Valour need to learn from mistakes

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This article was published 10/08/2021 (1775 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The time is now for Valour FC to come together as a collective and bring a win back to Winnipeg as they gear up for a rematch with FC Edmonton on Thursday. After losing four consecutive games and three of those to start their four game road trip, Valour head coach Robert Gale says it’s difficult to pinpoint whether or not the home and away setting has made a difference.

“I don’t have a crystal ball to answer what could’ve been or should’ve been,” said Gale.

“I think two of the performances we should have taken a point. I think anybody who watched Sunday’s game will see that’s as good of a performance as most teams will play against Cavalry. We just made one error really and that was the difference on the day.”

Valour, now 6-0-5 will take on Edmonton, (3-3-5) a team they lost 3-1 to July 31 in a match the coach noted his club gave up too many soft goals.

Following a close 1-0 loss to Cavalry FC on Sunday, Gale says his club needs to be better at the offensive end of the pitch to start generating more quality chances to score.

“It’s a mixture of the other teams working hard and putting a low block in against us and then also some of our intent, I think the bravery to get forward at the right times too,” said Gale. “You got to address each game as it comes, execute the game plan and minimize your mistakes while capitalizing on your opponent.”

William Akio, one of Valour’s fastest players at the attacking position, acknowledged the whole unit could be working better to get back to their play at the start of the season.

“Honestly I just think we’re in a little bit of a slump right now,” said Akio. “We’re not gelling together well right now and it’s just little things, little fine details we need to work on as a collective attacking group. I’m sure very soon we’ll start to pick things up.”

The striker has played in all 11 matches but only has one goal on the year. Akio says playing on the road has made some of the team lose the immediate focus they had on football at the beginning of the season.

“With more freedom now, it’s a different type of vibe,” said Akio. “We need to get back to getting more serious, locking down and paying more attention to everything.”

On the defensive side of the pitch, Stefan Cebara has played in all 990 minutes of Valour’s 11 game season thus far. The defender says his unit could do a better job of bringing the ball forward to help generate offensive possession for the team.

“When we play it out the back, I think just helping and supporting our midfielders and attackers by pushing the lineup a little further,” said Cebara. “I think maybe we dropped back a little bit and that kind of caused some more space in the middle of the field that could be closed down and hopefully contributed to our offensive play.”

Cebara says there is room for improvement at his end of the field to get back to Valour’s elite level of defense that was shown on display in the bubble.

“I think just the hunger mentality; we need to be a little bit more sharp on not making a mistake that leads to a goal,” said Cebara. “At the beginning of the season we were locked in for 90 minutes and the last few games I think a few mental lapses cost us some points to drop in the table.”

Gale says the demanding schedule to play every three to four days has led to some of these challenges they are facing. The head coach says it’s time to learn from these mistakes now rather than later.

“Every team goes through it, I’d rather have it now than later on in the season when it’s one and done,” said Gale.

“Let’s find out now what the problems are, what the kinks are, who stands up to be counted, who’s not in the scrap and can’t execute the game plan and we’ll learn from it.”

Gale says the commonality in their losses to Edmonton, Pacific and Cavalry FC have been individuals taking their front foot off the play for brief moments.

“The mistakes that we’ve been making have really been individual lapses in key moments and as long as they learn from those mistakes then it’s a lesson learned,” said Gale.

The players say they are using their 3-1 loss to the Edmonton club to fuel the team’s motivation to show they can keep their season intact.

“That previous game we were too soft, taking a mental break in game can hurt you, we’re going to come out hungry and we’re here to fight,” said Akio.

While facing that adversity, Gale acknowledged what it means to wear enough hats as a coach to build the best relationship he can with his players.

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“Here’s what I always say to the boys, ‘You didn’t see me running, whooping and hollering, I told you guys when everyone was saying what a good team we were, it’s one game at a time, it’s the same now,’” said Gale.

“Sometimes you’re a friend, you’re a teacher, you’re a social worker, I wish I was a magician to magically have a spell for performances. Like I said we don’t get too high on wins, too high on losses, we just take it game by game.”

Thursday night’s kickoff at Clarke Stadium is set for 8 p.m.

jbernacki@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @JosephBernacki