2024 TELUS Canadian Championship — Semifinal (Leg 2)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Pacific FC
August 27, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. PT
BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980

After a tense first leg on Vancouver Island in July, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Pacific FC are getting set to meet in the second leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal at BC Place on Tuesday.

There, a lot is at stake for both teams, as they battle both for the chance to reach the final of this competition, which the winner of this match will host.

That’s massive, as it’s one thing to play in the final of a competition, but it’s an even bigger thing to host such a game, as that’s an opportunity that neither team will want to pass up.

With all still to play for, they’ve both got every reason to dream of making it happen, because if this year’s Canadian Championship has taught anything, it’s to expect the unexpected in this competition.

There’s no doubt, however, that the Vancouver Whitecaps enter this game with a strong advantage. Having picked up a 1-0 win in the first leg of this tie, they hold the aggregate lead in this tie, and know that they can advance with either a win or draw.

RELATED: Pacific FC looking for another big game performance vs. Whitecaps at BC Place

Sitting in good form in MLS play, sitting sixth in the Western Conference but with multiple games in hand on four of the five teams ahead of them in the table with 10 regular season games to go, they’ve got a chance to finish the year on a strong note and mark their status as a top team in MLS.

Currently in ninth in all of MLS in points per game, they’ve proven that they can be a solid outfit on their day, and now have a chance to prove that they can be a title-contender over the next stretch.

One way to help do that? To win their third straight Canadian Championship, as they entered this tournament as two-time defending champions. Once a team that struggled heavily in this competition, winning just one Canadian Championship between 2008 and 2021, they’ll want to make up for the several near-misses they had in this tournament in the 2010s by forming a dynasty in the 2020s.

It won’t be easy, and they’ve learned that this tournament, as all three of their games have been one-goal games, but they won’t mind that, provided they find a way to get the job done in the end.

“We need to be very organized and very aggressive,” Whitecaps head coach, Vanni Sartini, said this week. “But at the same time, be very patient in choosing the right time to press and to not allow them easy breakaways.”

He added: “Tomorrow, we’ll approach the game like we’re not up 1-0, but instead approach the game like its 0-0, and approach the game like we need to win this game, because I think that’s the right mindset (to have).”

As for Pacific, this is a crucial moment for the club. For the first time in their history, they’ll make the visit to BC Place to play the Whitecaps after hosting each of the previous three meetings between these two clubs at Starlight Stadium.

Their third-ever Canadian Championship semi-final appearance, they’re looking to reach their first-ever Canadian Championship final, building on their strong history in this competition.

If they’re to do that, however, they’ll have to overcome the slump they currently find themselves in CPL action, as they’ve won just one of their last nine CPL games, sitting with a record of 1W-1D-7L (4 PTS) across that stretch. Because of that, they sit in seventh place in the table, six points behind the fifth and final playoff spot, leaving them with a tall hill to climb if they want to make their fifth straight playoff appearance.

Despite that, they’ll feel they won’t need to worry about that in this game. Ultimately, the beauty of cup competition is that it becomes about showing up and doing one’s job on the day, and not getting caught up in outside distractions, such as a positive or negative run of form in the league.

Typically, Pacific has been a team to rise to the big occasion when these games come around, and will want to do so again on one of the biggest stages they’ve reached in their history as a club.

“It’s a big opportunity for us, for the organization, for the club,” Pacific head coach, James Merriman, said this week. “These games mean a lot, both for our club and for our fans, so we need to enjoy it and take this opportunity.”

“We have to embrace this, there’s pressure, but there’s pressure because we want to succeed, we want to win,” Pacific centre back, Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, said this week. “But at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone is expecting us to get a result out of this, so the pressure is on them, we just have to embrace that and have the time of our lives in there.”

In terms of player availability, Pacific remain without their captain Josh Heard, who is dealing with a knock, while the Whitecaps will be without Levonte Johnson as the Canadian forward deals with a tight calf.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Will rust, form impact matchup? Certainly, the big focus heading into this matchup will be on Pacific’s form, as they look to bust out of a slump that has sent them sliding down the CPL table. With aspirations of looking to make the CPL playoffs, they’ll want to use this game as a catalyst to help them make that happen, especially if they can produce a big victory. Against a Whitecaps side who has been tough to beat in 2024, it won’t be an easy task, but they’ll be up for it. Plus, for what it’s worth, the Whitecaps themselves enter this game in a bit of a strange moment, too. The big reason for that? They haven’t played a game since August 7th, when they lost to Liga MX side Pumas UNAM in the Round of 32 of the Leagues Cup. Since then, they’ve been out of action as they waited for that tournament to come an end, slated to return to action last weekend. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen as planned, however, as their scheduled opponent, LAFC, made a run to the Leagues Cup final, which was held this past weekend, which forced the Whitecaps to postpone that game. As a result, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the Whitecaps handle being finally dropped back into action with a game of this magnitude. By comparison, Pacific have been able to play three matches since the Whitecaps last saw the pitch, so it’ll be a good chance to see if that ends up being an advantage for them. In particular, look for Pacific to start strong, especially knowing that they’ll need to score at least one goal to advance, as they’ll have their best chance at doing so when the Whitecaps are still adjusting to the speed of the game early on.

• Whitecaps looking to find some home form: Over the past few years of MLS play, the Whitecaps have done well to make BC Place a fortress, picking up some signature wins at their home pitch. That’s extended over into this competition, as well — the Whitecaps have a record of 2-1-1 in their last four Canadian Championship games at BC Place, and they’ve won both of their trophies on their home pitch. Despite that, it’s worth noting that their struggles at home did carry over into their lone Canadian Championship match at BC Place this season — a 1-0 loss to Cavalry in leg two of the quarter-finals, which saw the Whitecaps narrowly advance on away goals. Therefore, look for the Whitecaps to be on high alert as they try and return to winning ways at home, especially after their Leagues Cup elimination to Pumas came at BC Place. With a home-heavy schedule to end their MLS season, they’d love nothing more than to find form at home ahead of that stretch, and this game is a good chance to start, especially when knowing that they’d host the final if they can get the job done. Certainly, they won’t look that far ahead, however – they’re focused on getting the job done in this game, and then looking to build some momentum from there. Especially given how long they’ve been away from action, that’s an understandable approach. “It’s critically important how we approach the game and how we play the first minute,” Sartini said. “We need to get into the game as intense, as ready and as focused as we can (from the start).”

• Can Pacific re-ignite offence to find crucial away goal? No doubt, there’s one big question that Pacific will need to answer in this tie, especially if they’re to advance – can they score? Of course, that almost goes without saying, as they need to score at least a goal to even have a chance at going through after losing the first leg anyways, but that question has added meaning given Pacific’s recent form in league play. A big reason for their recent slump has come due to their struggles offensively, as they’ve scored just 14 goals in 19 CPL games this season, and have scored just two goals (and just one non-penalty marker) in their last six CPL games, something they’ll look to change in this game. In particular, look for them to get some production from their key offensive players, as they’ve got no players in their squad with more than two goals for the club in CPL play after the recent departure of Ayman Sellouf. They’ve got players who can find the net between the likes of Adonijah Reid, Reon Moore and Steffen Yeates, but will want to get them going, starting in this game. For what it’s worth, however, Pacific have shown they can step up and find goals in this competition before, so they’ll want to re-find some of that magic in this game. No better occasion than in a win-or-go-home game like this one, and they know that. “We need to embrace this,” Merriman said. “We need to be confident, dynamic and believe, there can be no hesitation (…). We need to understand the moment, the opportunity.”

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Boehmer; Laborda, Veselinovic, Halbouni; Ahmed, Berhalter, Cubas, Vite, Raposo; Gauld, White

Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Meilleur-Giguère, Quintana, Mukumbilwa; Young, Toussaint, Lamothe, Yeates; Moore, Reid

ALL-TIME SERIES

Vancouver Whitecaps FC wins: 2 || Pacific FC wins: 1 || Draws: 0

Last meeting:

July 10, 2024 —  Pacific FC 0-1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC

KEY QUOTES

“It’s a competition that we only won once in 15 years from 2008 until 2022, and then we won it twice in a row, and we can make our own history to have a third final at home and to win. Those finals in 2022 and 2023 are probably both in the top five moments of my life connected to football. From a big picture (perspective), those wins also helped us create a culture in MLS play that wasn’t there (for us), especially after the first win over Toronto FC in 2022, as that gave us the idea that we can beat great teams and we can become a team that is consistently making the playoffs and to win trophies and so on, and that’s really important. I hope that again, tomorrow, we’re going to do the same thing again, as reaching a third (straight) final would be great.” — Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach Vanni Sartini

“I think the players know that it’s an opportunity for us to put the league behind us for a minute and really focus on an opportunity that we deserve. We earned the right to be in this semi final, we deserve to be here, we played the first leg very well, and since the beginning of the project at Pacific, I’ve always wanted to be able to bring the team to BC Place and play the Whitecaps, so it’s a big opportunity for us.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman