Canadian Premier League Match #9
Valour FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC
May 11, 2019 Investors Group Field (3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT)
TICKETS https://www1.ticketmaster.ca/valour-fc-vs-hfx-wanderers-fc/event/1100566571161BD5Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca
Saturday's lone Canadian Premier League match sees HFX Wanderers head west once again, this time to take on Valour FC at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg.
The Wanderers are 1-1-0 on the Spring season following a 1-0 loss to Pacific FC on opening weekend and an inaugural home-opening win over Forge FC. Stephen Hart?s side will look to build on the momentum of that win, which saw striker Luis Alberta Perea return from injury to score the late winner at Wanderers Grounds, despite operating at60 to 70 percent.
HFX is on seven-days rest from that 2-1 win, while Valour comes into Saturday?s tilt following 1-0 loss to Cavalry FC at Spruce Meadows on Wednesday. A late free kick from Jose Escalante gave the Cavs that slim victory. Still, head coach Rob Gale was impressed with the defensive performance of his side, which limited the Cavs to just three shots on target, all of which came from outside the box. With three points from three matches, Gale will be looking to turn his side around as the hunt for the 10-game Spring sprint?s CPL Championship berth continues.
This is the final match before the first round of the Canadian Championship, which will send the Wanderers to play League1 Ontario's Vaughan Azzurri at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ont. (7:30 p.m. ET/OneSoccer). Valour, which has a bye in also has a mid-week CONCACAF League qualifying tilt to look forward to when they head home to host Forge FC at Investors Group Field (8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT/OneSoccer).
KEYS TO THE MATCH
Valour's tired legs: Saturday's tilt is the fourth of five matches in a two week-and-a-week span for Valour, two of which have come on the road (away to Pacific & Cavalry). If tired legs catch up to Gale?s side, they could be in deep trouble against speedy HFX wide players like Akeem Garcia and 'Zoom' Langwa.
Murrell vs. Perea: Watch for Valour captain Jordan Murrell to stick on HFX striker Luis Alberto Perea throughout the match in an effort to neutralize Stephen Hart's crafty, hard-to-handle No. 9. Conversely, if Perea trumps Murrell or Skylar Thomas enough times, HFX could have the edge in what is shaping up to be a tightly-contested affair.
Catch-em on the break: Look for the Wanderers to sit back. They controlled the ball a mere 41% of the time at home against Forge. Away to Pacific, 45%. Valour, being at home, will likely hold possession for long stretches of play just as they did against FC Edmonton. Hart will need to be well-organized in order to get a result.PROJECTED LINEUPS
Valour FC: Tyson Farago; Jordan Murrell, Skylar Thomas, Mart?n Argui?arena; Nicol?s Galvis, Louis B?land-Goyette, Marco Bustos, Diego Guti?rrez; Stephen Hoyle, Michael Petrasso, Ali Musse
HFX Wanderers: Jan-Michael Williams; Ndzemdzela Langwa, Chrisnovic N'Sa, Peter Schaale, Andre Bona, Akeem Garcia, Elton John, Juan Diego Guiterrez, Kouam? Ouattara, Mohamed Kourouma; Luis Alberto Perea
HEAD-TO-HEAD
First meeting between these clubs
STATS LEADERS
Luis Alberto Perea, Akeem Garcia 1 goal
Michael Petrasso, Stephen Hoyle, Dylan Carreiro 1 goal
INJURIES
None
INTERNATIONAL DUTY
None
SUSPENSIONS
None
ACCUMULATION
None
REFEREES
Referee: David Barrie
Assistant Referees: Philippe Bettez-Quessy & Sabrina Ferraz
4th Official: Marko Kalic