What happened to the good times?

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This article was published 23/08/2021 (1512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The bubble has burst both literally and figuratively for Valour FC.

The Canadian Premier League started the 2021 season in a bubble in Winnipeg for four-plus weeks that saw all eight clubs play their first eight matches at IG Field.

While Winnipeg’s professional soccer club argued it was no advantage to them, it sure looked like it was as they played their best soccer in franchise history en route to an impressive 6-0-2 start that put them at the top of the table.

Now that teams have gone back to travelling and playing in venues across the country, it’s been a much, much different story. Since the bubble concluded on July 24, Valour has gone 0-1-4 in league play and has been outscored 8-2. Four out of those five results came on the road.

“It’s just something you can’t really put your finger on. There’s just been moments in games where you give up a goal at the wrong time or you miss a chance,” said Valour co-captain and midfielder Daryl Fordyce.

“Our confidence has gotten a little bit low (but) we’ve been working hard, like our work rate hasn’t stopped for sure… But yeah, it’s a long season and we’re prepared for the ups and the downs and we’re staying calm. That’s the main thing.”

For head coach Rob Gale, his club hasn’t had a drop off in performance. He believes the schedule is what set them back as they had three road games in nine days after the bubble.

“I think the hardest part of coming out of the bubble was we were home for three days then on the road for two weeks… We’ve had other trips since then and with the Canadian Championship and it’s been hard to get any kind of normalcy in your life. We haven’t been home for more than three nights in the last two months… That’s demanding and a test on yourself,” Gale said.

Valour’s confidence got a boost on Sunday afternoon as they defeated Atlético Ottawa 3-2 at TD Place Stadium to advance to the quarter-finals of the Canadian Championship — a tournament featuring 13 Canadian teams across four different leagues, including the MLS. Valour got a pair of goals from striker Austin Ricci in the second half after Sean Rea found the back of the net in the 30th minute.

It was Valour’s first Canadian Championship victory in franchise history and they will now face Forge FC Sept. 14 at Tim Hortons Field. Whoever wins will meet the winner of HFX Wanderers vs. CF Montreal of the MLS in the semifinal.

“It’s a chance to maybe face outside opposition and I think that’s always nice if you can give the fans and the players an opportunity to test themselves against an MLS team down the line,” Gale said.

“Pacific plays Vancouver (Whitecaps) this weekend so it’s a chance to see where you’re at as a team and as a league. I think everybody definitely feels the league has developed over the last three years… This is just a chance to test yourself against that MLS team.”

It’s a test Valour has yet to have, but for now the focus is on an FC Edmonton team that they’ve struggled against as of late. The two sides tied on Aug. 12 and two weeks before that, Edmonton defeated Valour 3-1 at home. Valour hosts Edmonton (3-4-5) tonight at IG Field at 7 p.m. Luckily for Valour, they’ll receive a boost in net as goalie Jonathan Sirois has returned to the club. Sirois, who’s on loan from CF Montreal, was recalled by his MLS club a week ago. The 20-year-old is second in the league with six shutouts.

However, Valour remains without some key veterans. Defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste is out for the season and midfielders Jose Galan, Brett Levis, and Andy Baquero are out of the lineup with injuries. Their injury list has had some names come off of it recently, though, as attacking midfielder Keven Alemán and defender Rodrigo Reyes are now good to go.

“We’ve had six of what you’d call key, core spine players not available for the last three or four games. But we’re OK, we’re not worried in camp,” Gale said.

They also don’t seem to be worried about their recent slide. Tuesday’s tilt with Edmonton will mark the halfway point of the 28-game season. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs and Valour is currently in third place with 19 points, but there’s still a lot of soccer left to be played.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we’ll be there. We’re starting to get our confidence back,” Fordyce said.

“We’re starting to get more healthy bodies back…We have our own personal goals and our team goals to get into the top four and in my mind, we’ll be there for sure.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31