Match Thread: November 6, 2021 - Edmonton v Valour

[grasshopper1917]

Sweet Jesus the first time my heart as ever racing watching an Eddies match!

[narduch]

What a finish. Nuts.

Ends 3-3 and Valour are eliminated 

[Wingback6]

Shades of Jets 1.0, leave it late. Try hard. Come up just short. Be interesting to see who sticks around next season.

[Cheeta]

Everyone was wondering if Valour flew into Edmonton 2 hours before kickoff.  I mean WTF?  Seriously, how are the Eddies that much hungrier?  Switched on?  Brutal. 

Whatever it takes to get Didic into Winnipeg full time next campaign do it.  I know you're reading this Dos Santos?  AJB will need a partner and I'll take those two, warts and all, in a pin drop.

It was as if Valour was actually playing without a midfield for much of the match.  Not for me, OK sure, but if you want to by-pass the midfield you by-pass the midfield.  That doesn't happen when you're not going direct and what amounts to your back line, or your forward line for that matter, is pricking around laterally with the ball.  Fu'k. 

Points fo Edmonton for being the spoiler, and earning it.  Points to Valour for finally finding a pulse with 20 minutes left.  Better late than never I guess.  Went out throwing punches.

Here's to 2022.  Sociable. 

 

  

 

[jonovision]

I'd like to see what Valour looks like with a proper CB and a decent centre forward. We didn't have the latter at all this season (or last) and the former for only 6 games.

[jonovision]

2 hours ago, Cheeta said:

Everyone was wondering if Valour flew into Edmonton 2 hours before kickoff.  I mean WTF?  Seriously, how are the Eddies that much hungrier?  Switched on?  Brutal. 

Whatever it takes to get Didic into Winnipeg full time next campaign do it.  I know you're reading this Dos Santos?  AJB will need a partner and I'll take those two, warts and all, in a pin drop.

It was as if Valour was actually playing without a midfield for much of the match.  Not for me, OK sure, but if you want to by-pass the midfield you by-pass the midfield.  That doesn't happen when you're not going direct and what amounts to your back line, or your forward line for that matter, is pricking around laterally with the ball.  Fu'k. 

Points fo Edmonton for being the spoiler, and earning it.  Points to Valour for finally finding a pulse with 20 minutes left.  Better late than never I guess.  Went out throwing punches.

Here's to 2022.  Sociable. 

Wow, really going out on a limb there saying you'd like to have two of the top 4 CBs in the league on your squad.

[wallflower]

3 hours ago, jonovision said:

I'd like to see what Valour looks like with a proper CB and a decent centre forward. We didn't have the latter at all this season (or last) and the former for only 6 games.

Sigh... look around. Most of the CPL teams had CB issues of significance at some point and several teams all season. And the ones who had some consistency typically lost one of three at some point; shaky depth there. I am intrigued to see whether this resolves for 2022. Seems a challenging position for prospects.

Valour's big trouble was that AJB was so beast and so critical to the squad - this means other things than troubles at CB. Perhaps Brandon John was the same for Athletico.

[jonovision]

24 minutes ago, wallflower said:

Sigh... look around. Most of the CPL teams had CB issues of significance at some point and several teams all season. And the ones who had some consistency typically lost one of three at some point; shaky depth there. I am intrigued to see whether this resolves for 2022. Seems a challenging position for prospects.

Valour's big trouble was that AJB was so beast and so critical to the squad - this means other things than troubles at CB. Perhaps Brandon John was the same for Athletico.

You're right, the difference in most cases is that other squads were built better. Valour had AJB and.... no one else. They (or Rob Gale, at least) signed players like Rodrigo Reyes and Amir Soto, both of whom turned out to be far below CPL level when they didn't have Jean-Baptiste beside them. For the most critical matches of the season they played Cebara (a midfielder turned wingback) and Romeo, an emergency loanee (good physical attributes, but definitely still learning the position), in the middle at the back.

The lack of a forward is the more mind boggling, as for 3 years they haven't had a single CF that would start for any other team in the league. Scouting, recruiting, budget, whatever it is wasn't good enough. 

It's a really short-sighted way to build a team, though we all know WFC has tied Valour's hands to some extent, budget-wise. And it could have worked had AJB stayed healthy.

Edited November 7, 2021 by jonovision

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

I've always wondered if the main grandstand has more people than the Big Blue side at FCE games. Guess this tweet answers that:

 

[Cheeta]

14 hours ago, jonovision said:

Wow, really going out on a limb there saying you'd like to have two of the top 4 CBs in the league on your squad.

Why not?  How long do you think Didic is going to stick it out at Edmonton?  Throw some money at him, and I mean right now before somebody else does because I'll be surprised if he isn't on the move.

[jonovision]

17 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Why not?  How long do you think Didic is going to stick it out at Edmonton?  Throw some money at him, and I mean right now before somebody else does because I'll be surprised if he isn't on the move.

Fair enough, but this doesn't seem like the Valour way.

[yothat2]

Ongaro should have had two goals .... 

 

 

[yothat2]

6 hours ago, Cheeta said:

Why not?  How long do you think Didic is going to stick it out at Edmonton?  Throw some money at him, and I mean right now before somebody else does because I'll be surprised if he isn't on the move.

Wonder if he ready for an change of scenery .. football wise