Vancouver FC have picked up the first Salish Sea Derby win of 2026, as they grinded out a valuable 3-1 victory over Pacific FC at Royal Athletic Park on Sunday.
Given that both sides entered this match without a win through the first four weeks of the CPL season, this was a massive match for both teams, who knew how big it'd be to get off and running for the season.
In the end, it'd be Vancouver who would find that season-altering result, doing so thanks to a brace from former Pacific attacker Terran Campbell.
Following a 1-0 loss to Forge last week, Pacific made three changes to their lineup, with Kadin Chung, Aidan Daniels and Ronan Kratt slotted in for Tristan Marshall, Sami Keshavarz and Yann Toualy.
Meanwhile, despite a frustrating late 1-1 draw to Atlético Ottawa, Vancouver made just one change to their starting group, with Emrick Fotsing slotting in for Damiano Pecile.
Having scored in that aforementioned 1-1 draw, Mohamed Amissi started the game brightly, as he looked to power his team to an early lead against their rivals. As a result, he did well to wiggle his way into the box, but fired his dangerous shot right into the hands of Pacific goalkeeper Sean Melvin.
At the other end, Pacific almost gave their fans something to cheer about in the 23rd minute, as Kratt whipped in a perfect ball for Taras Gomulka to attack, but he'd send his uncontested header into the hands of Vancouver goalkeeper Callum Irving.
Having survived that near-scare, Vancouver had another great chance moments later, as Morey Doner found Nicolás Mezquida with a nice low cross into the box, but Mezquida flashed his shot just wide of the goal. Then, moments later, Mezquida had another great chance from close range after a scramble in the box, but his dangerous shot was deflected just wide of the net after a nice block.
Continuing a lively start to the game from both teams, Pacific had a good look at goal in the 34th minute. Having done well to receive the ball in between the lines, Marco Bustos drove towards Vancouver's goal and fired a dangerous low shot, sending his attempt just wide of the goal.
Moments later, though, Vancouver finally managed to open the scoring, leaving Pacific to rue that recent missed opportunity. After another dangerous cross from Doner, the ball fell to Amissi at the back post, and the Vancouver attacker did well to control the ball, turn and fire a low shot that just squeaked into the net to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Eager to double their lead, Vancouver almost found a second goal before halftime, as Terran Campbell fired a low shot, one that Melvin did well to get his body in front of for the save.
After that scare, Pacific found an equalizer nearly immediately, as Gomulka fired a shot from distance on a counter-attack, forcing a save from Irving after his attempt nearly deflected into the top corner of the goal.
From there, though, the game would finally reach the break, giving both teams a chance to breathe. For Pacific, that was a much-welcomed opportunity, as they looked to find an equalizer - Vancouver, meanwhile, will probably not have been as enthusiastic to reach the break, given how they were playing.
Considering that the shots were 9-5 for Vancouver at the break, the numbers also backed up that sentiment.
On the other side of the break, Pacific had the first good chance of the second stanza, as Bustos whipped in a dangerous corner, one that centre back Diego Konincks headed just wide of the goal.
Almost immediately after, though, Pacific would come to rue that missed opportunity - a theme of this game. Having come onto the field minutes earlier, Thierno Bah did well to create a moment of magic out of nothing, finding Campbell with a nice low cross, and the Vancouver striker made no mistake with his finish to put his team up 2-0.
Of course, even though Vancouver had found that two-goal lead, the game still remained open. At one end, Gomulka almost halved that lead with a shot that was desperately blocked in the 65th minute, before Mezquida came inches away from putting Vancouver up 3-0 in the 67th minute.
Eventually, though, Pacific found their breakthrough in the 78th minute. After an errant Vancouver giveaway in midfield, Bustos drove forward with speed before getting taken down with a heavy challenge, one that forced the ball loose into the path of Yann Toualy, and Pacific's supersub did well to take it in stride before curling home with a precise effort to make it 2-1.
Those hopes of a comeback would be pretty short-lived, however, as almost immediately after, Vancouver regained their two-goal lead. Having stepped up to take a free kick in a good spot, Mezquida blasted a near-perfect shot off the post, but luckily for him and his team, the ball fell perfectly to Campbell, who slotted the ball into an open net for his brace.
From there, Vancouver would do what they needed to the rest of the way, as they managed to see out their first victory of 2026.
They'll be frustrated not to have kept a clean sheet, a longstanding struggle of theirs, but they'll live with not keeping one given that they found the victory in the end.
Pacific, meanwhile, will head back to the drawing board as they chase their first win of the year, which won't come until May 17th at the earliest, when they play Inter Toronto in their next CPL match.
NEWS & NOTES
- Former Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth attacker, Lys Mousset, made his Vancouver FC debut off the bench in this game
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Pacific FC: Melvin; Chung, Belluz, Konincks, Greco-Taylor (Lajeunesse 72'); Gomulka, Juhmi (Keshavarz 80'); Kratt (Edwards 57'), Bustos, Daniels (Toualy 57'); Díaz (Juach 72')
Vancouver FC: Irving; Doner, Campagna, Field, Gee; Fotsing, Polisi; Traore (Bah 57'), Mezquida, Amissi (Godbout 90'); Campbell (Mousset 90')
Goals
38' — Mohamed Amissi (Vancouver FC)
60' — Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC)
78' — Yann Toualy (Pacific FC)
82' — Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC)
Discipline
65' — Yellow: Roshawn Juhmi (Pacific FC)
68' — Yellow: Marcello Polisi (Vancouver FC)
71' — Yellow: Marco Bustos (Pacific FC)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Terran Campbell, FC
Campbell was clinical when he needed to be, as he was able to generate his two goals off just three shot attempts. Yet, that shows how efficient he was on the day, as five of his 18 touches he took in this game came inside the box.
What’s next?
Both teams will turn their attention to the Canadian Championship, with both set to host games in the preliminary round of that tournament next weekend.
Firstly, Pacific will host Cavalry FC at Starlight Stadium on Saturday, May 9th (4:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. MT), before Vancouver FC hosts BC Premier League side Langley United on Sunday, May 10th (3:00 p.m. PT).
For broadcast details of the 2026 CPL season, go to cplsoccer.com/watch.