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Valour FC - 2023 Season Thread


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3 hours ago, jonovision said:

https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/were-fighting-for-the-guys-who-arent-able-to-be-on-the-field-with-us

PDS is hoping to have Samake and Mzoughi available tomorrow. I assume that means that the other injured will not be returning quite yet. If that's the case, I believe Valour will have to dress at least one injured player to make up the numbers.

On the injury report a week ago Haynes, Polisi and Siaj were listed as day-to-day, which would put their expected return ahead of Mzoughi's.  Are none of them not ready to return yet?  If not they should have been listed as week-to-week, the entire report was rather miss leading, especially the omission of Samake.  Obviously Valour are still playing their cards close and the apparent transparency was false.

On the plus side with all these injuries we can writeoff the loss to TSS Rover as a tactical decision to avoid extra games ;)

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Just now, K Edgar said:

On the injury report a week ago Haynes, Polisi and Siaj were listed as day-to-day, which would put their expected return ahead of Mzoughi's.  Are none of them not ready to return yet?  If not they should have been listed as week-to-week, the entire report was rather miss leading, especially the omission of Samake.  Obviously Valour are still playing their cards close and the apparent transparency was false.

On the plus side with all these injuries we can writeoff the loss to TSS Rover as a tactical decision to avoid extra games ;)

With most things Valour, Hanlon's Razor applies. If the injury report was wrong (and I suppose tomorrow's lineup will tell us one way or the other) I'd sooner believe that someone screwed up than one of Wade's cronies is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the 12 Valour fans out there.

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Unlikely maybe because I don't know if there's any significant community access but has anybody ever had a chance to play a game on the Valour's home field? I really enjoyed watching Halifax play on turf against Ottawa and the Forge because of the way they can maintain possession really well (if you've ever tried to play the game competitively rather than just watching top games from Europe in couch potato mode, then it's maybe easier to appreciate just how good some of these guys are sometimes) but I found Saturday's game bordering on being unwatchable. Have wondered whether there's some sort of issue with the playing surface since 2019.

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1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Unlikely maybe because I don't know if there's any significant community access but has anybody ever had a chance to play a game on the Valour's home field? I really enjoyed watching Halifax play on turf against Ottawa and the Forge because of the way they can maintain possession really well (if you've ever tried to play the game competitively rather than just watching top games from Europe in couch potato mode, then it's maybe easier to appreciate just how good some of these guys are sometimes) but I found Saturday's game bordering on being unwatchable. Have wondered whether there's some sort of issue with the playing surface since 2019.

The turf at IG isn't great, but the wind was a much larger issue than the surface on Saturday, in terms of affecting passing accuracy.

Edited by jonovision
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I'd really like to get some injury updates before tomorrow's game, but I'm guessing with Blue Bombers camp getting rolling, Ed Tait (website article guy for Valour and BB) may not find as much time for the soccer team. I'd especially like to know about Baquero as Mzoughi vs Forge is not a match-up I'm interested in seeing.

Nice Yesli article above. Read in French if you can, but any of the robo-translations are pretty good.

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34 minutes ago, jonovision said:

I'd really like to get some injury updates before tomorrow's game, but I'm guessing with Blue Bombers camp getting rolling, Ed Tait (website article guy for Valour and BB) may not find as much time for the soccer team. I'd especially like to know about Baquero as Mzoughi vs Forge is not a match-up I'm interested in seeing.

Nice Yesli article above. Read in French if you can, but any of the robo-translations are pretty good.

The next 2 games (Forge, Pacfic) will be a true test for Valour.  This will be an early indication of if Valour is truely a playoff contender this year.  Even 2 points in these 2 games would be a reasonably solid result.

Agreed that PDS does need a few more options, playing with this short bench is not sustainable.  Baquero, Haynes, Saij, Polisi, Pianelli -- hopefully some will be game ready.  Ohin, AJB more likey June?

Perhaps a Wpg sports injury center for jersey sponsor next year?

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1 hour ago, K Edgar said:

someone compiled Mzoughi "highlights" from the HFX game.  Only his first game but he doesn't exactly shine.

Yeah, I saw some people elsewhere trying to say he had a good match. He was around the ball a lot, of course, but that was because Halifax were constantly picking on him and Cela. Any other opponent will do the same, given the opportunity, and likely with more success.

Edited by jonovision
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7 hours ago, K Edgar said:

The next 2 games (Forge, Pacfic) will be a true test for Valour.  This will be an early indication of if Valour is truely a playoff contender this year.  Even 2 points in these 2 games would be a reasonably solid result.

Agreed that PDS does need a few more options, playing with this short bench is not sustainable.  Baquero, Haynes, Saij, Polisi, Pianelli -- hopefully some will be game ready.  Ohin, AJB more likey June?

Perhaps a Wpg sports injury center for jersey sponsor next year?

https://canpl.ca/article/preview-forge-fc-vs-valour-fc-2023-match-17

"Valour, meanwhile, remain without a number of players: Raphael Ohin and Andrew Jean-Baptiste are longer-term absences and Matthew Chandler will miss most of the season with his ACL injury, but Andy Baquero, Eskander Mzoughi, Guillaume Pianelli and Marcello Polisi are day-to-day and will not likely feature on Saturday."

-- Haynes and Saij are not on the list, therfore would be available to play?  Mzoughi is back on the list?!?  Is he hurt, again?  Or an attempt to confuse fans and/or the opponent?  Or (Hanlon's Razor) a screw up?

Also...

https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/we-have-a-high-standard-in-this-group-were-always-going-to-want-more-and-push-for-more-because-we-know-what-were-capable-of

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7 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

https://canpl.ca/article/preview-forge-fc-vs-valour-fc-2023-match-17

"Valour, meanwhile, remain without a number of players: Raphael Ohin and Andrew Jean-Baptiste are longer-term absences and Matthew Chandler will miss most of the season with his ACL injury, but Andy Baquero, Eskander Mzoughi, Guillaume Pianelli and Marcello Polisi are day-to-day and will not likely feature on Saturday."

-- Haynes and Saij are not on the list, therfore would be available to play?  Mzoughi is back on the list?!?  Is he hurt, again?  Or an attempt to confuse fans and/or the opponent?  Or (Hanlon's Razor) a screw up?

Also...

https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/we-have-a-high-standard-in-this-group-were-always-going-to-want-more-and-push-for-more-because-we-know-what-were-capable-of

FWIW, Haynes was giving it a pretty good go kicking the ball around with the other substitutes at half time on Saturday, while Baquero was simply looking on. Tough break for Mzoughi to get (re-)injured in his first appearance, but all else being equal I think I'd prefer Haynes in that role tomorrow.

AJB will be the great what-if for Valour. They had some good runs with him in the lineup, but I just can't imagine him putting together a fully healthy season in what remains of his career.

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3 minutes ago, jonovision said:

FWIW, Haynes was giving it a pretty good go kicking the ball around with the other substitutes at half time on Saturday, while Baquero was simply looking on. Tough break for Mzoughi to get (re-)injured in his first appearance, but all else being equal I think I'd prefer Haynes in that role tomorrow.

Haynes is a LB.  If (big if, I do not trust Valour injury list any more) Mzoughi and Baquero are both injured then who could be the fill in at RB -- Campbell in yet another position?

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7 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

Haynes is a LB.  If (big if, I do not trust Valour injury list any more) Mzoughi and Baquero are both injured then who could be the fill in at RB -- Campbell in yet another position?

I'd hope not. The midfield has no defensive shape without him. If they have no healthy RB throw caution to the wind and let Pacifique bomb all the way up and down the right flank.

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Ok, I have a question. What sort of price do Valour tickets go for? As much as I hate to admit it, I have NEVER been to a game. Mainly because I am in the UK, but even so, I am looking to get over before the end of the season and I have my eye on a couple of games towards the end of the season (depending on time off work).

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2 hours ago, EnigMattic1 said:

Ok, I have a question. What sort of price do Valour tickets go for? As much as I hate to admit it, I have NEVER been to a game. Mainly because I am in the UK, but even so, I am looking to get over before the end of the season and I have my eye on a couple of games towards the end of the season (depending on time off work).

Cheapest adult ticket is $21 + a $4 TM fee per order. You could spend as much as $60 on a seat, though I don't know why you would. 

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https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/post-match-report-vs-forge-fc

Ed Tait's post match report.  I think this sums it up fairly well: "Valour... looked discombobulated defensively on each of the three goals against".

Also worth noting "Valour’s Dante Campbell picked up a yellow card in extra time and, as it was his fourth caution of the season, he’ll miss next week’s match against Pacific."

On the plus side Valour effort was there and if they can clean up the defensive lapses (given how many players were out of position this is not a surprise and could have been worse) they could have won this game, and going forward should be a playoff team if this level of effort and play continues.

 

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1 hour ago, K Edgar said:

de Brienne is a strange inclusion.  Williams or Yesli maybe, de Brienne not this week.

He did make Borges look pretty ordinary. Except for that one time, that resulted in a goal against (although I put most of the blame on that one at the feet of Williams). 

Also Borges always looks ordinary these days. What happened to him?

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