Dunfield Turns Down ‘Fixer’ Name, But Is Pacific Turning A Corner?

Pacific FC might still be bottom of the table, but there are increasingly visible signs of how head coach Terry Dunfield is transforming the club into a closer semblance of its former self – one that entertained on the front foot and got the job done throughout the full ninety.

To be blunt, it hasn’t been that way in a long time.

Dunfield is no stranger to parachuting into clubs in trouble: he was once tasked with being the interim head coach of a beleaguered Toronto FC, remaining as the interim boss in the post-Bradley era while eventual successor John Herdman let Dunfield rack up some tough results as he observed from the stands until the very end of the season.

Now a few years removed from that, the former TFC interim boss inherited a CPL side that had been winless all year, with confidence understandably low. Pacific were so far removed from the playoff picture that fans pondered whether they might be in for the worst CPL season of all time.

That record belongs to a meagre twenty-point haul from FC Edmonton, which once seemed surprisingly lofty, but now feels within reach.

Rather than promising an immediate cure, Dunfield’s early work has been centred around giving the group a clear identity to buy into, and the results are finally beginning to follow. After taking points from three consecutive matches – including their first win in over a calendar year and a season-first clean sheet – Pacific suddenly looks considerably more difficult to beat than the side that Dunfield inherited following the World Cup.

“It’s a team effort – I don’t know if I want my brand to be known as ‘the fixer’, but often when you come into a new role there’s some work to be done,” explains Dunfield.

“A clear identity was important: and then what are the behaviors we need to really live it, and that becomes our culture and a big part of our vision is playing the most entertaining brand of football in the Canadian Premier League. We’re enjoying it right now, results are starting to come, and already we’re excited for that game on Sunday against Cavalry where we expect over 3,000 fans.”

While Dunfield was coaching in the TFC Academy when Pacific became Canadian Premier League champions under Pa-Modou Kah, the Vancouver native was still watching the BC-based side closely and liked what he saw.

“I think back to 2021, that Pacific team that turned over the Whitecaps, that won the league, that was a team that was hard to beat, was hard working, was dynamic, and that’s become part of our ID.”

Pacific is on a nice run at the moment, having beaten the Wanderers 4-3 before a scoreless draw against the reigning champions preceded a midweek 3-3 thriller on the road against Inter Toronto. Dunfield says that’s a nice haul, but it could have been more.

“For the next couple of months, Pacific’s probably not a club that teams want to play against right now. What’s really cool is our potential is way up here, our new normal is [high], but there’s still more juice – so we’ll get back to work and we’ll see where we can get better. With all due respect, there’s not many Inter Toronto players that would get into our team right now.”

That isn’t to say Pacific won’t recruit any former ITO men, though – three players who featured for Pacific once called York Lions Stadium home, including Ronan Kratt, who bagged a goal and assist on the night.

For Dunfield, rebuilding Pacific into what he saw from them in 2021 isn’t solely about what happens between the whistles, either.

“I thought it was really important from day one for us to live that family-first principle, and I think that’s what makes it special on the Island.”

Dunfield has exhibited that in spades – for instance, Ronan Kratt expressed an interest in being involved in the media side of things. A few weeks later, lo and behold: boom, a OneSoccer interview for him, all set in motion by a head coach who not only listened to the wants and interests of his player, but went a step above to bring them a first-hand opportunity.

Flashback – The Long Road Back: Ronan Kratt Ready To Rise Again With Pacific

If the new Pacific boss can keep the momentum going, it’s reasonable to think they could at least double their points tally for the campaign and end the year on a positive note. With playoff elimination all but certain, setting up Pacific for a brighter year in 2027 may be the best one can hope for.

That and, perhaps, the successful sale of the club and eased tensions with its city landlord, of course. But those are separate battles. For now, Dunfield is bringing positive change, one game at a time.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques