Valour FC and York United drew 1-1 at IG Field on Sunday, as a pair of second half goals saw the 400th match in Canadian Premier League history end deadlocked.
At the start of the match, both teams were seeing a lot of the ball, but struggling to make anything happen with it. As the half progressed, Valour were starting to impose themselves on the game a bit more — getting to every loose ball first and piling the pressure on the York backline.
The first good chance for either side came in the 25th minute, off a set piece at the top corner of the York United penalty area, to the left of York goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos. Matteo de Brienne swung a cross to the back post, where the ball was met by the head of Klaidi Cela, who sent it across the six yard box to Pacifique Niyongabire. The Burundi international got his head on the ball, but couldn’t get a strong enough touch on the ball, and it glanced off his head before going wide of the post.
Valour came close to a breakthrough again about twelve minutes later, as Kian Williams tried to pick out the top right corner of the goal with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. He seemingly put his shot where he wanted to, but Giantsopoulos dived to his left to make a brilliant diving stop and keep the game scoreless.
The home side were relentless in the first 45 minutes, not allowing York to take a single shot before halftime. That changed quickly in the second half, however, as Osaze De Rosario tested Rayane Yesli with a shot from distance just ninety second after the interval, with the Valour goalkeeper making an easy stop.
York continued their strong start to the half, taking the lead just a few minutes later. After making a lengthy run down the right flank to keep the ball in play at the goal line, Clément Bayiha centred the ball for Mo Babouli at the edge of the penalty area. Babouli took a touch before firing it across goal, past Rayane Yesli.
Walter Ponce had a chance to tie the game just after the hour mark, with a wide open header in a similar position to Niyongabire’s in the first half. After de Brienne fired another brilliant cross into the area, it fell to Ponce in the six yard box, but the Chilean forward couldn’t get his header on target for what looked to be an sure-finish. Valour tested Niko Giantsopoulos’ goal again two minutes later, with substitute Anthony Novak getting a shot on target after a long pass forward from Diego Gutierrez, but the York goalkeeper was able to make a big stop.
The home side finally got their breakthrough in the 72nd minute, on an stunning goal from distance. The Valour left back picked up the ball after a clearance from the York defence, taking a few steps toward goal before unleashing a rocket of a shot with his supposedly weaker right foot. Giantsopoulos got a touch on the shot, but it went past him into the net to tie things up at 1-1.
The goal re-ignited Valour’s home crowd at IG Field, and the squad reacted accordingly — pushing now for a match-winner. Jared Ulloa weaved in and out of defenders before getting a shot away, but his effort just trickled wide, a few moments before a long-range shot from Andy Baquero was blocked by the face of former Valour attacker Austin Ricci. Another former Valour player, Michael Petrasso, had a shot blocked for York at the other end of the pitch in the 88th minute — York’s last big opportunity of this match.
The winning goal would never come for either side on a hot day in the Manitoba capital. York United’s winning streak was snapped, but both teams extended their unbeaten runs.
BOX SCORE
Goals
49′ — Mo Babouli (York United) 72′ — Matteo de Brienne (Valour FC)
