Less than a minute after his number nine had been lit up in green on the substitution board, Tiago Coimbra latched onto a perfectly weighted long pass from Kareem Sow and burst into the York United penalty area.

The Halifax Wanderers’ striker let the ball bounce a few times, and deftly lifted it over York goalkeeper Ivan Pavela with the outside of his right boot. The ball bounced once more, before nestling in the bottom right corner.

Peeling off in celebration, and peeling off his Wanderers kit, Coimbra was quickly engulfed by ecstatic teammates. As the group walked back toward the halfway line, Coimbra paused for a second, clutching his hamstring, a pained grimace flashing across his face. Just as quickly, he replaced that grimace with a sly grin, as he and teammate Adam Pearlman began high-stepping toward the centre circle.

It was a celebration that Coimbra had planned with the Wanderers’ medical staff since pre-season, but one that he nearly forgot to execute in the moment until a reminder from Pearlman.

“Me and Adam were talking about it in the locker room before the game, that I was gonna come in and I was gonna score, and we were gonna do that celebration,” the Halifax striker told CanPL.ca.

The goal, which officially hit the back of the net a minute and two seconds after Coimbra stepped onto the pitch for the first time in the 2025 CPL season, stood as the winner in a 2-1 victory over York United.

The moment perfectly encapsulated Coimbra’s experience in the Canadian Premier League thus far. When the 21-year-old is on the pitch over his past two seasons with Halifax, he has been among the league’s most lethal strikers. Limited to just 796 minutes last season through injury, however, as that celebration referenced, Coimbra’s immense potential has yet to be fully realized. But with a renewed approach to his fitness, and having gained a wealth of experience and confidence this off-season, the Canadian youth international is primed for a breakout season.

After again suffering an injury in pre-season this year, one which saw him miss Halifax’s season opener against Atlético Ottawa and be limited to a substitute role this past Sunday, starting his 2025 campaign with such an important goal was a significant boost of confidence.

“Very emotional for me because, like, I didn’t really have a pre-season,” said Coimbra. “I came back to train with the team and I got hurt right away, missed all the games that we had in England, all that stuff. It was just very emotional and very satisfying for me to be able to come in, and help the team right away like that. So just a very important moment for me.”

Critical to making sure there are many more moments like that this season is the club’s hiring of Nick Edwards as Head of Performance. Edwards brings experience from the Nottingham Forest organization and is already revolutionizing the way the Wanderers approach fitness and recovery.

Coimbra says the team has already been in the gym more consistently before and after training, focusing on doing extra work and activation to make sure their bodies are prepared for the rigours of a long season.

“I feel like this year is going to be very different,” said Coimbra. “Just myself as well, just being able to take care of myself off the field, going to the chiropractor, doing other physio work or other gym work for myself. I feel like it has already helped me come back quicker than expected. Hopefully, this year I can stay healthy and keep helping the team.”

A new fitness regimen isn’t the only notable change for Coimbra this season. When he pulled on his kit this season, it had the number nine on the back, a sign of the club’s belief in him after two campaigns of wearing the #19.

“Having that number nine shirt comes with a little bit of weight, of some kind of pressure,” said Coimbra. “But I’ve been asking for the number nine ever since after my first year.”

Coimbra also spent this off-season training with West Ham United’s U-21 team, even getting a week of training in with the first team. That experience built his confidence in the way he was able to compete with players at a big professional club in Europe, and some crucial lessons which he will take into this coming CPL season, and beyond.

“Just consistency,” says Coimbra. “The amount of errors they make or mistakes they make it’s very little. I feel like just being consistent, just being consistent with what I do off the field, on the field, I feel like will be the main thing that will help me get there one day.”

For Halifax coach Patrice Gheisar, Coimbra finding that consistency this year is crucial, because he says the 21-year-old is incredibly important to the way the Wanderers want to play. He says Coimbra provides the team balance, a player who can get in behind and get on the end of crosses from their multiple attacking number tens.

“You look at his physicality, his size, his pace, power, he has every attribute,” said Gheisar. “I think he’s gained experience, he’s sharp, he’s confident, and now we just need to keep him healthy and look forward to seeing him play week in and week out.”

Last season, Coimbra finished sixth in the CPL in goals per 90, with 0.45, ninth in touches in the box per 90, with 5.9 and first in aerial duels won per 90 at 3.62 among all positions, showing his incredible dominance in the air.

If he can put all of that together over a full season, the sky is the limit. That is certainly where Coimbra is setting his ambitions and goals this season.

“This year I would like to win the Golden Boot, and U-21 Player of the Year,  that’s my two main goals for myself,” said Coimbra. “And being able to get a move outside of North America, or maybe MLS, maybe Europe.”

On Saturday, the Wanderers return home to Halifax for the first time in the 2025 season. For Coimbra and his teammates, any chance they get to play at the Wanderers Grounds is a memorable moment.

“I feel like no stadium in the CPL has the type of environment that the Wanderers Grounds has,” says Coimbra. “I just feel like, the last two years, once we get a rhythm going, we’re just unbeatable at home.”

After a disappointing 2024 season for the Wanderers, where they failed to win in their first nine matches and finished a disappointing sixth, missing the playoffs, optimism has returned. Things are already off to a better start in 2025, with four points already collected on the road in the first two matchweeks.

The mission is to make sure Saturday is the first of many meaningful matches played at the Wanderers Grounds this year, including deep into the fall. So far, the stadium has only ever hosted one playoff match, a 1-0 loss to Pacific FC in 2023.

“At this point, the fans deserve it,” said Coimbra. “Like the fans deserve it more than the club does. Because, man, like they really bring it every game.

“Last year I had a chance to go to the CPL awards, and I was telling the commissioner, I was telling everybody to be ready, because this year the finals are going to be in Halifax.”

If Coimbra’s bold prediction from Calgary comes true, he will play a critical role. With the number nine on his back, and a new spring in his step, a healthy Coimbra is a game-changer for the Wanderers.

All highlights courtesy of OneSoccer