Valour FC heads into the start of 2025 training camp with a blend of familiar faces mixed with the new and with the same end goal: a franchise-first playoff berth and a shot at postseason glory.

Winnipeg’s Canadian Premier League side will step on the field for the first time Tuesday morning at Winnipeg Soccer Federation South in what will be a busy timeline leading up to the season opener on April 5th in Victoria against Pacific FC. The home opener comes following a trip to Hamilton to face Forge FC on April 19th, with HFX Wanderers visiting Princess Auto Stadium on April 25th for Valour’s debut before its faithful.

“This is always an exciting time of year when we get the guys back in for training,” said Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos in a recent sit-down with valourfootball.club. “We’re at the time to get started and that’s exciting for everyone.

“It’s been so busy and so fast with the way everything happened this offseason and this was the fastest offseason for me. We’re happy to get back on the field and we know that our game on April 5th is coming quickly.”

There is less mystery and unknown for Valour compared to a year ago, plus a return to normalcy in the schedule after last year’s run of seven straight league matches on the road as the new turf was installed at Princess Auto Stadium. Dos Santos and company also spent months retooling the roster, adding three CPL vets in forward Kris Twardek, centre back Rocco Romeo — who returns to Valour for a second stint after spending the last two years with Vancouver FC — and goalkeeper Eleias Konstantinos, who appeared in 12 games with York United in 2022-23.

“We’re still in the market for a couple of spots,” said Dos Santos. “We’re still working to solidify the team. The most important thing heading into camp and knowing we have games coming is to set a physical foundation after coming out of a very long offseason. We do that through football.

“We want to see where, one, the players who were with us here last year that have set a foundation of what the team is… how fast can they pick up where they left? And then it’s about integrating the new players into our identity and the way we want to play and see where that progress is.

“Chemistry comes through the exercises we’re doing on the field. Chemistry is something that is build every day through their connections on and off the field inside our environment.”

Valour is also hoping for a full and healthy return for attacker Kian Williams, who tied for the team lead in goals in 2023 with four but missed all of last year after having knee surgery.

“We’re happy with where he’s at,” said Dos Santos. “He’s where we expect him to be — he’s confident, he looks good and mentally he’s in a very good place. So, for us, it’s how will he progress at the next level which is training with the team and being consistently in football actions. Right now he’s right on track to be an option in Day 1 of the season.”

Valour training FYI

Returning players

*Indicates Canadian

Goalkeepers: Jonathan Viscosi*

Defenders: Roberto Alarcon, Themi Antonoglou*, Frankie Facchineri*

Midfielders: Raphael Ohin*, Dante Campbell*, Diogo Ressurreicao, Jordan Faria*, Safwane Mlah*

Forwards: Shaan Hundal*, Kian Williams (injured in 2024)

New faces

Goalkeepers: Eleias Konstantinos* (York United)

Defenders: Rocco Romeo* (Vancouver FC); Kelsey Egwu* (on loan from JK Narva Trans of Estonia), Ibrahim Chami* (selected ninth overall in the CPL U-Sports Draft; played last year with McGill University, FC Laval in Lique Quebec and Lebanon at the 2024 ACF U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers).

Midfielders: Xavier Venâncio (ASD Chieri Calcio in Italy), Bruno Figueiredo (Uniao de Santarem/Covilha in Portugal)

Forwards: Kris Twardek* (Atlético Ottawa); Erik Pop* (Karlsruher SC, 2. Bundesliga in Germany;  represented both Canada and Romania as a youth); Jevontae Layne* (selected first overall in the CPL U-Sports Draft; played last year with Toronto Metropolitan University and was League1 Ontario’s Premier Forward of the Year).

Timelines

• Players were to report for medicals on Saturday with a gym session planned for Monday and the first on-field session on Tuesday.
• The team will travel to Vancouver on March 4th and play a preseason match against Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on March 5th, Vancouver FC on March 8th and Altitude FC of League1 British Columbia on March 9th.
• Valour will then travel to Toronto on March 20th and face York United FC on the 21st and Simcoe County Rovers of League1 Ontario on the 24th before returning to Winnipeg to prepare for the season opener.