Valour FC’s ongoing inability to find offence has now been exacerbated by a new problem: inexcusably sleepy starts. And as a result, the club’s pursuit to remain a part of the Canadian Premier League’s playoff discussion is fading away before the calendar even turns to August.
Winnipeg’s professional soccer side fell 3-nil to Pacific FC in front of 2,977 at IG Field on a sunny Saturday matinee, extending its winless streak to five matches with having mustered just one draw and two goals over that span.
The result leaves Valour stuck on 16 points with three wins, seven draws and now seven losses. HFX Wanderers, who hold the fifth and final playoff spot in the CPL, are six points ahead and are in action Sunday afternoon against York United FC.
Pacific FC, meanwhile, ended a five-match winless streak with the result and is now 8-5-4, good for 29th points and back near the top of the CPL table.
Valour fell behind early conceding a goal to Adonijah Reid on a feed from Easton Ongaro in the fifth minute — just as was the case in last week’s 2-1 loss to York United FC when the club was down 2-nil eight minutes into the match.
“It’s disappointing,” said Valour FC GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “You come into the game after a counter performance where we started the game against York slow and we spoke about getting momentum early and then you concede a goal. For the first half hour we looked heavy. I have so many images of Pacific being first on the ball and running at us and us defending in many moments in emergency and that’s uncharacteristic.
“… Then I feel we reacted well and came into the second half better and we concede two goals in transition. The score line is heavy for what the game was throughout 90 minutes but when the team gets to a point where you’re not winning and things are not going your way, these things tend to happen.”
Pacific dominated the first half, registering seven — five on target while holding 56.3 percent of possession as Valour had just two shots, and one on target. Valour wasn’t without its chances after conceding early, with the most prominent Ahinga Selemani tracking a long pass from goalkeeper Rayane Yesli before being pulled down on the edge of the box – alas, with no penalty or foul called.
“It’s tough because we trained hard throughout the week and the guys have come in put in a shift,” said Selemani. “It’s just tough to concede early and have to climb back.
“We can all understand it’s a tough moment in our season. We’re having a hard time getting the points that we need, but those things happen in football. You have to be optimistic and onto the next. I know it’s hard to think that way, but that’s the only thing you can do.”
That continued into the second half with Selemani and Walter Poncé both generating chances before Pacific buried two chances on the counter – first by Josh Heard in the 83rd minute and Ayman Sellouf in the 85th minute.
Those two late goals on the counter were like salt into open wounds for a Valour side which has now scored just 13 goals in 17 matches – the lowest total in the CPL. Valour has scored two goals in three matches this season but has been held scoreless in seven and has just one goal in seven more. That works out to just 0.77 goals per game.
Even worse is the last two losses have come on home turf in what could have been a critical stretch of the season with four of five at IG Field. Consider this: since extending its home unbeaten streak to 13 matches with a 1-nil win over Vancouver FC on June 25th Valour has lost three straight in their own backyard while being outscored 7-1.
“It’s important for us – and I’m speaking for not only the players and as the staff – to get their references back on the things that allowed us to have some success as a team,” said Dos Santos. “That’s where our attention needs to be – recover some pieces that are important for the squad and how the team operates and just go back to our references and what works for us. That’s the first step.
“When you’re bleeding, the first thing you need to do is to stop that bleeding and slowly regain that energy and confidence, not only on the field but you have to understand these guys don’t play alone. If there’s one or another teammate who has made a mistake here or a mistake there, the relationships on the field need to be rebuilt.”
‘V’ NOTES
-With MF Diego Gutiérrez and D Andrew Jean-Baptiste both injured, fullback Andy Baquero wore the captain’s arm band for Valour.
-From the stats sheet: Pacific’s expected goals total was 2.27; Valour’s was 0.39; Pacific finished with 10 shots/seven on target while Valour was 6/3.
-Valour is next back in action on Sunday, August 6th on the left coast against Vancouver FC.
VALOUR FC 0 PACIFIC FC 3
Goals
Pacific FC
4:12’: Adonijah Reid (assist: Easton Ongaro)
82:39’: Josh Heard (assist: Ayman Sellouf)
84:53’ Ayman Sellouf (assist: Olankunle Dada-Luke)
CARD SUMMARY
Valour FC
90:14’: Kian Williams (yellow, reckless offence)
Pacifiic FC
None
VALOUR STARTING XI (4-2-3-1)
GK Rayane Yesli
D Jordan Haynes
D Abdou Samake
D Guillaume Pianelli
D Andy Baquero (C)
MF Marcello Polisi
MF Dante Campbell
FW Jared Ulloa
FW Kian Williams
FW Pacifique Niyongabire
F Ahinga Selemani
Valour substitutions:
60:12’: on Ezkander Mzoughi; off Jordan Haynes
60:15’: on Walter Poncé; off Jared Ulloa
80:31’: on Kevin Rendon: off Marcello Polisi
88:55’: on Klaidi Cela; off Andy Baquero
89:12’: on Anthony Novak; off Ahinga Selemani