Is Vancouver FC’s run of form a sign that the Eagles are ready to be CPL playoff contenders?
Vancouver FC has been on fire as of late, as they’ve hit the ground running after the Canadian Premier League’s World Cup break.
Heading into their next matchup, which comes against league leaders Forge, Vancouver currently sits in third place in the table with 23 points after 15 games, thanks to a run of form that has seen them win six of their last seven CPL games, including their last four games.
For a Vancouver team that finished the 2025 CPL season in last place with just 21 points from 28 games, it’s been a remarkable turnaround, one that has the soaring Eagles dreaming of a first-ever CPL playoff berth.
Of course, with 13 games still to play, it’s far too early to say that Vancouver will cruise to the playoffs from where they stand. While they sit in a rather comfortable position, they’re just six points ahead of fifth-place FC Supra du Québec, who have a game in hand on Vancouver, showing that things can still change rather quickly.
Because of that, Vancouver’s priority will be to build on this run of form, especially as they get set for a tough stretch in which four of their next five games will be on the road, with three of them coming against fellow playoff teams.
Martin Nash is your #CPLSoccer Manager of the Month for July!
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 4, 2026
Make that back-to-back honours for the @vanfootballclub gaffer as the Eagles push into 3rd place.
See how he turned the season around: https://t.co/SdfBDfHuaM pic.twitter.com/IFg3kjxpQJ
If anyone is currently questioning whether or not this Vancouver side can indeed make the playoffs, the next stretch could be crucial in determining the validity of those thoughts. Given that five of Vancouver’s wins have all come at home, they have certainly benefitted from some home cooking lately, so it’ll be interesting to see how they do on the road, at the very least.
At the same time, it's not a bad thing to see them do well at home. Ever since the beginning of their existence, Vancouver has struggled to pick up wins at home, as they won just six home games in CPL play across the entirety of 2024 and 2025, which is why they won’t mind that they’ve won five out of nine home games in league play so far in 2026.
Good teams typically do well at home, so it’s not a slight on this side whatsoever that they’ve started to make the Stadium at Langley Events Centre more of a fortress after struggling to do so in past seasons.
You can only win the games in front of you, and Vancouver has taken full advantage of a home-heavy stretch to move up the table.
FROM AN IMPOSSIBLE ANGLE🤯
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 1, 2026
Mohamed Amissi finds the top corner from a tight angle to put @vanfootballclub ahead early in Langley! #CPLSoccer | @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/TFxpzoa6hM
Of course, if they want to stay there now, they’ll have to prove what they’ve done so far is legit.
Because of that, as they get set for this road-heavy stretch, it’s fascinating to ask the question - is Vancouver set up to sustain this run of form?
Based on the numbers, things look pretty good for the Eagles, which should give their fans a reason to be optimistic about what’s to come for them.
At first glance, it stands out that they’ve scored the second-most goals and conceded the third-fewest goals in the CPL as of writing - as a result, they’re one of only three teams in the CPL to have a positive goal differential, along with first-place Forge and second-place Cavalry, which is pretty good company to sit in. And with that goal differential sitting at +8, it’s not as if they’re just scraping by there (for context, Forge has a +15 goal differential and Cavalry a +22).
And, when diving a bit deeper, it’s no coincidence that Vancouver’s actual goals for and goals against numbers are as solid as they are, as they’ve had good underlying numbers all season.
The Eagles are SOARING 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 4, 2026
Just one match into the second half of their 2026 #CPLsoccer season, and Vancouver FC have already surpassed their points total from 2025 📈
Can they keep this moment going vs. league-leaders Forge FC this Friday? 👀 pic.twitter.com/YWZSPWnted
As it stands, they’re second in the CPL in Expected Goals (xG) for with 24.5, and are third in xG against with 17.2, showing that they’ve been consistently doing good things on and off the ball all season long.
Given that they sit with 24 goals for and 16 goals against, it shows that even if they cool off from this hot streak, they’re not expected to come crashing down to earth, as they sit exactly where they should given their performances - and even when looking at this hot streak, you can argue they were due a run like this, as they were ice-cold offensively to start the season (they scored just once in their first four games of the season).
That’s encouraging, as a hot streak like this could’ve easily been seen as a mirage, but it’s hard to say that’s the case. Yeah, Vancouver might struggle to keep up this stretch where they’ve scored 19 goals in their last seven games, but even if they regress a bit, they’ll still be in a very good position to keep winning games if they can maintain these sort of underlying numbers.
Plus, with how good they’ve been defensively, as they’ve only conceded more than one goal in a game twice this season, they’ll be able to survive any dip in their attacking form by staying solid defensively. In fact, considering that they’ve only kept two clean sheets, they’ll feel that they still have another level to hit defensively, even if they’ve shown signs of improved defensive form by conceding just two goals in their last four games.
To return to their attacking form, however, it’s interesting to see where they’ve thrived this year, as they’ve done a good job of employing a straightforward attacking plan, one where they try to flood the box with numbers. 
A big reason for Vancouver's offensive success? The ball progression of winger Mohamed Amissi, who does a great job of getting the ball into dangerous areas from the left wing (OPTA)
As a result, 20 of their 22 non-penalty goals have come inside the box, which likely helps explain their high xG figures, which have come despite them being fourth in the league in shots with 198. There’s a reason why they’re second in the CPL in big chances scored with 17, and in big chances created with 28, as they consistently funnel the ball to good areas.
Plus, interestingly, a lot of their best work is done in open play, which is sustainable - they’re first in the league in open play goals with 19, and second in open play xG with 17.04, which further showcases the work their attack is doing.
That’s all despite being last in the CPL in possession with 44.3%, showing that while they’ve been dangerous offensively, they’ve done so while being direct and ruthless on the ball. 
Morey Doner has also done a lot of important work at right back, especially on the ball (OPTA)
Yet, that shows why they’ve been hard to play against, as they’ve done a good job of finding a balance between defence and attack. Sometimes, teams with low possession can tend to struggle defensively, which is why it stands out that Vancouver have had good defensive metrics despite having lower possession, showing that they’re not your typical counter-attacking team, as they protect their box quite well.
They don’t mind sitting back and absorbing pressure, no doubt, but they also don’t mind pushing up the field and pressing opponents, as they try to both protect their backline and win the ball back in dangerous areas.
That’s part of the reason that their possession numbers aren’t as high, as you don’t need possession if you're starting attacks closer to an opponent's goal, as Vancouver have tried to do more of.
Now, the big challenge for Vancouver will be to keep adapting their game plan as their peers begin to adjust to what has worked for them so far this year. 
For example, if opponents are going to hone in on their attack, they’ll have to find other ways to score - to that point, it feels like being more dangerous on set-pieces has to absolutely be a priority. And, they might have to get more comfortable in holding the ball and breaking down teams that way, too, if needed.
Then, defensively, they’ll have to continue to find the balance that has worked for them on both sides of the ball, especially if teams are going to try to drag them out of their defensive shape more often.
Yet, that’s the challenge that any top team faces - when you go on a good run, opponents will try and find ways to adjust to what’s working and to expose any weaknesses. That’s the typical life cycle in this sport, after all.
What that shows, though, is why it’s important to see Vancouver’s strong underlying numbers, which indicate that they’re at least working from a good position. It’s easier to maintain what’s working well for a team when the process they employ is yielding repeatable actions, and Vancouver is very much in that boat right now.
That’s a credit to the work done by head coach Martin Nash, as well as the growth of this squad, one that has done well to accumulate experience, supported by some key offseason acquisitions.
And that’s the last thing to remember in all this - Vancouver did make some key signings this offseason, which help explain why this run of form isn’t that surprising to see.
For example, in attack, it’s not surprising to see Vancouver firing now that the likes of Lys Mousset, Mohamed Amissi and Damiano Pecile have found their rhythm and form, helping support the likes of Nicolás Mezquida and Thierno Bah. In midfield, Marcello Polisi has given the team the sort of physicality that they lacked before. At the back, Tom Field and Morey Doner have brought experience for the talented youngsters such as Mateo Campagna and Kian Proctor to lean on, instead of just having to lean on veteran goalkeeper Callum Irving.
GOAL 🦅🦅🦅
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 1, 2026
Damiano Pecile scores from outside the box to triple Vancouver FC's lead in just the first half 🤯
🔴 Watch #CPLSoccer on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/fJvz0OXrmZ
On paper, this Vancouver team is as balanced and deep as they’ve ever been, which is another reason why this latest run appears to be sustainable. It’s not as if they’re getting a bunch of career years from guys with no track record, as some of their best players are ones with credible resumes.
Because of that, look for Vancouver to try and keep this strong form going, as there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to push for a playoff spot with the way things lie - and based on their underlying numbers, it could be argued that they might be the CPL’s best bet at yielding a playoff winner that isn’t Forge or Cavalry, based on how the start of the season has gone.
Fitting that a battle with Forge now awaits in Vancouver’s next game, where they’re looking to become just the second team to beat Forge this season - doing that, on the road no less, would certainly send a good message of what this team is capable of, further supporting what the numbers say about this side.
