced a red card for Heard for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, reducing the Tridents to ten men right as the first half drew to a close.
In short, had Pacific not requested a challenge for the penalty — their second of the match in the first half alone after an unsuccessful one just minutes earlier — Josh Heard would have stayed on the pitch and the outcome could have been entirely different.
RED CARD 🟥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 1, 2026
FC Supra win a penalty, Pacific ask for an FVS check which is unsuccessful, and to top it off, the hosts receive a red card after the referee deems Josh Heard to have committed DOGSO 🤯
🔴 Watch #CPLSoccer on OneSoccer, CBC Gem, TVA Sports 2 pic.twitter.com/cpqFV9slFR
The drama did not end there. After Loïc Kwemi converted the penalty, the fourth official called Jecanski back to the monitor to review potential encroachment. The check revealed that players from both sides had entered the box before Kwemi had struck the ball, forcing a retake, which Kwemi converted once again.
Pacific were then reduced to nine men around the 80th minute when Marco Bustos appeared to push Matisse Chrétien in a time-wasting situation, with Jecanski producing a red card for violent conduct.
RED CARD 🟥🟥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 1, 2026
Marco Bustos was sent off for violent conduct, reducing Pacific to nine men as they fell to a 2-1 home defeat against Supra 👀#CPLSoccer pic.twitter.com/mnTOxQKHC5
The hosts were dealt another crushing blow in their search for a first win in 24 games, and Supra took full advantage.
Minutes after the second red card of the match, Omar Elkalkouli found Safwane Mlah with a perfect cross, the latter heading past a motionless Sean Melvin to put Supra ahead with just minutes remaining.
Supra claimed a crucial victory in their playoff push, while Pacific's winless run extended to 25 matches.
