Valour FChome opener postponed

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/04/2022 (1581 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Valour FC’s home opener on Sunday at IG Field against Forge FC has been postponed.

As of Friday evening, Winnipeg’s professional soccer club had only 13 healthy players, two of whom are goaltenders, due to a slew of injuries and a recent COVID-19 outbreak. Three players have currently tested positive, but the club believes that number could rise in the coming days. Valour is also missing a few import players who are still waiting for their visas.

Valour and the Canadian Premier League made the decision to postpone Friday afternoon before Forge left Hamilton. The match will be rescheduled. Valour will take the weekend off before they prepare to host HFX Wanderers FC at home next Saturday.

Valour is 1-1-1 after beating Atletico Ottawa 6-1 last weekend.

“The reality is this, three guys are waiting for visas. Andrew Jean-Baptiste (got hurt last game), Tony Mikhael is still not ready to go because of his suspension, Diego Gutiérrez isn’t good to go yet, Alessandro Riggi had an ankle injury setback, and Andy Baquero isn’t ready to go 90 minutes because he’s just coming back from an injury. You add it up on a roster that already has Raphael Ohin out (for the season), the math was easy,” said Valour FC head coach and general manager Phillip Dos Santos.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

“… The league and the club took the responsibility to say ‘You know what, before anything goes further, let’s make sure we’re taking care of the health and safety of players and staff.’ I think it’s a wise decision.”

— staff

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.