Valour FC - 2023 Season Thread

[jonovision]

Yesli definitely has the physical gifts to be a top keeper but will need to be trained well on the mental and tactical side to succeed at a higher level. I'd like to see what he can do with a season with a more consistent CB pairing (last year was much closer) rather than a rotation of guys playing out of position, U-Sport graduates in their mid-20s, or plucked from L1O. 

[K Edgar]

I thought Polisi had a good game, first time I have thought he was better than Guti over the course of a game.  Cela for the clean sheet, I guess.  Ponce for his goal, not for the other 93 minutes.

[jonovision]

^ Ponce was only on the pitch for 20 minutes.

[jonovision]

Fan Appreciation Match tomorrow night. The fans this year more than ever deserve to be appreciated.

$1 hotdogs all game, according to the email I got. Also, you can get on the field after the game and take a shot or two. Score more goals than Jaime Siaj!

Also $5 beers prior to the kickoff, athough I'm pretty sure that's the case for every match.

[Soccerpro2]

19 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Fan Appreciation Match tomorrow night. The fans this year more than ever deserve to be appreciated.

$1 hotdogs all game, according to the email I got. Also, you can get on the field after the game and take a shot or two. Score more goals than Jaime Siaj!

Also $5 beers prior to the kickoff, athough I'm pretty sure that's the case for every match.

I laughed out loud at the Jamie Siaj dig. Well played.

[K Edgar]

1 hour ago, jonovision said:

Fan Appreciation Match tomorrow night. The fans this year more than ever deserve to be appreciated.

$1 hotdogs all game, according to the email I got. Also, you can get on the field after the game and take a shot or two. Score more goals than Jaime Siaj!

Also $5 beers prior to the kickoff, athough I'm pretty sure that's the case for every match.

See you there tomorrow!!!  ... or you could try Oct 6.

Expecting Cavalry to complete their U21 minutes tomorrow (in Calgary).  They should have 2 or 3 U21 starters and be resting many of their regulars.

Edited September 28, 2023 by K Edgar

[jonovision]

3 hours ago, K Edgar said:

See you there tomorrow!!!  ... or you could try Oct 6.

Expecting Cavalry to complete their U21 minutes tomorrow (in Calgary).  They should have 2 or 3 U21 starters and be resting many of their regulars.

Haha good catch.

At least if I mistakenly head down to IG Field tomorrow evening there will still be a game on.

[jonovision]

I almost hate to ask, but... do you bring Ponce back next year? Obviously you ditch Siaj, Selemani, and Novak if contracts allow. Ponce is at a goal per 250 minutes or so, which is not that bad in this league, especially considering the lack of service on this team (a "good" striker like Terran Campbell is at a goal per 175).

[Big_M]

you gotta wonder how he started ten games on the bench this year being the best striker of the team...just seems like another thing that they got wrong...pretty much every strong performer who will have equal offers elsewhere will want to leave unless the club presents a strong plan with significant change...nobody wants to stay on a losing team over and over...its not good for the mind or the career

[jonovision]

29 minutes ago, Big_M said:

you gotta wonder how he started ten games on the bench this year being the best striker of the team...just seems like another thing that they got wrong...pretty much every strong performer who will have equal offers elsewhere will want to leave unless the club presents a strong plan with significant change...nobody wants to stay on a losing team over and over...its not good for the mind or the career

All 2 of them!

[Big_M]

Just now, Big_M said:

With Vancouver's win today it is confirmed that Valour will finish last in the 2023 Canadian Premier League

 

[K Edgar]

On 9/30/2023 at 11:16 AM, Big_M said:

pretty much every strong performer who will have equal offers elsewhere will want to leave unless the club presents a strong plan with significant change...nobody wants to stay on a losing team over and over...its not good for the mind or the career

In order (imho): Guti, deBrienne, Campbell, Yesli, Baquero, Williams?, Samake??.... and I am quickly running out of "strong performers".  Another massive overhaul of the lineup is coming.

[Wippersuna]

I thought they played pretty well the last game considering nothing on the line but pride.

Even more impressive was having the staff and players sit to sign autographs in the cold after the game for so long. We were at the back of the line and they all stuck out all 1 and a half hours and made my sons day. Ponce gave him a neck warmer, Samake gave him his warm up shirt and Hayes asked him for his autograph. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Wippersuna

[K Edgar]

Not a pretty story

Season	Played	Wins	Draws	Loses	Pts	Pts/G	Place	Goals For	GF/G	Goals Against	GA/G
2019	28	8	4	16	28	1.00	6th of 7	30	1.07	52	1.86
2020	7	2	2	3	8	1.14	6th of 8	8	1.14	9	1.29
2021	28	10	5	13	35	1.25	5th of 8	38	1.36	36	1.29
2022	28	10	7	11	37	1.32	5th of 8	36	1.29	34	1.21
2023	28	6	8	14	26	0.93	8th of 8	25	0.89	38	1.36

Add to that a record of 1 win - 5 loses in the Canadian Championship.

😢

[Big_M]

Does Dos Santos have a guaranteed contract for 2024?

[jonovision]

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/10/11/valour-fc-a-wreck-that-needs-fixing

A fair summary of this wasted season, including some comments from Wade Miller. Most newsworthy, perhaps, is that Phil dos Santos has been extended for 2024 and has Miller's support. This may be another page borrowed from the Blue Bombers playbook, as Mike O'Shea was on thin ice with fans and media after his first few Winnipeg seasons, but had the loyalty of club brass and now Winnipeg is the most successful CFL team on and off the field. I've repeated many times here that I don't think dos Santos is a bad tactician, but he's done a poor job recruiting talent. I believe he's handcuffed by the club in that regard, and by the poor reputation of the city due to cheaping out on the kick-off bubble in 2021, but it's hard to know by how much.

Some talk without any details about Valour closing down its high performance centre, which frankly I don't care about, and a bit of chatter about the potential of selling the team, which imo is hugely unlikely as it replicates the same challenges to being successful without any of the organizational and accounting advantages of falling under the Winnipeg Football Club umbrella.

Click on the link if you can. The Free Press missed a few matches this year but otherwise does a decent job of  covering the team, and I'd like for that to continue.

Edited October 12, 2023 by jonovision

[K Edgar]

19 minutes ago, jonovision said:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/10/11/valour-fc-a-wreck-that-needs-fixing

A fair summary of this wasted season, including some comments from Wade Miller. Most newsworthy, perhaps, is that Phil dos Santos has been extended for 2024 and has Miller's support. This may be another page borrowed from the Blue Bombers playbook, as Mike O'Shea was on thin ice with fans and media after his first few Winnipeg seasons, but had the loyalty of club brass and now Winnipeg is the most successful CFL team on and off the field. I've repeated many times here that I don't think dos Santos is a bad tactician, but he's done a poor job recruiting talent. I believe he's handcuffed by the club in that regard, and by the poor reputation of the city due to cheaping out on the kick-off bubble in 2021, but it's hard to know by how much.

Some talk without any details about Valour closing down its high performance centre, which frankly I don't care about, and a bit of chatter about the potential of selling the team, which imo is hugely unlikely as it replicates the same challenges to being successful without any of the organizational and accounting advantages of falling under the Winnipeg Football Club umbrella.

Click on the link if you can. The Free Press missed a few matches this year but otherwise does a decent job of  covering the team, and I'd like for that to continue.

Beyond the brutally honest headline "Valour FC a wreck that needs fixing" 2 bits caught my eye:

On recruitment... "Dos Santos would like the club to add a reliable scouting department that would allow them to consistently have eyes and ears in different markets." (true, without proper scouting PDS doesn't have a chance)

On the cancelling of its high-performance program... "Miller believes they can be more beneficial to the Manitoba soccer community by taking a different route. They’re in the process of finalizing the details of what that will look like." (perhaps a better solution within the budget constraints)

[Cheeta]

Think cancelling the HP program might be political as well as economics (can you even seperate the two with local footie?) Have no problem with Valour narrowing their focus.  

Good article, not shying away from the obvious.

FYI, worth mentioning RRR are having a wee send off for for some of the team tonight at Nicolino's.  Sixish to eightish.  POTY stuff, pint & pizza.  Or wine & wild boar if that's more your thing.

[K Edgar]

Northern Tribune take on the Free Press article

https://northerntribune.ca/valour-fc-wade-miller-stick-with-us/

[jonovision]

1 hour ago, K Edgar said:

Northern Tribune take on the Free Press article

https://northerntribune.ca/valour-fc-wade-miller-stick-with-us/

Interesting that summarizing and copy-pasting quotes from the original article counts as journalism these days.

[Bison44]

At least they had the integrity to cite the Free Press in their quotes.  

[K Edgar]

EIKON highlight tapes

[Big_M]

not so sure you need to win when you get an extension after finishing last...

“This is pro sports – you need to win.”

[K Edgar]

3 hours ago, Big_M said:

not so sure you need to win when you get an extension after finishing last...

“This is pro sports – you need to win.”

"Dos Santos has already begun chatting with CPL free agents about the opportunities with Valour and he’ll keep at that all winter. He also said the club wants to improve its scouting system to get more eyes on the talent playing in League1 Ontario, League1 B.C. and so on." -- Looking within the CanPL and L1O/L1BC makes sense with Valour's track record on international signings!

[Soccerpro2]

16 hours ago, K Edgar said:

"Dos Santos has already begun chatting with CPL free agents about the opportunities with Valour and he’ll keep at that all winter. He also said the club wants to improve its scouting system to get more eyes on the talent playing in League1 Ontario, League1 B.C. and so on." -- Looking within the CanPL and L1O/L1BC makes sense with Valour's track record on international signings!

Massimo Ferrin has been really good for Halifax this year. He's scored more goals than anyone at Valour. He came from League1 Ontario in the offseason. I don't think he's paid very much. Good players are out there at lower levels in this country. PDS has been in the game a long time, where's his network? Is there really no one he trusts in L1O or PLSQ he can call to get recommendations? Give me a break.

No established player in the CPL with real options wants to come to Valour for numerous reasons. That's the fault of the club at this point.

That leaves 2 real sources of players for recruitment: 1. international players  (which Valour did absolutely horrible with this year and boy do I ever get a pat on the back for pointing out how garbage they all looked in the season preview posts) 2. lower league players ( some decent success in the recent past - De Brienne, Akio) but so much more room to improve - see Halifax Wanderers this off season.