Even Vancouver FC coach Martin Nash admitted it felt a little bit odd.
Sitting at the postgame dais at Estadio Cuauhtémoc following his side's 5-0 loss to Cruz Azul in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round one matchup, he spoke at length about how much his side had enjoyed the night and the experience — about how proud he was of his players, and how he thought many of them had put in incredible performances despite the scoreline.
As the club's first-ever continental appearance came to a close on Thursday night, the overriding emotion from Vancouver FC's players and staff was one of pride. To begin just their fourth year of existence, they battled one of North America's top clubs, and fought valiantly for 180 plus minutes.
What they learned over that time frame, as well as in the buildup and aftermath of those matches will only serve to elevate the club. Having now ascended to new competitive heights, dating back to last year's Canadian Championship final, they are more motivated than ever to get back to that rarified air.
"It's just good for our players to learn from these kinds of experiences," said Nash to media following the game. "You don't get to play a team like Cruz Azul very often, we're privileged to get these two games."
For the Eagles, this was about learning on the fly. Six starters made their Vancouver FC debuts in the first leg. Kian Proctor, 20, made his professional debut off the bench, before making his first start in the second leg. All but one player, Nicolás Mezquida, were making their Champions Cup debuts.
"It's great to get to play against this speed of play, this speed of thought, their movement," said Nash. "You really have to think on the pitch. There's a lot of positive takeaways, and there's a lot of great learnings for us."
One unquestionable success was the club's home leg at a sold out Willoughby Stadium, where they brought one of the top sides in the region, and many of its biggest stars, to soccer fans in Langley. Against what was basically a first-choice lineup from Cruz Azul, the Eagles put up a strong performance on an international platform for the fledgling club.
"I thought early in both games, when we were fresh, we were able to contain them somewhat," said Nash. "But once they move the ball, and you get a little bit tired of them moving off the ball the way they can move and recieve, and the quality is remarkable to see up close."
In leg two, playing in Puebla, at altitude, the club were faced with an even greater challenge — against a side who have been absolutely ruthless on whatever turf they have called home in the Champions Cup over the past few years. The Eagles aren't even the only team from Vancouver to suffer this fate, after the Whitecaps lost away to Cruz Azul by the exact same 5-0 scoreline last year — in the final no less. The defending champions have now scored an incredible 22 times in their last six continental home matches, despite none of them actually being played at their home stadium, the under-construction Estadio Azteca.
Again, however, Vancouver FC showed a willingness to fight for the badge, flying into every challenge and running down ever loose ball, even after each and every blow that the mighty La Máquina landed.
"I think the way we competed, the spirit we showed for 90 minutes in both games, I'm really pleased with it, we didn't give up," said Nash. "We kept fighting, we kept trying to cause them problems, even though we didn't create a ton of chances. I'm really pleased with the effort from our guys."
The effort has been emblematic of this Vancouver FC side ever since Martin Nash took over as head coach. It is what got them here in the first place. A colossal two-legged performance against eventual Canadian Premier League champions Atlético Ottawa in the Canadian Championship semi-final was courtesy of a comitted and united performance, especially while holding the lead in the second leg.
Over the past two weeks, the Eagles showed that fight and identity. Adding execution to that, especially in the final third, will be the next goal. But it is a strong foundation for this group to build on. Having now tasted Concacaf football, the hunger for more will push them forward.
"It's a massive motivation to have quality games like these," said Nash. "Players got a chance to showcase themselves against a top-quality opponent. I think we're really going to fight to get back here into this competition."
That fight begins on April 4, when Vancouver FC host the Halifax Wanderers on opening day of the 2026 Canadian Premier League campaign. Making a first playoff appearance in club history will be the primary goal, but the Eagles will eagerly fight for the opportunity to once again spread their wings on the continent in 2027.
