FC Edmonton opened their season with a 2-1 win at Investors Group Field over Valour FC in an exciting fixture in front of just under 10,000 people.

It was a great day for soccer in Manitoba as an official crowd of 9,699 showed up to Investors Group Field on the University of Manitoba campus to take in Valour FC’s home opener against FC Edmonton. The Winnipeg-based club opened their season last Wednesday in a victorious outing over Pacific FC. Rob Gale’s side stuck to their 3-4-1-2 formation, with plenty of technically gifted players controlling the middle areas of the pitch, while FC Edmonton went with a fluid and flexible 4-2-3-1 formation that had players interchanging positions on a regular basis, most notably in the wide areas.

Throughout the match, Valour’s left centre-back Martin Arguinarena pushed high and wide on the left flank, subsequently allowing Dylan Sacramento, who is very much a creative attacker, to get further up the pitch. This had Valour’s formation looking like a fluid 4-2-3-1 at times in possession.

Here are the starting XI’s that the clubs put out on Saturday afternoon:

Valour FC’s 3-4-1-2 formation was very attacking, contrary to popular belief regarding 3 at the back formations. The wide centre-backs Thomas and Arguinarena pushed high into the half spaces in order to give their teammates more passing options.

Edmonton had a disciplined back-line in their 4-2-3-1 formation, which hardly allowed any opportunities for Valour FC inside the box. Yong-Chan, Esua, and Edwini-Bonsu were always looking to spring on the counter-attack throughout the match.

Valour were dominant in possession, but were unable to “pick the lock”.

The very first thing that was noticeable in this match was the difference in technical quality in the middle of the pitch, and even in the wide areas. The Valour FC squad is very gifted in this aspect, and this allowed them to dictate the play for large parts of the match, moving the ball laterally with fantastic efficiency and pace. Louis Beland-Goyette once again lined up as the deepest midfielder, receiving the ball from the centre-backs and distributing it to wide areas and to Josip Golubar and Dylan Carreiro in their advanced midfield roles. Beland-Goyette was a bit careless with his passing on some occasions throughout this match, but his discipline in possession from a positional perspective was superb, acting as the anchor. While his positioning was excellent when his team was in possession, he was caught out of position a few too many times when Edmonton had the ball. Beland-Goyette won just 4 of 15 duels and completed just a single tackle.

Interestingly, Dylan Sacramento started as the 10 in Wednesday’s opening match against Pacific, but moved out to the left for this fixture with Carreiro taking up his central place. Michael Petrasso, a known jack-of-all-trades, played as a centre-forward in this match, but later took up Sacramento’s place down the left-hand side. Petrasso eventually grabbed Valour’s only goal of the match from a well-taken penalty kick in the 86th minute, but the club was unable to find an equaliser in the dying moments. Petrasso and Sacramento caused issues for Edmonton throughout the match, with the former’s outward-peeling runs into the channels and the latter’s one-touch passing being their deadliest traits on the night.

“I can manage in different positions. I kind of learnt it throughout growing up. I think wherever Rob needs me to play, I will play for the team.” Valour FC’s Michael Petrasso

This versatility is certainly something that has aided Rob Gale in picking his XI’s, also helping him cope with the early-season injuries to the likes of Glenn Muenkat, Ali Musse, and Calum Ferguson.

“It definitely makes it easier as a coach, if you’ve got that fluidity. You need to be formless in the shape.” Valour Head Coach & GM Rob Gale

In the wide areas, Diego Gutierrez was the standout player, as he was sublime in all 3 phases of play, contributing heavily in the build up, with the final ball, and on the defensive side of things. Edmonton continuously found it difficult to get down to the byline on his side of the pitch. You can tell that Gutierrez’s South American upbringing is making him a significant creative force in this team, as his technical quality and reading of the game is at a very high level.

"I'm happy to score here in front of the home crowd. That was for them"



FULL VIDEO ▶️ https://t.co/77cszEYN7r #ForValour | #CanPL pic.twitter.com/inwuSCFj6U — ValourFC (@ValourFootball) May 5, 2019

Valour defended quite well apart from a few mistakes here and there, but it was in the final third where the issues arose for the club. Didic and Temguia were winning everything in the air and most of the duels on the ground as well, and the 2 strikers Michael Petrasso and Stephen Hoyle were forced into wide areas and deep positions to receive the ball, rather than getting fed in the box itself. This made it difficult for Valour to get any clear-cut efforts at Connor James while actually facing the goal inside the box. The few good opportunities they did have in the first half were turned away by the Eddies shot-stopper, who was efficient in coming off his line. Despite his good instincts, James was far too slow with the ball at his feet and Valour’s targeted pressing of the keeper was effective.

Skylar Thomas played on the right side of defence and pushed up significantly in possession to offer his teammates yet another passing option, while Martin Arguinarena did the exact same on the left-hand side. Jordan Murrell was the anchor in the centre of defence, but on Wednesday against Pacific FC, Murrell started on the right with Thomas down the middle. Rob Gale explained that this switch had to do with matching his central defenders up with the opposition forwards:

“If you look at Pacific, they have no left-footers down that side, so everything was coming inside…they all want to play underneath, so Skylar was a natural match for Marcus Haber…Today we reverted back.” Rob Gale

A couple of local-bred players made appearances off the bench, which means 5 of the 7 Winnipeggers on the Valour roster have played in the opening 2 matches, with Raphael Ohin and Federico Pena being the 2 still waiting for their opportunity, which will certainly come sooner rather than later. 17-year-old Tyler Attardo brought some pace and strength to the front-line in the final few minutes, while Ali Musse looked a little rusty coming off an injury, but still created some decent opportunities in the box – something that was hard for the team to come by before he stepped onto the field.

17-year-old Tyler Attardo almost finds the back of the net for Valour with a header in the 82nd minute. Just misses the net. Would've been a pretty cool moment for the River East student. #CanPL — Taylor Allen (@TaylorAllen31) May 4, 2019

After just 2 matches we are starting to see what kind of team Valour really are. With centre-backs who are comfortable on the ball and in pushing high up the pitch into the half-spaces, along with central midfielders and wing-backs who are constantly getting into great positions and pulling off exquisite passes – this is a team that has an aim to dictate the tempo of matches and pass intricately in the final third. Tyson Farago’s fantastic distribution also aids Rob Gale’s team in playing out from the back as well.

While the defence still has to iron out their positional play, which is essentially the control and covering of the spaces vacated when in possession, their quality on the ball is a massive plus to this team and the way they play. At the top end, the sheer depth and versatility that the team possesses is something that is likely going to give them an upper hand over some of their opposition throughout the course of a lengthy season, although they fell short in their final third play against Edmonton.

FC Edmonton were near-impenetrable with their physically gifted defence, and they capitalized on their minimal opportunities.

The Eddies opened their season in an imposing atmosphere at Investors Group Field, but stuck to their effective game-plan extremely well. Jeff Paulus’ side created physical mismatches in their favour all over the pitch, as they possess some seriously burly specimen, especially on the back-end of their XI. Their back 4 of Zebie, Temguia, Didic, and Moses was excellent in their positioning and defensive play, and Temguia and Didic even contributed quite significantly in the opposition half as well.

Despite having a few injuries, it seems we got to know exactly how Edmonton plan on playing this season. They have some rapid counter-attacking forwards such as Son Yong-Chan and Randi Edwini-Bonsu, who waited patiently for their opportunities to spring forward the very instant their teammates won the ball back. The injury to Tomi Ameobi meant that Edmonton very much lacked a focal point up front, as their makeshift centre-forward on the day, Randi Edwini-Bonsu, is a talented player but is much more suited to wide positions than central ones. While this did limit their opportunities in open play, it didn’t make a difference on their set pieces, which won them the match.

To the @RVVanguard and supporters who made it Winnipeg, to those at the @UrbanTavernYEG and to those that supported at home or whatever means you used to follow the team, I want to sincerely thank you for supporting our club. #TopFans #Eddies — Jeff_Paulus (@jeff_paulus) May 5, 2019

The first goal came through some poor defending from Valour, who allowed 2 Edmonton players to get in on either side of Skylar Thomas. It was a clear case of miscommunication between Murrell, Beland-Goyette, and Sacramento who lost the run of Temguia, who eventually slotted home after a bit of pinball around Tyson Farago right on the stroke of half-time. Edmonton’s 2nd goal came through a corner kick, and it was another case of miscommunication as Valour turned off once again, leaving substitute Oumar Diouck wide open on the back post to head in easily, following Amer Didic’s headed flick-on. These really were the only 2 mistakes Valour made defensively throughout the match, and they were extremely unlucky to concede off both of them.

Despite the goals, the match was won for Edmonton in the duels department. They won 58% of them, which clearly shows the size advantage they had on Valour. As mentioned earlier, the back-line cut down Valour’s passing and shooting options considerably in the final third, forcing the home side to pass from left to right and right to left without being able to find the final pass or shot.

Ramon Soria had a very interesting role with Edmonton, as he played in central midfield but often rotated out with Son Yong-Chan on the left, making it difficult for their opposition to track their runs in the first half. Edwini Bonsu was also peeling out to that side, but Diego Gutierrez did a good job in reading their movement apart from on the opening goal. The Spaniard Soria was brilliant in midfield throughout the match, showcasing his quality with and without the ball, winning 100% of his team-high 7 attempted tackles and completing by far the most passes for his side as well.

At the end of the day, the fact that only 1 of the 3 goals came from open play clearly displays the issue that both sides faced in this match – the lack of a final pass. While Valour tried their best to find the final pass with their technically gifted midfielders and wide players who are certainly capable of it, Edmonton’s size and positional discipline made it very difficult for them. It was a bit of an opposite situation for the away side, who certainly had more space to work with in possession, but didn’t have the technical quality required to find the final pass. The difference in physical level fell in Edmonton’s favour, and subsequently, so did the scoreline.

Regardless of the result, the massive home crowd seemed to enjoy the return of professional soccer to Winnipeg. Valour certainly have an attractive style of play along with many exciting, gifted players that will certainly attract fans in the city for years and years to come.

Valour FC Player Ratings

Tyson Farago – 7 – Distributed the ball very well throughout and couldn’t do too much about the goals. Skylar Thomas – 7 – Made himself available for a pass frequently in good positions and wasn’t as slow with his feet as he was against Pacific. Jordan Murrell – 7.5 – Anchored the backline well, saw a lot of the ball and kept things ticking. Disciplined performance. Martin Arguinarena – 7 – Made a few poor decisions but saw a lot of the ball and pushed forward well, allowing Sacramento more freedom to roam. Diego Gutierrez – 8.5 – Superb in all 3 phases of the game, cutting down opportunities and contributing to the build up. Also won the penalty. Louis Beland-Goyette – 6 – Sloppy with and without the ball, didn’t win enough of the 50/50’s and wasn’t aware enough of the spaces surrounding him. Josip Golubar – 6.5 – Not as influential as many expected him to be. Too often made the wrong decision or didn’t time his passes correctly. Dylan Sacramento – 7 – Has some edge-of-your-seat moments and is clearly going to become a fan favourite, however the end product simply wasn’t there. Dylan Carreiro – 7 – Had an up and down match, completing some great passes but also making a few questionable decisions. Opting to shoot rather than pass to a wide open Hoyle in the 67th minute was the glaring error. Michael Petrasso – 8 – Stunning in possession once again, peeling out wide and driving to the byline with impressive quality. Comfortably one of the league’s premier players. Stephen Hoyle – 6.5 – Didn’t quite get into the game and didn’t have the pace nor the height to beat Edmonton’s defenders on the ground or in the air. SUB – Tyler Attardo – 7.5 – Offered far more than Stephen Hoyle did after coming on. Fitness levels are clearly high in the 17 year old. SUB – Ali Musse – 6.5 – Was extremely sloppy in possession after coming on, but his pace and instincts in the final third were noticeable in the dying moments. SUB – Nicolas Galvis – N/A – Not enough time on the pitch

FC Edmonton Player Ratings

Connor James – 7.5 – Bit slow with his feet but turned aside some good shots and came off his line really well a few times to deny clear-cut chances. Kareem Moses – 7.5 – Dealt with Sacramento and Petrasso very well throughout the match and won most of the battles which came his way. Amer Didic – 9 – A standout performance from one of the league’s standout players. Won everything that came his way and grabbed a vital assist on the game-winning goal. Mele Temguia – 8.5 – Like Didic, he won everything that came his way and had a crucial contribution on the other end of the pitch, opening the scoring on the stroke of halftime. Allan Zebie – 7 – Was quiet throughout the match as Valour were focusing far more on the opposite flank, but he still put in a good, relatively error-free performance. Jeannot Esua – 6 – Clearly isn’t suited to playing in as advanced a position as he did, and he was often wasteful in transition. James Marcelin – 7 – Overshadowed a bit by his midfield partner Ramon Soria, but a tidy outing from Marcelin who hardly put a foot wrong all game. Ramon Soria – 8.5 – A disciplined, intelligent display from the Spaniard, who was a rock in shielding the backline and was efficient in possession too. Son Yong-Chan – 6.5 – The ‘smiling assassin’ won’t become the cult hero many predict him to become if he plays like this consistently. A very quiet performance lacking in quality. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph – 6.5 – Not enough creativity or dynamism for a player in the 10 position. No chances created, no shots on goal, and just 50 touches is disappointing. Randi Edwini-Bonsu – 7.5 – An admirable performance from a player being played out of position, who was also isolated for a lot of this game. Looked very dangerous in transition at times. SUB -Oumar Diouck – 8 – Grabbed the vital winning goal after sneaking in at the back post. Played just 35 minutes and had 2 shots on goal while also creating a chance. Became the focal-point Edmonton were lacking. SUB – Ajay Khabra – N/A – Not enough time on the pitch.

SUB – Bruno Zebie – N/A – Not enough time on the pitch.

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Mahith Gamage Website An avid football fan right from his first experiences with the sport, Mahith Gamage has been dabbling in football journalism for a few years now, creating his own world football blog and podcast, freeflow football, whilst featuring frequently on many other football media outlets, covering European football. With the start of the Canadian Premier League in 2019, Mahith began coverage of his hometown club, Valour FC, through NSXI. He enjoys spreading his knowledge and opinions of the beautiful game to fellow football fanatics in Canada and throughout the world, using articles and tweets, thriving particularly on tactical analysis and player scouting. You can find him tweeting about world football day and night, at @mahithgamage.

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