Final Score: Valour FC 0-0 Pacific FC |
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Match in a minute or less
Valour FC and Pacific FC drew 0-0 at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday night in a match where both sides struggled to find any kind of rhythm.
Kickoff was delayed over two hours due to air quality issues in Winnipeg as a result of wildfires in northern Manitoba, and the match was sluggish at times, especially in the first half. For the second match in a row Valour FC created more chances to score than their opponents but were unable to take advantage of any of them and pick up three points.
Kris Twardek put the ball in the back of the net late in the first half but was offside on the play, while Eleias Himaras saved the day for Valour in stoppage time, diving to his left to stop a header from Aly Ndom on what ended up being the very last play of the game from a set piece -- and the Tridents' best opportunity in the match.
Three Observations
Lengthy weather delay and heat lead to a match that struggled to find rhythm
Sunday's match was played in tough conditions, due to a mixture of heat and poor air quality from wildfires in northern Manitoba. The air quality conditions forced kickoff to be delayed nearly two-and-a-half hours, and when the game did eventually begin, neither side looked particularly energetic.
Valour head coach Phil Dos Santos said that some players went home when they heard about the delayed kickoff and then came back to the stadium for the new kickoff time, while goalkeeper Eleias Himaras said that some players just ensured they stayed both hydrated and focused for whenever they did have to head out onto the pitch. The visitors relied on the chemistry and relationships they have been building all season according to their boss James Merriman, staying loose and mentally ready.
Whether by strategy or by circumstance, both sides seemed keen on not making the first big mistake of the game as much as anything, and for most of the opening half, neither side came very close to scoring. Kris Twardek put the ball in the back of the net just before halftime, but was in an offside position and what would have been the opening goal was called off.
Apart from another end-to-end surge in second half stoppage time, the game struggled to find any kind of rhythm for large stretches. Pacific defender Kadin Chung said after the match that "it was always going to be that type of game today" given the conditions, and both teams will look to move on quickly to important games coming up as they continue to chase better form, and the teams ahead of them in the standings.
Valour attack shows signs of promise again, but still lacking moments of quality to find the back of the net
As Phil Dos Santos spoke to after the match, Valour did a lot of things right in Sunday's match, but were just missing the all-important goal. Last week in Calgary, Valour outshot Cavalry FC but struggled to get their attempts on goal. That was the case again on Sunday, with five of 12 shots testing Max Anchor in the Pacific net. In both games they were unable to score, but luckily for them Pacific did not punish them the same way Cavalry did.
With their strikers struggling at the moment, and teams figuring out they should be sitting deep defensively against them, another trend lately for Valour has been a reliance on long shots. Ten of their twelve shots on Sunday came from outside the 18-yard box, with midfielders Bruno Figueiredo and Diogo Ressurreição taking two each and left back Themi Antonoglou leading the way with three shots.
Having the confidence to take those shots can be a good thing -- especially when Figueiredo scored one recently against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Xavier Venâncio scored one against Vancouver FC and Kris Twardek scored one against York United -- but it can be equally frustrating when they happen several times in a match to no avail. After scoring twice in three consecutive games before this two-game scoreless run, Valour know they have what it takes to score goals, but a lack of consistency in the final third has left them frustrated with their results.
Shaan Hundal is the only striker on the roster to score through ten games in all competitions, finding the back of the net twice for a share of the team lead with centre-back Kelsey Egwu. If Valour is going to turn good performances into more positive results they need to get Hundal firing on all cylinders, as well as Jevontae Layne -- who has been Dos Santos' preferred starter in recent weeks.
Pacific now winless and scoreless in three as they approach crucial homestand
With Sunday's result in Winnipeg, Pacific FC are now winless and scoreless in three matches. Their last goal was an important one, a stoppage time winner from Emanuel Montejano to beat York United 2-1 on May 10. After that they lost 4-0 to Cavalry FC, lost 1-0 to Forge FC and drew 0-0 on Sunday, going 270+ minutes without finding the back of the net.
They had just four shots at Princess Auto Stadium, with just one hitting the target -- a header from Aly Ndom on the very last play of the game that forced a big stop from Eleias Himaras in the Valour net. Ndom also curled a free kick wide of the target earlier in the half, Josh Heard skied a shot over the bar, and Dario Zanatta failed to test the goalkeeper with a header in the box as well. Like Valour, they have struggled at the striker position this season, not getting much consistency from any of their options as they wait for one to take their opportunity and run with it.
Marco Bustos leads the league in chances created, but the standout duo of him and Kadin Chung on the right flank looked a bit disjointed on Sunday, which can severely limit the number of chances the team as a whole is able to create in such instances.
The Tridents head back to Starlight Stadium for what will be the most important two games of their season so far -- Atlético Ottawa at home on Saturday, and then York United at home a week later. Ottawa have scored multiple goals in all but one game this season and have no trouble creating chances to score, which will require a big defensive effort from the Tridents.
Finding the balance between another solid defensive effort and needing more from the attack will be James Merriman's challenge this week, with Pacific needing to get back into the win column for the first time in almost a month -- the aforementioned win against York on May 10.
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Bruno Figueiredo, Valour FC
Figueiredo was the central figure in Valour FC's midfield again, and continues his role in the team continues to grow in importance as the season progresses.
What’s next?
Valour FC has a quick turnaround, hosting Vancouver FC on Wednesday morning in their first-ever school day match (11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT). Pacific next play on Saturday, returning home to host Atlético Ottawa (3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET)
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