After a demoralizing loss in Halifax, Vancouver FC staged a comeback to secure a victory on Thursday, June 27, on Vancouver Island.
In the Victoria derby match, the Langley-based Vancouver FC Eagles defeated their provincial rivals, Pacific FC, 2-1.
The match saw Pacific FC take the lead first. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere scored in the 38th minute, assisted by Steffen Yeates. However, the lead was short-lived as Vancouver FC's Alejandro Diaz equalized just two minutes later, assisted by Mikael Cantave.
The decisive moment came in the 82nd minute when Elage Bah, set up by Kadin Chung, scored the winning goal for Vancouver FC.
During a post game interview, Bah thought back to his game-winning kick, saying, "Honestly, it felt like almost surreal. My head was down, but I could almost with a slight glance see the net, and I obviously put it in the back of the net. It's my left foot, and everybody gets on me about my left foot, so I'm glad to score the goal."
This victory earned Vancouver FC three points and marked a significant morale boost for the team, which had been reeling from a recent defeat, said Vancouver FC's head coach, Afshin Ghotbi.
“I think our players lost a lot of confidence from that [Halifax] game. And to be able to step into this game and overcome, taking that goal off a dead ball and within two minutes, scoring a fantastic goal to equalize... I’m kind of excited about this result, but also in the fashion and the spirit that we achieved it.”
Bah also emphasized the team's mindset.
"I think we have a pretty good mentality when it comes from coming behind and we're almost comfortable in those situations. Not in a bad way, but just we're not beating ourselves up after one goal. Maybe trying to get after the next one," said the 19-year-old defender.
Vancouver FC's defensive efforts were also crucial in securing the win.
Ghotbi praised goalkeeper Callum Irving’s critical penalty save.
“It's Callum's first save in my history with him in a penalty. And I owe my goalkeeper coach a steak dinner because I told him if he saves one penalty, the first one, I'm buying the steaks for the goalkeepers and you. So I'm kind of excited about this result, but also in the fashion and the spirit that we achieved it,” Ghotbi added.
Pacific FC struggled to capitalize on its numerous chances, admitted player Thomas Meilleur-Giguere.
"Honestly, I'm going to smile, but I'm very frustrated. Very, very, very frustrated. It's not even the word, but it's very, it's hard when it's game in and game out. We can't get the win. I don't know what it is. We're looking for a solution, but I think we have the quality to find it."
Pacific FC's coach James Merriman acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in finishing.
"We need to score goals to win football matches. This is it. I think it's a balance between our, you know, I said to the guys, like, the way that we want to attack, the way we want to defend was there tonight, for sure. But that final act, the final pass, the detail, still that connection and that chemistry," Merriman said.
Vancouver FC's next match is against Forge FC on Friday, July 5, in Hamilton Ont. They play on home pitch at Willoughby Stadium again on Friday, July 12, hosting Athletico Ottawa.
