| Vancouver FC vs. Halifax Wanderers Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT The Stadium at Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. Watch Live: OneSoccer Tickets available here |
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It might all come down to this.
The final spot in the 2026 CPL Playoffs is on the line on Friday night in Langley, as Vancouver FC host the Halifax Wanderers in their final home game of the regular season.
Currently occupying fourth place, Vancouver could lock up their first ever postseason berth if things go their way on Friday. They have 34 points after 26 games, which puts them two ahead of FC Supra du Québec. So, if the Eagles win, and Supra drop points in their match, VFC are officially playoff-bound.
For the visiting Wanderers, the mission is clear: win, or it's over. In fact, it might be too late anyway if FC Supra win earlier on Friday evening, but Vanni Sartini's side will approach this as must-win no matter what. Halifax enter Matchweek 26 in sixth place, six points behind the Eagles. They remain alive because they can technically match Vancouver's 34 points and then pass them on head-to-head. However, a single point picked up by either VFC or Supra, or one dropped by the Wanderers, would doom them.
Vancouver aren't necessarily in the strongest of form heading into this home game. They have settled for a draw in four straight matches, and won just one of their last 10. Last Saturday, they took on Supra in Laval and managed to avoid a disastrous loss; they conceded late, but scored an equalizer even later, as goalkeeper Callum Irving found Matteo Campagna's head with a well-placed free-kick delivery.
Halifax, meanwhile, also haven't tasted victory in a while, with two draws and a loss in their last three. In late September, they delivered one of their strongest performances of the season in a 4-1 rout of Inter Toronto. Their attack has, generally, looked good in recent weeks. The Wanderers have scored a combined five goals in the last two games — the problem being that they've conceded five as well.
The good news for Sartini et al. is that they've been generally good against Vancouver this year. In fact, all three meetings between these sides in 2026 has ended in a 1-0 win for Halifax. The Wanderers won on the road back in Matchweek 1, thanks to a superb Lorenzo Callegari free kick, and they beat the Eagles twice at the Wanderers Grounds over the summer.
However, Vancouver will be extra desperate to make use of this last home game. They've got a strong record at the Langley Events Centre this year — 6-4-3 — and haven't lost a CPL match at home since May 18, with a 10-game unbeaten run since.
Avoiding defeat might not be enough this time, though; Vancouver will wrap up their regular season next week on the road against Cavalry FC, who will need a result to secure the CPL Shield.
It doesn't get much more high-stakes than this.
NEWS & NOTES
- Vancouver midfielders Damiano Pecile and Marcello Polisi are considered questionable for Friday, after Polisi missed last weekend's match and Pecile exited 18 minutes after coming into the game.
- Halifax Wanderers midfielder Lorenzo Callegari will serve a one-match suspension this week for yellow card accumulation.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Vancouver FC: Irving; Doner, Campagna, Field, Proctor; Ssewankambo, Fotsing; Bah, Toomey, Amissi; Mousset
Halifax Wanderers FC: Carducci; Alphonse, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Telfer; Zitman, Olguin; Arilla, Johnston, Mackenzie; Bahamboula
