HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC vs. Vancouver FC (September 14, 2024) | Presented by tonybet

For the first time since April, Pacific FC have won back-to-back games in CPL play, as they defeated rivals Vancouver FC 3-0 in the latest edition of the Salish Sea Derby at Starlight Stadium on Saturday.

With that, they climbed into a tie with Vancouver for the fifth and final playoff spot in the CPL with 26 points, also sitting with a game-in-hand over their Langley-based rivals.

As for Vancouver, this was their third straight loss in CPL play, the first time they’ve suffered such a sequence this season, which has allowed Pacific to climb back up the table after their recent pair of wins.

Building off a strong offensive surge from their last match, a 3-0 win over the Halifax Wanderers, it didn’t take long for Pacific to open the scoring in this game, either, as Dario Zanatta found the net after just seven minutes. After a great cross from Kunle Dada-Luke, Moses Dyer turned a dangerous shot on goal, one that fell to Zanatta on the rebound for the game’s opening tally.

Soon after, Christian Greco-Taylor flashed a dangerous shot from distance in the 24th minute, as he fired a powerful attempt just wide of the post.

Doing well to build off their strong start to the half, however, Pacific managed to finish it on a high note in the 43rd minute, as Andrei Tîrcoveanu floated in a perfect ball on a corner, one that Dyer met with a flying header to double his team’s lead.

They wouldn’t be done there, either, as they nearly made it three in the 45th minute, as Sami Keshavarz carved through Vancouver’s defence and fired a dangerous shot, only finding himself denied by a strong stop from Callum Irving.

On the other side of half time, Pacific nearly made it three in the 49th minute, as Tîrcoveanu fired a dangerous shot from distance, one that forced a nice save out of Irving down to his left.

Meanwhile, Vancouver began to push in search of a result, and had a great look in the 59th minute, as Grady McDonnell fired a dangerous header from close range, one that forced a strong save out of Pacific’s Emil Gazdov.

Eager to put this game away early, Pacific had another dangerous look off a set-piece in the 71st minute, as Zanatta had a great look from close range, but his shot would be denied by an excellent save from Irving.

Luckily for Zanatta, however, he wouldn’t miss his next chance. After a great free kick from Tîrcoveanu in the 72nd minute, one that Irving just kept out with a flying save, the ball fell to a wide-open Zanatta, and he made no mistake in slotting the ball into an empty net for his second of the game.

Looking to finish this game off on a positive note, Vancouver came close to scoring in the 85th minute, as Matteo Campagna flashed a header towards goal on a corner, but his attempt ended up landing on top of the net.

From there, however, despite a couple of missed opportunities for both teams, Pacific would do what they needed to do in order to secure their three-goal victory and tie Vancouver in the table.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Meilleur-Giguère, Ceceri, Greco-Taylor; Young (Yeates 60′), Domínguez (Amedume 85′), Keshavarz; Tîrcoveanu (Lamothe 76′); Dyer (Bahous 85′), Zanatta (Reid 85′)

Vancouver FC: Irving; Chung (Cantave 46′), Romeo, Enyou (Campagna 46′), Cameron; Fry (McDonnell 36′), Rommens (Bitar 63′), Garcia; Bah, Sellouf, Díaz (Tahid 78′)

Goals: 

7’ – Dario Zanatta (Pacific FC)

43′ – Moses Dyer (Pacific FC)

72’ – Dario Zanatta (Pacific FC)

Discipline:

14’ – Yellow: Marco Domínguez (Pacific FC)

18’ – Yellow: Vasco Fry (Vancouver FC)

18’ – Yellow: Staff (Vancouver FC)

43’ – Yellow: Callum Irving (Vancouver FC)

44’ – Yellow: Andrei Tîrcoveanu (Pacific FC)

67’ – Yellow: Moses Dyer (Pacific FC)

71’ – Yellow: Mikaël Cantave (Vancouver FC)