2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #36
Valour FC vs. Pacific FC
June 14, 2024 at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET
Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Valour FC conclude their first homestand of the 2024 season with a critical match against Pacific FC on Friday at Princess Auto Stadium.

After going three straight matches without a loss (two wins and a draw), Valour fell 2-0 to top of the table Atlético Ottawa this past weekend. Now they will be intent on not dropping back-to-back games at home as they try to climb back up the CPL table.

“I think it’s important in this league not to get into a spiral where you lose games back-to-back, but more important is to get back to winning ways with our fans,” said Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos.

In the Tridents, however, they face a test that has been immensely difficult historically. The Winnipeg side have defeated Pacific just once at home in club history, and just twice overall — including a 2-1 victory in their first-ever win in their inaugural match as a club.

Since then things have not gone well for Valour against Pacific, suffering 15 losses in 20 all-time meetings, and being outscored by 20 goals in those fixtures. That includes a 2-0 victory for the Tridents in week two of the 2024 CPL season, with goals from Josh Heard and Sean Young sinking Valour.

For Pacific, meanwhile, this is the second of three straight road matches. The Tridents are one of four teams heading into this weekend looking for their first road win of the campaign — and have scored just once now in three games away from home. They have two draws and a loss away from home thus far this season, including holding on for a 0-0 result in Halifax last time out despite going down to ten men in the 53rd minute after Juan Quintana was sent off.

Quintana now adds to a growing list of Pacific absences. Goalkeeper Sean Melvin had to be removed from this past weekend’s match through injury, forcing Merriman to use all five of the players he had on his bench. Key players Adonijah Reid and Cédric Toussaint, meanwhile, have been missing in recent weeks.

They will, however, get some help this week as both Steffen Yeates and Reon Moore return from international duty with Trinidad and Tobago for 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Moore had an excellent window, scoring two goals and two assists between a 2-2 draw with Grenada and 7-1 victory over Bahamas, while Yeates made his senior international debut against the Bahamas.

Valour, meanwhile, were given a significant boost this past weekend as captain Raphael Ohin made his first start in 419 days and put in a strong shift during 65 minutes played against Atlético Ottawa. Ohin made 31 of 32 passes, while winning six duels and two tackles.

This comes at an important time for the Winnipeg club, as Dante Campbell is day-to-day with an ankle injury suffered in Valour’s home opener victory over Vancouver FC. Fellow midfielder Juan Pablo Sánchez, meanwhile will be out for a few more weeks after rolling his ankle.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH 

• Kunle Dada-Luke vs. Themi Antonoglou a battle of two of the league’s most exciting fullbacks: Friday’s match will bring a clash of two of the top wide defenders in the Canadian Premier League, 24-year-old Kunle Dada-Luke of Pacific and 23-year-old Valour left back Themi Antonoglou. As luck would have it, they will be going head-to-head on the same flank on Friday. Dada-Luke has been among Pacific’s best players this season, both up and down the right side, tied for the league lead in successful dribbles with 15, and sixth in duels won with 53. Antonoglou, meanwhile, instantly caught attention for his incredible left-footed deliveries, with two assists, 10 chances created and is second in the league in crosses played with 50. Recently, however, he has been showing outstanding progress defensively, and now leads the league in interceptions with 23 and is second in tackles won with 21. Seeing how they fare against one another will be an intriguing plotline in Friday’s match.  “We talk to [Themi] a lot about his defensive responsibilities, we talk about how to improve his game and make him a player that could go further in his career as a footballer,” said Dos Santos. “Not only in the way he defends but getting in positions where he could bring a little bit more offensively, because we know he has a very good left foot. His delivery can be very dangerous.”

• Valour finding consistency defensively: For four straight matches now, Phil Dos Santos has been able to roll out the same back four: Antonoglou, Haris Chantzopoulos, Tass Mourdoukoutas and Roberto Alarcón. This consistency has been a key part of why the Winnipeg club have allowed just four goals in their past four matches. Having Jonathan Viscosi back and healthy again has also been important, with the veteran goalkeeper currently sitting third in the league in saves made with 22. This group is proving to be the backbone on which Valour have built their recent success.  “That’s something I always wanted to do, have a bit of stability in that backline and it’s not like we are in a schedule that forces us to make big chances there so I think that’s important for every team to find those four-five players that will be able to stay in,” said Dos Santos.

• Can Pacific FC continue to deal with injury adversity?: To say James Merriman’s squad selection options have been limited of late may be a bit of an understatement. Key striker Reon Moore was suspended three matches for a red card offence before leaving for Trinidad and Tobago on national team duty, where he was joined by Pacific midfielder Steffen Yeates. Cédric Toussaint, Aly Ndom and Adonijah Reid have all been out of late with injury. Now this past week, the team lost goalkeeper Sean Melvin to injury, and defender Juan Quintana to suspension. With Melvin out injured, Pacific have called up 24-year-old Daniel Zadravec who has been training with the club this season. Zadravec has played four seasons with UNBC in U SPORTS and has been named the team’s MVP the last two seasons. For Pacific, Friday will be another test of their depth. “The last couple of weeks, it’s been a challenge for the team, and we’re still continuing to get fit, to get healthy and bring players back into the squad,” said Merriman. “But it’s a good challenge for us, absolutely, to keep growing, keep improving, keep learning as a team.”