Match #18
HFX WANDERERS (5-3-10) vs. VALOUR FC (7-5-6)
When: Saturday, August 13th, 1 p.m. CT
Where: The Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, NS.
How to watch: OneSoccer is broadcasting all CPL games live https://onesoccer.ca/
MATCH PREVIEW:
Two teams heading in opposite directions meet in a Saturday matinee on the East coast. Valour has cranked out five wins and a draw against two losses in its last eight matches to narrow the gap in the fight for playoff spots. That recent run now has them hunting down one of the four playoff spots.
The Wanderers, meanwhile, are sinking, having lost five matches and drawing once since an impressive 3-0 win at Pacific back on June 25th. During those struggles the club has been blanked four times and has been outscored 12-3.
Valour is coming off a pair of 2-nil wins – over Cavalry FC and York United FC – and after this game will have four straight home matches at IG Field.
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THE GAFFER SAYS:
GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos on HFX Wanderers FC:
“They have quality. It’s a team that’s a little bit hurt. They lost a big piece at the beginning of the season (2021 CPL Golden Boot winner Joao Morelli) and they’ve been a little bit inconsistent in producing results. But it’s still a dangerous team and we’re going to have to be on high alert because they’re a high-energy team who has quality on the ball.
“We have to be careful, because when they play at home they have that extra energy in their stadium and their crowd.”
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VALOUR FC SPOTLIGHT:
#13 Billy Forbes, F: The 31-year-old striker came to the club on loan from Detroit City FC of the USL earlier this month and has made an instant impact. Forbes has scored 30 goals in 131 matches over the last six years in the USL Championship and has brought that same touch to Valour, scoring once and setting up Sean Rea’s goal in last week’s win over York United FC.
He is a member of the Turks and Caicos National men’s team, scoring a hat-trick in an 8-2 win over Sint Maarten on June 11th, and drawing an assist on a goal in a 2-0 victory over the same side three days later.
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CRITICAL NUMBER(S)
0/1
Valour has never won at Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, with four losses and one draw in five visits to Nova Scotia – including two Canadian Championship matches in 2019. On top of that, Valour FC has been outscored 7-1 in those five trips to Halifax.
Wanderers Grounds is the only stadium in the CPL in which Valour hasn’t posted a win. Worth noting: Valour did not play in Halifax at all last season, but one win in last year’s ‘Kickoff Event’ bubble in Winnipeg did list the Wanderers as the home side.
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All-Time: Valour FC vs. HFX Wanderers
Overall (win-draw-loss): 5-2-6
May 11, 2019, IG Field: Valour FC 1 HFX Wanderers 0,
June 26, 2019, Wanderers Grounds: HFX Wanderers 2 Valour FC 0
August 5, 2019, Wanderers Grounds: HFX Wanderers 1 Valour FC 0
August 28, 2019, IG Field: Valour FC 2 HFX Wanderers 0
September 21, 2019, Wanderers Grounds: HFX Wanderers 0 Valour FC 0
September 2, 2020, Island Games, PEI: Valour FC 0 Wanderers 2
June 30, 2021, IG Field: Valour FC 2 HFX Wanderers 0
July 24, 2021, IG Field: Valour FC 0 HFX Wanderers 1
October 26, 2021, IG Field: Valour FC 3 HFX Wanderers 0
May 7, 2022, IG Field: Valour FC 0 HFX Wanderers 0
July 10, 2022, IG Field: Valour FC 1 HFX Wanderers 0
2019 Canadian Championship (0-0-2)
June 5, 2019, Wanderers Grounds: HFX Wanderers 2 Valour FC 1,
June 12, 2019, IG Field: Valour FC 0 HFX Wanderers 2