Vancouver FC, also known as the Eagles, are hoping to build on Sunday’s record-setting victory over Valour FC with another win this Thursday against Halifax Wanderers FC.
At a Wednesday, April 17, pre-game press conference in Langley, VFC Head Coach Afshin Ghotbi and goalkeeper Callum Irving said the 4-1 win was a good way to start the season, even though the team was a little uncertain in the first half, when Valour FC took the lead 1-0 only to have VFC tie it up just before the second.
Ghotbi said some players were “very nervous” at the start, but settled down after a talk before the second half, when he told them to focus on “one play at a time.”
“I think once they did that they were very lethal, very dangerous,” Ghotbi commented.
“That’s the kind of football we’ve been training to play.”
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Morale is good coming out of the opening-day win, Ghotbi said.
“The Eagles have landed,” the coach smiled. “I think their spirits are very high. We’ve built a team that [has] depth, we have the balance. We can adjust very quickly when necessary.”
Irving said while there were areas where the team can improve, players were “very confident” following the home opener, where they came back from a 1-0 deficit to score a club record of four goals in a single game.
“We came back and we put in a good performance,” Irving remarked, adding the team intends to “ride that momentum” against the Wanderers on Thursday.
This year, Irving said the team is better prepared, compared to its first year when the roster was still being assembled as the season was getting underway.
He described year one as “venturing into the unknown … reaching int the dark and seeing what’s going to happen”
This year, the team lineup was set well in advance of the season.
“Everyone in this group is selfless and wants to be part of a championship team,” Irving said.
He agreed three days wasn’t much time between games, explaining players “come in and try to do active recovery” to prepare rather than take a day off.
“We know Halifax is a tough team,” Irving said.
“[But] it’s another chance to put three more points on the board.”
The match between Vancouver and Halifax will kick off at Willoughby Park next to the Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.
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