Pacific FC

Pacific Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League, playing home matches at Starlight Stadium located in Langford.

This article is about the soccer club based in Canada. For the former club based in Mexico, see Pacific F.C. (Mexico).

Pacific FC
Nickname(s)The Tridents
FoundedJune 1, 2018 (2018-06-01)
StadiumStarlight Stadium
Langford, British Columbia
Capacity6,000
OwnerSixFive Sports & Entertainment
PresidentJosh Simpson
Managing directorPaul Beirne
CoachJames Merriman
LeagueCanadian Premier League
2022Canadian Premier League: 4th
Playoffs: semifinals
WebsiteClub website

History

On May 5, 2018, "Port City FC" was one of four groups accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership, along with groups that would become Cavalry FC, HFX Wanderers, and York9. Port City was the only one of the four that was not identified with a specific city, and represented an as-of-yet undetermined location in British Columbia.[1] The group was expected to launch a team in either Greater Victoria or Surrey, British Columbia.[2] Former professional player Rob Friend, who grew up in British Columbia, was pictured as a representative of the region.[3] On June 1, the Canadian Premier League granted the Port City ownership group a club on Vancouver Island.[4]

Pacific FC was officially unveiled on July 20 as the seventh team to join the Canadian Premier League.[5] As well as confirming its place in the league for the 2019 launch season, the club also revealed its crest, colours and branding.[6] Former Denmark international Michael Silberbauer was announced as the first head coach on August 20.[7]

They played their first competitive game on April 28, 2019, defeating visitors HFX Wanderers 1–0 with Hendrik Starostzik scoring the only goal and Mark Village keeping a clean sheet.[8] The club parted ways with Silberbauer on October 18, 2019, and announced then-assistant coach James Merriman as interim head coach.[9]

On August 26, 2021, they were matched against Major League Soccer opposition for the first time, being drawn against provincial opponents Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship. Although underdogs, they defeated the Whitecaps 4–3, becoming the second CPL club to eliminate an MLS club in the competition.[10][11]

On December 5, Pacific FC won its first Canadian Premier League title after defeating defending champions Forge FC 1–0 in the 2021 CPL Final at Tim Hortons Field.[12] In doing so they became the second team to have been crowned Canadian Premier League champions.[13]

Stadium
Starlight Stadium is a stadium in Langford, British Columbia that is used for home games by Pacific FC.

The club plays its home games at Starlight Stadium. The city of Langford planned to increase the capacity from 1,718 to 8,000, but a utility pole located on the north side of the stadium has prevented any upgrades on that side.[14] By extending the existing south stand and adding seating behind both goals as well as new standing room on the north side, the capacity was increased to 6,200 for the 2019 season.[15][16]

Crest and colours

The club's branding is designed to represent Vancouver Island. The team's crest is the shape of a Douglas fir, a tree native to Vancouver Island, split into two segments, with the right side forming the shape of the island. The tree is bordered by the ocean and includes a single chevron to represent a wave of the ocean and a 'V' that can stand for Victoria, victory and Vancouver Island.[17]

The secondary logo is a roundel with a trident, meant to represent the strength and courage of the island, as well as the weather attributed to the Pacific Ocean. The logo also includes the motto of the coat of arms of the city of Victoria, which is the Latin phrase Semper Liber, which translates to "Forever Free".[18]

The official club colours are purple, teal, and white (branded by the club as "starfish purple", "lagoon blue", and "lighthouse white"). These colours symbolize the native Pisaster ochraceus sea star, the Pacific Ocean, and the region's lighthouses.[17]

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
2019–2022 Macron Volkswagen
2023-present Macron Telus

Club culture

Supporters

The first supporters group to show support for a Vancouver Island team to join the Canadian Premier League was the Lake Side Buoys, an existing group who followed the Victoria Highlanders of USL League Two. A second supporters group, called Torcida Oranizada Pacific (TOP) has also emerged.[19]

Rivalries

Cavalry FC–Pacific FC rivalry

Pacific FC met Cavalry FC for the first time in the Canadian Premier League in the final fixture of the 2019 Spring Season, winning 3–1 at Westhills Stadium in an intense match which saw three players sent-off.[20] Pacific FC and Cavalry FC's rivalry intensified during the 2021 season where they met eight times across three Canadian competitions (Canadian Premier League, CPL Playoffs, and the Canadian Championship).[21][22] This rivalry is also fueled by a pre-existing cultural rivalry between each team's respective province: Alberta and British Columbia.[23]

Honours
Best results in other competitions
CompetitionResultSeason
Canadian ChampionshipSemi-finals2021, 2023
CONCACAF LeagueRound of 162022

Players and staff

Roster
As of August 19, 2023[24]

Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.

No. Position Player Nation
1 GK Emil Gazdov  Canada
2 DF Georges Mukumbilwa  Canada
4 DF Paul Amedume  Canada
5 DF Bradley Vliet  Netherlands
7 MF Steffen Yeates  Canada
9 FW Easton Ongaro  Canada
10 FW Adonijah Reid  Canada
11 MF Josh Heard (captain)  Canada
12 GK Kieran Baskett  Canada
13 DF Kunle Dada-Luke  Canada
14 FW David Brazão  Portugal
19 FW Abdul Binate  Canada
20 MF Sean Young  Canada
21 FW Ayman Sellouf  Netherlands
23 FW Djenairo Daniels  Netherlands
26 DF Thomas Meilleur-Giguère  Canada
28 MF Cédric Toussaint  Canada
30 GK Jack Garner  Canada
31 FW Kekuta Manneh  United States
34 MF Manny Aparicio  Canada
55 DF Amer Didić  Canada
— MF Sami Marvasti  Canada
— MF Zakaria Bahous  Canada
— DF Jalen Watson (on loan from Toronto FC II)  Canada

Staff
As of March 11, 2022
Executive
President Josh Simpson[25]
Chief executive officer Rob Friend[25]
Chairman Dean Shillington[25]
Coaching staff
Head coach James Merriman[26]
Assistant coach Armando Sá[27]
Goalkeeping coach Daniel Ortiz[27]

Head coaches
As of August 11, 2021
Coach Nation Tenure Record
GWDLWin %
Michael Silberbauer  Denmark August 20, 2018[28] – October 18, 2019[29] 29 7 7 15 024.14
James Merriman (interim)  Canada October 18, 2019[29] – January 14, 2020[30] 1 1 0 0 100.00
Pa-Modou Kah  Norway January 14, 2020[30] – January 21, 2022[26] 41 19 8 14 046.34
James Merriman  Canada January 21, 2022[26] – present 20 11 5 4 055.00

Club captains
Years Name Nation
2019–2020 Marcel de Jong  Canada
2021–2022 Jamar Dixon  Canada
2023–present Josh Heard  Canada

Team records

Year-by-year
Season League Playoffs CC Continental Average
attendance		 Top goalscorer(s)
DivLeaguePldWDLGFGAGDPtsPPG Pos.NameGoals
20191CPL 2887133546–11311.11 5thDNQR1Ineligible3,102 Canada Terran Campbell11
2020CPL 104241613+3141.40 –4thDNQDNQN/A Canada Marco Bustos5
2021CPL 2813694734+13451.61 3rdWSF3,812 Canada Terran Campbell11
2022CPL 2813783633+3461.64 4thSFQFCONCACAF LeagueR163,176 Mexico Alejandro Díaz16

    1. Average attendance include statistics from league matches only.
    2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league season, league playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF League, and other competitive continental matches.

    International competition
    Scores and results list Pacific FC's goal tally first.
    Year Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
    2022 CONCACAF League Preliminary round Jamaica Waterhouse F.C. 6–0[31] 0–0[32] 6–0
    Round of 16 Costa Rica Herediano 0–1[33] 1–0[34] 1–1 (5–6 p)

    Player records

    Most career goals
    As of November 6, 2022
    # Pos. Name Nation Career at club Goals scored
    CPL CC Int'l Total
    1 Forward Alejandro Diaz  Mexico 2020–2022 26 2 3 31
    2 Forward Terran Campbell  Canada 2019–2021 23 2 0 25
    3 Forward Marco Bustos  Canada 2020–2022 14 0 1 15
    4 Forward Josh Heard  Wales 2020– 11 1 2 14
    5 Midfielder Victor Blasco  Spain 2019–2021 9 0 0 9

    Note: Bold indicates active player

    Most career appearances
    As of January 4, 2023
    # Pos. Name Nation Career at club Games played
    CPL CC Int'l Total
    1 Goalkeeper Callum Irving  Canada 2020–2022 61 4 4 69
    Forward Terran Campbell  Canada 2019–2021 66 3 0 69
    3 Forward Josh Heard  Wales 2020– 58 4 4 66
    4 Midfielder Jamar Dixon  Canada 2020–2022 57 4 4 65
    5 Forward Marco Bustos  Canada 2020–2022 57 2 4 63

    Note: Bold indicates active player

    References
    1. "4 clubs get membership from Soccer Canada; expected to join CPL". Sportsnet. May 5, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
    2. Bahl, Andrew (April 19, 2018). "We're Getting a Better Idea of What the Canadian Premier League Will Look Like". Eighty Six Forever. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
    3. "Four CPL cities accepted by Canada Soccer". The CanPL Hub. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    4. "Canadian Premier League grants Vancouver Island conditional entry". The Globe and Mail. June 1, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    5. McIsaac, Greg (July 20, 2018). "Pacific Football Club Unveiled as Vancouver Island's New Canadian Premier League Club". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    6. "Pacific Football Club latest team to join new Canadian Premier League". Times Colonist. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    7. Bedakian, Armen (August 20, 2018). "Michael Silberbauer announced as head coach of Pacific FC". Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
    8. "HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC earns historic 1st win in CPL". April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
    9. Laurence, Mira. "Pacific FC and Head Coach Michael Silberbauer Part Ways". pacificfc.canpl.ca. Pacific FC. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
    10. "Match Analysis: Pacific FC 4-3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC". Canadian Premier League. August 27, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
    11. "Pacific FC Upset Whitecaps to advance to Canadian Championship Quarterfinals". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
    12. "Match report". canpl.ca. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
    13. O'Connor–Clark, Charlie. "HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC crowned Canadian Premier League champions with 1-0 win vs. Forge". canpl.ca. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
    14. Horsting, Lindsey (March 1, 2018). "$4 million cost to move hydro pole holding up Langford stadium expansion". Goldstream News Gazette. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
    15. "Pacific FC to incorporate Vancouver Island beauty into Westhills Stadium renovations". November 30, 2018. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
    16. "All set for Westhills Stadium grand opening on Saturday". August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
    17. "Emblem Inspiration". pacificfc.canpl.ca. Pacific FC. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    18. Rendle, Josh (December 4, 2018). "Pacific FC Officially Launches Secondary Logo". pacificfc.canpl.ca. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
    19. "About Us". lakesidebuoys.org. Lake Side Buoys. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
    20. "HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific stuns Cavalry in wild back-and-forth Spring finale". canpl.ca.
    21. "Cavalry FC (Calgary) vs Pacific FC". canadasoccer.com.
    22. "Pacific FC downs Cavalry FC in extra time to reach Canadian Premier League final". cbc.ca.
    23. Bach, Danna. "We love to hate Albertans, don't we?". kamloopsnews.ca.
    24. "Roster". Pacific FC. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
    25. "Owners' Profile". pacificfc.canpl.ca. Pacific FC. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
    26. "Pacific FC Welcomes Merriman As New Head Coach – Kah departs". Pacific FC. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
    27. Benedict Rhodes (March 10, 2022). "2022 Coaching Staff – Mark Village and Armando Sá". Pacific FC. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
    28. Bedakian, Armen (August 20, 2018). "Michael Silberbauer named head coach of Pacific FC". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
    29. "Pacific FC relieves Silberbauer of duties, Merriman takes over as interim coach". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. October 18, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
    30. "Pacific FC announces new head coach Pa-Modou Kah". Pacific FC. January 14, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
    31. O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (August 3, 2022). "RECAP: Pacific explode for 6-0 win to eliminate Waterhouse in Concacaf League". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
    32. O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (July 26, 2022). "RECAP: Pacific open Concacaf journey with 0-0 draw in Jamaica vs. Waterhouse". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
    33. Tierney, Mitchell (August 17, 2022). "RECAP: Late goal costs Pacific FC at home against Herediano in Leg One of Concacaf League round of 16". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
    34. O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (August 23, 2022). "RECAP: 10-man Pacific fall to Herediano on penalties in gutsy Concacaf League performance". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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