MENU
“We do a lot with our fans and I think they feel that connection the same way we do and it’s special. There’s no doubt about it.” | Match Preview: Valour FC vs York United FC

Even if relatively unseen, Valour FC’s supporter group – their Valour Army — have most certainly been heard through their first three matches of the Canadian Premier League’s Kickoff event.

Unable to enter IG Field because of health protocols, a small but vocal group has been there for every minute of Valour’s three wins as they have gathered outside the south gate and been at full throat while watching the matches unfold on the north-end jumbotron.

They’ve belted out their songs on megaphones and pounded non-stop on drums from the match warm-up right until the final whistle. And all that’s about to change Wednesday when up to 2,000 fully-vaccinated fans – six percent of capacity at IG Field – will be allowed inside to watch their squad against York United FC (please note 9 p.m. start).

“They’ve been awesome. The Red River Rising and all the group… we feel an intimate connection with the group here,” said Valour FC GM and head coach Rob Gale on Tuesday in a pre-match media Zoom call. “It’s very Winnipeg. We’re one degree of separation at best. We do a lot with our fans and I think they feel that connection the same way we do and it’s special. There’s no doubt about it.

“We’re really looking forward to it and I’m glad they’re excited about the first three results, but they’ll mean nothing if by the end of the season we fall short so we’ve got to push on and get better and work harder and keep moving in the right direction for what we see the potential of this team to be.”

June 27, 2021. Forge FC vs. Valour. Pre-Game. Valour supporters show support outside the team hotel
June 27, 2021. Forge FC vs. Valour. Pre-Game. Valour supporters show support outside the team hotel

Valour isn’t expecting to reach the 2,000-max capacity Wednesday night, not just because of the late start. Fans will not only need to be fully vaccinated, but able to present their Manitoba Immunization Card — either digitally or the physical card. As much as the vaccine numbers continue to improve in this province, that two-week wait period for proof of vaccination has impacted ticket sales.

All that said, this does represent a significant moment. Valour FC, after all, hasn’t played in front of their faithful since a 4-nil loss to York9 FC on October 16, 2019 and the conclusion of their inaugural season home schedule.

“The beauty of this game, for me, is just maybe there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” said Gale. “There’s reward for all the (front-line workers) and hopefully the team can give them something to sing and cheer about and feel – I don’t want to say ‘normal’, because nothing’s normal anymore and I don’t want to underplay the huge losses of lives and the thousands we’ve lost and the things we’ve gone through together.

“But, maybe it’s just a sign of a break from that and a sign of more positive times to come.”

‘V’ NOTES

-Valour has yet to concede a goal through three matches, all 2-nil wins.

Just to put that into perspective, Valour had just six clean sheets in 28 regular-season matches in 2019. Since then – and including last year’s Island Games – the club has five clean sheets in 10 matches played.

And while rookie goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois and the back line deserve a heap of praise, Gale praised the entire group for the commitment to defence.

“You looking at the defence, but it’s ahead of that,” he said. “It’s the forward line, the work rate to press, the midfield unit sharing the workloads, the wide areas, so that you don’t put so much pressure on your back four and you don’t give away as many set pieces. The higher up you can access an opponent and stop getting them into their rhythm and getting onto you… it’s a front-to-back effort.

“It’s a collective effort. You defend as a team, you attack as a team. Without that you can’t get results.”

-Gale has dipped into his roster through three matches, with 18 different players having played minutes. That depth has been vitally important and could be augmented soon when Jose Gálan and Levis return from injury and Rodrigo Reyes, on loan from Chivas Guadalajara, is cleared to play.

“To be honest, we haven’t really got into the depth because I named 17 in one team sheet and we’ve still got three unavailable to me,” said Gale. “So we haven’t even scratched the surface, really, with the depth. I’m looking forward to when we have 22 players available to us.

“But I’m pleased we’ve been able to rotate. It’s been the right player at the right time for the right performance, and that’s key. It will have to change again (Wednesday). We’re banged up, we’re tired after three games in seven days after 10 months off.”