New look Valour FC will hit the pitch in 2024

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This article was published 02/01/2024 (969 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’ll be hard to recognize Valour FC when they take the pitch for the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.

The club has already publicly announced in the past month or so that there are 12 players from last season who will not be back in Winnipeg for the upcoming campaign.

Change was expected, and wanted, after a last place finish (6-8-14) in the eight-team circuit. Among the dozen, there are two players who turned down substantial offers from Valour to go sign elsewhere: forward/left back Matteo de Brienne and midfielder Diego Gutierrez.

Gutierrez signed with the reigning CPL champions, Cavalry FC, on Tuesday. De Brienne, a CPL Best U-21 Canadian award-winner, inked a deal with his hometown club Atletico Ottawa a few weeks back.

Gutierrez and De Brienne were arguably Valour’s best two players.

“I don’t dwell on these things. I can’t waste time on these things. I need to right away move on to what’s next and what’s the solution. So, for me, does it sting? I wouldn’t even use the word sting,” said Valour head coach/general manager Phillip Dos Santos.

“I have to move on. I don’t even like to be talking about players who are no longer ours.”

Veteran American defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste was the most notable name on the list of players the club with whom the club decided to part ways. Jean-Baptiste brought an MLS resume (41 matches between the Portland Timbers and Chivas USA) when he signed with Valour in 2020, but a torn ACL in 2021 derailed his career. He’s struggled to stay healthy ever since and Valour has ran out of patience. Jean-Baptiste, who was limited to nine appearances last season, was hoping to come back.

“There’s no doubt about a healthy AJB and what he can bring to the table. There’s no doubt. But unfortunately since the knee injury, it’s been difficult for him,” said Dos Santos.

“He recognizes it and it was a tough decision for us, but we have to look at the big picture. I felt that it was a hard one to justify looking at the amount of matches AJB has played since I’ve been here at Valour.”

Dos Santos is entering his fourth season with Valour and is still trying to lead the team to its first playoff appearance. If that drought is going to end, he’ll need some better attacking options as 25 goals in 28 matches isn’t going to cut it.

No CPL side has had less success than Valour since the league began play in 2019. Despite that, Dos Santos doesn’t believe free agents are scared to sign with Winnipeg.

“That for me is what’s been surprising. It’s been surprisingly pleasant because I really think that the team last year showed in their football, in their glimpses, in moments of the season, that we were pieces away and this is a reality,” said Dos Santos.

“I really think that we treat people well in the organization. I really do. I really feel the setup we have in place has gained the reputation that makes players want to play football (here).”

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Goalie Rayane Yesli, midfielder/forward Kian Williams, and midfielder/defender Dante Campbell aren’t going anywhere as they’re under contract for 2024. In free agency, Dos Santos has added a trio of Canadians in forward Shaan Hundal (six goals in 29 appearances for Vancouver FC) and midfielders Zachary Sukunda (spent last season in the Finnish Second Division) and Jordan Faria (23 appearances last year for Toronto FC II in MLS Next Pro).

He’s also added some imports with CPL experience in Spanish fullback Roberto Alarcón and Australian defender Tass Mourdoukoutas.

“Shopping isn’t done. We still have a few important pieces to add and we still need to look at and try and make sure we slot a player into that position that Matteo de Brienne occupied very well last season and that’s in the works,” said Dos Santos. “We’re making progress there, and there’s still a few pieces to add in our attacking setup, but I think overall we’re growing slowly but surely.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

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Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.