Match Thread: August 24, 2021 - Valour v Edmonton

[narduch]

Match is at 8pm ET on One Soccer.

[narduch]

Sirois back with Valour.

 

[narduch]

Akio scores. Nice assist by Rea

[Ingham]

Sean Rea is damn good, isn't he?

[Ingham]

Forget the pass.

That backheel flick at the start is something I've seen Suarez do a lot for Barcelona. Insane.

 

[jonovision]

Bright start for Valour.

This isn't the first time, so does anyone have a real explanation (not laundry day!) that Valour are wearing their 2020 home jerseys again?

[Wippersuna]

The intention this year was always to rotate al three. Not sure why. 
 

Anyone know where Galan is? Feel like he’d be a fan favourite. I know he was out of the country a while ago but it’s been around a month. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Wippersuna

[BearcatSA]

How much has Brett Levis played this year?

[jonovision]

31 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

How much has Brett Levis played this year?

About as much as one would expect from a guy who's been injured his whole career.

(Snark aside, 268 minutes over 5 starts and 1 substitute appearance).

Edited August 25, 2021 by jonovision

[narduch]

Akio with a 2nd

[jonovision]

I say this as a fan of a team on a 6-match league winless streak, but: wow, Edmonton are dire.

[Wippersuna]

Galhardo looking fired up today. Let’s get Akio the hat trick. 

[jonovision]

4 minutes ago, Wippersuna said:

Galhardo looking fired up today. Let’s get Akio the hat trick. 

That will work.

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, Wippersuna said:

The intention this year was always to rotate al three. Not sure why. 
 

Anyone know where Galan is? Feel like he’d be a fan favourite. I know he was out of the country a while ago but it’s been around a month. 

Seems he's close to coming back from injury. 6 days ago Baquero tweeted he was close to making it back, pic of them in a gym. He's been posting pics of Manitoba landscape all summer. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Cheeta]

Few brief post-match thoughts.

Hate to say it but one of those matches where everyone knew how it was going to end about 15 minutes in.  Not Edmonton's night and if Valour's left side had been more in tune I shudder to think how worse things could have gone. 

Right from the starting 11 Gale didn't show Edmonton any respect.  Good call on the night I'd say.

Soto is a very long term project. 

MoTM Akio, of course, with plenty of love for Ricci and Galhardo.  When was the last time Valour netted 3 goals in back to back fixtures?  Ever?

Worst attendence for a Valour match I've seen.  I don't know if there were 2K there which is a pity because it turned into a grand night.  Weather gets some of the blame for that I guess.  However, The Trench is very much alive and absolutely outstanding.  An inclusive bunch to be sure but there's enough adult, male, voices there in numbers to make up for the sparse grandstand in style.   Well done all.

Away to Pacific next I believe.  Tough one, bloody Islanders have had our number since day one.  Time to right that wrong. 

PS.  Fraser Aird got the Bustos treatment tonight.  Sure he was proud to receive that privelage.  Also quite sure Conner James will be glad to see the back of Winnipeg.  Opposition keepers are always a favourate target for the Valour Army.

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Cheeta

[yothat2]

Sackkoch

[youllneverwalkalone]

I'm not a real life football manager, but I read somewhere that crosses are a horrible way to score. Yet Aird just kept serving them up. The one decent chance I saw was Paris Gee resisting the temptation and cutting the ball back across the 18. I get that they have two tall strikers, but try something new. 

[grasshopper1917]

Nothing like a visit from the Eddies to get your side back on track  lol

[Pottsy3]

Nice for Akio to finally finish a couple, he could be a decent player at this level if he can find the back of the net more consistently. 

Might have been Ricci's most impactful game and he didn't even score one. 

Galhardo looks like he's just having so much fun out there. Nice to see a player come in from a higher level and not be a diva about it. He looks to be enjoying the game, and is very easy to like.

[Cheeta]

2 hours ago, grasshopper1917 said:

Nothing like a visit from the Eddies to get your side back on track  lol

Had one real good chance in the 2nd half there but Sirois with a sharp and very brave save.  Don't think there was ever any doubt about the result.

Sirois back from his recall, which turns out was more a of a "come hang out with the parents for a couple of days" since you're in the neighbourhood anyway than an actual recall.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

10 hours ago, Cheeta said:

...Worst attendence for a Valour match I've seen.  I don't know if there were 2K there which is a pity because it turned into a grand night...

 

Anyone wanting to gauge what the actual crowd might have been should check around 1:42 or so in the highlights clip when the camera pans right across all the active sections. Seats need to be around 35% full overall to have 2480 people in those active sections. Offering no comment beyond that other than questioning why they would ever want to schedule weeknight games here in future after what was also happening in this regard in the 2019 season.

[Ivan]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Anyone wanting to gauge what the actual crowd might have been should check around 1:42 or so in the highlights clip when the camera pans right across all the active sections. Seats need to be around 35% full overall to have 2480 people in those active sections. Offering no comment beyond that other than questioning why they would ever want to schedule weeknight games here in future after what was also happening in this regard in the 2019 season.

I don't think anyone who watched the game has to go to a highlight clip to gauge the crowd.  Plus, @Cheetahas already given his unbiased, eyewitness assessment of the crowd earlier in this thread.

I know with Covid, weather, and weeknight games it hasn't been conducive to getting good crowds out.  The congested match schedule has also contributed.  I don't know about others but my calendar was already pretty full for August before the schedule came out.  3 games in a week is sometimes tough for even die-hards like us. I have only made one of 3 Forge matches and probably won't be able to make any other August games (including tonight) either.  September should be easier.

[Ftduck]

^Same with me for Forge games in August. Had alot of backcountry camping plans for August (poor me!) so I've missed more than i usually would. Schedule has been pretty nuts but it is what it is. I try not to look too far ahead but I'm already looking forward to, hopefully,  a normal weekend based schedule next year.

[Cheeta]

1 hour ago, Ivan said:

I don't think anyone who watched the game has to go to a highlight clip to gauge the crowd.  Plus, @Cheetahas already given his unbiased, eyewitness assessment of the crowd earlier in this thread.

I know with Covid, weather, and weeknight games it hasn't been conducive to getting good crowds out.  The congested match schedule has also contributed.  I don't know about others but my calendar was already pretty full for August before the schedule came out.  3 games in a week is sometimes tough for even die-hards like us. I have only made one of 3 Forge matches and probably won't be able to make any other August games (including tonight) either.  September should be easier.

You'd be better looking at the stands 15 minutes in rather than a minute fifty in if you want a feel for capacity.  IG Field is like a lot of other places in this country when it comes to getting people into their damned seats on time.

That being said I was in a beer line for the 1st goal!  In my defence I live at the very top of 104 so the kiosk is RIGHT THERE.

Not going to quibble about a few hundreds and not worrying about it either.  As mentioned it's all very complicated right now.

On the bright side WFC is allowing club sanctioned smoke displays.  Attempts to go with "Mustard Gas Yellow" were pooh-poohed and it looks like pink will be our signal now.  Universally positive response so-far.

Also on the bright side, unlike the previous match the beer kiosks were open serving cans.  Prices went up, cashless is a pain in the ass, but solid selection.  If you want beer with your food it's Coors on tap over there so yeahhhhh.