Tuesday鈥檚 home game against Hamilton is going to hold special significance for Vancouver Football Club鈥檚 goalkeeper Callum Irving.

It will be a belated Father鈥檚 Day tribute to his dear ol鈥� Dad, who is expected to once again be in the stands. Actually, the Irving family is always in the Langley stands cheering Callum on.

His father, Robert Irving, also helped to literally build a portion of VFC鈥檚 home pitch at Willoughby Stadium 鈥� specifically he assisted in constructing all the stalls in the team鈥檚 current locker room.

鈥淚t means a lot for me to have my dad in the stands for every game,鈥� Callum told the Langley Advance Times. 鈥淣o game is different than another, but I鈥檒l be happy to have him there for our Father鈥檚 Day game and to have his support, as always.鈥�

So, when the 30-year-old netminder hits the field next week, he said he鈥檒l be playing his heart out 鈥� like he always does 鈥� but he鈥檒l be doing it not just for his teammates and fans, but also for his father.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have anything special planned [for Father鈥檚 Day match] as I don鈥檛 think he鈥檇 want so much attention and wants me to be focussed. He does always tell me to play well and have fun before every game, so I鈥檒l just do that to the best of my ability. I know he鈥檚 most proud of the fact that I show up with a good attitude and do my job day in and day out, just like he does.鈥�

Robert had a promising football career to play pro after SFU varsity, but the North American Soccer League folded in 1984. Nevertheless, his passion for the sport proved hereditary, or so it would seem.

Callum took up playing soccer when he was four and never looked back. In 2022, he led all Canadian Premier League (CPL) goalkeepers with 249 recoveries and 856 passes, while the Vancouverite was playing for the Vancouver Island鈥檚 Pacific FC.

While that game is on home pitch Tuesday, June 20, at Willoughby Stadium in Langley, VFC still has one more away game to play first.

Vancouver FC wraps up its second multi-game road trip of the season with a visit to the Canadian capital to take on the Atletico FC in Ottawa this weekend.

Vancouver FC will be looking to return the favour paid by Atletico when they last met in mid-May and Ottawa walked away with their first win of the season, downing VFC 5-0.

This will be their 10th game of the season, and a jump in the standings is possible for Vancouver FC with a win on Saturday could land them in fifth overall in the CPL rankings.

West Coast-based fans can catch the match on dedicated soccer channel

IN OTHER TEAM NEWS:

Vancouver FC defender Marcus Simmons has been called up for international duty by the Guyana men鈥檚 national team ahead of the upcoming 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims.

Simmons, 22, is a native of Edmonton, Alta., but is eligible to represent Guyana in international competition because of his Guyanese heritage on his father鈥檚 side.

Simmons was previously called into camp with the Golden Jaguars in May 2023. He will look to make his international debut with Guyana later this month.

鈥淭his first call up is very special to me and I鈥檓 looking forward to being a part of the squad,鈥� Simmons said.

鈥淚 am grateful to everyone who has helped me make this opportunity possible, especially my grandmother, because I wouldn鈥檛 be representing Guyana without them.鈥�

The 2023 Gold Cup Prelims start today (Friday, June 16) and continues through June 20 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The Prelims, which will feature 12 teams from the region, will consist of two elimination rounds to decide the final three countries to qualify for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. This year鈥檚 Gold Cup will kick off on Saturday, June 24, and run through Friday, July 16, 2023, with matches to be played in cities across the United States and in Toronto, Ont.

Guyana will face Grenada in the first round of Prelims on Saturday, June 17. If Guyana is victorious, the Golden Jaguars will compete in a second preliminary match on Tuesday, June 20, for a berth into the Gold Cup, explained VFC head coach Afshin Ghotbi.

鈥淲e are very happy for Marcus to have the opportunity to represent his country,鈥� Ghotbi said.

鈥淎s more Canadian Premier League players get opportunities to play at the international level, it will help to continue the development of our league and Canadian football in general.鈥�

Simmons has made three appearances, including one start, for Vancouver so far this season and has registered a total of 80 minutes.

Two Tickets for $26 馃毃

馃摚 Be loud. Bring a friend and join us at our next home match June 20th against defending champions and each get a ticket for $13!

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鈥� Vancouver Football Club (@vanfootballclub)