Bustos busting loose in CPL

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This article was published 22/06/2021 (1567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Canadian Premier League star finds himself back home amidst the league bubble as he gears up for his first game of the season Saturday.

“It feels great, it’s obviously a place I’m very familiar with,” said Marco Bustos of Pacific FC.

“It’s a little bit of different circumstances coming here to play, I won’t have all my friends and family in the stands as of right now. Playing here before, scoring goals here and this being my hometown gives me more motivation in the sense that it makes things a bit easier.”

The 25-year-old striker, who grew up in the Maples neighbourhood of Winnipeg, is entering his third season in the Canadian Premier League and his second with Pacific FC who play out of Langford, B.C. After his CPL debut with Valour FC in 2019, where he scored seven goals and notched three assists in 25 appearances, Bustos is looking to carry his momentum forward from last year when he tallied five goals and three assists in a shortened 10-game season.

“My goal this season is to finish the season with a trophy,” said Bustos.

“I’ve trained more in the last two years than I have in my entire career. Knowing that we’re going to play a full 28 game season, off the bat we got to start off strong.”

After moving at age 15 to join the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS camp, Bustos completed a round trip of North American soccer to bring him back to the CPL, gaining experience in Mexico and the United States.

“Mexico was a great experience, more so for the life experience it gave me,” said Bustos.

“Going to a different country as a foreigner, the Mexican players don’t make it easy for you because they don’t want you to take their spot, you’re coming in and taking their money.”

Bustos was sent on loan to Atlético Zacatepec after living in Vancouver for eight years.

“Going to a city where I lived near Cuernavaca, I went from 100 to zero very quickly. I was learning how to dig deep and how to keep the ambition going. You have to keep believing in yourself.”

A season later, Bustos felt like he was reaching an age where he needed to play substantial minutes. After logging 16 games with Oklahoma City Energy, Bustos realized he could take his game to the next level with the arrival of the CPL.

“I actually watched the first two games of the CPL on broadcast and I was very impressed,” said Bustos.

“I said to myself, ‘I could see myself playing here, I want to go to the CPL and see if Winnipeg will have me for the rest of the first season’. I started 28 games for Valour and played every minute. Going to Valour was a blessing in disguise.”

Bustos recognized the impact this league has brought to Canada.

“Kids now in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Alberta, they don’t have to go straight to MLS, and think ‘I have to move to Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver’. Now there is a pathway for younger kids to aspire to be a Valour player, coming out of Winnipeg.”

After his first taste of playing a full season in front of friends and family, Bustos made the jump to Pacific FC, where he shares a connection with their head coach Pa-Modou Kah. Both were players together for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

“I see the growth in him every single day that he is with us,” said Kah.

“He’s taken a huge leap and that was seen with him getting called up to the national team. He is capable at playing at that level. Now, can he do it over a whole season? He’s a fantastic guy to work with and is dedicated to his team.”

Bustos says it’s the mentorship of Kah that has helped challenge his goal to become league MVP after finishing as the runner-up last season. After years of coaching him in Winnipeg, Marco’s father is eager to see his son play once again in July.

“We haven’t seen him face to face in almost a year and a half,” said Alex Bustos.

“All of a sudden, knowing there was a chance he could come here, it was a really good feeling. We’re hoping we get a chance to see him play, maybe by the second or third week of July.”

Marco called his father the night he considered joining the CPL, and his parents are grateful to have the league here. They were briefly reunited at the Richardson Airport thanks to management before the bubble commenced.

Bustos is eager for Pacific FC’s first matchup on Jun. 26th against the Halifax Wanderers and looks to demonstrate his leadership on the field.

“Hopefully I can help the boys as co-captain drive the ship in the right direction,” said Bustos.

jbernacki@freepress.mb.ca@JosephBernacki