Pacific are off to their worst start in club history, losing five of their opening six matches and drawing the other.

But this isn't simply a run of poor form: It's the culmination of years of declining performances, compounded by missing the playoffs for the first time since the inaugural season.

Until Atlético Ottawa recently joined the conversation, the Tridents were the only side in the league consistently challenging Forge and Cavalry for honours. They made the playoffs in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, playing the semi-finals in two of those editions, and won the league in 2021. 

The cup record was just as impressive. Pacific reached the Canadian Championship semi-finals three times in four years, making them the CPL side with the second-most semi-final appearances in the competition, with three, behind only Forge's four.

In short, Pacific were a top team in this league. They competed in Concacaf, knocked the Vancouver Whitecaps out of the Voyageurs Cup, won the Canadian Premier League, and were a consistent force deep into the Canadian Championship.

Fast forward to today, and things are looking dire.

The Tridents currently hold the longest winless streak of any CPL club across all competitions, going 17 games without a win as of Sunday, dating back to a 2-2 draw at home to Halifax on August 16, 2025. Their last victory came six days prior in the Salish Sea Derby against Vancouver FC. Their record since reads no wins, six draws, and 11 losses.

If that is not alarming enough, Kristian Jack of OneSoccer highlighted another troubling statistic during Sunday's broadcast. Across their last 28 CPL matches, Pacific have won just three and lost 17. If those 28 games were from the same season, it would represent the worst campaign in CPL history, excluding the shortened 2020 Island Games.

Pacific are on track for the worst season in CPL history, a record currently held by the late FC Edmonton, who accumulated just 20 points across 28 matches in their final season.

Where did it all go wrong?

It's hard to pinpoint the exact reason for this decline, though one wonders whether the creation of Vancouver FC in late 2022, owned by the same group as Pacific, has played a role.

The club's issues have extended well beyond the pitch.

In September last year, the City of Langford issued a sharp statement after Pacific president Josh Simpson suggested the city had not been "exactly simple to work with since Stew Young left." In response, the city revealed that Pacific was in arrears for over $90,000, including unpaid office rent, stadium rental fees, and game-related costs. Among several other grievances, the city stated that Pacific owed $691,477.77 under the Indoor Training Centre agreement, a sum the city said it had held in abeyance "in the spirit of ongoing partnership and to allow for continued negotiations of a long-term stadium use agreement."

The owners, SixFive Sports and Entertainment, have also faced issues with their other club, Vancouver FC.

Late last year, they were sued by former head coach Afshin Ghotbi for allegedly failing to repay a $500,000 loan plus interest.

What now?

It is still far too early to write Pacific off from playoff contention, but if they are to recapture anything close to the form of their 2021 campaign, the turnaround needs to start now.

Up next is a tough trip to Alberta to face Cavalry, followed by a home clash against Atlético Ottawa, then a visit to Quebec City to face FC Supra.