Pacific knows it’ll take a team effort to break offensive slump: No doubt, Pacific knows that they’ve got to be more dangerous offensively. How do they do that, however? While they’ll hope that they can help themselves out with some moments of individual brilliance, it’ll be hard to rely on that with their confidence seemingly so low - usually those moments of magic emerge when players are feeling themselves on the pitch, and Pacific hasn’t had many games where they’ve felt that way offensively. Because of that, look for them to turn their quest into scoring more goals into more of a collective effort. Right now, given that they’ve put in some strong performances lately, their goal won’t be as much about scoring pretty goals, but instead about getting the ball rolling and giving some players confidence. To do that, however, they’ll have to be willing to score some ugly goals - perhaps, a set-piece can be the way to do it, or maybe forcing an own goal off a dangerous cross. The best way to force those kinds of situations, however, is to get more players involved in the attack, especially in terms of late runs from midfielders and overlaps from full backs, something Pacific will want to do more of. Because of that, look for them to be much more aggressive on the ball, as a team, knowing that’ll be their best avenue towards goals.

Can York keep things tight at the back? York have had a simple, winning formula this year - when they keep a clean sheet, they win. Having scored in every game they’ve played in 2025, their offence hasn’t been a problem, as they’ve gotten goals from a couple of sources, with Julian Altobelli leading the way. Where they’ve struggled, however, is keeping them out, as their 15 goals against are fourth-worst in the league. In particular, their big struggle has been holding onto leads, as they’ve done a great job of scoring goals early, but then haven’t been able to turn their strong starts into victories. For what it’s worth, before this busy week where they had two tough matches, they were showing signs of improvement, as they beat Vancouver and Halifax in back-to-back weeks, riding the same formula to victory in each match - finding an early Altobelli goal, and then keeping things tight the rest of the way. Look for them to return to that vs. Pacific, a team they’ll want revenge on, as they blew an early lead in that last visit to the Island. Having felt they’ve become a bit of a changed team since that defeat, this will be a great way for them to prove that, showing that the Vancouver and Halifax wins weren’t a fluke, and instead a more accurate reflection of what this York team can do at their best.

Will Pacific be able to flood York’s midfield? Something to watch tactically in this game will be how both teams line up and how that affects the midfield, as York has mostly gone for a 3-4-2-1 this year, while Pacific have preferred more of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. With York, their goal has been to flood wide areas with their wing backs, opening up space for their two #10s and midfielders to work in, something they’ve done quite well. As for Pacific, they’ve been a bit more central-heavy in their formation, intending to be very solid in midfield on both sides of the ball, before then bursting forward into space when it presents itself. Against a York side that can sometimes leave gaps in transition, this will be a fascinating matchup, as Pacific will know that if they can survive York’s relentless attacking pressure, there will be space for them to attack into. Yet, if York can create those overloads they desire and put Pacific’s box under siege, that’s a risk they’re willing to take, so whoever wins this game could be the team that ends up getting the most out of their slightly contrasting styles of play.

“They're putting pressure on themselves, but we need to express ourselves. We need to be a bit freer and take more risks in the final third, and be a bit more direct in the final third. It doesn't need to be perfect in terms of the situations to deliver crosses, we’ve got to be ready in the box, be ready in front of the goal and take our chances when they come. We created very good chances last weekend against Ottawa, and we didn't take those chances, so we lost 1-0. We know it’s hard to win football matches when you don't score goals, and that's very much been our focus right now.” – Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

"It's something we know, we'll always create, as of right now we've scored in every game, so it's just about the fine details, to dig in deeper and just polish those runs in those final minutes (...) I'm confident we're on the right path, and I'm happy with our team." -- York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio