Valour seek change of fortune

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This article was published 21/06/2019 (2613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOSERS of four straight, something needs to change if Valour FC is going to turn things around for the upcoming fall season.

The team’s frustration levels were at an all-time high following Thursday night’s 2-1 loss at IG Field to Pacific FC — a team that hadn’t won a game since April 28.

To be fair, Valour, who sit at 3-5-0 with two games left in the Canadian Premier League’s spring season, have had a lot go against them so far.

They were given a horrendous schedule, one which saw the team play its first five matches in 16 days. The team has also been battling injuries to key players. Valour’s most experienced player, 34-year-old Croatian midfielder Josip Golubar, tore an ACL in the third game of the season. The team’s most talented player, midfielder Michael Petrasso, has only played in half the games, as he’s suffered two lower-body injuries. And lastly, the team’s most accomplished goal scorer, English-born attacker Stephen Hoyle, has been in and out of the lineup, as he’s been prone to injuries in practice and has been rather ineffective since scoring Valour’s first-ever goal on May 1.

Add it up and it’s not exactly a recipe for success. But, excuses are excuses. The team simply hasn’t gotten the job done with whoever’s been in the lineup. Including their two losses in the Canadian Championship, Valour has only scored eight times in 10 games, despite the fact they often win the possession battle and often outshoot their opponents. The lack of scoring led to head coach Rob Gale being asked back on June 10, a day before Valour lost the second leg of their Canadian Championship matchup 2-0 at home, if they should consider changing their offensive philosophy.

“Absolutely not,” Gale said at the time.

“Being authentic to me, the players we brought in and the style. I think Pep Guardiola (Manchester City manager), when he came to England, got the same question and he’s done all right since. It’s a philosophy, it’s a style of play, it’s a brand, it’s a culture, it’s what I’m about as a football team. I’ve said I’m a fan of this team. I want us to play football the right way to bring supporters to the game. (If you want) to watch rubbish football, go somewhere else.”

The problem is, fans have seen nothing but rubbish football at IG Field since the question was asked. After Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to Pacific, midfielder Louis Béland-Goyette expressed something definitely needs to change, as what they’re currently doing isn’t working.

“To be honest, I’m fed up talking about it. We talk about (being a) possession team, possession team, but we don’t win games,” said Béland-Goyette.

“I don’t know when we’re gonna wake up and just win the game. Maybe, if we have to play along, then that’s how we’re going to play. We have to play to win. Stop talking about possession. Talk about winning games and not attractive football. That’s it.”

Gale was asked after Friday’s practice at Glenlawn Collegiate what he made of Béland-Goyette’s comments.

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“Yeah, I mean, he’s just saying it’s talk. We can talk, but we need to play football in the right way,” Gale said. “The last two games, we’ve had less possession. Did we win? No.”

Valour still has a lot to be motivated about, as they can put their tough results behind them soon. Their 18-game fall season kicks off July 17 on the road against FC Edmonton. All teams start the fall season with a clean slate, and the winners of the two seasons will meet in the first-ever CPL championship game.

Valour’s next match is Wednesday in Halifax, where they will take on the HFX Wanderers.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

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.