Valour ready to move on from ‘freak result’

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This article was published 09/09/2019 (2395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Call it a nightmare, an embarrassment or a disaster. All of those descriptions are fitting when trying to describe Valour FC’s 8-0 loss at home to Cavalry FC on Sept. 2.

But more important than trying to put last week’s crime scene into words is how Winnipeg’s professional soccer club responds. Valour has had more than a week to regroup and put the result behind them, as they’re now trying to get things right for a bounce-back performance on Thursday night when they host Forge FC at IG Field.

“It was tough to take as a group,” Winnipegger and Valour attacking midfielder Marco Bustos said after Monday’s training session. “There’s really no excuses you can say for that. But you know, it happened and the good thing is we have another game on Thursday to make up for that. I think leaving the field after that game, we were ghosts of personalities. No one showed character. It was bad. But we have another game to make amends now.”

Valour head coach Rob Gale said after watching the game film, it was apparent the team threw in the towel in the second half. Valour didn’t even put up a fight as the Calgary club exploded for five goals in the final 45 minutes. The match was so lopsided, the official didn’t bother calling for stoppage time after 90 minutes.

“They lost something inside themselves to battle for their teammates,” Gale said. “So, they’ve had a real good, hard look at themselves. Whatever happens in life, you have to work through bad moments and adversity. You don’t give up and you never give up on your teammates. You never give up on yourself. And a few of them admitted to doing that and have come and apologized to us. But it’s important for everyone to understand that’s never acceptable in any walk of life. And especially not in a professional sport in front of your supporters and your families and friends.”

Gale added it was a “freak result” and everything he’s seen from the players since has convinced him a beating like that won’t happen again.

“Loved it,” Gale said about the team’s response in the last week of training. “They kicked the crap out of each other for two days, but in the right way. Once we looked at the measurables and the statistics, the running marks weren’t there. And that just showed us something. Internally, that’s what we said to them. ‘Whatever happens, you can’t get outworked.’ They’ve worked hard to make that up and to challenge themselves and challenge the group and it was done in the right way. Very good. They went out on the weekend together as a group for a bit of team building as well.”

Cavalry won the Canadian Premier League’s spring season title, but this week won’t get any easier for Valour as Forge FC currently sits atop the fall standings with a 6-2-1 record. Valour has had no success against Forge this year, going 0-4 against the team from Hamilton. Forge has outscored Valour 10-3 in their four meetings.

“I think it’s the best thing that could have happened is to play Forge,” said Bustos, who has five goals in 18 CPL games.

“Losing like that to Calgary, and now we go play the best team in the league in Forge. We just have to be sharp. What we lacked last game was guys battling and just working hard. That’s just the bare minimum. If you have a bad game, technically, at least you’re working hard running. I think that’s the most important thing we have to look forward to for Thursday is just to outwork them.”

Gale said growing pains are to be expected. It’s a first-year team that boasts several first-year players and eight locals on the roster. He gave credit to the fans who stuck around to watch the full 90 minutes of the trainwreck and hopes supporters understand his players are only human and they’re going to make mistakes. But with the temperature dropping and Valour hovering around the middle of the league’s table with a 3-3-5 record, Gale needs his team to redeem themselves sooner rather than later if they want the fans to come out to their final three home games. Valour has seven games left in the 18-game fall season.

“We’re inspiring the next generation. It won’t always go great. We hope it never goes as bad as that again,” Gale said.

“But the fans were magnificent and we’ll come out scrapping for them first and foremost. And the individual pride of these young lads. It wasn’t a true account of themselves. I know that. I know I see them daily and I know it’s my job to defend them, but I believe in them wholeheartedly. I’d stick the same group out again and know it wouldn’t happen again.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31