RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver FC vs. Valour FC | Sept. 5, 2025

Valour have kicked off their fourth round of Canadian Premier League matches in style, as they beat Vancouver FC 5-2 at Willoughby Community Park on Friday night thanks to a hat trick from Myles Morgan.

With that, they've also kept the gap between themselves and the fifth and final playoff spot to 13 points, a gap that could've widened to 16 with York United also winning earlier on Friday.

As for last-place Vancouver, though, their playoff hopes are officially dashed, as they now sit 21 points behind fifth-place, with just six games remaining in their 2025 regular season campaign.

Despite how the game ended for them, though, Vancouver came flying out of the gates to start this match, as they pushed for an opening goal, one they would find inside just one minute.

After some nice play down the left, Hugo Mbongue found Terran Campbell with a nice cutback, and Campbell would find the top left corner with a curled finish to put his team up 1-0.

That lead wouldn't last long, however, as Valour responded with an equalizer in the 16th minute. After winning the ball high up the pitch, Kianz Froese did well to dance his way into the box before finding Myles Morgan with a nice pass, and the Valour forward did the rest with a tidy finish from in close to make it 1-1.

Eager to regain their lead, Vancouver responded with a great chance in the 17th minute, as Thierno Bah found space to unleash a left-footed strike, one that forced a good kick save out of Valour goalkeeper, Emil Gazdov. Then, a minute later, Paris Gee had a great chance of his own, cutting in on his left foot before firing a shot, but not only did he send his shot right at Gazdov, but he also missed out on the opportunity to find an open Mbongue with a cutback.

Soon after, both teams traded chances in the 31st minute, as Vancouver's Aidan O'Connor sent a header just wide on a corner kick, before Valour's Kris Twardek nearly found the bottom left corner with a low strike, if not for a great save from Vancouver's Callum Irving.

Then, Vancouver had a glorious chance to score in the 33rd minute, as Hugo Mbongue did well to muscle off a Valour defender to create a 2v1 with him and Campbell, but he chose to shoot instead of squaring a pass to Campbell, sending that attempt right at the chest of Gazdov.

At the other end, Valour made Vancouver pay for that missed opportunity, as they found their second goal right before half time. After a nice line-breaking ball from Diego Ressurreição to Froese, Froese did well to find Morgan with a nice pass, and Morgan found the bottom right corner with a nice finish to put his team ahead 2-1.

Having kept a hold of that lead as the game reached half time, Valour did well to build on their momentum after the break, as they found a third just two minutes into the second half. After a good run from Froese, he found the run of Jordan Faria, who cut inside and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to give his team a 3-1 lead, helping Froese to a hat trick of assists in the process.

They wouldn't be done there, either, as Valour then added a fourth in the 61st minute. After a great ball from Ressurreição, he found the run of Morgan at the near post, and he did well to power his header past Irving to complete his hat trick.

Finally, though, Vancouver would do well to finally respond and end Valour's run of unanswered goals in the 65th minute. There, Hugo Mbongue did well to get on the end of a nice through ball from Jay Herdman, before slotting the ball through the legs of Gazdov with his left foot to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Vancouver then almost made it 4-3 in the 68th minute, as the ball fell to David Norman Jr inside the box, but he poked his shot just over the goal from close range.

Meanwhile, Valour did well to almost regain their three-goal deficit in the 70th minute, as Bruno Figueiredo, who had just come onto the pitch, fired a cannon of a shot towards goal on a free kick, but his shot sailed just over the crossbar.

Then, continuing a busy stretch, Vancouver had another glorious chance in the 72nd minute, as Bah did well to sneak behind Valour's defence and fire a shot, but he poked his shot just wide of the goal despite doing well to lift it over an onrushing Gazdov. Shortly after, Nicolás Mezquida fired in a dangerous free kick from a wide angle, but Gazdov managed to get two strong hands to the attempt.

Valour continued to push for a fifth, and almost found it in the 89th minute, as Figueiredo fired another powerful shot from the edge of the box, forcing a good two-handed save out of Irving. Soon after that, Erik Pop had a great chance on a breakaway, too, as he fired a left-footed shot from a good angle, but he flashed his shot just wide of the goal.

Figueiredo was eventually rewarded for his persistence in the fifth minute of added time, however, as he fired a shot from distance that completely eluded Irving and sailed into the net to put a bow on Valour's win, one that is quite crucial for them in their hunt to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Vancouver FC: Irving; Gee, O'Connor, Norman Jr., Enyou; Fry, Cavalcante (Ouattara 77'); Campbell (Herdman 61'), Mezquida (Ndiaye 77'), Bah; Mbongue

Valour FC: Gazdov; Alarcón, Konincks, Facchineri, Egwu; Ohin; Twardek (van Hattum 89'), Ressurreição (Figueiredo 69'), Froese (Venâncio 69'), Faria (Antonoglou 80'); Morgan (Pop 80')

Goals

1' — Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC)
16' — Myles Morgan (Valour FC)
44' — Myles Morgan (Valour FC)
47' — Jordan Faria (Valour FC)
61' — Myles Morgan (Valour FC)
65' — Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC)
90+5' — Bruno Figueiredo (Valour FC)

Discipline

69' — Yellow: David Norman Jr. (Vancouver FC)
85' — Yellow: Pathé Ndiaye (Vancouver FC)