2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #86**
** Pacific FC vs. Valour FC**
** September 2, 2023 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET**
** TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario**
** Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here
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Pacific FC return home this weekend hoping to return to winning ways, as Valour FC head to Vancouver Island with an eye on playing spoiler in Langford. The Tridents have had a rough go of late, losing their last three games including last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Cavalry thanks to a second-half penalty kick. As a result, they’ve fallen out of the first place spot they held for quite a while. Entering matchweek 21, Pacific are second with a 9-5-7 record and 32 points — four behind the Cavs for top spot. With the incredible logjam in the table right now, they’re just three points clear of sixth-place York United, meaning a result at home this weekend is crucial. Valour, meanwhile, are desperate to get themselves back in the hunt for the club’s first-ever playoff spot. They’re seventh as it stands, and 12 points out of fifth place with a 4-8-9 record, so the mountain is quite steep for them with seven games left but not necessarily insurmountable. Last weekend, the Winnipeg club was in Halifax, where they lost 3-0 to the Wanderers in a disappointing trip to the east coast. Valour’s last win was two weeks ago, when they came back from two goals down to beat Cavalry 3-2 at IG Field in one of the best highlights of their season so far. Historically, Pacific have had a heavy upper hand in this matchup, with 13 wins from 18 games, including the last time these sides met — a 3-0 Pacific win in Manitoba back in late July, as an early goal and two late ones saw the Tridents though to three points on the road. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the two clubs in this regular season, with Pacific having won two and the first matchup in May being a 1-1 draw. Pacific have never lost at home to Valour, and they would quite like to continue that trend — but with Valour desperate for points at the moment, they’ll be eager to get something out of this game. Unfortunately for Pacific, they’ll have to go into this game a little bit shorthanded. Not only are three players — Amer Didić, Georges Mukumbilwa and Djenairo Daniels — suspended, but so too is head coach James Merriman, meaning assistant Armando Sá will take over on the touchline for this one. Valour meanwhile are returning to full health, with Matteo De Brienne finally getting back in the XI last weekend, so they’ll feel they perhaps have some depth to call on for this one. However, head coach Phillip Dos Santos did reveal on Friday that Darlington Murasiranwa will make his Valour debut in goal, with usual starter Rayane Yesli unavailable due to illness. Abdou Samaké will also miss out after suffering an injury in Halifax last week.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
- Pacific to adjust without key contributors: All three of Amer Didić, Georges Mukumbilwa and Djenairo Daniels might have started for Pacific in this game, but the Tridents will have to make do without them as all three sit this one out due to suspension. Perhaps the biggest loss for Pacific is towering centre-back Didić, who has been one of the best defenders in the CPL this season. With Eric Lajeunesse recently returning to the University of British Columbia, there aren’t a lot of natural replacements for Didić in the Pacific squad to play next to Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, although Paul Amedume stepped in last time Didić was unavailable. It’s possible midfielder Sean Young might be asked to step into the backline, which he’s done already this season. “We believe in the players we have here, all these players are ready to play,” Armando Sá told media on Friday. “They’ve already played in the league, it’s not the first game they’re going to play. They’re ready, they fight for this opportunity to come in and show that it’s their moment.” * Valour hope to reverse road woes: Valour haven’t won a game away from home since the very first match of the season — a 2-0 triumph at York United back on April 16. Against Pacific in particular, the Winnipeg club have only won on Vancouver Island once in their history, and that was in their first ever match against Pacific in May 2019. With this being the second of a three-game road trip, with another two away games on the calendar in September, Phil Dos Santos will be keen to see his side come together on the road and find a way to put some points on the board. It’s always difficult to go to Starlight Stadium to play Pacific, but Valour absolutely need a strong response on Saturday if they’re to get themselves back in the playoff hunt. “It’s hard but we need to simplify things on the road,” Dos Santos said Friday. “We need to stay cohesive, understand that when you’re able to go out and get points, it’s good if you do the job at home. Not getting out of your element, understanding that it’s okay to give a little bit of initiative to the opposition in certain elements of the game, understand that it’s okay not to have the ball but be able to control the space as well. And know where and how to exploit the opposition in those moments. I think a lot has to do with maturity as well.” * Must-win mentality for Pacific: With Cavalry recently passing Pacific in the standings and taking a four-point lead atop the table, there’s pressure on the Tridents to keep pace and return to the position they occupied for quite a while. Pacific know that with things being so tight in the table, a poor performance could end up costing them dearly — technically, they’re just one game away from finding themselves outside the playoff places with York United sitting three points back. With that in mind, this game is essentially a must-win for Pacific, who have been spiraling with poor results lately. “We need to accept and be humble we’re not in the best moment,” assistant coach Armando Sá said Friday. “We believe in our players, we believe in the process, training’s been good, everything has been perfect. We’re playing good football but sometimes in the middle of the road we have these moments and that’s when the players with the big mentality show.”
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Meilleur-Giguère, Young, Vliet; Yeates, Toussaint, Aparicio; Sellouf, Ongaro, Heard
**Valour FC: **Murasiranwa; Baquero, Cela, Pianelli, De Brienne; Campbell, Gutiérrez, Polisi; Niyongabire, Ponce, Selemani
ALL-TIME SERIES
Pacific FC wins: 13 || Valour FC wins: 2 || Draws: 3
Last meeting:
July 29, 2023 — Valour FC 0-3 Pacific FC
KEY QUOTES
“The concentration needs to be 100 per cent focused. We can’t lose the concentration, all the motivation; we know how important this game is for us. We know all the teams are trying to reach the playoffs and trying to win this league. We need to work; it’s not much to say it, it’s more actions showing on the field how we can do it.” — Pacific FC assistant coach Armando Sá “We know how difficult they are, and when a team is frustrated like that it can be even more dangerous, trying to capitalize on the home factor, playing against a team that believe at home they should win. They’re going to come out strong, they’re going to come out with a lot of energy, there’s no doubt about that. But we also have to believe in our ability to counter that. We need to try and score early, take away the spaces they like to exploit, frustrate them as long as we can in order to be able to get in their heads a little bit.” — Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos