Valour FC - 2023 Season Thread

[Cheeta]

4 hours ago, grasshopper1917 said:

As in outsider with not much understanding of the ownership I have a question. Why is the ownership so stingy. The Bluebombers are one of the most successful teams in the CFL surely they should have a few bucks to put towards making Valor competitive and having a decent stadium experience?

It's set up as a not-for-profit and stands alone from WFC (The Bombers) even though they're for all purposes one and the same.  There are pretty strict guidelines as to what the board and operators can do financially without personally exposing themselves to liabilities so "speculative investing" is a no-go.  It's one of those models where you know which came first, the chicken or the egg.  Revenue dictates spending. 

Don't know about the stadium experience.  Would suggest the crowds feel like they want to get involved but it's a difficult ask when the performances are predictable in that they are wanting. 

Rumours going around (I think more than rumours) are that WFC would sell Valour if they could.  The team has no where else to play so the CPL side would remain a tenant at IG Field but someone else would be responsible for eveything else.  WFC would call that a win.  Making the money they currently are as a landlord without the bother and risks of running a CPL side.

I believe 2023 is the last year of the 5 year commitment WFC had to make to CPL.  I thnk it was a 5 year commitment anyway. 

WFC's and IG Fields relationship to their benefactor, the Province of Manitoba is complicated.  The debt on the stadium was written down by the Province a few years ago, lock, stock and barrel, but the organization continues to make voluntary repayments of that debt to the Province as their means allow.  And to their credit they have been.  But the venue needs to be used and a CPL team filling 14 dates amplifies the value of the investment the Province made in that building.  Valour serves a footie community which helped finance that place.

That's as I understand it.  Sure some of it's half right and the remainder is half wrong but that's what's in my head.

BTW, there were lawsuits against the builder over some shorcomings, some substantial shortcomings.  I don't know if they have been settled yet.

Also, the building is 10 years old now, and although it's a very good facility there are expences coming in the foreseeable future which need to be budgeted for.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

[nolando]

35 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

I believe 2023 is the last year of the 5 year commitment WFC had to make to CPL.  I thnk it was a 5 year commitment anyway. 

  

This is more than a tad frightening, if you ask me, especially with York still unresolved.

[jonovision]

On 7/30/2023 at 2:43 PM, Soccerpro2 said:

How is it their job to promote another team? Did/does Valour promote them?

It is not, but it is striking how much free advertising ("earned media") the Sea Bears have received even compared with Valour year 1. The basketball community in Manitoba is large and growing, and it is the sport of Winnipeg's biggest immigrant group, so maybe it should come as no surprise. Still, quite the contrast.

[K Edgar]

16 minutes ago, jonovision said:

It is not, but it is striking how much free advertising ("earned media") the Sea Bears have received even compared with Valour year 1. The basketball community in Manitoba is large and growing, and it is the sport of Winnipeg's biggest immigrant group, so maybe it should come as no surprise. Still, quite the contrast.

I did hear a radio DJ mention Valour the day before their last game.  Something like "Bombers have the bye this week, you may want to checkout Valour".  Very unusual to even hear them mentioned.

There are soccer fans in Winnipeg, but the Sea Bears are winning (12-8), Valour not so much.

[Cheeta]

Valour, or any of their rivals, have never been on TSN. 

Multiple times a week.

Make of that what you will, or don't.  Just saying.

P.S.  Good for the Sea Bears and the rest of the league.  Haven't been to a game but expect I might get invited to one.  We'll see.  

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:07 AM, nolando said:

This is more than a tad frightening, if you ask me, especially with York still unresolved.

Publicly at least it was a ten year commitment that was being highlighted when the league launched, but we don't have access to the fine print.

[K Edgar]

https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/first-and-foremost-is-to-get-that-mojo-back-and-then-the-rest-will-follow

"Valour could have midfielder Diego Gutiérrez back this weekend in Vancouver, with GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos listing him as ‘possible.’ Left back Matteo de Brienne is back training but is still said to be a ‘couple weeks away.’" -- Valour is hopeless without Gutierrez.  Incomplete injury update, as always.  What about Sanchez?...

[Soccerpro2]

I went to the Sea Bears playoff game on Friday night. There were 10,500 fans there. The game was fun and exciting. The sort of free flowing offensive fun that never exists at IG field when Valour play. The team gives their fans something to cheer and get excited about.

They had a rap concert before the game and at half time. All throughout the game they periodically played loud-ish music and had DJs/Announcers yelling a lot. Honestly, my head hurt from the constant yelling and loud music.

I don't think I could handle too many games. Obviously, some people like that stuff, this 40 year old does not.

[Wippersuna]

My kids absolutely loved the Sea Bears game. Sometimes we have to decide who “has” to go to the Valour games.

Maybe David Asper can buy Valour.

[K Edgar]

Another uninspired game vs Vancouver.

Guti returned and Valour still doesn't have a full bench.  Pianelli injured during the week.  The injuries on this team week after week and half them are not from their games.  And now Campbell suspended for 2 games due to 8th yellow card.  Rendon appears to be the only healthy MF replacement.  Cannot say that inspires confidence.

[Soccerpro2]

9 hours ago, K Edgar said:

Another uninspired game vs Vancouver.

Guti returned and Valour still doesn't have a full bench.  Pianelli injured during the week.  The injuries on this team week after week and half them are not from their games.  And now Campbell suspended for 2 games due to 8th yellow card.  Rendon appears to be the only healthy MF replacement.  Cannot say that inspires confidence.

Our attacking players have been relatively injury free.

[jonovision]

13 hours ago, Soccerpro2 said:

Our attacking players have been relatively injury free.

Ponce and Williams have both missed chunks of the season. Niyongabire has missed games for international duty. Novak doesn't get injured because normally you have to run to hurt yourself in football.

[K Edgar]

22 hours ago, Soccerpro2 said:

Our attacking players have been relatively injury free.

8 hours ago, jonovision said:

Ponce and Williams have both missed chunks of the season. Niyongabire has missed games for international duty. Novak doesn't get injured because normally you have to run to hurt yourself in football.

Is Siaj currently injured?  And does anyone care or notice?

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

On 8/1/2023 at 3:09 AM, jonovision said:

...The basketball community in Manitoba is large and growing, and it is the sport of Winnipeg's biggest immigrant group, so maybe it should come as no surprise...

Lithuanians or Filipinos? There's not many countries out there where basketball is the sport and soccer is an afterthought in comparison. I suspect being the biggest recent immigrant group in Manitoba doesn't necessarily mean that much numerically overall.

From what I remember it was the Jets rather than the Blue Bombers that were supposed to be the CanPL investors according to rumours in the years before the league got its sanctioning at the 2018 CSA AGM, while it was Calgary that was supposed to have the local CFL owner on board with the Southams and Spruce Meadows seemingly coming out of nowhere quite late in the day.

Have seen it claimed that the Blue Bombers only decided to be the investor when it became clear that IG Field was the only viable stadium for what CanPL had in mind and their bean counters decided it was more in their interests to own it outright rather than rent to the group that had initially been interested.

Where an I going with this? Maybe doesn't help having ownership that appears to have been only semi-interested in the whole thing to begin with given the long rumoured player budget angle as well.

 

[jonovision]

2 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Lithuanians or Filipinos? There's not many countries out there where basketball is the sport and soccer is an afterthought in comparison. I suspect being the biggest recent immigrant group in Manitoba doesn't necessarily mean that much numerically overall.

 

Filipinos. They're not the only reason Sea Bears are successful, but a basketball-loving group that makes up almost 10% of the city's population surely helps.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

They are barely even on the radar screen as an immigrant community in London, Ont so surprised by that but see you are right on the almost 10% in Winnipeg bit. Guess the success of the Baldisimo brothers shows that some Filipino-Canadians are into soccer.

[K Edgar]

Yesli makes the week 17 CanPL team of the week.  1st Valour player on the team of the week since week 11!  (it has been that bad, that long) 

Edited August 8, 2023 by K Edgar

[MrsC]

There are around 20 Footsoldiers travelling to Winnipeg for the game tomorrow, and they'll be gathering with RRR at Nicolino's pre-game, if anyone is interested in coming out. We'll probably all be in good spirits pre-game, but I'm expecting the Footsoldiers to enjoy the game more 😒

[Cheeta]

Two team accelerating in different directions towards the season's end.  Lovely. 

[K Edgar]

https://canpl.ca/article/preview-valour-fc-vs-cavalry-fc-2023-match-74

This week's incomplete injury report:

"For Valour, key midfielder Dante Campbell has been suspended two matches after picking up his eighth yellow card of the season. Juan Pablo Sánchez should at least be back in the squad for this match, while Matteo de Brienne and Andrew-Jean Baptiste are progressing well but won’t be available on Friday."

Add to that: Ohin - still out; Pianelli - back this week?; Siaj - injured or just left of the roster last week due to being ineffective?

[Cheeta]

^ And league goal scorer Bevan back?  Oh boy...

[K Edgar]

1 hour ago, Cheeta said:

^ And league goal scorer Bevan back?  Oh boy...

I predict: 1 (Selemani) - 3 (Musse, Akio, Aird)

How does Cavarly have more talent in former Valour players than Valour has is its current squad?

[Cheeta]

52 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

I predict: 1 (Selemani) - 3 (Musse, Akio, Aird)

How does Cavarly have more talent in former Valour players than Valour has is its current squad?

Musse, Akio and Aird scoring to secure a Cavalry away victory against Valour would be sooo awesome.

I would call that a "Wade Miller hat trick".

I'll go back to work now.

[jonovision]

59 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

I predict: 1 (Selemani) - 3 (Musse, Akio, Aird)

How does Cavarly have more talent in former Valour players than Valour has is its current squad?

Aird is not talent. He's a plug.

[K Edgar]

3 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Musse, Akio and Aird scoring to secure a Cavalry away victory against Valour would be sooo awesome.

I would call that a "Wade Miller hat trick".

I'll go back to work now.

Not quite sure if to laugh or cry?