| Final Score: Pacific FC 1-1 Vancouver FC Goalscorers: Mbongue 45' (PK); Ndom 90+4' Game of the 2025 season: 91 CPL Match: 686 |
Match in a minute or less
The fifth and final Salish Sea Derby of 2025 delivered some late drama on a day to remember, as Pacific FC and Vancouver FC settled for a 1-1 draw at the historic Royal Athletic Park on Saturday.
After Hugo Mbongue put Vancouver ahead with a penalty right at the end of the first half, Pacific eventually clawed one back four minutes into second-half stoppage time, as Aly Ndom turned home a shot with his right foot to snatch a point for his team.
It's a result neither side will be too pleased with - Vancouver now has just one win in their last 18 league matches and are already eliminated from playoff contention, while Pacific's playoff hopes took a hit with the two points they dropped - but it made for an entertaining matchup at a historic venue in this special one-off match.
Three Observations
Pacific's late goal puts bow on day to remember at Royal Athletic Park:
It was the atmosphere fitting of a show.
With this opportunity to play in a new environment, the city of Victoria did well to show up for the occasion, one that'll add to the impressive lore that the stadium they played in has. With it being played at none other than Royal Athletic Park in downtown Victoria, instead of Pacific's usual home, Starlight Stadium in Langford, it was hoped this match could engage some new fans - with a sold-out crowd, it delivered on that front.
Because of that, it was hoped that the players would respond well to this atmosphere, one that was a throwback to some of the games played in this venue in the past - and to their credit, the players stepped up.
Thanks to the stadium's unique set-up, which put fans right close to the pitch, it seemed to give extra energy to the players, who seemed hungrier to win duels. The surface also played a role, to be fair - with the chance to play on slick grass, most players used every opportunity to slide into challenges whenever possible - but overall, it was clear to see the energy that the venue provided.
Yet, for 94 minutes, it appeared that those fans would leave without much to cheer for, as the home team were unable to give them the moment they all hoped for - a goal.
Despite this being the right fixture to create such actions, with nearly an average of four of them being scored per game on average in battles between these two teams in their history, it was just looking like it wouldn't be Pacific's day, leaving Vancouver to grab the win.
In the end, though, Pacific eventually found their breakthrough, and that made for a special moment when they scored their late equalizer. With the roar of the crowd, it was easy to see the importance of this match for those who came out to witness it, as it offered up a memory that many soon won't forget.
To be fair, that's just been the nature of matches between these two teams, who just can't seem to play a normal game, as shown by the fact that each game featured at least one goal from each side, along with plenty of lead changes and late markers.
Whenever both of these sides meet, entertainment is guaranteed, which shows why it was cool that this one-off match featured this exact matchup - fitting for a venue that has played home to many Vancouver Island vs. Lower Mainland clashes at all levels in its history.
Therefore, while this looks set to be a regular-season campaign to forget for both teams, with Vancouver already eliminated from playoff contention and Pacific sitting 11 points back from fifth place with just five games to go, they'll be able to look back on this game and reflect fondly on the occasion.
At a stadium that has seen its fair share of historic matches at all levels of the sport, that two CPL teams got to add to that history is special to see, showing what this game means in the grand scheme of things for the sport in this city and province.
"This is a historic football venue," Pacific FC head coach James Merriman said after the match. "It's a bit of a sporting theatre on Vancouver Island because of the games it's hosted and the history that it holds, and you could feel that in here today."
Slow starts, strong finishes continue to define 2025 Pacific season:
It was a match typical of Pacific's season - both positively and negatively.
No doubt, though, it's one that they'll rue not getting more out of, as they missed several opportunities to grab all three points on the day.
As a result, they now sit in seventh place after Valour's win this weekend, which will be frustrating for a team that had made the playoffs five seasons in a row, a streak that is in big jeopardy at the moment.
In particular, what stands out from this game is the opportunities Pacific squandered, as they had several good chances to open the scoring in the first half, before pushing hard to get an equalizer in the second half.
Just consider the opportunity Pacific full back Georges Mukumbilwa had in the 61st minute, for example, as he sent a goalbound strike towards a gaping net, only to hit teammate Dario Zanatta, who was jumping to try and get out of the way. In the end, it was a play that neither could do much about, but it summed up the sort of luck Pacific had in front of goal on the day - which wasn't much luck at all.
At the same time, for a team that sits where they do in the table, and has scored just 24 goals (a league-low mark), Pacific has shown good resilience in moments late in games, something they showed in this match despite the bad luck they were having in front of goal.
With their late equalizer, Pacific have now recovered 14 points from losing positions in 2025 - for context, only Atlético Ottawa (16) have gained more, and they're in a title race.
What that shows for Pacific, though, is that a lot of their woes continue to be self-imposed, especially in terms of starting matches, which can only make one wonder what they'd be able to do if they were able to clean that side of their game up, instead of needing to rely on this resilience.
Perhaps, though, that comeback mentality can play in their minds as they try to achieve an unlikely turnaround to get into the playoffs, as it shows one thing is for sure - they'll fight until they're mathematically unable to, as they did in this game.
"We're not in the position that we'd like to be," Zanatta offered after the game. "But this shows that we don't give up in the games."
Vancouver hoping to build momentum ahead of big week:
Of course, while the match ended heartbreakingly for the visitors, it was overall a positive match from Vancouver FC, as they'll be pleased with what they achieved defensively, in particular.
They might've been fortunate on a few occasions with Pacific's haphazard finishing, but ultimately, the stats speak for themselves, as Vancouver did well to protect their net right until that last action.
Despite giving up 13 shots, they conceded just 1.27 xG, with none of Pacific's opportunities ranking as a 'big chance' by OPTA's definition.
Naturally, Vancouver were forced to bend in the second half, where nine of those Pacific shots (worth 0.97 xG) came, but they did well to not wilt until the very end, where they didn't have much left in the tank to give.
Eventually, they did break, which has been a habit for them - they've now dropped a league-high 22 points from winning positions this year - but that they ended the game with a draw counts for something.
With their biggest game of the season looming in a few days, as they take on Atlético Ottawa in leg two of the Canadian Championship semi-finals, this game was seen as more of a chance for them to build some momentum ahead of that game, as they try to clean up some key areas of their overall play.
In particular, the biggest issues they've faced have been with their defending, as they remain last in the league with 52 goals conceded, something that worries them heading into a match where they'll need to do a lot of sitting back after grabbing an unlikely 3-1 aggregate lead in leg one.
Because of that, it'll encourage them that they conceded just one goal in this one, as that scoreline would be enough for them to grab the aggregate victory on Thursday.
Of course, it'll be a completely different game for Vancouver in Ottawa, as they take on a side that leads CPL in goals, but they'll prefer heading into that match having conceded just one, instead of allowing three or four, as they've made a habit of doing lately.
Therefore, look for them to focus on the positives from this game, even despite the way it ended. It won't be easy to do, as players will rightfully be frustrated with a game where they dropped points against their rivals, as they still want to move off the bottom of the table despite their early elimination from playoff contention, but now all of their focus will shift to a semi-final that could prove to define their season - which could help erase a lot of the pain they've suffered this season.
"We did a lot of good stuff," Vancouver FC forward, Hugo Mbongue, offered. "So we can take that into Thursday and just build on that."
What They Said
"It was good for us (to get the late goal), but especially for the fans, everyone who came out to support the team and get behind them, so it was important. We'll keep pushing, we'll keep fighting, but we couldnt't lose at home when the support was like it was today." -- Pacific FC head coach James Merriman
"I'm proud of the guys and the way they fought. It's a good game to have, a derby, before we go and play a tough game on Thursday. There's a lot of positives to take away, even if it hurts a little to give that goal away at the end." -- Vancouver FC interim head coach Martin Nash
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Aly Ndom, Pacific FC
Pacific FC's centre back loves to play Vancouver - of the six goals the Pacific centre back has in all competitions, he's remarkably scored five of them in the Salish Sea Derby.
This latest goal came in another strong all-around showing from the Pacific centre back, too, who completed 78 out of 91 passes (86%), including nine out of 16 long balls, 12 passes into the final third and two chances created offensively, while also chipping in with four tackles, three clearances, three recoveries and nine out of 14 duels won defensively.
What’s next?
Pacific will be back in action next weekend, as they'll travel across the country to face the Halifax Wanderers at Wanderers Grounds on Saturday, September 20th (12:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. AT).
Meanwhile, Vancouver will first travel to Ottawa to take on Atlético Ottawa at TD Place in the second leg of the Canadian Championship semi-finals on Thursday, September 18th (4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET), carrying a 3-1 aggregate lead into that matchup. After, they'll return home to host York United at Willoughby Community Park on Sunday, September 21st (3:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. ET).
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