Match #25
VALOUR FC (6-6-12) vs. PACIFIC FC (7-7-10)
When: Monday, September 30th, 7 p.m. CDT
Where: Princess Auto Stadium
Tickets: Info can be found here.
Match theme: Orange Shirt Match. More details:
Orange t-shirts are now available for purchase in-store prior to our match on September 30th in recognition of National Day for Truth & Reconciliation 🧡
A donation will be made to Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC). #ForValour pic.twitter.com/bCQvUfhYAu
— Valour FC (@ValourFootball) September 26, 2024
MATCH PREVIEW:
There’s no sense sugar-coating the situation or under-selling the magnitude of it all for Valour FC — it’s crunch time for Winnipeg’s Canadian Premier League squad.
Valour enters Monday’s match with Pacific FC unbeaten in its last four — all draws — and with a three wins and five ties against two losses in its last 10, but now desperately needing points in the chase for a playoff spot.
Valour has 24 points and with four matches remaining trails Pacific — which holds down the fifth and final playoff spot — by four points. Sandwiched in between and in that same hunt for the postseason are Vancouver FC with 27 points and HFX Wanderers with 26 points.
“The most important [game] will always be the next one,” said Valour FC GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos in an interview with Benedict Rhodes of canpl.ca. “There’s been games where we feel that they’re must wins and they’re very important, but of course, looking at the moment today, this is the most important game. It’s the only one that matters.”
Valour is coming off a 1-1 draw with Wanderers last weekend, a game in which they conceded the equalizer in the 89th minute. There is no room for error now with the schedule shrinking — three of Valour’s final four matches are at home with the club at home to Forge FC next Sunday and hosting Cavalry FC October 19th. The final road match will be October 13th against Vancouver FC.
“If you put it up on this big, big pedestal, like it’s all or nothing, maybe stray from what you’ve been doing, I think that’s an issue, too,” centre back Tass Mourdoukoutas told canpl.ca “We know that when we play to our strengths and what we do, we’re in every game, and we have a chance to win every game. If we feel like this game is completely different and will be completely different to anything we face, then maybe our preparation might struggle, our chemistry might struggle, because guys will be trying to do a little bit too much.”
Valour is lead in scoring by Jordi Swibel and Shaan Hundal, with the latter on a streak that has seen him score in each of the last three matches and four times in his last five appearances. Fullback Themi Antonoglou leads the CPL with seven assists
THE OTHER GUYS:
3 Facts about Pacific FC:
- The Tridents are on a run at a critical time with two victories and two draws in their last four matches. In their most-recent result — a 1-1 draw with Ottawa — Pacific earned the tie with a goal by former Valour forward Moses Dyer.
- Dyer, acquired in a deal this year from Vancouver FC, has eight goals to lead Pacific and has scored in four straight matches while Ayman Sellouf has chipped in with four.
- Pacific will be without midfielder Marco Domínguez as he serves a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
VALOUR FC SPOTLIGHT:
#50, Jonathan Viscosi, goalkeeper: He’s been solid all season and the club will need their veteran keeper to be sturdy again Monday night.
Viscosi was named to the CPL Team of the Week for his handiwork in the draw with Wanderers last weekend and is second in the CPL with 70 saves.
CRITICAL NUMBER
-10/+3
Valour struggled early in the season to keep the ball out of their net and the their goal differential — minus 10 — certainly represents that. Yet, in their recent 10 game run of three wins, five draws and two losses, that differential is a respectable +3.
All-Time: Valour FC vs. Pacific FC
Overall: (win-draw-loss): 3-16-3
Last meeting: July 28 2024, Starlight Stadium, Victoria — Pacific FC 0 Valour FC 3