Valour look to build on season-opening victory when they face HFX Wanderers

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This article was published 29/06/2021 (1565 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Valour FC have their eyes set on back-to-back wins as they get set to take on the HFX Wanderers FC Wednesday evening. It would be a first for the club since the league’s inception.

“It comes down to consistency and performance, being able to execute for 90 minutes,” said Valour head coach Robert Gale.

“Taking those chances in key moments like we did on Sunday, that’s what professional sports is all about and why guys stay in the locker room.”

Valour has begun its schedule against the top-two teams of the 2020 season. With the majority of HFX’s core roster still intact, Gale acknowledged how important it is to maintain the focus and work rate in both halves of football.

“That’s where we’ve fallen down in the past, we’ve done it for halves of football,” said Gale.

“I remember a similar game to that Forge won in the first year, we were up 1-0 with minutes to go and got robbed with two set pieces. That’s the bread and butter of being a top professional footballer you have to do your job and execute when it counts.”

After the Wanderers, based in Halifax, dropped their first match to Pacific FC 2-0, Gale recognized the danger the maritime club possesses.

“There’s a reason they were the number two team in the country last year, they are so dangerous on the counterattack,” said Gale.

“They’re resolute, the ‘keeper has been a standout for them. Peter Schaale at the back, Rampersad has been one of the most consistent players in the league, Akeem Garcia, top goal scorer and Golden Boot winner, MVP contender. You can see they have all the building blocks.”

Looking to build off his first goal in their first match, Valour striker Austin Ricci says his team has overcome the narrative of a lack of scoring and have now found offensive flair.

“It was good to basically put that out early and get the monkey off my back,” said Ricci.

“I’m thinking that now that the first one is there the floodgates are going to open up.”

Despite the lack of a preseason, Ricci believes Valour can matchup with any team in the league.

“Honestly if we keep our head down and keep working hard, eliminate the outside noise and focus on the task with each individual team that we have coming up, I think we’ll continue to have a ton of success,” said Ricci.

Injuries and a condensed schedule have tightened Gale’s game management responsibilities to make sure each athlete plays the right minutes. Gale says the club is missing five players they would like to have back soon including defenders Rafael Galhardo De Souza and midfielder José Antonio Pedrosa Galán.

“The short preseason and the number of bodies available, getting players in, not having a full deck of cards to play at the table is tricky,” said Gale.

On the other side of the pitch, Wanderers coach Stephen Hart will return to the team after a health emergency last Saturday. Hart says he is feeling better and is encouraged by his team’s second-half performance despite the loss.

“Once the changes were made in the second half we had a bit more fluidity,” said Hart.

“We looked more like the team from last year that was more solid defensively, and I think we should’ve equalized the game.”

As they look towards the hometown matchup, Hart says Valour has some good wide play and manages well with the overloads on each side of the pitch.

“On the day against Forge, they took their chance as well,” said Hart.

“Obviously they are going to be on a high mentally. They are looking forward to this game.”

Both teams and coaches were granted some relief for the weekend matchups as temperatures are expected to reach the high thirties in the afternoon. Valour FC will now play Atlético Ottawa at 9 p.m. on Saturday instead of 1 p.m. A decision head coach Gale is grateful for.

“At one in the afternoon in the prairies on turf will feel like 45,” said Gale.

“The last time they did this to us in Forge in the first year we had six players in hospital with heat exhaustion. You cannot recover from that in less than a week.”

As for CPL fans returning on July 7, Gale is ecstatic to see it happen.

“If our team can provide 90 minutes where you can scream at the top of your lungs with your like-minded peoples, sports fans you know what it’s like, its camaraderie,” said Gale.

“It’s fellowship, it’s friendship, we’ve missed that.”

Wednesday night’s matchup is set for 6 p.m.

jbernacki@freepress.mb.ca

@JosephBernacki