After a gruelling stretch, Valour FC return home to Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday, where they host Atlético Ottawa.
Over nine days, culminating last Saturday in Hamilton, Valour picked up victories over Vancouver FC on the road and Cavalry FC at home, before running out of steam in Hamilton and suffering a difficult 5-0 loss.
The loss did not cost them as much as it could have, however, as other than Forge, the four other teams currently occupying the league's playoff spots dropped points. As such, the Winnipeggers remain 10 points out of the playoffs with 11 matches remaining.
With fifth-place Halifax, and third-place Cavalry, meeting this weekend, a win for Valour would narrow that gap to either seven or eight points.
Atleti, meanwhile, dropped out of the league's top spot for the first time in nine matchweeks following a frustrating 0-0 draw against York United this past Sunday -- now trailing Forge FC by a single point. That despite holding 74.2 per cent of the ball in that game, the third most possession a team had ever managed in a CPL match.
In their first trip of the season to Winnipeg, however, they will be looking to replicate what they were able to do against Valour at home. Atlético Ottawa defeated Valour 5-2 back on May 10, courtesy of a historic four-goal performance from Sam Salter. They also defeated them 3-0 in June -- with Salter scoring in that one as well.
The capital club, however, will have to contend with the fact that they travel to Langley on Wednesday for the first leg of their TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final against Vancouver FC.
So far this season, Diego Mejía has rarely rotated his squad, but perhaps a busy seven-day stretch, which culminates with a match against now league-leaders Forge in Hamilton, could lead to a few changes. This is a week where Atlético Ottawa's depth will be tested, and given the importance of the other two matches, Sunday might be the game where most of those changes are made.
Valour are still without goalkeeper Eleias Himaras, as they saw their appeal rejected on his suspension, and Jonathan Viscosi is still unavailable through injury, so Callum Weir and Adam Kour will remain the team's short-term replacements. The team is still assessing the injury situation of Zach Fernandez, but he is at a minimum expected to miss the next few weeks.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
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Can Valour make home games count down the stretch?: If Valour FC are to overcome the ten-point deficit that currently separates them from the playoffs, finding form at Princess Auto Stadium is critical. Six of their remaining 11 matches come in Winnipeg, including three of their next four. This is a clear chance to build momentum and gain some crucial footing on the teams that they currently chase. Valour have been solid at home of late, losing just twice in their past eight matches at Princess Auto Stadium in all competitions. Now, they will have to become basically unbeatable at home down the stretch if they want to contend for a first-ever playoff appearance.
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Big week ahead for Atlético Ottawa: This next week will surely be the biggest test that Atlético Ottawa have faced so far this season. Starting in Winnipeg on Saturday, they then face Vancouver FC on the road in the first leg of the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final, the furthest they have ever gone in that competition. Finally, it's off to Hamilton for their penultimate meeting with Forge FC of the regular season, the club they currently trail by a single point at the top of the CPL standings. It could be easy to look past the Valour game as a result, but Atlético Ottawa will know that in their quest for a second CPL Shield, points are points -- and there are three crucial ones on offer on Sunday. "We enter a very important part of the season," said Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía. "But we are a mature team, with a behaviour that all the players in the squad understand really well, not only the 11 starters. So I think that right now, in this part of the season, we will watch the very best of Ottawa."
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Can Valour maintain positive vibes?: Heading into Saturday's match at Hamilton Stadium, Valour were in their best form of the season. They had ripped off back-to-back wins, following a match against Cavalry FC the week prior, where they performed well but narrowly lost on a stoppage-time goal from Sergio Camargo. That momentum appeared to come to a screeching halt in Hamilton on Saturday with a humbling 5-0 loss. But at this point in the season, Valour cannot afford to have that loss shake the foundations they have built. Playing a club like Atlético Ottawa gives them a perfect opportunity to rebound and once again give the team confidence that they can compete with anyone in the league, something they will have to do down the stretch.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Valour FC: Weir; Alarcón, Romeo, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Ohin, Mlah; Twardek, Figueiredo, Faria; Froese
Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Walker, Abatneh, Cloutier; Dos Santos, Zapater, Sissoko, Coulanges; Rodríguez, Tabla, Salter
ALL-TIME SERIES
Valour FC wins: 6 || Atlético Ottawa wins: 9 || Draws: 5
Last meeting:
June 15, 2025 — Atlético Ottawa 3-0 Valour FC
KEY QUOTES
"For us, it's going to be about playing an almost perfect game, and that's what it takes to win against teams that have been almost perfect throughout the season." -- Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos
"Playing at home is always different, with your fans, where you train every day. So for sure, it helps us, but at the end of the day, we need to do the job in any type of field. Can be home [or away], we just need to do the game." -- Valour FC midfielder Safwane Mlah
"I never watch the leaderboard, actually, because I think that it's not important in this part of the season. I try to put focus on the behaviours and day by day in the training sessions, and try to help my players to be better. And the consequence of all the behaviours, for sure that will give us the opportunity to live at the top of the table. So I think that it's not important right now. Our focus is on Valour." -- Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía