There are the familiar faces Valour FC faithful have come to know and love like Raphael Ohin, Dante Campbell, Shaan Hundal, Themi Antonoglou, Jonathan Viscosi and others.
And there’s a collection of newcomers with Canadian Premier League experience like Zachary Fernandez, Kris Twardek, Rocco Romeo and Kelsey Egwu mixed with some fresh new faces that offer hope for the future, including Canadian youngsters Myles Morgan and Erik Pop.
So, in that respect, Valour FC opens the 2024 CPL season Saturday night in Victoria against Pacific FC as much as an unfinished canvas as any team across the league.
“But I don’t think we’re an unknown,” said Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos earlier this week before the team’s departure to British Columbia. “I look at the last few lineups we put on the field and then adding guys like Rocco, Kris, Zach Fernandez — teams will have an idea of what we will look like, but I think that’s the characteristic of a good team. Continuity provides that.
“We have some unknowns, of course. We have some players that are going to come in and bring something different and that’s important but right now I like the idea that you know what you’re getting from the guys we have. It gives us a different kind of confidence approaching the season.
“As to other teams, I don’t look too much at what they might have. We have to focus on ourselves and our game. It’s like I tell our staff, ‘Everything we do is not just for this first game; it’s building blocks and building an identity for the team.'”
What follows is a bit of a roster primer for Valour as it opens its seventh season of existence…
MVP Candidate
Themi Antonoglou, fullback
Antonoglou was a finalist for CPL Defender of the Year in 2024 in his first full season in Valour colours. The 23-year-old Toronto product finished first in the league with seven assists — the first defender in CPL history to do so — as well as 60 interceptions, while being a threat down the flank with his precise delivery of passes into the box. There’s a belief that impact will only grow further in 2025 with Antonoglou, the team’s MVP a year ago, forcing himself into that conversation on a league-wide basis.
Exciting Newcomer
Midfielder Bruno Figueiredo
We mentioned Morgan and Pop above with the former a 19-year-old midfielder/forward who played last year with Whitecaps2 and the latter a forward who played last year in Germany and has represented Canada and Romania at the youth level.
The new player who has generated the most buzz through preseason is 25-year-old midfielder Bruno Figueiredo, who comes to the club from Portugal. He’s already flashed a great deal of speed and skill with the ball on his foot and could become an impact player quickly in the CPL.
Comeback Player of the Year Candidate
Attacker Kian Williams
Williams was dynamic in 2023, tying for the team lead in goals with four and adding a team-best five assists. But his entire 2024 season was wiped out from injury and now, having fought through that to return, he is hoping to build on his ’23 campaign with even more of an impact this season.
Mr. Under-rated
Midfielder Jordan Faria
Faria posted steady minutes for Valour last year in his debut season with the club with two goals and five assists in 1,730 minutes spread across 26 league games. A dangerous threat on the wing who, like Antonoglou, consistently delivers deft passes into danger areas, the 24-year-old former Toronto FC product has shown enough to have most waiting for him to deliver even more.
Mr. Consistent
Centre back Frankie Facchineri
Selected in the second round, ninth overall, in the 2024 CPL U-Sports Draft, the Windsor product forced himself into the lineup early last season and never came out with his steady presence along the back line. He appeared in 26 games, chipped in a goal, but rarely makes decision mistakes and provides a gritty presence in the box.
‘Next Step’ Candidate
Forward Shaan Hundal
Hundal tied with Jordi Swibel (since departed) for the team lead in goals a year ago with seven, yet after a slow start in which he didn’t find the back of the net in the first nine matches, he stepped up to be one of the league’s deadliest finishers by season’s end. More consistency from start to finish for the veteran striker could be the difference for a Valour team working to finish more than just ahead of the playoff line, but to be a contender for the Canadian Shield.
Notable Number: 22
That’s the total number of points lost by Valour last season from winning situations. And it still sticks in the craw of anyone still with the club.
“You’re always pushing the guys for more. That’s the type of guy I am — I want to make sure they never get to that level where they have too much comfort. We haven’t won as a club, and we have to keep pushing the envelope. I was looking at this statistic: we had 22 points lost from winning situations (last year). There are such small margins that we need to keep the guys on their toes all the time and understanding that even when you’re in a good moment in this league things could shift very fast, and every game seems to be a six-point game because that’s the reality of the league.
“I like this team’s mentality. I like their togetherness. I like that it’s a good blend. You can feel that desire that this group has to achieve something, not only for themselves but for the club and you feel that excitement all the time. You could have a lot of good players with the wrong mentality, and you won’t go far. So, to see the signs they’ve displayed and that will and that desire and collective commitment that they’ve shown, for me, that’s what I’ve liked the most.” — Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos.
Quotable
“This badge means so much to me. This badge and this city helped give me the opportunity to dream again. Everywhere I wear this badge I hope everyone knows how much it means to me. I’ll do whatever I have to represent this badge.” — Raphael Ohin, Valour’s longest-serving player.