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October 4, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET; 1 p.m. PT |
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Pacific FC has nothing tangible to play for, having been eliminated from playoff contention. However, its recent results have been encouraging and show that the Vancouver Island club intends to give everything it has in its final games of the season. FC Supra, which has just changed coaches, has been warned.
The standings do not always tell the whole story of a team’s momentum, and Pacific FC is a good example. This season has been a long ordeal for the British Columbia side, which went a year without a win and was never really in a position to believe in a playoff berth.
Dead last in the standings with 14 points, 19 points behind fourth-place Vancouver FC, Terry Dunfield’s team has nevertheless shown some encouraging signs of progress in recent weeks.
Over its last six games, Pacific FC has won two, drawn three and lost just one, a 1-0 defeat away to Cavalry. A more than respectable record.
FC Supra was unable to offer Cavalry nearly as much resistance in its last game, returning from Alberta with a suitcase full of goals after a crushing 6-0 defeat.
Because if there is one thing these two teams appear to have in common, it is inconsistency.
Before being thrashed by Cavalry, FC Supra had put together one of its best performances of the season the previous week, or at least one of its most controlled, earning a 2-0 victory away to Atlético Ottawa.
Capable of getting the better of Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa while also keeping clean sheets — something that is far from routine for the Quebec defence — FC Supra also lost, during the same stretch, to Vancouver FC and Halifax, two direct competitors.
The scorelines in Pacific FC’s recent games also highlight the team’s inconsistency, both offensively and defensively.
Pacific FC has given spectators a goal-fest twice against Inter Toronto, drawing 3-3 and winning 4-3, as well as against Halifax Wanderers, in a 4-3 victory. On the other hand, it managed to shut the door defensively against Ottawa (0-0 draw), against Vancouver (1-1), and lost by the narrowest of margins to Cavalry (0-1), by far the league’s best attack.
In short, whether it is Pacific FC or FC Supra, you never quite know what to expect.
A new coach in Montreal
In an effort to keep its playoff hopes alive despite being eight points back with five games remaining, FC Supra decided to make a coaching change. Nick Razzaghi and his assistant Ramtin Maherpour were dismissed in favour of Kyt Selaidopoulos. The former Bobby Smyrniotis assistant at Forge FC, who knows Quebec soccer inside and out after many years with CS Mont-Royal-Outremont, has been appointed for the final stretch of the season, as well as for the years to come.
Kyt Selaidopoulos has also taken on the role of Sporting Director, which had been vacant for several weeks following the dismissal of Mateo Cabanettes. It is a way for president Rocco Placentino “to inject new momentum into the group and build on this momentum heading into the second season,” he said in a statement.
In the short term, the new Supra coach has things to address from the very first game against Pacific FC, both offensively and defensively, as well as mentally.
For Pacific FC, the objective is mainly to finish the season strongly, and internal goals have been established.
The defensive frailties of both teams will be something to watch, as both defences rank among the league’s worst. Only Inter Toronto, with 53 goals conceded, has been worse than Pacific (47 goals conceded) and Supra (43 goals conceded).
At the other end of the pitch, things are hardly better. Pacific FC has the league’s worst attack with 30 goals scored, while Supra’s is second-worst, with 31 goals.
Some individual players, however, have stood out this season. Despite a difficult season collectively, Marco Bustos has broken into the league’s top five scorers with seven goals. He has also scored twice and added two assists over his last two games.
Loïc Kwemi, meanwhile, needs to rediscover his efficiency if he wants to retain his share of the league’s scoring lead. The Montreal striker has scored just once in his last four games. His team’s success will partly depend on his own personal success.
Notes and news
- Kyt Selaidopoulos is the new head coach of FC Supra. He joins from Forge FC, where he served as Bobby Smyrniotis’ assistant for six years.
Projected starting XIs
FC Supra: Milli, Brault-Guillard, Chrétien, Ferdinand, Abzi; Sissoko, Biello, Rea; Choinière, Kwemi, Condé
Pacific FC: Himaras; Greco-Taylor, Quintana, Konincks, Chung; Bustos, Juhmi, Gomulka, Toualy; Daniels, Kratt
Key quotes
Diego Konincks (Pacific FC defender): We have internal goals that we want to achieve, so every day we work hard to achieve them. We have five games left. For ourselves, there is still a lot to play for. Obviously, not being able to participate in the playoffs hurts a lot, but that absolutely does not mean these five games are unimportant. The way training sessions are going reflects that mentality. From the coaching staff to the players, staying in an environment where everyone is pushing each other forward is great.
[On the coaching change at Supra]: A coaching change can be positive for a group, especially because it brings a bit of freshness and energy. So we expect Supra to have a different energy because of the change. There is a change in energy here as well, but the ideas change a little more slowly because it takes time for a coach to change things in depth. We have reached that point, and I think you can see it now. When you look at Pacific today compared to maybe three months ago, you can see a change in the ideas, and it’s really nice to have that common understanding before games, knowing that we are all on the same page. And I think that is reflected in the results.
Terry Dunfield (Pacific FC head coach): I think we’re in a pretty good spot at the moment. We’ve only lost twice in our last nine games, and I think we’ve built some good foundations. The last six games are a real test for us as a club, to see where we’re at. We have a mission for these next six games. We won last week and now we’re heading into the second of those games this weekend against Supra.
[On the coaching change at Supra]: I’ve personally experienced two coaching changes, and from my experience, you can only change things to a certain extent in just three or four days of work. So I expect to see some of the behaviours that we’ve seen throughout the season so far, to see a team that plays with a lot of attacking fluidity, but I also expect Kyt to bring some of his principles and for there to be some adjustments as well.
David Choinière (FC Supra captain): Kyt is someone who is very organized and wants to put a structure in place. He didn’t wait very long to put it in place. From the first day, he told the group that things were going to change. We saw it in the locker room, in the cafeteria and on the field. We’ve only been working with him for two days, but we’ve seen a lot of changes. The locker room has to be clean, we have to be respectful in the way we speak to the coaches, no being late. They’re simple things and details, but he wants them to be respected. If we’re not capable of taking care of these little details off the field, he doesn’t see how we can make a difference with the details on the field.
Since the coaching change, Pacific FC has been a slightly more dynamic team, with a little more confidence, playing a little more freely. On our side, we know why we’re playing, we know what is at stake for the rest of the season. We have to go get the three points. The objective is still to make the playoffs, but we’re aware of what it takes. It takes three points on Sunday. Without three points, I think we can forget about the playoffs. But if we win this game and then the next one, you never know. We’ll take it game by game and adjust accordingly.
Kyt Selaidopoulos (FC Supra head coach): Everyone has to be ready to be called up on Sunday for the game and, for now, we’re just thinking about Sunday. We’re playing three games in seven days, so everyone is going to have to be ready to play.
When I arrived here on Tuesday, I observed some things. I spent the day here before the players arrived, and I was able to make a little list of small changes [in terms of rigour, professionalism and discipline]. The players accepted them well and worked well. They’ve adapted well up to today, which is very, very positive. I’m very happy with the group so far.
Against Pacific FC, we have to be very good defensively in our half and very good on set pieces. Other than that, I know the players have a lot of talent, they have a lot of “offensive skills,” but on Sunday, we’re going to have to be very, very good defensively in our area, very disciplined in our area and on set pieces.
