The age old dilemma: Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

In the case of the Vancouver Football Club (VFC)'s Eagles, head coach Afshin Ghotbi pondered what comes first: Would an increase of fans in the seats prompt enhanced team morale and consequently result in better play and more wins by the 91Ô­´´-based soccer team? Or would consistently better games attract more fans to come out and watch the action at Willoughby Stadium?

Ahead of Sunday's derby game against Pacific FC, he philosophized a bit on the issue of increasing the fan base for this fledgling team – currently part way through its second year of operation – and he spoke to the team's excitement to return home and take on their fellow B.C. rivals from Vancouver Island – looking to win a fifth in a row against this team.

Ghotbi commended the VFC staff that works "tirelessly" to promote the organization, connect the team to the community, foster relations with young, aspiring soccer players in junior teams, and engage with fans.

But, he described Metro Vancouver a very sophisticated audience, with fans who won't come out and watch if a team isn't securing wins.

Ghotbi said it's his job to lead the team to those victories.

"I feel like we have to do the job on the pitch, get ourselves very high in the position on the table. And, I think once we do that, then hopefully in the last quarter of the season we can bring in more fans, and sell out the stadium and give the kind of energy our team needs," said the head coach.

"It's kind of the chicken and the egg, and we need some chickens and egg, and we need more eggs to happen with chickens," he said with a chuckle. "Hopefully more victories will bring more fans to us."

VFC attracts a relatively consistent home crowd of about 3,200, primarily families with children, as well as what they call the "traditional male soccer fans."

Coming off a series of losses and ties in home and away games, he keeps optimistic.

"I've very confident… I think we've shown it in the season, that when we're at our best we can beat anyone and everyone," the coach shared.

"Hopefully we've experienced the worst part, and we can grow and learn from that low and become a stronger team," Ghotbi said of past mistakes and losses. "We're hoping to have our best game of the season."

The Eagles' sights are fixed on the final home derby this weekend and looking to use their home-field advantage to extend their winning record against their B.C. rivals. In the past four games against Pacific, dating back to August of last year, they've walked away triumphant each time. The most recent victory was marked on the Island at the end of June, when they beat Pacific 2-1.

"I feel that we will peak at the right moment…," and qualify for the playoffs.

Ghotbi is confident they will bring the "best version of our team to the field" not only to win the derby, but to maintain their possibility for playoff contention.

"I feel that the players understand what they have to do," going into Sunday's game. After a week of what he calls targeted training, and intense focus on area needing improvement, he said the players will come to this game "very prepared."

The match between Vancouver and Pacific kicks off at Willoughby Stadium – next to the 91Ô­´´ Events Centre –  at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11. Their next game after that is also at home. The following Sunday, Aug. 18, the Eagles take on Forge FC from Hamilton at 4 p.m.