RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Valour FC vs. Pacific FC (June 1, 2025)

Valour FC and Pacific FC cancelled each other out on Sunday evening, playing to a 0-0 draw at Winnipeg's Princess Auto Stadium.

The game was delayed around two-and-a-half hours due to air quality conditions in Winnipeg, but finally kicked off just before 5:30 p.m. local time. Both sides were sluggish coming out of the gates in the muggy conditions, with the first real sustained pressure from either side coming from Valour around the 20th minute. They did well higher up the pitch to pin the Tridents deep in their own half for a few minutes, and got a couple of corners out of it, but they ended up being inconsequential.

After a set piece routine did not work as Pacific intended, Valour charged up the pitch on a two-on-one counter-attack, but Kadin Chung expertly timed his recovery tackle to poke the ball away from Jevontae Layne. For Chung, Sunday's match was his 100th Canadian Premier League appearance.

Pacific were dealt a blow late in the first half, with Daniel de Pauli forced off in the 37th minute. The Tridents midfielder, who was replaced by Sami Keshavarz, went down needing treatment on a couple of ocassions, and ultimately had to leave the game, walking off on his own power.

Kris Twardek thought he gave the hosts the lead in the 41st minute after rolling the ball off the post and in after a moment of chaos in the box, but the offside flag was raised and the goal disallowed. Valour were certainly the more dangerous of the two sides in the first half, and ramped up the pressure again in the five minutes of stoppage time, but Pacific was able to weather the storm and the game was scoreless at the interval.

Bruno Figueiredo tested Max Anchor five minutes into the second half, firing a free kick from a tough angle, but the Pacific netminder was able to punch it away. Josh Heard had a chance to get a shot away from the top of the box at the other end of the pitch moments later, but he sent his shot high over the crossbar.

Diogo Ressurreição forced an athletic save out of Max Anchor in the 66th minute, firing a shot from distance after his compatriot Figueiredo played a pass forward to him. The resulting corner did not lead to anything, but Valour was beginning to pick up the pace. At the other end of the pitch five minutes later, Aly Ndom curled a free kick toward the Valour net but sent it just wide of the far post, although Eleias Himaras appearaed to have it covered in the Valour net anyway.

Valour ramped up the pressure again as six minutes of stoppage time flashed on the fourth official's board. Safwane Mlah forced a diving stop out of Anchor with a powerful shot from distance -- as close as anyone came to scoring in the game. Marco Bustos' free kick was headed on target by Ndom with the last play of the game, but Himaras made a crucial diving stop to keep the game scoreless. The referee blew the final whistle seconds later to bring the game to an end.

Valour has a quick turnaround, back at home on Wednesday for a school day game against Vancouver, while Pacific heads back home next weekend to play league leaders Atlético Ottawa.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Valour FC: Himaras; Fernandez, Egwu, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Ohin, Figueiredo (Mlah 84'); Twardek, Venancio (Williams 74'), Ressurreição (Faria 74'); Layne (Hundal 56')

Pacific FC: Anchor; Chung, Machado, Ndom, Lajeunesse; Young, Browning Lagerfeldt, De Pauli (Keshavarz 37' (Mukumbilwa 86')); Bustos, Montejano (Zanatta 70'), Heard (Toualy 70')

Goals

n/a

Discipline

12' -- Yellow: Bruno Figueiredo (Valour FC)
23' -- Yellow: Josh Heard (Pacific FC)
53' -- Yellow: Jevontae Layne (Valour FC)
74' -- Yellow: Raphael Ohin (Valour FC)
86' -- Yellow: Kelsey Egwu (Valour FC)