2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #34
Valour FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
June 9, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET
Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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After a triumphant return home last matchday, Valour is getting set for the second of three straight home games this weekend, as they host league-leaders Atlético Ottawa at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday.

A meeting of two in-form sides, as Valour enters having picked up seven points in their last three games after a 2-0 win over Vancouver FC last weekend, a total only matched by Ottawa in the CPL across that same span, this promises to be a good battle between two teams who have typically matched up evenly in the all-time series.

Of course, that didn’t end up being the case in their first two meetings of 2024, as Ottawa beat Valour 7-0 in the Canadian Championship back in May before following it up with a 2-0 win in CPL play just days later, but Valour will now look to repay the favour in this one.

Given that both of those games came on the road, Valour will hope that a return home can be what they need to get their revenge against Ottawa.

If they’re to do that, however, they’ll look to build off what has worked for them in the past few weeks. From their solid defensive play, as they’ve allowed just two goals in their last three games, to some more timely scoring, as they’ve found in the last few games, Valour’s done well to tighten up their play in both boxes.

Against a side like Ottawa, who leads the league in goals and are among the stingiest teams in the CPL defensively, Valour will know the importance of being clinical in both boxes if they’re to win this one.

“I think that we’ve had some professional performances,” Valour’s head coach, Phil Dos Santos, said this week. “When you look at the way the team has defended collectively, yes the opposition will always get chances, the same way we will, but we’ve been able to capitalize (offensively), and (defensively) we’ve come a long way from the beginning of the season where we were conceding a lot, as we’re finding ways to keep the opposition away from our goal.”

As for Ottawa, they’ll just look to build off their strong start, sitting as the lone remaining undefeated CPL side through eight games with a record of 5W-3D-0L.

At the same time, they’re coming off a mixed performance against Halifax, which saw them draw 2-2 at home. It’s a draw they’re quite pleased with, as they showed good character to come down from 2-0 in that one, but they’ll also feel their performance could’ve been much better than it was.

That they were able to get a point out of it is a sign of their strong mentality, but they will want to return to their best, especially against a Valour side that is historically tough to beat at home and is looking to keep that up as they get set for a home-heavy schedule in the last three quarters of their campaign.

“I think that the team is growing in different areas, technically, tactically, individually and collectively,” Ottawa’s head coach, Carlos González, said when asked of his team’s recent comeback. “And this is a part on the collective growth, the mental part, I think that it’s very important to be capable of bouncing back and getting these type of results, because this is also a statement from us for everybody, that our team is strong mentally, and that we have the appropriate mentality to be a tough team to beat.”

In terms of injury availability, Valour are unlikely to have Juan Pablo Sánchez as he deals with an ankle injury, but the good news is that Charalampos Chantzopoulos is good to go after leaving Valour’s last game with cramps. Meanwhile, Kévin dos Santos and Maxim Tissot remain out for Ottawa, although González had a positive update on Tissot this week saying he’s month-to-month after being worried he’d miss the rest of the year, while Amer Didić is set to return from a small knock that kept him out of the Halifax match.

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

3 THINGS TO WATCH 

• Duelling midfield trios set to face off: One key aspect to watch in this game will be how both teams tackle the midfield battle, as controlling the middle of the pitch is central to how both play. For Ottawa, it’s been a centrepiece of their team since day one, as they’ve consistently used a 4-3-2-1 that sometimes even sees them employ an extra midfielder in the front three, giving them all sorts of control in possession. Through that, it’s helped them a lot at both ends of the pitch, with midfielders like Alberto Zapater and Aboubacar Sissoko proving to be crucial defensively, while Ollie Bassett and Dani Morer have done their best work at the other end, with the tireless Manny Aparicio providing value at both ends. As for Valour, however, they’ve grown into a new set-up lately, as after starting the year with a 3-4-2-1, they’ve shifted to a 4-2-3-1, and that extra midfielder has been crucial for them as of late. In particular, the midfield pairing of Dante Campbell and Juan Pablo Sánchez has done well together, combining nicely with Diogo Ressurreição, Noah Verhoeven and Raphael Ohin, who have all featured in different roles, too (and with Sánchez unlikely to feature in this game, look for Verhoeven or Ohin to step up, in particular). With Valour’s wide home pitch, controlling the midfield will be key in ensuring teams don’t get too stretched, making this battle a key one to watch.

• Swibel looking to build on strong start for Valour: Quietly, Jordi Swibel has found his feet in the attack for Valour, with his brace against Vancouver last weekend giving him four on the season – a total which would’ve matched last year’s team lead. That’s given this Valour side a key offensive piece to play off in the attack, with Swibel’s runs providing lots of value with how they can stretch the field and create space for his teammates, while also creating opportunities for himself. Because of that, expect Swibel to keep up this run of form after having scored three goals in his last three games, as it’s been crucial to Valour’s success over the last few weeks. Especially given how Valour’s pitch seems to suit him, as he showed against Vancouver, this stretch of home games could help him push for double-digits in goals, provided he can continue to make the same runs he did last week. Plus, his form might help his other forwards, Abdul Binate and Shaan Hundal, find their feet, too, so look for Swibel’s form to push those around him, as well. “The team feeds off when you have your number #9 taking part in the defensive actions the way he does, where he’s so committed and he’s so connected to the team in the way he presses opposition, the way he works, the way stretches the opposition,” Dos Santos said. “I think that that it becomes contagious when you add goals to that, as the levels of motivation and confidence go through the roof.”

• Zapater showing leadership in many ways for Ottawa: For a team filled with dangerous attacking options, not many would’ve expected the 38-year-old Alberto Zapater to be the one to score Ottawa’s dramatic 100th minute equalizer against Halifax last week, as the defensive midfielder showed a great scoring touch with his finish. Yet, Zapater’s quietly been putting together a strong offensive season, already sitting with four goals in all competitions, which is among his best-ever scoring seasons, with his career-high coming in 2017-2018 when he scored five for Real Zaragoza. If he keeps this up, he might not just beat that mark, but blow past it, too, which would be remarkable given his age. At the same time, Ottawa won’t care if he does, as his impact doesn’t rely on his offence – it comes through his leadership, passing and defence, with the goals being a bonus. Of course, seeing Zapater find the score sheet and celebrate in the way that he does is also a great lift for the team, too, so they’ll keep looking for him in the box when the moment presents itself. “Zapa(ter) is a very special figure in the in the locker room,” González said. “He’s important on and off the field, when he plays a little bit less he’s still important because of what he creates in our locker room with the energy that he transmits and the experience that he has, but when he plays he helps us mentally, importantly, but he also adds to our team in the football aspect, too.”