Vancouver FC coach seeks turnabout in home battle tonight
Published 11:45 am Friday, June 5, 2026
Many avid soccer enthusiasts in the Lower Mainland are counting down the days until the World Cup officially arrives in Vancouver.
But few are as excited as Vancouver FC’s head coach Martin Nash and his team, hyped about the impact this global competition is going to have on all the existing and potential new soccer fans in the region and the country.
Without question his players are feeling the buzz growing around the international soccer contest that arrives later this month, Nash said, but it’s not impacting their training or play on match days – yet.
“As we get closer and closer, I think it will get to the group,” he noted, explaining that VFC and the parent league – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – is a tier 1 domestic men’s pro soccer organization proving a national platform for Canadian players to learn and compete at the highest level on home soil and gain exposure on just such a global stage.
Most players in the league dream of one day playing at the World Cup level.
For now, however, his players must be focused on what’s directly ahead of them – namely their current league schedule.
In a road game in Halifax this past weekend, the VFC Eagles lost to the hosting Wanderers, 1-0. That left Vancouver seventh in the eight-team league standings with one win in eight matches.
READ MORE – VIDEO: Late in game goal leads to loss by Vancouver FC at hands of Halifax
But in a pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s game, Nash said the scoreboards don’t tell the whole story for his team.
He describes the group as a very good team, competitive, and hard working. He said they’re just not staying strong for all 90 minutes of play, and it’s costing them significantly.
That said, in training this week – in particular – they’ve been working diligently to change that up and get out of what he called a “rut.”
Nash feels Vancouver FC continues to build momentum as the squad grows together and gains confidence with each performance.
“We want to keep playing the way we have been,” he said. “But now, two things we have to do better is see out the game and finish our chances.”
With the Eagles being so close to victory in the past few games, it is only a matter of time before the wins start to roll for Vancouver, an optimistic head coach said.
With competition continuing to rise and the group beginning to find its rhythm, Vancouver FC is eager to deliver another strong performance, and secure its first league win at home tonight, he noted.
The Eagles host Atlético Ottawa today (Friday, June 5) at the Stadium at the Langley Events Centre, with the game starting at 7 p.m.
While Nash called Ottawa a talented team that maintains possession and is particularly dangerous late in the game, his team knows they have to be tactical in their opposition.
Nash said this will be an important game to jump up in the standings. The Eagles will look to get back in the win column as they look to avenge the draw against Ottawa earlier this season.
This match marks the second meeting between the two clubs this year.
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