Real playing time in meaningful matches are like oxygen for a young player. And, in that respect, Matthew Catavolo is craving a big healthy gulp of O2.

It also explains in part why the talented 19-year-old midfielder is now in camp with Valour FC, after signing a multi-year contract with the club that became official on Wednesday.

“I saw a good opportunity to come here and play in a league that’s growing every year and could be excellent for my development,” Catavolo told valourfootball.club after the conclusion of the third day of training at Winnipeg Soccer Federation South.

“I was in Montreal training with the first team (MLS side CF Montreal), but it’s very hard to get first-team minutes for a youngster and they have a few homegrown guys there, too. I trained all of last year with the first team and got a lot of experience training but, as you know, that’s not enough.

“You have to be playing against men and that’s why I came here, plus it’s a great team and a great league.”

Catavolo played for Canada’s U-17 national team in the Concacag U-17 and FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2019 and is part of the U-20 side that will play qualifiers this spring.

In the meantime, again, it’s about minutes and in chatting with two of his closest friends – CF Montreal prospects and 2021 Valour teammates Jonathan Sirois and Sean Rea – he heard nothing but glowing reports about Winnipeg’s Canadian Premier League squad.

“They’re two good friends of mine and Sean, I grew up with him,” he said. “They both said good things about Valour and just look at this beautiful stadium and facility.
“… Now it’s time to push myself at the next level and come here and do well with a great team.”

Catavolo is an offensive midfielder with versatility to play at the No. 8 and along the left wing and that, among other things, was part of the attraction for Valour FC GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos.

“Matthew came to our radar through someone I trust a lot,” Dos Santos said. “He grew up in the FC Montreal Academy, went through the youth national system and when his first name up we went back and watched games that he played for Canada at the U-17 World Cup and we saw right away qualities that were very high.

“He’s a player who is very comfortable getting on the ball in tight spaces who is very clean technically but also very mobile. He’s someone who is aggressive on and off the ball and we like that in him. He’s someone who has the ability to unbalance the opposition with a pass. It’s the way he gets himself out of pressure situations. He’s someone we kept following and we were convinced we wanted here.”

Critical in Catavolo’s development will be his transition to being home in Montreal to now being part of a pro side in Winnipeg. He’s already stood out in the three on-field sessions of Valour’s camp and has bolstered the midfield depth.

“He’s a young player with a humungous margin to progress and to grow and we can’t forget this is his real first shot as a professional, so we’re excited to see what’s going to happen with him,” said Dos Santos. “We’re excited to see how he’s going to grow inside the environment and also see how he does. One thing is training, and then it’s when you’re in competition and having to perform day in, day out.

“It’s a learning year for him.”

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‘V’ NOTES: It’s early – very, very early – but Dos Santos offered this when asked after another spirited training session for a progress report on his squad:

“The intensity, the work ethic, the energy is phenomenal. Now we need to grow as a team; grow in our principles, grow in our quality, have a better understanding of each other and that comes with time and it’s going to come with games. But it’s all part of the process. We know this is a normal process and we just need to keep pushing the guys and keep being demanding with them because at the end of the day it’s all about what’s going to happen come match Day 1. That’s what counts for us and that’s what we have our eyes on.”