PREVIEW: Valour FC vs. HFX Wanderers — Match #100

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With the 2021 Canadian Premier League regular season quickly coming to a close, a lot is on the line for every team and that point can't be stressed enough for Valour FC and HFX Wanderers. The two clubs go head-to-head at IG Field on Tuesday with three vital points on the line. The hosts, who are currently sixth in the table, are still in the playoff mix with 28 points while the visitors are above in fourth on 34 points with York United sandwiched in between. It has been a while since these two sides last faced each other during The Kickoff bubble back in July some 94 days ago. Since their last meeting, Valour manager Phillip dos Santos has replaced Rob Gale in the dugout meaning it's the first time Dos Santos and Stephen Hart will face each other in their careers. Looking at recent performances, Valour have one win, two draws and two losses from their past five matches. Their most recent result was a shocking 2-0 loss to Atlético Ottawa despite having 26 shots compared to Ottawa's 1o. Meanwhile, the Wanderers have one win, three draws and one loss across their last five matches and are coming off a 0-0 draw against Forge FC. Both teams have gone back-to-back matches without a win. Historically speaking, meetings between Valour and HFX Wanderers have had mixed results. Neither team has truly had a grip on this fixture resulting in various scorelines over the years. However, what could be a deciding factor in this match is fatigue. Valour have had a six-day break since their last game and are entering Tuesday's match with more rest against an HFX Wanderers side who travelled around 3,500 kilometres to Winnipeg after just playing on Saturday.

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Make your match picks prior to kickoff at canpl.ca/predictor for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a trip to the 2021 CPL Final! To learn more about ComeOn!, click here. All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

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• Last home match for Valour: Fans in Winnipeg will have the final opportunity to see Valour play at IG Field on Tuesday as the team wraps up their home campaign against the Wanderers. For Dos Santos, playing a massively important fixture on familiar turf yields an added boost. "We're aware of the importance of tomorrow's game if we want to have the hope of sneaking into a playoff spot. Having the chance to do that at home, and this being our last home game, gives us an extra boost and extra motivation. It would have been a tough one to play in front of your fans with nothing to play for," he said. "We're playing this home game still with a chance and I think we're playing against a direct rival so everyone is aware of the importance and motivated with the opportunity to play this game in front of our fans in our stadium ... Our strongest performances, they've been at home, so we're looking forward to it." Across all CPL competitions this season, Valour have six wins, three draws and four losses while playing as the home team scoring 17 goals and conceding 12.

• Opening goal key: Both teams were searching for goals in their latest games meaning whoever breaks the deadlock first will have an extra weight lifted off their shoulders. For Valour, playing with initiative on the pitch whether they are hunting for the opener or chasing the game remains a priority. "We addressed [that], we worked a lot on it this week, and we hope that the guys are going to respond and that we will find that pragmatic approach of just wearing out the opposition with volume," said Dos Santos. "When we score first, we're hard to play against because I think that defensively this team is cohesive when we're set ... I think Halifax is a team that defends well, if they get a goal in front of us then it becomes a difficult one." The Wanderers, meanwhile, are still without their top goalscorer João Morelli and have struggled to find the back of the net as a result. Hart, as a result, is urging his players to take their chances when they arrive. "We haven't scored in four games, Pacific [win] was an own-goal. We know what we need to do, the players all know it. We need to be a little more ruthless in front of goal and take our chances. Last game, we got into some good positions but didn't even get shots off. The players have to know that the perfect shooting opportunity doesn't really exist. They have to try and take their chances when they do come."

• Playoff push now or never: With only three regular-season games left to go and tough fixtures ahead for both clubs (Valour away to Cavalry FC and HFX Wanderers away to Forge FC both on October 30) keeping hold of all three points on Tuesday is a must if either side wants to stay in contention for the final four. Both coaches are asking their teams to seize the moment and take a big step forward in their end of the season pursuits at IG Field. "There's a lot of people who have written off Valour for that playoff spot, but we haven't, we're still alive. When someone thinks we're dead, results go our way," said Dos Santos. "There's nine points to be played and we still have a chance and that's where we want to be now. We're not in full control of things but we're in a position where if we win on Tuesday, we start putting serious pressure on the opposition." "Every game has been important" added Hart. "I said it a while back that we've got to play every game as if it's a final and I think that served us well. We're not losing games, but we're not winning games either. We're sort of just clawing away at games and ending up with a draw. We need some wins."

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