Pacific FC got some good news amid a stream of players leaving, with championship-lifting captain Jamar Dixon committing his future to the team.
Dixon, who led PFC to its first Canadian Premier League championship win this past season, signed for the Langford-based team in 2020, departing the Ottawa Fury.
Dixon is the first big resigning the team has announced during the offseason, amid a number of the teamB次元官网网址檚 most talented players leaving the club.
Captain Jamar Dixon is returning to Pacific FC for the 2022 season! 馃敱
B次元官网网址� Pacific FC (@Pacificfccpl)
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Both midfielder Alessandro Hojabrpour and star forward Terran Campbell, who was the clubB次元官网网址檚 all-time record goal scorer (25) and record holder for most appearances (69), have left to Forge FC. PFC had beat the Hamilton team in the CPL final. It was HojabrpourB次元官网网址檚 goal for Pacific that sealed victory over the two-time defending champion Forge in the CPL title game.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very normal in the soccer business,B次元官网网址� said Rob Friend, chief executive officer of Pacific FC in an interview with Black Press Media. B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day, the club is here to provide a platform, not only for the team to win, but players to perform well and move onto bigger and better things.B次元官网网址�
Friend said contract offers had been made to both Campbell and Hojabrpour but they decided to make the switch to Forge FC.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a bit disappointing, we were kind of expecting better moves for them to a higher league, but thatB次元官网网址檚 the decision they made,B次元官网网址� he added.
With players returning from injury and a couple of signings set to be announced in the next few months, Friend said heB次元官网网址檚 confident PFC can make a push to retain their title.
B次元官网网址淧eople were shocked from the outside, but weB次元官网网址檙e happy with who weB次元官网网址檝e got and who weB次元官网网址檙e bringing in,B次元官网网址� he said.
Pacific FC also announced that several other squad members, including midfielders Victor Blasco B次元官网网址� who has been with the club since its first game in 2019 B次元官网网址� and Ollie Bassett, who made 20 appearances on the way to the teamB次元官网网址檚 championship win, were leaving the club. Friend said it was too early to say whether the players who have left would be involved when the victory parade comes to the town at the start of new season. But he said 85 per cent of last yearB次元官网网址檚 squad will be returning this year.
Pacific FC will go into next season looking to defend their 2021 Canadian Premier League title. TheyB次元官网网址檒l also be involved in CONCACAF League action, the second-tier continental competition involving teams from North America, with the schedule for those games set to come out in the next few months.
bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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