RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Valour FC vs. Vancouver FC (May 3, 2025)

After two consecutive draws, Vancouver FC held on for their first win of the 2025 season, 3-1 over a nine-man Valour FC on Saturday evening in Winnipeg.

Alejandro Díaz scored the winner, his first of the season but his 11th against Valour in his career. Vasco Fry opened the scoring for Vancouver and newcomer Pathe Ndiaye scored in his first appearance for the Eagles, while Xavier Venâncio also added his first in a consolation effort for Valour.

As aforementioned, Valour finished the match with just nine players on the pitch, after both Kris Twardek (64th minute) and Jevontae Layne (85th) were sent off after receiving second yellow cards.

For the first time this season, head coach Phil Dos Santos was on the sideline for Valour FC having completed his three-match suspension to begin the campaign.

Vancouver had the first big opportunity of the match, as Díaz found Terran Campbell in the box in the tenth minute. However, his strike curled just wide of the left post.

The first stages of the match were incredibly stop-start, with a number of stoppages due to injuries as the two sides battled hard, especially in midfield.

In the 28th minute, Valour goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi was called into action after a dangerous ball over the top from new Vancouver FC signing Aidan O'Connor. Before any Vancouver player could get on the end of it, however, Viscosi came alertly off his line and out of his box to head the ball clear.

Valour came incredibly close a moment later with some good attacking movement. After Valour won the ball high up the pitch, Kris Twardek played the ball into the path of Myles Morgan, who backheeled it to Diogo Ressurreição, who looked to cut it back onto his right foot but had his shot blocked brilliantly by O'Connor.

In the 33rd minute, Vancouver opened the scoring. Off a free kick, the ball deflected into the path of Vasco Fry in the box. The Vancouver midfielder took the ball down with his chest, before sending an outstanding volley across goal and into the net.

Vancouver wasted no time doubling their lead. On a ball over the top just five minutes later, Díaz took the ball down brilliantly with an outstanding first touch, before lobbing Viscosi with a deft chip that clipped off the post and in to make the score 2-0.

It was the Vancouver striker's eleventh goal against Valour FC in his career, the most a CPL player has scored against a single opponent.

The moment was a gut punch for Valour, who, after having most of the ball throughout the first portion of the game, seemed to lose control and confidence. After six minutes of time added due to all of the stoppages, the two sides headed to the half with the visitors still up 2-0.

Displeased with what he had seen in the first half, Dos Santos made a triple substitution at the half, bringing on midfielder Safwane Mlah, defender Kelsey Egwu and striker Jevontae Layne.

Vancouver were then forced to replace Fry due to an injury with Juan Batista.

Valour's day went from bad to worse in the 65th minute, when Twardek brought down Bah just outside the box, earning his second yellow and being sent off. On the ensuing free kick, Nicolás Mezquida nearly picked the top corner with a dangerous curling strike.

Moments later, however, substitute Venâncio hit a stunning strike from outside the box that beat Callum Irving to cut the score to 2-1. The strike, in the 66th minute, was on Valour's first shot on target of the match.

In the 71st minute, Emrick Fotsing nearly added a third for Vancouver, as he got onto the end of a ball from Batista, which he deflected over Viscosi. The ball looped high in the air, and Fotsing looked to head it into an empty net but couldn't get enough power and Themi Antonoglou was able to make a last-ditch clearance.

Valour went on a counterattack after the clearances, and Morgan had a great chance as the ball came to him out wide, but he couldn't get the angle of his strike quite right.

Morgan had another good chance in the 80th minute, as Vancouver once again looked shaky in the late stages of the match, but his header went wide.

Valour were dealt yet another blow in the 85th minute, as Jevontae Layne was given his second yellow card, reducing Valour to nine men.

Vancouver well and truly put the match to bed in stoppage time, when substitute Pathe Ndiaye brought the ball down just inside the Vancouver box and sent a rocket past Viscosi to make the score 3-1.

Both sides will now turn their attention toward Canadian Championship action midweek, with Valour hosting TSS Rovers on Wednesday, and Vancouver FC heading to the Island to take on rivals Pacific FC on Tuesday. The latter will certainly enter the match more confident, now undefeated in their past three.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón (Venâncio 63'), Romeo, Facchineri (Egwu 46'), Antonoglou; Ohin (Mlah 46'), Figueiredo; Twardek, Ressurreição (Layne 46'), Faria; Morgan (Pop 90')

Vancouver FC: Irving; Campagna, O'Connor, Norman Jr., Bah; Fry (Batista 49'), Essoussi, Fotsing (Gee 90'); Campbell (Godbout 74'), Mezquida, Díaz (Ndiaye 74')

Goals

33' -- Vasco Fry (Vancouver FC)
38' -- Alejandro Díaz (Vancouver FC)
66' -- Xavier Venâncio (Valour FC)
90+5' -- Pathe Ndiaye (Vancouver FC)

Discipline

12' -- Yellow: Kris Twardek (Valour FC)
46' -- Yellow: Jevontae Layne (Valour FC)
64' -- Yellow+ Red: Kris Twardek (Valour FC)
80' -- Yellow: Emrick Fotsing (Vancouver FC)
83' -- Yellow: David Norman Jr. (Vancouver FC)
85' -- Yellow + Red: Jevontae Layne (Valour FC)