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Photo Credit: Beau Chevalier
Flying Too Close To The Sun: Vancouver FC Season Review
By At the start of the 2024 season, Vancouver FC fans were filled with optimism for a new year. After a tumultuous debut season, the club looked poised to mount a challenge and compete with the best after recruiting some of British Columbia’s best and brightest in the off-season. Gone were the days of young and inexperienced, now was the time for the seasoned and the daring to lift the Eagles to new heights.
Or so they thought…
Instead, fast forward eight months and Vancouver FC have little more to show this season than they did last year. They finished seventh place once again, although relative to the table, it was a much closer affair this year. In 2023 they finished with 29 points, seven points behind sixth-placed Atletico Ottawa, while this year they were only displaced to seventh on the final day, usurped by the Halifax Wanderers on head-to-head tiebreakers after both clubs finished level on 30 points. One could say that they did do better than their first year, if only marginally.
The same perspective can be viewed on their other stats. They scored one more goal (29) than they did in 2023, and conceded seven less (43). In a vacuum, these stats and facts are positives and point to some progress, but when compared to the both the strengthening that other sides had throughout the season as well as the aspirations Vancouver had at the start of the season and how long they were in those coveted play-off spots, these small improvements are, frankly, not good enough.
As mentioned at the start, this was a completely new look Vancouver FC side. They brought in local and international talent, including David Norman, Ben Fisk, Paris Gee, Elage Bah, Olivier Rommens and, of course, Moses Dyer amongst others. These were guys that fans and pundits alike were convinced that would bring the Langley, BC side from lowly underdogs to top half contenders. The fact that Moses Dyer went on to have a better season with bitter rivals Pacific FC after the trade mid-season is just scratching the surface of the issues that plagued the Eagles this season.
So the fact that they did only slightly better than a 2023 season where they had half a squad of semi-pros and amateurs is nevertheless a disappointment. While there may be a multitude of reasons as to why it turned out that way, here are three of the biggest problems that head coach Afshin Ghotbi and his team need to address ahead of 2025.
Problem #1: Lack Of Identity
This is arguably one of, if not the biggest issue that Vancouver FC had in 2024. Despite having plenty of talent on offer, the Eagles never really showed a set philosophy for how to play. Their early games showed some promise of a side that liked to attack quickly in transition by bursting down the wings and finding runners in the box, but they were quickly found out. Teams began to figure out how to prevent that by forcing Vancouver FC into some early mistakes from high pressure, and after capitalizing on those mistakes, defending deep to frustrate them and hit on the counter once they got too desperate.
Once that tactic became the go-to for most teams, Vancouver FC struggled to make much of an impact. Often-times they were their own worst enemies by setting up their opponents to score, but then they had no Plan B. In a league such as this where you face the same teams four times a year, teams have to keep it fresh and keep each other on their toes. Yet, the Eagles didn’t really look like a side that had surprises for their opponents, nor any really impactful contingency plans. Too often they had to rely on opponent’s mistakes or individual moments of brilliance to bail themselves out of tough situations, but that can only last you so long.
Watching game after game of Vancouver this season, the patterns became clear. When faced against a Forge FC, a Cavalry FC, and even a Benjamin Mora-led York United, the contrast of playstyles was evident. While those teams played with a palpable identity whose tactics could be picked out and analyzed, Vancouver FC was still stuck in being the energetic, plucky side that ran at them hard. Lapses of mentality and school-yard mistakes (which will be discussed shortly) would put them on the back-foot, and they would often take too long to recover to make any difference.
Now, it is not the case that everyone has to be like a Pep Guardiola and have a very elaborate, fluid and organized style of play to that complexity. In the modern age of football, however, going out with guts and gusto is not enough. There have to be patterns of play, coordinated movements and an understanding and execution of the core principles. Vancouver FC were flimsy on that front, to say the least.
It is a problem that is likely proceeded by issues with player personnel and personal standards with Ghotbi, leading to a lack of coherence and consistency in the team (compounded by the individual mistakes), but nevertheless, it is a glaring issue that has to be addressed ahead of 2025. Perhaps Ghotbi simply needs to find the right players to build his desired play style, but after going through 45 different players in under two years, the issue may go beyond that.
Problem #2: Lack Of Mentality
Mistakes are an ever-present part of the game. No one is perfect, and even those at the highest level will often find themselves red in the face due to an individual blunder. But when mistakes come on an almost consistent basis, costing you various goals and points across an entire season, then the problems exceed the threshold of normalcy.
For example, take their tough period from mid-August to mid-September. They had five games in that span, of which they only got three points thanks to a very late Ayman Sellouf winner vs Valour. In their other four games, they lost thanks to four terrible starts where they conceded a goal in the first ten minutes of each of those games. David Choiniere scored for Forge in six minutes, Ilias Iliadis scored in two minutes for Ottawa, Nyal Higgins scored in four minutes for York, while Dario Zanatta scored in seven for Pacific. Four games against either bitter rivals or top-half competitors where points matter most, the team couldn’t even start on the right foot before switching off and conceding early. It set the tone for the rest of the games, and even though the made good efforts to try to recover, their early faults were too costly to overcome.
This is just one example of the issues that stem from the team’s lack of mentality. Individual errors became commonplace, whether it was ball-watching on a set-piece, passing directly to an opponent, or getting dispossessed in dangerous areas, they were almost always punished for it. The magnitude of these mess-ups and their impact on the team’s morale – as well as table position – became a consistent stain on the squad’s performances. Ghotbi sounded like a broken record in the post-match conferences, lambasting his team the blunders that were “kindergarten”-level mistakes. It began to affect how they ended games as well, as they conceded seven goals in the last ten minutes of matches too, often costing them points from potential wins or draws.
Part of the issue could be attributed to Problem #1 (as you’ll come to see, all of the problems are interconnected), since a lack of blue-print or principles to fall back on allow for frantic moments and individual errors. But truthfully, the problems also run deeper than just blaming it on ‘bad tactics’. During that period where they conceded three early goals in three matches, all off of set-pieces, Ghotbi admitted that he had worked on defending set-pieces multiple times prior to these games, but yet it all felt like it went out the window as soon as the first whistle blew. There is no doubt that the coaching staff tries their absolute best to prepare the squad for each match in hand, but its what happens once its out of their hands and into the players themselves that the problems arise.
In the end, its the mentality of the players both as individuals and as a team that cost them various point throughout the season, and it’s something they need to avoid in 2025. Ghotbi alluded to bringing in a big, experienced centre-back to strengthen not only the physical and technical side of his team, but also the psychological side. To have a defensive general at the back that could pick the players up by the scruff of their necks and knock some sense into them when their backs are against the walls is crucial. Perhaps such a player might be enough to circumvent this issue, but often times it requires more from both the coaches and players alike to fully scrub this out of their game.
Problem #3: Lack Of Form At Home
This season Vancouver FC had the worst home form in the league with only four wins and four draws in 14 matches. That’s 16 points out of an available 42. Simply put, their home form is the single biggest factor as to why the team did not make the playoffs this year. One may argue that this problem is the result of the first two problems that were outlined, given that the lack of identity and of strong mentality make it easier for opponents to come to Langley and get points to bring back home. The fact of the matter is that while these two problems definitely make up a large part of the bad home form, it isn’t just limited to that. The issue for this writer is that it is hard to pinpoint what else specifically plays into it.
It could be the added external pressures when playing from home. For many of the local talent that came back home to play in front of family and friends, there is the pressure to perform in front of the ones you love. Perhaps it is also the pressure from the club itself to deliver some good performances to boost the administrative and business side of things. No matter how much a club may market and advertise, if the team is simply not performing and doing well in front of their own fans, casual and moderate viewers will not be inclined to go to said matches, especially when for many Vancouver folks it is a 40+ minute commute to come and watch them. The implications of that could be catastrophic long-term, especially for such a young club breaking out in such a young league. The pressures from that alone could be overwhelming, especially for the staff and senior players.
Or perhaps, its even just the pressure of performing well at home because you are supposed to. One of the oldest standards in football is that you should perform better at home than you do away. The team is on a field that they are familiar with, backed by fans that are supporting them and creating an environment that is supposed to benefit them. “Make it a fortress” is a common saying when referring to these home matches. So maybe it is that simple pressure that they are supposed to be the team on top, taking it to their opponents and making it a spectacle for the local fans that are affecting them. Perhaps its easier for Vancouver FC to be the underdogs and provide the upsets rather than risk suffering the result of one. It is something York United was quite familiar with last season, when they had the best away form in the league as well as the second worst home form.
Whatever the case may be, to have such a poor home form is simply unacceptable both on and off the field. On the pitch, it is those home games where you are supposed to pick up the most points, and to gift so many points to direct rivals punishes the team doubly for losing or drawing. There is effectively little hope to make any form of the playoffs when your home form is so poor. Off the pitch, it becomes impossibly difficult to grow the popularity of a club when the team can’t do well where it matters most. Ticket sales and in-stadium revenue consequently take a big hit, and long-term it could be costly to a near fatalistic degree if not fixed, especially when there is so much competition around Vancouver for sports teams.
Thus, it cannot be overstated how imperative it is for the team to improve upon this home form next season. For the sake of their short-term sporting ambitions as well as their long-term club survival. It’s just a fact of the game: if you want to succeed and grow as a club, you need to be able to send your fans happy after games. Boy, do the Eagles need to do better on that front.
Building To 2025…
Despite all of the issues that have been outlined in what can only be classed as a rather disappointing season for Vancouver FC, there are still a lot of positives to build upon for 2025. The club still has some exciting young talent that they can develop in TJ Tahid, Grady McDonnell, and James Cameron, amongst others. Alejandro Diaz still was able to put up an impressive 10 goals this season, as well as two assists, giving him the Bronze Boot in the league. Callum Irving was a superhero at times between the sticks for the Eagles, and with it broke the record of most saves in a single CPL season with 95 – though whether this is a positive or not depends on how you view it.
Overall, Vancouver FC still maintain a good foundation to be a good team. They still have plenty of talent on paper, and, with some good, shrewd recruitments, they could once again become favourites to not only clinch a play-off spot but challenge for the top seeds. Their club philosophy of growing young, domestic talent is one that is sure to bring them plenty of financial and sporting success if they maintain and cultivate it correctly. The U-19 team that competes in the Fraser Valley Soccer League is a fantastic initiative and a perfect base for starting up an academy. Not to mention they still have a seasoned coach that has worked all over the world to spearhead their club. All of these things point to a team that very well can – and maybe even should – be a resounding success. The fact that they’ve been able to achieve all these things in just season two is a also a feat in itself.
Yet, it is because of these achievements that the ambitions and expectations of the fans is so high. British Columbia has so much untapped potential talent, especially in the Fraser Valley area. The Eagles can become trail-blazers in that regard for giving professional opportunities to those that would not have had it previously. The crucial point is that for all of these advantages, they must be handled correctly. And, as outlined in length above, this season just felt like more of a fumbling period than a clear sign of progress.
Fans of the Eagles must hope that 2024 just becomes a overextended learning period in the clubs infancy before some success comes around, and not another chapter of mediocrity in what may become the short book of CPL side Vancouver FC.
Header Image Photo Credit: Beau Chevalier
