Pacific FC’s April homestand is coming to a close this weekend with a visit from last year’s Canadian Premier League champions Forge FC.

Two wins (one on penalties in the Canadian Championship) and one draw for the Tridents don’t tell the full story of the club’s start to the season, as Pacific could’ve had the ball in their opponent’s net many more times than they did if the ball had just fallen their way more often at the last moment.

Sunday’s match against Forge is a chance for the squad to turn those chances into goals and close out the first stretch of the season with a bang. A big win on the pitch coupled with another excellent crowd in the stands will be the perfect send off for the team as it embarks on it’s first road trip of the season next weekend.

Trends and Stats

Through three games, a trend that could seem negative on the surface is actually a positive for the Tridents. The eye test points to Pacific having gotten into good attacking positions, but not finding the back of the net. However, Pacific is only slightly underperforming their xG to start the season (the xG or Expected Goals metric measures the quality of a chance by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch during a particular phase of play). The Tridents are averaging 1.3 xG per game and have scored a goal in each. So, this is not entirely an example of wasteful finishing and more so indicates that once the team has found its rhythm and cohesion together, more clear-cut chances will be created and the goals will start flowing more readily.

History

I love writing the history section of a Match Preview when we play Forge. It gives me a chance to reminisce about that night in Hamilton when Pacific won the 2021 Canadian Premier League title. A truly special night.

That’s obviously the most high-profile meeting between these two clubs, but there’s plenty of history aside from that. For example, in 2022’s season opener at Starlight Stadium, Pacific beat Forge 2-1 in the first rematch since that final. Ultimately though, this has been a tough fixture for Pacific in the past. Heading into that final the Tridents had never beaten Forge in nine previous meetings.

The head-to-head now stands at three wins for Pacific, nine for Forge, and two draws.

Quote

“You see Forge playing the way they traditionally have been playing the last few years and you see the quality and the depth that they have when they’re able to change players; they have many players that can hurt you in different ways. So we respect them, absolutely. We’ll make sure that we’re prepared to play Forge and make sure we’re on the best foot forward, playing how we want to play at home.” – Pacific FC head coach James Merriman (h/t Canpl.ca)

Players to Watch

Pacific FC – Amer Didic, Forge FC – Manjrekar James

Two tough centre-backs with Canadian men’s national team appearances to their name.

Didic, in his second season with Pacific, has been a constant in the team since his arrival. The six-foot-four defender made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Tridents last season and has played every minute of the three matches to begin 2023. Powerful in the air and on the ground, Didic’s stability at the back is crucial to Pacific playing at their best. With Thomas Meilleur-Giguere missing the last two matches against Cavalry, Didic’s leadership has allowed Eric Lajeunesse to slide in next to him and not seem out of his element in both his professional debut in the Canadian Championship match and his first professional start in the last match against Cavalry.

On Forge’s side, the addition of James was quite a coup prior to the season starting. Like Didic, James has played every minute in Forge’s first three matches and helped keep a clean sheet in the club’s Can Champ match against FC Laval. James is a mobile and smart defender, also happy to have the ball at his feet when playing out from the back. He’ll have his hands full with whoever starts up top for Pacific on Sunday, and as a team, Forge will rely on his experience at the back to shepherd them through the 90 minutes.

Keys to Victory

An early goal would do wonders for Pacific on Sunday. The team has gone behind in both matches against Cavalry FC and had to fight for an equalizing goal – which did come in both. Even against Vancouver FC in the season opener, Manny Aparicio’s goal came with 10 minutes to play after the Tridents had spent the whole match on top. If Merriman’s boys can be first on the board against Forge on Sunday, it would ease the nerves and could help more goals follow.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Forge has done well to battle back in both their CPL matches so far, so even if Pacific grab an early lead it’s important to maintain the pressure through Merriman’s signature style of possession and a high, coordinated press.

Match Facts to Know

• With an appearance on Sunday, both Josh Heard and Sean Young will break the all-time appearance record for Pacific FC with 70. The club’s two Island boys doing so as the same time is cause for celebration and highlights the local talent on Vancouver Island, hopefully inspiring the next generation of Island-born players to do the same for PFC.
• Pacific FC has still never lost a competitive match in the month of April in its five years of existence. A win or draw on the last day of the month this season will continue that streak.
• This is the final home game before Pacific FC heads out on its first road trip of the season. Next weekend the Tridents are in the nation’s capital to play Atlético Ottawa.

It’s not too late to get your tickets for the match! Join the action at Starlight Stadium with one of our many ticket options, which can be found here!