Valour player not Dunn yet

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This article was published 24/08/2020 (2194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Julian Dunn has never been to Winnipeg and has no ties to the Manitoba capital, but that doesn’t mean the 20-year-old defender from Toronto doesn’t take pride in representing Valour FC.

“We dove into the history behind the name and Valour Road and why it’s called Valour. Knowing that there’s some history behind the name just means that much more. It’s not just a random name, we’re actually playing for something that means something to the people in Winnipeg,” Dunn told the Free Press on Monday.

Toronto FC of the MLS loaned Dunn, as well as defender Dante Campbell, to Winnipeg’s Canadian Premier League club more than two weeks ago.

It was a much-needed move for Dunn, who was with TFC in their bubble in Orlando, Fla., but was buried on the depth chart. When he got the call from Valour head coach and general manager Rob Gale, who needed some last-minute help as Panama defender Amir Soto wasn’t able to make it to Canada for the CPL season, Dunn headed back to his family home in Toronto to quarantine for two weeks before hopping on a plane to Charlottetown, P.E.I. for the Island Games — a single-site tournament to decide the league’s champion.

So, never mind a tour of the River City, Dunn has barely had enough time to get to know the names of all of his Valour FC teammates. You’d never be able to tell by watching him play, though. Dunn was named the Man of the Match in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against York9 FC as he made three tackles and three clearances to preserve the clean sheet.

“They knew I wasn’t going to be able to train with the team before the tournament, so they sent me all the tactics and everything,” said Dunn, who has played for Gale at several Canadian under-20 camps over the years.

“Being with Rob before, I kinda know his coaching style and how he likes to play. It’s similar in a sense what he’s done before with me, so it wasn’t too hard coming into the team and playing with the guys because I already had that background knowledge. They welcomed me and it was just good. We got on the field and the chemistry just came.”

Each CPL team is required to play their under-21 players for a combined total of 250 minutes throughout the tournament. Valour has already surpassed that total alone with Dunn as he’s been a mainstay in the lineup after three matches and has 270 minutes to his name. As a team, Valour is at 536 minutes, which is second to only Atlético Ottawa (544). Dunn has made the most of those minutes as Valour has only surrendered two goals — both of which came against a very talented Cavalry FC team in the season opener — which is the lowest out of the six teams that have played three matches thus far. Last year, Valour coughed up a league-high 52 goals in 28 games.

Dunn will get some more minutes tonight as Valour (1-1-1) takes on Pacific FC (0-2-1) at 7 p.m. CT. The league’s eight teams play each other once with the top four advancing to the second stage. Valour is currently in third place.

“This is a completely different Valour. People can’t even look at the team last year and try to compare to the team this year because only (seven players) stayed,” said Dunn.

“I’m just really happy that we can come and change the narrative and show these guys that we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Dunn made two MLS appearances for TFC in 2018, but hasn’t gotten another chance since. He’s spent the majority of the past three seasons with Toronto FC II in USL League One. When TFC II announced they wouldn’t be competing in the USL season this year owing to the pandemic, Dunn, and the club, knew they had to explore other options to get the promising prospect some games under his belt. Gale believes Dunn is ready for an MLS role today and the CPL is a place where he can get the exposure he needs to prove it.

“I think (Dunn) can crack the MLS sides, it’s just they’re not given the opportunity,” Gale said.

“It takes a bold coach to play young players especially in key positions like goalkeeper or defence because they will make mistakes. That’s just a part of life and part of development. I think they have the ability, they’re just not given the opportunity often so in that sense, this is perfect because you have coaches that want to develop, showcase and build the Canadian game as part of the key part of our mandate.”

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Dunn is confident if he gets another shot at the MLS that he’ll be able to make the most of it and show his name should be bumped up a few spots on the depth chart. But for now, his main objective is to make a trip to Winnipeg and bring a gift along with him.

“That’s the overall goal to come back and bring the fans that Northern Shield and just go on and do greater things in the Canadian Championships,” said Dunn.

“So you know, it would really mean a lot being my first time and coming back with something that I could give to the fans and show ‘We did this for you guys. You guys deserve this and we’re a completely different team and this is what we’re made of.’ That would truly mean a lot.”

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.