Matchday Program
It's the start of a new era for one club, and the end of an era for another as Pacific FC gets set to host Atlético Ottawa at Starlight Stadium on Saturday.
For Pacific FC, it's the start of a new chapter, as they play their first game after announcing on Friday that they had hired Terry Dunfield as head coach following the departure of their long-tenured head coach, James Merriman, earlier this month.
Dunfield won't be behind the bench for this game, with his tenure not set to start until early July, but this game will still mark the start of his project.
For now, though, interim head coach Yiannis Tsalatsidis, who will remain on Dunfield's staff after his arrival, will continue to helm the team in the near future. After a tough 3-0 defeat in his first game as interim manager, he'll hope for a better result back at home, as he looks to push Pacific to their first victory of 2026.
Ottawa, meanwhile, are getting set to say goodbye to their manager, Diego Mejía, who will depart the club following this match.
After an emotional send-off at TD Place last weekend, as he helped lead his team to an impressive 2-1 win vs. Forge, his squad will want to ensure that they send off their manager, who helped them to their first North Star Cup in 2025, on a high note - even if he technically won't be behind the bench this game as he serves a ban for yellow card accumulation.
Having done well to steady their ship after a rocky start to the season, as they're up to fourth in the table after winning three and drawing one of their last five league games, and are also into the quarter-finals of the Canadian Championship following an impressive 3-1 defeat of MLS side Toronto FC, they'll want to keep the good times rolling this weekend.
News & Notes:
- Pacific FC will be without defender Juan Quintana, who will serve the first game of a three-match ban after earning a straight red card in his team's loss to Cavalry FC last week
- As mentioned earlier, Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía is set to serve a one-game ban for yellow card accumulation
3 Things To Watch
DUNFIELD ANNOUNCED AS NEW PACIFIC FC HEAD COACH
Pacific FC made a major announcement yesterday, confirming Terry Dunfield as the club's new Head Coach. While Dunfield will officially take charge on July 5, today's match against Atletico Ottawa will see interim head coach Yiannis Tsalatsidis managing the Tridents on the pitch.
FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON: PACIFIC FC vs. ATLETICO OTTAWA
Today's clash marks the first meeting between Pacific FC and Atletico Ottawa this season, as the two CPL sides face off for the first time in 2026. Pacific is on the hunt for their first win of the season and Atletico is sitting in fourth place in the CPL table. The match promises to be a fiercely contested affair when the two sides renew acquaintances at Starlight Stadium.
NEW CANADIANS IN RED AND WHITE: CPL'S NATIONAL CELEBRATION COMES TO LANGFORD
In advance of today’s match Pacific FC held a special ceremony where 40 new Canadians were sworn in as citizens hosted by immigration, Refugees and Citizen Canada. And today’s match is one of the Canadian Premier League's designated Red and White Out matches — a nationwide co-branded initiative in partnership with Canada Soccer. Inspired by Canada Soccer Men's National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch's call for a national "Red Out," CPL clubs across the country are hosting coordinated Red and White Out matches throughout the summer, uniting communities in a celebration of Canadian soccer pride. With Canada's Men's National Team facing a defining summer on the international stage, Pacific FC is calling on all fans to come out wearing red and white and make their voices heard.
All-Time Series
Pacific FC wins: 7 || Atletico Ottawa wins: 10 || Draws: 7
Last Meeting
Pacific FC 0-2 Atletico Ottawa, September 6 2025
Key Quotes
Key Quotes
"When you hear that a new manager is coming in, that also means everyone's going to keep pushing, so that when Terry (Dunfield) does arrive, first impressions matter. You can see that in all the guys, all the little details are being taken care of right now, the professionalism, the body language, and most importantly for me, as the coach right now, I feel the energy between the guys. You feel that confidence and excitement, and we're going to keep building off that." - Pacific FC interim head coach Yiannis Tsalatsidis
"Yeah, I am sad because I would like to stay here, but it's a special moment. I want to share with my players this last trip, I want to be there with them, I want to enjoy the last minute of my history in Ottawa, but nothing has changed. The players understand really well the things that we need to do." - Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía
50/50 Draw Live Now
All proceeds from Pacific FC 50/50 program support the Net Positive Football Society who use the power of sport to enhance the well-being, life skills and prospects of young people and underserved groups on Vancouver Island.