Match Thread: June 20, 2019 - Valour FC v Pacific FC

[narduch]

Match is at 7pm local, 8pm ET on One Soccer

Valour won the first meeting 2-1 on the road way back in early May.

[Cheeta]

Clash of the Titans.

[T_Bison]

Super excited - taking my son to his first Valour game tomorrow night.

 

That being said, super nervous about Pacific. They're not having a great season so far but Valour looks pretty snake-bit ATM. 

[jonovision]

Telltale sign that your team is out of ideas at striker: starting a 17 year old.

 

[narduch]

 

[jonovision]

Valour are so bad defensively it's comical. Murrell again the main culprit.

Edited June 21, 2019 by jonovision

[jonovision]

I've had no real complaints about One Soccer to date, but they should really think about moving their field-level mic to the crowd side of the stadium.

[jonovision]

Please not Muenkat.

[jonovision]

Jordan Murrell again. He has not won any physical battles this year. Not even close to good enough for this level. He's just so weak.

Edited June 21, 2019 by jonovision

[grasshopper1917]

In all fairness Pacific is showing a little spark and looking quite decent tonight. Valour seems like the talent is there  but just cant pull it together. Maybe a chemistry problem? 

[jonovision]

The problem with Valour is that none of the players that one would have counted on going into the season based on profile, pedigree, and experience, have delivered much of anything of value to the team. Starting from the back, Farago has cost the team at least 4 points singlehandedly, Thomas has been average and the captain Murrell has been the team's worst player, Golubar tore his ACL in the second match, Petrasso has been injured constantly, and Hoyle doesn't seem to have the fitness to play more than once or twice a month.

It's been great to have so many local players playing a role, but they were meant to be bench filler, not starters. They've been forced to rely on youth and inexperience more than any team in the league, including Pacific.

The talent is absolutely not there, or at least it has not been on display.

Edited June 21, 2019 by jonovision

[jonovision]

Gareth Wheeler is unlistenable.

[jonovision]

Village going full Honduras here.

[Aird25]

7 minutes ago, jonovision said:

The problem with Valour is that none of the players that one would have counted on going into the season based on profile, pedigree, and experience, have delivered much of anything of value to the team. Starting from the back, Farago has cost the team at least 4 points singlehandedly, Thomas has been average and the captain Murrell has been the team's worst player, Golubar tore his ACL in the second match, Petrasso has been injured constantly, and Hoyle doesn't seem to have the fitness to play more than once or twice a month.

It's been great to have so many local players playing a role, but they were meant to be bench filler, not starters. They've been forced to rely on youth and inexperience more than any team in the league, including Pacific.

The talent is absolutely not there, or at least it has not been on display.

They’re relying on youth more than Pacific? Look at the players on the pitch right now

[jonovision]

9 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

They’re relying on youth more than Pacific? Look at the players on the pitch right now

Valour's front 3 today was 17, 19 and 23. And when it comes to experience in professional environments, Valour is miles behind the rest of the league and it shows. Without Petrasso and Golubar this team is nothing.

Edited June 21, 2019 by jonovision

[jonovision]

Hopefully Murrell is shipped out at the summer break. He can't play another meaningful minute at CB. At fault for both goals, losing battles that any professional should win.

Edited June 21, 2019 by jonovision

[grasshopper1917]

10 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Valour's front 3 today was 17, 19 and 23. And when it comes to experience in professional environments, Valour is miles behind the rest of the league and it shows. Without Petrasso and Golubar this team is nothing.

I think its becoming clear that teams in this league need some depth eh?

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, grasshopper1917 said:

I think its becoming clear that teams in this league need some depth eh?

Frankly I don't think any of the teams have much depth and those that have suffered with injuries like Valour and Pacific are naturally quite trash as a result.

[grasshopper1917]

6 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Frankly I don't think any of the teams have much depth and those that have suffered with injuries like Valour and Pacific are naturally quite trash as a result.

We have had key guys injured almost the entire year. If we didn't have some depth we would be totally toast. I agree though at this stage depth isn't great anywhere - however I think you need some to get over the injuries. Some do have more depth then others.

 

[Aird25]

31 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Valour's front 3 today was 17, 19 and 23. And when it comes to experience in professional environments, Valour is miles behind the rest of the league and it shows. Without Petrasso and Golubar this team is nothing.

Pacific finished the game with players that were 18, 19, 19, 20, 20, 20 and 21. They probably would've played a 17 year old, but Alghamdi doesn't travel for midweek games because he has class.

Edited June 21, 2019 by Aird25

[ktf]

48 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

Pacific finished the game with players that were 18, 19, 19, 20, 20, 20 and 21. They probably would've played a 17 year old, but Alghamdi doesn't travel for midweek games because he has class.

Thank you for pointing that out. I do not doubt the injury issues and reliance on some youth for Valour, but no one can complain more on either front than PFC. De Jong before the season, Staro after one game, Issey can barely stay on the field, Haber injured here and there a bit as well, and consistently rolling out a line-up that is u-21 heavy. 

As for the game, it was definitely deserved, and they probably deserved one more. That one play with MacNaughton, at least based on the camera angle, did not look offside. 

[Ngravs]

I genuinely would like to know what Ferguson  brings to the table? What's his best attribute? 

[Ngravs]

ALSO.. How the hell were we not allowed to sub Muenkat when the board went up and Gutierrez stepped out??? Played down to 10 and got scored on, not saying that was why but didn't help.. 

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, Lofty said:

Come on Jono, he is one of our three centre forwards and given that Ferguson is another, we have to use him! I thought he did very well today and fully expect to see more of him despite his age. Wayne Rooney played for Everton at 16!

I was pleasantly surprised at how useful he was, despite not playing as a centre forward. But based on his previous appearances this season there was no reason to expect a positive performance.

[Cheeta]

Attardo was good I thought.  Exactly what the doctor ordered in a "go get 'em." sort of way.   Points to Gale for dumbing it down, the hesitiation we've seen from this team in attacking through the final third, over thinking things, was there again tonight but also some of the break-through-their-line penetration which has been wanting up to now, and it went a long ways.  So much positive from this team, enough at least that I'm hopefull for the rest of the season in spite of all the negatives they manage to bring along with them every match.  Some of that can be worked out of the team in time I think,  some of it won't be.  Not without changing some bodies out there.  

Ohin has to be a fixture in the gut for the remainder of the season. 

Bustos is going to get himself killed.  Stop it.  I have enough stress in my life.

Cracking goal by Campbell made all the worse by the rising anticipation as it played out.  No, no, no NO!

Very solid crowd, some sort of promo on tonight I think (MSA?).