For the first time ever, the Salish Sea Derby will be contested in a different competition, as Pacific FC welcomes Vancouver FC to Starlight Stadium for a Canadian Championship preliminary round clash on Tuesday.
After their first nine all-time meetings had all come during regular season action in the Canadian Premier League, this will also mark the first time both teams meet in a knockout setting, which should add fuel to what's already a feisty rivalry.
Following their most recent matchup, a 1-1 draw at Willoughby Community Park on April 26th that featured seven yellow cards and one red card, that's quite the proposition, as there's a great chance for sparks to fly when both teams take the field.
Given how important this competition is to both sides, who will be looking at the bracket and feel like they have the potential to make a deep run, the last thing either will want to deal with is a first-round elimination in early May, especially not at the hands of their rivals.
On that note, however, that leads to an important question - who is feeling more pressure heading into this one?
There's a strong argument that it can be Pacific - after winning their first match of the CPL season, they're winless in four games, having drawn one and lost three, including a 3-1 loss to Atlético Ottawa this past weekend in which they squandered a first-half lead en route to a heavy defeat.
Because of that, they'll look at this competition as a perfect way to regroup, especially given their past history in the Canadian Championship, as they've reached the semi-finals three times in the last four years, and haven't been eliminated in the opening round since 2019.
"We've got some players in the locker room that have dealt with this before," Pacific's head coach, James Merriman, said this week. "So we just need to be focused, concentrated and stay mentally strong."
As for Vancouver, however, they're looking to create some history of their own in this competition, having had a bit of a tougher time in their past entries.
Both in 2023 and 2024, they met a similar fate, as they were eliminated in this round on 1-0 road losses to York United and Cavalry FC, respectively.
This time, however, they feel better equipped to win their first Canadian Championship match, and will feel like the underdogs given what Pacific has accomplished. With one win and two draws in their last three CPL games, Vancouver are also coming off arguably one of their best stretches of play in club history, as they've looked organized defensively and are showing plenty of life in the attack.
Plus, they feel that they should've beaten Pacific in that April match, something they looked on track to potentially do before a red card foiled those plans, so look for them to get some revenge from that match, too.
"We are progressing very well, and we're growing not only every season, but also in every match that we've played, especially this season," Vancouver's head coach, Afshin Ghotbi, noted. "We're in a very good place, all of the players feel confident, but at the same time, humble, and they are hungry for more, and (they know) that this tournament is very important for all of the teams in Canada."
Canadian Championship History
Last meeting: April 26th, 2025: Vancouver FC 1-1 Pacific FC (Canadian Premier League)
Pacific FC:
All-time record: 6W-1D-7L
Best finish: Semi-finals (2021, 2023, 2024) -- lost to Toronto FC 2-1/lost to Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0/lost to Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 on aggregate
Vancouver FC:
All-time record: 0W-0D-2L
Best finish: First Round (2023, 2024) -- lost to York United 1-0/lost to Cavalry FC 1-0
Key Quotes:
"This shifts our focus from league play to cup play, and it's a derby match. We just played Vancouver, too, so there's a lot to watch in how we switch our focus and concentration and have a good mentality, a response and a performance tomorrow night. We're at home, we're in front of our fans, and the results haven't gone our way the last couple of weeks. We know that they're they're behind us, they'll be here for us in this match, and we need to be on the front foot, we need to be aggressive in our home, and I think you can expect a big game." – Pacific FC head coach James Merriman
"We are the new kid on the block, we're the youngsters, but I think we're trying to grow as fast as possible, and we're trying to reach the level that we need to compete and win trophies. I believe that one of the things that's important for CPL teams is that we're able to get ourselves into the Canadian Championship final to try and win this (Voyageurs) Cup." – Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi
