Final Score: Valour FC 1-0 Pacific FC
Goalscorers: Ceceri 76′ (OG)
Game of the 2024 season: 100
CPL match: 584
Match in a minute or less
Valour FC moved three points closer to the final CPL playoff spot on Monday night, beating Pacific FC 1-0 at Princess Auto Stadium to move within one point of the Tridents.
After 75 minutes of back-and-forth action as both teams pushed for a huge victory, it was the hosts who scored the lone goal of the match. Themi Antonoglou fired a low cross into the penalty area in search of a teammate, but it ended up being Pacific centre-back Kevin Ceceri scoring the winner, redirecting the ball into his own net when attempting to clear it away.
Despite losing, Pacific hang on to the fifth and final playoff spot for now with 28 points, but Valour FC are just one point back of them alongside Vancouver FC on 27. Halifax Wanderers FC are two back with 26 points, with just three matches remaining for each side in the regular season.
Three Observations
Valour close in on playoff spot with crucial three points
Monday night’s match was must-win for Valour FC as they look to make the playoffs for the first time in club history.
A loss would have essentially wiped out any chance of them reaching the postseason, but instead they are now tied with Vancouver on 27 points, just one point back of Pacific for the final playoff spot. Halifax are hot on their heels, currently bottom of the table with 26 points.
Valour have hit their stride at the right time of the year after a difficult start to the campaign. They are now unbeaten in their last five matches (1-4-0), and even more impressively have only lost twice in their last eleven matches (4-5-2). A stretch like that can be enough to get a team into the playoffs in the CPL, or at least put them into contention, and Valour have a real chance to get into the top five now.
“That’s the run of a team that is aspiring for higher positions in this league,” said head coach Phillip Dos Santos after the match. “It’s all about guys committing to the process, committing to what’s on the line, enjoying it, doing it together, and I think that’s what we have here.
“Our locker room has been unbelievable, how the guys just hold on to each other and they believe in each other. It’s not always pretty but they know that they’re in it together, and that for me is the biggest joy.”
Valour play Vancouver in Langley on October 13th, the penultimate game of the regular season, sandwiched in between home games against Forge FC and Cavalry FC. Those matches will be difficult, but if they can beat the Eagles and pick up results of some kind in the other two games, they could find themselves hitting the road for the four vs. five game on October 23.
The match against Forge next week will be especially difficult as the Hammers will be motivated to clinch the CPL Shield with a victory in Winnipeg.
Monday’s result, along with others around the league this weekend, also saw York United FC book their spot in the postseason.
Antonoglou continues to shine, this time forcing match-deciding own goal
Themi Antonoglou has been an incredibly dangerous player from wide areas this season, and the Valour left back continued that on Monday night.
After a couple of other plays earlier in the match led to opportunities that the Winnipeggers were unable to take full advantage of, Antonoglou got his moment in the 76th minute, firing a low cross into the penalty area. Pacific centre-back Kevin Ceceri slid to try and clear the ball away, but redirected it into his own net for what would end up being the game’s only goal.
While it won’t count as an assist officially, Antonoglou does lead the league in that category with three matches left in the season, with seven in his debut CPL campaign — one more than Brian Wright of York United, Dani Morer of Atlético Ottawa, and Tristan Borges of Forge FC.
“I just wanted to put it in a dangerous area,” Antonoglou said after the match. “I know guys like Jordi (Swibel) and Shaan (Hundal) will get to the end of it. If I just put in a dangerous area, I know one of them will go in.”
Ceceri looked incredibly disappointed as Valour wheeled away in celebration, but multiple players including captain Thomas Meilleur-Giguère immediately went to lift him up and try and get him pumped back up for the final 15-20 minutes of a crucial match.
It was Meilleur-Giguère who told Ceceri that the best way to make up for a mistake like that amidst an otherwise decent performance is to go out and make another big play.
“It’s tough, it happens to every defender,” he said. “He tried to save us, I think there’s a lack of communication on that of the player behind him, or maybe just telling him to let the ball go because I don’t think there is [anyone] behind him. The only thing I could tell him, and I told him in the moment, I said ‘Be focused and go score now’, like we’re gonna have chances, we’re gonna have set pieces.
“He’s a great player, he did a good game. Tough moment but I know he’s gonna bounce back, he has experience and he’s very good.”
(OWN) GOAL 🦁@ValourFootball HAVE A LATE LEAD! Themi Antonoglou sends a cross in which is deflected by Pacific’s Kevin Ceceri past Emil Gazdov ⚽️
🔴 Watch the #CanPL LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/m0BhmHFNcK
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 1, 2024
Pacific end high-pressure road trip with a defeat
An intense three-game road trip came to an end for Pacific FC on Monday night, and it was a trip that had a big impact on their playoff hopes.
Sitting outside the playoff places ahead of their journey to the opposite coast on September 18, the Tridents picked up a point at Wanderers Grounds in Halifax thanks to a goal deep into stoppage time from Thomas Meilleur-Giguère to make it 2-2, lifting them back over the playoff line. From there they went to Ottawa a few days later, where they drew again, 1-1 this time, to remain in fifth place.
They were going to end the weekend in fifth again no matter what happened in Winnipeg, but Monday’s game at Princess Auto Stadium was a chance for Pacific to extend their lead and try to create a bit of separation from the bottom three, but they missed that chance to do so. Overall, the road trip was a success in the sense that they were able to get two results and climb over the playoff line, but dropping seven points leaves a bitter taste in their mouths.
“If we’re talking about points, it’s not great,” said Meilleur-Giguère of the road trip after Monday’s match. “It’s two points in an opportunity of nine and it could have been better for sure. Three games away is a big trip for us — go to Ottawa, go to Halifax, get points in those games, big points, last minute goals and stuff.
“I think we can be very proud of that, I think we’re still in the fifth position by one point, so it’s still in our hands. It’s going to be three finals to finish the season, and I think the road trip was good, it’s not bad — we have to be better but it’s okay.”
The Tridents head back home next weekend for another big match, against Cavalry FC at Starlight Stadium.
“It’s important to play in front of our fans, to give our fans the games that they want,” added head coach James Merriman. “We feel good there, we’ll go home, we’ll recover and we know it’s going to be difficult match against Cavalry, but a game that we’re gonna need to win. We’re gonna need all points to make sure that we stay in that fifth spot.”
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Themi Antonoglou, Valour FC
The Valour left back was a difference-maker on both sides of the ball all night, and forced the game-winning own goal with a great low cross into a dangerous position.
What’s next?
Valour are back at home on Sunday, hosting league leaders Forge FC, who will be looking to clinch the CPL Shield (1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET). Pacific will head home to the island, hosting Cavalry FC on Saturday (2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT).
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