New striker ‘hungry to be here’

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This article was published 24/07/2019 (2581 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Michele Paolucci doesn’t profess to be the answer to Valour FC’s goal-scoring woes, but hopes to be a major contributor to the solution.

The 33-year-old Italian-born striker joined the Canadian Premier League soccer squad last week after a full season with the Tarxien Rainbows of the Maltese Premier League, where he scored seven goals in 20 matches. He’s finally shaken the jet lag that clobbered him after a long journey from Rome, and Tuesday he was a full participant in the club’s training session at the Dakota Collegiate pitch.

Valour is winless in two starts (0-1-1), scoring just once, to begin the league’s fall competition and is in dire need of an offensive spark. During the spring session, the team was 3-7-0 and booted just eight goals during that stretch.

Paolucci said while he’ll do everything he can to generate chances for his new squad, he alone can’t alter Valour’s course. And he believes the talent assembled long before his arrival will inevitably transform slim defeats into crucial victories.

“I don’t like the idea that if you don’t score, it’s the problem of the striker. Always, it’s teamwork,” he said. “It starts from the goalkeeper all the way to the striker. We are one team. We play together. I’m not here to solve the problem, I’m here to be part of the team and help my teammates to improve.

“I like this team very much. It is an amazing organization, like a top Italian club. So many people are working for us, everybody is so kind. I saw immediately how they take care of the club and the players are very good.”

Just like the song says, Paolucci’s been everywhere, man.

He began his competitive career at the age of 14 with Juventus in their youth program, graduating in 2006. He moved into the senior ranks in Italy’s Serie A and B for nearly a decade, splitting time with Juventus, Ascoli, Udinese, Atalanta, Catania and Siena.

He also had a brief stint in Romania in 2015, returned to Italy in 2016 and then packed his bags for Malta in 2017.

“I’ve played all over world, one of the fantastic aspects of this job,” he said. “It’s not even a job. Whoever gets this work is very lucky. But I’m not here on vacation, I’m here to play football and help my teammates.”

Valour head coach Rob Gale said the scouting reports on Paolucci were bang on: the guy is a total pro.

‘I don’t like the idea that if you don’t score, it’s the problem of the striker. Always,it’s teamwork’– new Valour FC striker Michele Paolucci

“You can look at his resumé and his history and, for us, (it’s) his leadership and experience, a goal-scoring record, all of those factors,” Gale told reporters. “But what became very clear in talking to Michele is he was hungry for this opportunity. He feels he can continue to improve in his game which, if you know anything about myself and (Valour technical director) John Peacock, we’re very much into the development of players and people. He’s here to help the younger players.

“He knows very clearly who he is and what he’s about and he’s hungry to be here. One thing (we’ve recognized) as a team is we need to be able to put pressure on their centrebacks with the movements, and the quality of the end product needs to become better for us. (Paolucci) fits that bill.”

Valour is coming off a 3-1 road defeat in Hamilton to Forge FC, a contest played in 40 C heat. Prior to that, the team earned a 0-0 draw against host FC Edmonton.

The sweltering conditions Saturday in Hamilton took a nasty toll on the visitors. Five players were hit with heat exhaustion, including a pair that needed to be checked out in hospital. The afflicted group was back on the pitch Tuesday.

Down 2-0 to the Forge at halftime, Valour’s Tyler Attardo made it 2-1 in the 49th minute but the visitors would draw no closer.

Gale said he simply couldn’t slam the hammer down on his worn-out troops.

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“It’s hard to criticize players and individual errors in the heat. That’s as warm as I’ve ever seen it,” he said.

Nearly four weeks after their last home game, the Winnipeg-based squad finally returns to the friendly confines of IG Field this Saturday for a noon match with unbeaten Cavalry (Calgary) FC (3-0).

Just four days later (July 31), Valour welcomes Pacific FC (1-3).

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell