2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #3 Pacific FC vs. Vancouver FC April 15, 2023 at 4 p.m. PT Starlight Stadium in Langford, BC Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here​

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It's derby day in British Columbia, as Pacific FC is hosting Vancouver FC in the first-ever meeting between the CPL's two BC-based clubs. A moment that both teams will have long circled in the calendars, it's a huge opportunity for both sides to start the new CPL seasons off on a high note, all while getting one up on their new rivals. "This is enormous for Canadian football," Vancouver FC's head coach, Afshin Ghotbi, noted this week. "Because derbies create history and fan bases, and conversations that will go on for years, and I think this derby will be special in so many different ways (through that)." "Yeah, it's huge," Pacific's captain, Josh Heard, added on his end. "It's another big game for Canadian soccer. And I think the more games we have like this, the better it is for the sport in our country. So it's exciting for BC, it's exciting for Canada and it's exciting for the CPL." On Pacific's side, they're certainly up for this one, as they're expected to host a strong crowd for this game, with there expected to be plenty of support on both sides. The established side in this rivalry, with a championship already under their belt, they'll know that they have the pressure to win this match, and will look to give their home fans a performance that reflects that. Plus, having had a big offseason, they're also ready to push for a title in 2023, allowing them to leave the heartbreak of 2022 behind them. On the other side, however, Vancouver is heading into this match confident, despite it being their first ever. A Pacific side that they'll know well, especially given the presence of two former Pacific players in their squad in Callum Irving and Kadin Chung, they'll approach this game without any fear of the occasion. Fuelled by the strong away support that they should have, they'll look to use this match as a chance to send a message, both to Pacific and the rest of the league - these Eagles are ready to soar. Safe to say, motivation is quite high on both sides of the Salish Sea for this derby, and for good reason, as it should develop into one of the best in the league. The first of four clashes the team's will have this regular season, and many more in the future, they know that this match will be forever etched in history no matter the result, kicking off a new chapter in BC's rich and storied soccer history.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH​


  • Pacific eager to show off new-look offence: It was a feeling that Pacific won't want to feel anytime soon - that sentiment of "what if", as they just weren't able to take their chances in their playoff semi-final across two legs versus Atlético Ottawa, leaving them to lose 3-1 on aggregate. As a result, they made sure to upgrade their offence heavily this offseason, bringing in Easton Ongaro, Adonijah Reid, Kekuta Manneh, David Brazão and Aymen Sellouf to shore up their attack. A complete overhaul from 2022, having lost Alejandro Díaz, Marco Bustos, Gianni Dos Santos and more, many are expecting big things from the new arrivals, with Ongaro and Manneh, in particular, stealing the headlines among CPL moves this offseason. Because of that, many are expecting Pacific to score a lot of goals this season, after their offence ended up being a big question mark for them in the second half of last season following their midseason sale of Díaz. Therefore, they'll be eager to get the ball rolling quickly on that regard, starting with this game. Knowing that a strong opening match could give them the confidence they need, they'll be hungry to score early and often in this one, especially given that they'll be going up against a backline that hasn't had the chance to play together all that often yet, much less in a game of this magnitude.​


  • Vancouver looking to build off strong preseason: Meanwhile, Vancouver is going to be eager to reap the rewards of a strong preseason, as they look to hit the ground running in their first season. Knowing the importance of starting strong, they stayed local for most of preseason, other than a short trip down to Portland, playing most of their games around the Greater Vancouver region. Plus, despite playing teams such as MLS Next Pro's Vancouver Whitecaps II and Portland Timbers II, CPL's Valour, League 1 BC's Altitude FC, TSS Rovers and Unity FC, local sides BB5 United and Tigers FC, as well as U SPORTS side UBC, they were undefeated across all of those matches. Riding a strong defensive posture, while also being patient in possession, they did so while giving a glimpse of how they want to play, which is to be a high-tempo team that tries to dictate the pace of play. Therefore, while they know it might take some time for everything to click, especially offensively, they'll feel confident in their preparation heading into this opening game. Especially given that their defensive group includes Callum Irving in goal, Kadin Chung at full back, as well as the likely starting centre back pair of Rocco Romeo and Eugene "Pele" Martínez, expect this side to be organized and disciplined in this game, giving a platform for their offence to find its legs.​

  • Midfield battle a potential tone-setter for derby: Often, in a derby, it's not uncommon to see some hard tackles thrown around, as teams try to set the tone on the pitch. And this game should be no exception, as both sides are not ones to shy away from getting physical, with Pacific always ones to play with intensity, something that Vancouver also showed in preseason. Therefore, space should be at a premium in this game, especially in midfield, which is exciting given the quality of player that both teams have at the midfield positions. On Pacific's side, their likely starting midfield trio of Sean Young, Cédric Toussaint and Manny Aparicio are all very good on the ball, and will try to control that ball that way, but are also eager to leave in a tackle. Along with newcomer Pierre Lamothe, who could also start, that's a dangerous couple of names to watch. Yet, on the other side, the same can be said of Vancouver. Their expected starting trio of Gael Sandoval, Elliot Simmons and Gabriel Bitar are also all very strong technically, with Sandoval expected to be one of the most technical players in the league, while Simmons and Bitar have proved that they can certainly control play at this level. Plus, physically, they should not get overmatch, either, which is key. As a result, this midfield battle should be very fun to watch, as both teams battle to try and grab control in any way possible, on either side of the ball, giving them an edge in this first-ever derby.​

PROJECTED STARTING XIs​


Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Đidić, Meilleur-Giguère, Vliet; Toussaint, Young; Manneh, Aparicio, Heard; Ongaro (4-2-3-1)

Vancouver FC: ​
Irving; Chung, Martínez, Romeo, Crawford
; Sandoval, Simmons, Bitar; Gyimah, Hundal, Kwak (4-3-3)​
​

ALL-TIME SERIES​


Pacific FC wins: 0 || Vancouver FC wins: 0 || Draws: 0

Last meeting:

N/A​

KEY QUOTES​


“Everyone's integrated into the group really well over preseason. We've had some some good performances in the friendlies, and everyone's eager, everybody's competitive, everybody wants to play. And it's nice to have three games to start the season in a short amount of time, as we'll get to see everybody perform as we've got good options. We feel good, we feel confident in the players that have come in, so we're excited to get started tomorrow." — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

“I'm like a little kid before on Christmas Eve. We waited a long time for this moment, we put in a lot of work (to get here). And it's not just the preseason work with the team, it's been off the field, as well. It's been a long process and it's finally here, so yeah, I'm excited that football is back, that the CPL is back.” — Pacific FC attacker Josh Heard

“We literally had to build the club from the ground level up, one player at a time, one brick at a time, as even while we were doing our preseason, our stadium was being built one seat at a time. For me, it's been a great opportunity for us to create a team that I feel will embody the Vancouver demographic, and the diversity of the city. I feel like we have a team that's bubbling with enthusiasm, with ambition, and with a lot of hope for the season. ” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

“We've grown a lot. It's actually kind of remarkable to look back on those those early days, and to see where we're at now. I've spoken about this before, but day by day, this club is changing and growing for the better, and that includes the relationships that we're building in the locker room and on the pitch.” — Vancouver FC goalkeeper Callum Irving​

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