On Wednesday night at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver FC will battle for the Canadian Championship, marking the first time these two local rivals have met in their history.

Even though these two teams have never lined up against one another on the pitch, the history between them runs deep. So many players on Vancouver FC’s roster have come through the Whitecaps’ academy system, and it’s been clear since day one of Vancouver FC’s existence that becoming an alternative to the Whitecaps in the local market was one of their primary ambitions.

Now, I think it’s fair to say that VFC has fallen pretty short of that goal. Most of the way through their third season of CPL action, the Eagles are on track for one of the worst seasons (if not the worst) in league history. This is a club that has never finished higher than seventh out of eight teams in terms of league position.

Despite ownership claiming last offseason that Afshin Ghotbi would be with the club for as long as he wanted, Ghotbi was fired mid-way through this year. Not too long before that, VFC also gutted its backroom team, including several staffers who had been there since day one. Martin Nash, interim manager and former Whitecaps player, has done what he can to keep the ship afloat. However, with attendances dwindling dangerously low, and with SixFive Sports already looking to sell Pacific, I’m not sure anyone knows exactly where, or what, the future of Vancouver FC might be.

The one shining light through all of this has been the Canadian Championship. Call it the magic of the Cup, but VFC has found a way to harness something in this competition that’s been completely different than their league play. After getting past Pacific on penalties in the preliminary round, the Eagles put in a really good fight against Cavalry FC across two legs in the quarter-finals, eventually eliminating the Cavs on their home pitch via the penalty shootout. While it may have taken a bit of luck, the way Vancouver battled Cavalry and avoided the crucial mental errors that have normally been a hallmark of their game was impressive, and it showed that the Eagles were intent on putting all they could into this competition.

In the semi-finals, Vancouver produced a big second half in the first leg on their home pitch, which wound up being vital to where they are today. After Samuel Salter tied the match for Athletico Ottawa in the 58th minute, the Eagles responded with two more goals, including a stunner from former VWFC man Nicolás Mezquida in the 91st minute, taking the first leg 3-1. Vancouver was forced to grit out an ugly 1-0 second-leg loss in Ottawa, but once again, VFC showed a discipline and mental toughness unlike what we’ve seen from them in league play this season, as they became the first CPL team to make the Canadian Championship Final by conventional means, winning the tie 3-2.

In terms of players to watch for the Eagles, young Canadians have really been the theme. Former Whitecaps FC 2 standout Thierno Bah has been the main creative force, with 2 goals and 6 assists in CPL play, while Hugo Mbongue has led the way in goal-scoring with 6 goals and 2 assists. If those two aren’t rolling, the attack has been limited for VFC. Other notable names throughout the lineup include David Norman Jr, Matteo Campagna, Vasco Fry, and Callum Irving between the sticks.

Flipping things over to Vancouver, Thomas Müller and Ryan Gauld will draw a lot of focus, with Müller looking for a new trophy to add to his case, while Ryan Gauld is set to potentially see match action for the first time since March. While that is exciting, it does look like Brian White might need some recovery time after injuring himself again against Seattle on the weekend. Elsewhere, I would expect Isaac Boehmer to start at keeper, while Sebastian Berhlater, Rayan Elloumi, and Jayden Neslon are all good options after coming off the bench on the weekend. We should also keep an eye on the status of Belal Halbouni, who missed the weekend with a hip issue, which forced Ralph Priso to start at CB.

If things proceed as expected, this should not be a particularly competitive match. The gulf in terms of both form and roster talent between these two sides is enormous, yet we’ve seen crazier things happen before. For Vancouver FC, this match is the rest of their season; it is as simple as that. Nothing else really matters. For the Whitecaps, it’s an opportunity to be the first team to secure a fourth straight Canadian title in the modern era, and to begin the push towards MLS Cup contention on the right foot. Despite everything Vancouver FC has done to overcome the odds, I can’t see it happening in a final at BC Place, so I’ll predict a 4-1 Whitecaps win.

That being said, as someone who loves a good bit of chaos, the Eagles winning this match would be box office content, so I can’t really complain either way.