With the Canadian Premier League’s 2023 season just past its midway point, the faculty at CanPL.ca have decided to evaluate each club’s first half of the campaign. All four panelists have assigned a letter grade to every side for their body of work so far, with some advice and areas for improvement for the remaining half of the year as well.
To see report cards for other clubs, click here.
Valour FC
Record so far: 3W, 7D, 5L (16 points)
First half summary:
Mitchell Tierney: It has undoubtedly been a tough season for the Winnipeg side, who have dealt with significant injuries and scoring struggles through the opening half of the season. On the positive end of things, they have been defensively solid despite a lot of rotation at the back. Rayane Yesli has arguably been the league’s best keeper. But the scoring support just hasn’t been there, with a league-low 12 through 15 matches.
GRADE: C+
Benedict Rhodes: Valour are playing well for large stretches of games, but goals have proven to be very hard to come by. None of their strikers have been consistent enough to warrant starting ahead of one another, and for as long as the goals are missing at the rate they have been, wins will be at a premium. This is a team with many of the pieces needed to be successful, but they need a goalscorer to step up, and soon.
GRADE: C
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: It’s been a tough start to the season out in Winnipeg, as they’ve been unable to build on a strong end to the 2022 campaign. Because of that, they sit near the bottom of the table, having battled inconsistency all season long. On the plus side of the ledger, they’ve been good defensively despite dealing with all sorts of injuries to their back line, conceding the fewest goals in the league. Yet, due to their inability to score, sitting with just 12 goals in 15 games, they’ve been unable to make the most of their defensive prowess, reflected in the fact that they’ve drawn nearly half (7/15) of their games as of writing.
GRADE: C-
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: The first half of the season has been strange for Valour, who have gone through a collection of major ups and downs in recent weeks. After winning at York to open the year, they went eight games without a win — but ended that streak with a huge win over Forge. They’ve been hit hard by injuries, especially in defence, but they’ve scored just 12 goals. Valour need to find that explosive transition play that made them so dangerous last season, and to zero in on a consistent attacking group. Maybe the 3-4-3 they used against Forge is a good option going forward?
GRADE: C
Second half outlook:
Mitchell Tierney: The club is in desperate need of more attacking quality, particularly from the number nine position. With their defensive ability, becoming more goal dangerous would instantly increase the chances of collecting wins more often. Unless they figure that out, however, it looks like it could be another year of being on the outside looking in for Valour.
Benedict Rhodes: The glaring issue for Valour FC is that they need goals on a consistent basis. Scoring less than a goal a game isn’t a recipe for success, and that is the position that the Winnipeggers find themselves in. They have a strong group of midfielders, and a resilient defensive unit anchored by Rayane Yesli that has kept them in games all season long. Someone needs to step up and become the lethal finisher they need, or they need to go out and sign one, otherwise they could be in trouble.
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: It’s simple for Valour: if they’re to make the playoffs, they’ll need goals. Rayane Yesli is having an MVP-level season in goal, their defence continues to find a way despite injuries, and they’ve built one of the deepest midfield groups in the league, so all that’s left for Valour to figure out are the goals. If they can find them, they’ll make a run, and will be a team to watch in the playoffs given their defensive prowess. If not, it’ll certainly feel like a bit of a missed opportunity for a Valour team that has had their fair share of them in their first four years of existence, as they chase their first-ever playoff berth.
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: Valour need goals, and quick. Anthony Novak could be an effective finisher for them, as could Kian Williams — but somebody’s got to put the ball in the net. Pacifique Niyongabire has been electric at times on the wing, but the final product has been lacking. Still, plenty of strong individual seasons — Matteo De Brienne, Diego Gutiérrez and Rayane Yesli in particular — have kept them afloat, and at their best this remains a team that defends and presses very well as a unit. The next step is to turn that defending and pressing into goals on the counter.