Vanni Sartini speaks with reporters during a pre-match press conference ahead of the Halifax Wanderers home opener at the Wanderers Grounds. PHOTO: SUBMITTED/HALIFAX WANDERERS
The Halifax Wanderers FC will open their home schedule Saturday as excitement builds around a new era for the club.
Halifax enters its eighth season in the Canadian Premier League with new head coach and general manager Vanni Sartini, who joined in the offseason after coaching success with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The Wanderers bring momentum into the match after collecting four points in their opening two road games.
Sartini says one of the reasons he was eager to take the Halifax job was the atmosphere at the Wanderers Grounds.
“Every time that I watched games on TV, it looked like the atmosphere here was really buzzing,” he said.
He says strong home form will be critical if the club wants to compete near the top of the standings.
“The key in this league is winning the games at home,” Sartini said.
The coach also says he wants to see continued improvement in the attacking third after a solid start defensively.
Saturday’s opener is expected to draw a strong crowd as fans get their first look at the new-look Wanderers under Sartini.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. with the Wanderers taking on Pacific FC.
