There are days, weeks and months still to unfold in the Canadian Premier League season. And yet Valour FC has reached a critical stage of its campaign when it’s time to step up and start turning its potential into consistent performances and, most importantly, results.
The club has played 10 matches this season and has two wins and a draw against seven losses, with its seven points leaving it in seventh place in the CPL standings and seven points behind fifth place Forge FC – Sunday’s opponent in Hamilton.
And while there is a boost in the schedule on the horizon – Valour will play four of its next six on the road and then finish with nine of its last 12 at Princess Auto Stadium – that favourable chunk of home dates at the end of the year will be moot without moving closer to the pack in front of them ASAP.
Critical to that is weaving together more of the positive moments the team showcased in last week’s 3-2 loss to Pacific FC – rallying from a horrible start that saw them fall behind 2-nil before an own goal cost them at least one point – while weeding out the bad.
That match, in fact, offered glimpses of some of the best football Valour FC has played this season… and some of the worst.
“When I see a response like the one the guys gave, we have to work with these guys and drill it in with them,” said GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “Yes, we could be a very good team; we could play against anyone in the league. It’s still a new team and a young team and there’s still some things where we need to grow.
“Growing pains… it’s hard to admit, it’s hard to repeat, but it’s the reality and I have to stay strong and keep working with the guys. There’s still a lot of football to be played.
“We saw how two-three games change a lot in this league. It’s about making sure the team stays in a place where there’s belief.”
During last week’s post-match press availability Dos Santos twice referenced the team needing to be humbler and showcase more humility. Asked to elaborate further, he offered this:
“When you go into a game you need to have pride. You need to know you’re competing against someone else that’s in front of you that is coming in to be better than you. I stressed it before the game – you’re playing at home, and you need to own up to the responsibility of having to win a game like this.
“If I go into any type of environment assuming I could be 50-60-70-80 percent and I might have a chance, to me that’s a lack of humility. I need to play every game, every moment, every situation as if it’s the last – the last play I have to make, the last chance I have to play. To me, that’s a characteristic of successful people. You don’t just show up.
“We entered that game and we just showed up. I don’t think it’s intentional, I think it’s part of having to grow as a player and as a team.”
Valour has a quick turnaround this week, playing in Hamilton on Sunday and then returning home to face York United FC next Thursday, followed by a long break before a second home match against Cavalry FC on July 7th.