Match Thread: July 1, 2019 - Valour FC v York9 FC

[narduch]

Match at Noon CT (1pm ET) on One Soccer.

First ever meeting between the clubs.

Both teams will be looking to create some momentum for the Fall Season.

[jonovision]

Should be a near sellout (the overpriced middle sections will have some empty seats). Perfect Canada Day weather. $5 beers and $3 hotdogs. Should be a great day in the stadium. Hopefully the home team can do their part.

[narduch]

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by narduch

[jonovision]

Should really be 2-1 already for York. Shocking defending from Valour

[jonovision]

Mitter is getting shredded. I don't understand this particular back 3 configuration.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[StillOnFire]

York9 have been looking pretty good, although it has been pretty competitive. It's rare for me to be able to catch a game live (time difference). Not got my shirt on as I'm on my way home from work :).

[jonovision]

This is just so bad. Unbelievable. At least Mitter is off.

Edited July 1, 2019 by jonovision

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Attendance announced as 6678:

https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/07/01/canada/canadian-premier-league/valour/york-9/2991854/

 

[jonovision]

I don't even know what to say about this team anymore. At least earlier in the season they occasionally played nicely through midfield while losing matches, now Valour look poor in every phase of the game without ever looking threatening. They play as though each game is their first time playing together. There's not a single thing to get excited about. Today's performance, considering the opponent, has probably been the worst of the season.

Edited July 1, 2019 by jonovision

[narduch]

York9 ends up winning 3-1

[Ansem]

Good timing for York9 to play better with their upcoming clash with Montreal

Edited July 1, 2019 by Ansem

[Big_M]

Gale coming up with a loooot of reasons for the loss

[jonovision]

^ Ultimately their chances at fielding a successful team were dealt a serious blow when their most important and experienced player (Golubar) was hurt in the third match, and probably mortally wounded with Petrasso's injuries, but you'd have expected Gale could cobble together something a bit more competitive with the remaining scraps.

Edited July 1, 2019 by jonovision

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Winnipeg Fury]

2 hours ago, jonovision said:

I don't even know what to say about this team anymore. At least earlier in the season they occasionally played nicely through midfield while losing matches, now Valour look poor in every phase of the game without ever looking threatening. They play as though each game is their first time playing together. There's not a single thing to get excited about. Today's performance, considering the opponent, has probably been the worst of the season.

 

I couldn't agree more.  Y9 could have easily won 5-1 today.  They were very unlucky not to have scored more in the first half.  We are bad at both ends and the team looks fragile.  

Every other team is improving and Valour look worse every match.  Once we hit 5 yards outside the opposing box, we usually reverse the ball back to centre, because we have no idea what to do with it.

On a positive note, Farago played well.  Probably could have had the first.  Nice goal by Attardo.  Player of the Game goes to the Valour crowd, who continue to support this team.  

 

[Ngravs]

49 minutes ago, Winnipeg Fury said:

 

I couldn't agree more.  Y9 could have easily won 5-1 today.  They were very unlucky not to have scored more in the first half.  We are bad at both ends and the team looks fragile.  

Every other team is improving and Valour look worse every match.  Once we hit 5 yards outside the opposing box, we usually reverse the ball back to centre, because we have no idea what to do with it.

On a positive note, Farago played well.  Probably could have had the first.  Nice goal by Attardo.  Player of the Game goes to the Valour crowd, who continue to support this team.  

 

The only positive I see coming out of the team right now is the fact that local players are getting an opportunity to play pro and have impressed me (Ohio/Attardo). 

[Cheeta]

Showed a little grit towards the end there I thought.  They need to, it will go far. 

All in all not that bad I thought, might change my mind after rewatching the thing, but plenty of good to go with the bad. 

Outstanding crowd.  Don't know how it showed on the broadcast but whole north end of the stand was into it there at times.  And even if they weren't picking up on the lead from 144 they were involved vocally.  Wonderful stuff. 

P.S. May owe Farago an apology on the 2nd goal.  Either way showed he's a shot stopper today that's for sure. 

[Winnipeg Fury]

 

And for the record, we finish Spring season in last place.  Not surprisingly, we have the worst goals For and worst goals Against.

[jonovision]

I do have hope that Valour can improve in the 2nd half, but that will require at the minimum a healthy Petrasso, and possibly another signing. Talent-wise, on pedigree and an the pitch, they are simply behind most of the other teams.

Btw, is there something about growing up in England that ages one terribly? Hoyle and Mitter are both 26, but the former looks like 36 while the latter plays like he is.

MOTM for Valour today is probably Ohin. Attardo did well on his one chance, but was invisible until he failed to finish right before being subbed off. Beland-Goyette and Arguinarena, two of my favourites, had rare off-days.

[jonovision]

2 hours ago, Cheeta said:

Showed a little grit towards the end there I thought.  They need to, it will go far. 

All in all not that bad I thought, might change my mind after rewatching the thing, but plenty of good to go with the bad. 

Outstanding crowd.  Don't know how it showed on the broadcast but whole north end of the stand was into it there at times.  And even if they weren't picking up on the lead from 144 they were involved vocally.  Wonderful stuff. 

P.S. May owe Farago an apology on the 2nd goal.  Either way showed he's a shot stopper today that's for sure. 

Unfortunately it did not really come through on the broadcast, as the field level mic continues to be placed between the player benches on the empty side of the stadium. There may be a technical reason for this but it really does a disservice to the product.

[Winnipeg Fury]

The inaugural Canadian Premier League season couldn't have started any better for Valour FC.

On May 1 in Victoria, in what was the club's first ever match, Winnipegger Dylan Carreiro came off the bench and scored in the 78th minute to give Valour a 2-1 win over Pacific FC.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Valour FC mid-fielder Dylan Carreiro scored the game-winning goal in the squad's first-ever game for a storybook start to their season.

 

It was a storybook beginning for Winnipeg's newest professional soccer team, but since then, it has mostly been a nightmare.

The CPL's Spring season officially came to a close on Monday, and when all the dust was settled, it was Valour FC sitting at the bottom of the seven-team table with a disappointing 3-7-0 record. Valour found themselves in dead last after losing 3-1 to York9 FC on Monday at IG Field. York9 entered the match with only one goal in their past five games.

But Valour didn't just stink it up in league play, they also did so in the Canadian Championship — a 13-team tournament featuring clubs from five different leagues. A strong run in the event would've put Valour on the map as they had Major League Soccer's Toronto FC on their side of the bracket in the semifinal, but Valour, who had a first round bye, bowed out in the second round to HFX Wanderers FC after losing 4-1 on aggregate.

Fortunately for Valour, they have an opportunity to make up for their dismal Spring. They have the next two weeks off before they begin the CPL's 18-game Fall season. The winner of the Fall will challenge Cavalry FC, the winners of the Spring season, for the inaugural CPL championship. Valour kicks off their Fall campaign on July 17 on the road against FC Edmonton.

But before we officially turn the page on the Spring, here are the five biggest takeaways from the first half of Valour's season.

 

1) Will a goal scorer please stand up?

You don't need a calculator to add up all of Valour's goals from the Spring. In 10 league games, Valour only found the back of the net eight times — the lowest total in the CPL.

DARREN STONE / TIMES COLONIST FILES

Valour FC is counting on Stephen Hoyle, centre, for scoring which has been hard to come by.

 

English-born striker Stephen Hoyle was expected by many to lead the charge on offence. The 26-year-old was a top player in the ISPS Handa Premiership in New Zealand, where he had 40 goals in his past 84 games, including 10 goals in 17 appearances for Canterbury United this past season. He also won the league's Golden Boot and Supporters Player of the Year award in the 2015-16 season as a member of WaiBOP United. Hoyle scored Valour's first ever goal, as he opened the scoring in their opening match on May 1 against Pacific FC. But since then, he's done a disappearing act, as he’s been in and out of the lineup all season long due to injuries and inconsistent play.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Ali Musse hasn't been able to provide the secondary scoring Valour FC was hoping for.

 

But it's not just Hoyle. 23-year-old attacker Ali Musse from Winnipeg needs to be much better as well. He scored five game-winning goals a year ago with Calgary Foothills FC of the Premier Development League and scored a pair in the team's PDL championship game victory over Reading United. But Musse's clutch gene has been nowhere to be found with Valour, as similar to Hoyle, he also only has one goal this season. Surprisingly, 17-year-old Winnipegger Tyler Attardo is the only player on the squad with more than one goal in league play, as he notched his second goal in the opening minute of Monday's 3-1 loss to York9 FC.

This stat has been mentioned over and over again, but it still rings true: Valour hasn't scored more than one goal in a game since their season opener on May 1. That's unacceptable.

 

2) Good luck picking a starting goalie.

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Valour FC Goalkeeper Mathias Janssens, centre, hasn't taken charge of the net like the team had hoped.

 

Valour head coach Rob Gale said he wanted to split the starts between Tyson Farago and Mathias Janssens in the Spring, and then roll with more of a traditional full-time starter for the Fall. Well coach Gale, pick your poison, because neither goalie has stood out. Farago, a 28-year-old from Winnipeg, has surrendered 11 goals in his six league appearances to give him a 1-5-0 record. Although to be fair to Farago, several of the goals have come on breakaways at the end of matches with Valour chasing the game. Janssens has shown flashes of being a legit starting goalie, as his first two starts were clean sheets. But since then, the 21-year-old from Belgium has been far from impressive. He gave up two weak goals in the final 10 minutes of Valour’s 2-1 loss to Forge FC on June 16 and he followed that up with another questionable performance five days later in a 2-1 loss to Pacific FC. Janssens has allowed four goals in four league games to go with a 2-2 record. Neither one has proven they deserve to be Valour's go-to option between the pipes, as the team is tied with Pacific for the most goals allowed (15).

 

3) Michael Petrasso is a difference maker... when he plays.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Michael Petrasso is the most talented player on the team but just can't seem to stay healthy.

 

Toronto-born midfielder Michael Petrasso is the most talented player on the team. The only problem is he can't stay healthy. Petrasso, who spent last year with the Montreal Impact of the MLS, is the team's most dynamic player with the ball as he has a goal and two assists in four league matches. But a pair of lower-body injuries, one against Cavalry on May 8, and another against the Wanderers on June 13, have kept the star player out of the lineup for majority of the season. Valour isn't the same team without him, as they're 1-5-0 when Petrasso is sidelined. He signed a one-year deal with Valour as he's aiming for a return to the MLS, but if the injuries keep piling up, there's a good chance Petrasso won't be going anywhere. Petrasso is expected to return to the lineup for the Fall season opener on July 17 in Edmonton.

 

4) Marco Bustos is as good as advertised.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Marco Bustos has stepped up as the team's most dangerous player on offence

 

With Petrasso out of the lineup, Marco Bustos has stepped up as the team's most dangerous player on offence. Bustos, who previously played for the Oklahoma City Energy of the USL Championship, returned home to sign with Valour after the first three games of the season. The 23-year-old Winnipegger showed why he's one of the best talents to come out of the city in years when he scored 30 seconds into the match against Forge FC on June 15. Bustos and Petrasso have also only played one CPL game together, which was a 1-0 victory against FC Edmonton on June 2. The idea of both players being on the field together for the Fall should help get this offence on the right track.

 

5) The emergence of Tyler Attardo and Raphael Ohin.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Valour FC's Tyler Attardo, right, recently graduated from River East Collegiate.

 

If you're looking for a bright spot in Valour's Spring season, it has to be the performances of a pair of Winnipeggers who are getting their first taste of professional soccer. Due to injuries and inconsistent play from some of the more experienced players, Tyler Attardo and Raphael Ohin were given a chance and they've made the most of the opportunity. Attardo, an attacker who recently graduated from River East Collegiate, has generated scoring chances in all five of his appearances and has scored on a header in the last two games at IG Field. Ohin, a 24-year-old who was born in Ghana but moved to Winnipeg three years ago, started the season at the end of the bench. But since Gale finally gave Ohin his chance in the second leg of the Canadian Championship series against Halifax, he’s been a starting midfielder ever since. And it’s well deserved as Ohin is all over the field and easily the team's most energetic player. Out of the eight Winnipeggers playing on Valour, outside of Bustos, these two have been the ones making the most out of playing at home.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

[ironcub14]

On 7/1/2019 at 9:46 PM, jonovision said:

I do have hope that Valour can improve in the 2nd half, but that will require at the minimum a healthy Petrasso, and possibly another signing. Talent-wise, on pedigree and an the pitch, they are simply behind most of the other teams.

Btw, is there something about growing up in England that ages one terribly? Hoyle and Mitter are both 26, but the former looks like 36 while the latter plays like he is.

MOTM for Valour today is probably Ohin. Attardo did well on his one chance, but was invisible until he failed to finish right before being subbed off. Beland-Goyette and Arguinarena, two of my favourites, had rare off-days.

Rewatched the game closely last night. This was my first time watching Valour FC, as I mainly stick to Y9 matches. I read this thread, so I had your comments in mind, but for me, I saw nothing wrong with Mitter at all, I saw one bad turnover and that was it.

If anything, I thought by far the weakest point of Winnipeg this game was your LB, Arguinarena. His positioning was absolutely horrid. The three best chances Y9 had all game all came from him being completely out of position and leaving your left flank completely exposed. The goals we actually scored was a Doner rocket out of nowhere, a deflected Aparicio FK, and a last minute counter, but our three best chances all came from a sweeping pass to your left flank with Arguinarena nowhere to be found. Just wanted to pass that on.

I thought Valour's offense wasn't bad either, good players who got lots of good shots on Ingham in the 2nd half. You should have seen Y9's offense in the first 3-4 games of the season when Brennan tried to impose a 5-3-2, I was genuinely worried.