What should grow into Island-based Pacific FC’s greatest Canadian Premier League soccer rival, Vancouver FC was unveiled as the CPL’s newest club Wednesday night in Langley. PFC’s previous closest opponents were Cavalry FC in Calgary and FC Edmonton, whose Alberta-derby games against each other are referred to as Al Classico.
A challenge trophy for the winner of the head-to-head match-ups between PFC, which plays out of Starlight Stadium in Langford, and Vancouver FC would be considered, said Vancouver FC president and GM Rob Friend, former president of PFC.
Announced as the first head coach in Vancouver FC franchise history was Afshin Ghotbi, as part of the launch event. Ghotbi coached the Iranian national team from 2009 to 2011 and most recently was manager of Cangzhou Mighty Lions in the Chinese Super League. Ghotbi, born in Iran and raised in the U.S., has held head and assistant coaching roles in the United Soccer League, Major League Soccer, Persian Gulf Pro League, Thai League 1, the J-League in Japan and the Chinese Super League over a four-decade career. He was part of the coaching staffs at three FIFA World Cups — as an assistant coach with the U.S. in 1998 at France and assistant coach with semifinalist South Korea in 2002 at Japan and with South Korea again in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
“Now is an exciting moment for Canadian soccer, and the ever-growing passion for the game … from coast to coast is evident,” Ghotbi said in a statement.
“I look forward to building a club that will make our fans proud on and off the field.”
Pacific FC and Vancouver FC are owned by the same company in a similar ownership arrangement as that of the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls in the West Coast League of baseball.
“We are excited to bring a manager of his [Ghotbi’s] quality and with his experience to the CPL and expect our future squad will make our fans proud,” said Friend, the former Bundesliga pro, who earned 32 caps with Canada.
Vancouver FC will play at Willoughby Community Park in Langley, encircled by 5,000 new stands, beginning next season.
