HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC vs. Valour FC (May 28, 2022)

Pacific FC remained undefeated at Starlight Stadium in CPL play this season, storming back from down 2-0 to pick up a 2-2 draw against Valour FC on Saturday, in a game filled with all sorts of drama and action.

Valour nearly opened the scoring right in the 14th minute, as Sean Rea lofted in a dangerous ball to the back post, which found the run of Moses Dyer, but the Valour attacker just sent his shot wide of the mark from in close. 

At the other end, Marco Bustos had Pacific’s first look at goal in the 16th minute, lining up a shot from distance, but his attempt would be easily saved by Jonathan Sirois in the Valour goal. 

A few minutes later, Brett Levis came close off of a corner kick, as the ball fell to him in a good area in the box, and he unleashed a rocket of a volley, but his shot sailed well over the goal. 

Continuing the back-and-forth action, Bustos had his second look at goal in the 32nd minute, doing well to cut inside on his preferred left foot, but his shot would once again be easily saved by Sirois. 

Just a couple of moments later, however, Valour would then break open the game, and in a big way. After a great run, one that saw him fend off six Pacific players, Rea decided to have a go from 40 yards out, and he’d find the target, lofting the ball over a stranded Callum Irving in the Pacific goal to score a goal of the month candidate. 

Despite that blow, Pacific continued to push, and nearly clawed the game back right before half time. After a nice run down the flank by Gianni Dos Santos, he’d cut back the ball into a dangerous area, finding Bustos, but his low shot would be nicely blocked by Levis. 

Yet, having survived that late warning strike, that didn’t faze Valour, who came out strong to start the second half. As a result, they’d be able to add to their lead right in the 48th minute, as the ball fell to Levis again on a corner, and he’d do well to slot it across to Daryl Fordyce, who’d tap the ball home from inside the six-yard box to double his team’s lead. 

Down a goal, that left Pacific needing to find something, quick, just to get back into the game. And they’d find that in the 56th minute, as the ball fell to Dos Santos at the edge of the box, where he’d line up a rocket from distance, finding the top corner with his strike to halve Valour’s lead. 

With their lead all of a sudden in peril, Valour looked to add to it before Pacific’s push yielded more goals. Which, to give them credit, they came close to doing in the 66th minute, as William Akio broke free for a dangerous chance, but he’d be denied by Irving on the breakaway.

They’d come to regret that miss, too, as Pacific found their equalizer just minutes later. After a great run by Josh Heard, who came off the bench early in the second half, he’d float in a great ball for fellow sub, Alejandro Diaz, who nodded home his league-leading sixth goal of the season from close range. 

Having suffered that blow, that didn’t stop Valour, however. Not long after Diaz’s tally, the ball fell to Akio in the box after a cross into the area, and he’d have the goal seemingly at his mercy, yet turned his attempt wide. 

Continuing their attempt to grab back their lead, Valour would push, and came close on two occasions in the 80th minute, both coming off shots from distance from Walter Ponce, but his first shot would be saved by Irving, and his second shot would sail just over. 

From there, however, neither team would be able to find the late equalizer that they desired, leaving them to share the spoils on the day. 

BOX SCORE

Goals

36′ — Sean Rea (Valour FC)

48′ — Daryl Fordyce (Valour FC)

56′ — Gianni Dos Santos (Pacific FC)

71′ — Alejandro Diaz (Pacific FC)

Discipline

20′ — Yellow: Andy Baquero (Valour FC)

90′ — Yellow: Walter Ponce (Valour FC)

90′ — Yellow: Diego Gutierrez (Valour FC)

90′ — Yellow: Amer Đidić (Pacific FC)

90′ — Yellow: Matthew Baldisimo (Pacific FC)

90′ — Yellow: Kunle Dada-Luke (Pacific FC)