Valour gets another crack at Edmonton

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This article was published 30/05/2019 (2309 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Valour FC is hoping for a similar performance but a much different result in their second meeting with FC Edmonton.

The two teams met for the first time on May 4 in the Valour’s inaugural home opener in the Canadian Premier League. But FC Edmonton spoiled the return of pro soccer to Winnipeg, as it came away with a 2-1 win.

It was a frustrating result for the Valour, arguably one they didn’t deserve, as they outplayed Edmonton in all aspects of the game. The Valour outshot Edmonton and dominated the possession battle, but it didn’t show up on the scoreboard. The Valour will have a chance at redemption on Saturday, as they hit the road to take on FC Edmonton at Clarke Field at 5:30 p.m.

Valour head coach and general manager Rob Gale said he liked what he saw out of his club in its first match with Edmonton.

“I think (our) best performance, actually, if I’m looking at it in terms of our style of play. I think we had 20 shots,” Gale said after the team’s afternoon training session at Dakota Collegiate. “Now we’ve got to be hungrier in front of the goal. Like we’ve said all along, we’ve had good possession and good chances to create. Now it’s about the end product. It was a solid performance, and we feel we need to get a bit of retribution in this game now.”

The Valour’s had a lot of time to prepare for Saturday’s game. Their last game came May 16 in a 2-0 loss at home to the Forge FC, which dropped their record to 2-3-0 on the season. Edmonton is also coming off of a 2-0 loss to the Forge, as it lost to the Hamilton squad on Wednesday night to fall to a 1-2-1 record.

The two weeks off gave the Valour time to rest and get players healthy again, as the club opened the season with five games in 16 days. But with such a long layoff, will there be some rust on Saturday?

“I hope not,” Gale said. “(Edmonton) had a game Wednesday and they flew back today. We need to make sure we find the right balance and embed our way into the game. We don’t want to do what we did against the Forge and give them a head start, because first goals can be crucial at any level. I think it’s important that we make sure we’re executing our football how we want to, and then as the game goes on, let’s try to more impact our style of game as it goes.”

One of the players benefiting from the break the most was midfielder Michael Petrasso. The 23-year-old Toronto native went down with a hamstring injury on May 8 against Calgary’s Cavalry FC and missed the next two games.

Petrasso, who scored in the Edmonton game off of a penalty kick, said he feels good to go for Saturday. Petrasso said nobody wanted two weeks off, but it may have helped the team in some ways.

“We played five games in 16 days when we could’ve spread it out over the month and it probably would’ve worked well for us,” Petrasso said. “But I think, obviously, after a loss and going into a two-week break is tough on the boys mentally. But it gives you a chance to regroup and grow on our tactics and learn more about our opponent coming up to the next game, and hopefully we get back to winning ways. I think that was more of the focus. It gives time to a couple of the boys who’ve been playing 90 minutes every game to just get their legs back together so we can go out at 100 per cent on Saturday.”

Although he’s healthy, the break also came at a good time for midfielder Marco Bustos. Bustos missed all of training camp after signing with the club on May 7. Despite not having much time to build chemistry with his new teammates, the 23-year-old Winnipegger started the last two games. He said he feels much more comfortable with his teammates on and off the pitch now, and although they’re not happy with their record, the boys are still confident they can turn it around and compete in the second half of the 10-game spring season.

“I tell the guys, ‘You know, it’s going to come. Things will come,’” Bustos said. “If we keep working hard, we’re gonna start winning and we’ll start winning three, four or five games in a row. I really believe that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Valour will need that to happen, and some help, if they’re going to claim the spring season title. The Cavalry FC has clearly been the best team in the CPL so far. Calgary has a perfect 5-0-0 record and has only surrendered two goals. But Gale said it isn’t over yet, and his club is still alive in the fight for first.

“If we go 5-0 in the next one, we’ll be close,” Gale said. “(Cavalry) got a tough group of schedules coming up at the end of June. They’ve maintained consistency so far, and if they can do that through 10 games, no one will catch them. We have to get that consistency and turn positive performances into results.”

 

INJURY UPDATE

Defender Adam Mitter returned from a shoulder injury and was back at practice this week as a full participant, but he returned to the sidelines on Thursday.

Gale said Mitter may have rushed his return, and now he’s battling a sore lower back and is expected to be out for a couple of days.

“We’re starting to call him sick note because every three sessions he has something else wrong with him,” Gale joked.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @TaylorAllen31