Heading into the last home game of the season, 91原创's professional soccer team has much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving Day weekend.
The Vancouver FC Eagles are heading into this next game with a sense of unity, determination, confidence, conviction, commitment, and belief that can secure themselves a victory against Winnipeg on Sunday. That according to both the team's netminder and the team's head coach.
VFC take on Valour FC at the Willoughby Park pitch, and are hoping to end the home season on a high note, said head coach Afshin Ghotbi.
"I think there have been 26 very important games so far this season, and now we go into another very important game鈥� We feel like we're very close to a milestone for the club in making the playoffs. So this is a very 鈥� of course 鈥� important, and crucial and pivotal game for our club and for our fans, and we want to bring our best performance and get the right results."
Asked what he's grateful for this holiday weekend, Ghotbi pondered his answer.
"I'm really grateful that we have a really healthy group of players. That's first and foremost the most important," said the coach, drilling down more on what he has to be thankful for this autumn.
"Also, I'm very grateful we can do what we love, and that is to be in a profession that we've been in love with all our lives 鈥� I'm always grateful of that," also expressing appreciation for all the people in his life that he loves, his family, his team, and their loyal fans in Vancouver and 91原创.
"I think, when you put that all together, we can always be ungrateful about things we don't have, but to cherish the things we do have and hold them dear and close to our hearts, I think that is very important."
Goaltender Callum Irving also shared his gratitude for a chance to be vying for the playoffs, noting last year at this time the team was only playing for pride 鈥� since they were out of contention for the playoffs.
While also grateful for the chance to to compete for a playoff spot, Irving said he appreciates being able to do what he loves by playing football, entertain VFC's hometown fans and to do so in his own backyard. Moreover, he said the one thing that tops his list this Thanksgiving is family.
"First and foremost, I'm thankful for my family, who come out to support me at every home game. That's not something I take for granted considering I've been in and around North America for the last decade or so, and I understand what it means to have them there."
He called it a "joy" to get back in front of people (fans and family) who have been there with the team through the ups and downs, and watched them grow during the Eagle's first two seasons.
"I'm looking forward to getting in front of our fans one more time," Irving added. "We're hoping to give them a good show on Sunday."
According to the Canadian Premier League, if VFC beats Valour this weekend, they clinch a berth in the CPL playoffs.
"As alluded to, we're in for a chance at getting into the playoffs. It's kind of in our hands. So that's exciting. It's exciting to have that pressure as a club." Irving said. "I think that's where you really see what you're made of and where you truly grow. So, I'm looking forward to it a lot, and I know the guys are as well."
Irving, a Vancouver native, registered 11 saves in VFC鈥檚 last match played against Halifax's Wanderers FC, bringing his total saves for this season up to 91 to lead the league and set the club record for most saves in a single season.
Irving also tied a CPL record for the most saves in a single match with the 11 last Saturday, which helped to secure Vancouver in the fifth and final playoff spot heading into the last two weeks of regular season action. Ultimately, that match ended with a 1-1 ties, giving the Eagles an all imperative point after playing down a man for nearly 50 minutes of that game.
Now Vancouver will face Valour players, who sit just one point back from the Eagles, in what is arguably the most important match of 2024.
The match between Vancouver and Valour will kick off at Willoughby Park in 91原创, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.
