Valour FC blank defending champions Forge FC 2-0
Early goals by Moses Dwyer and Austin Ricci gave Valour FC a 2-0 victory over defending Canadian Premier League champions Forge FC at Winnipeg's IG Field in the first game of the season for both teams.
Dwyer scored from the penalty spot in the sixth minute after Dejan Jakovic took down Ricci in the box. Dwyer's stutter step in the run-up to his penalty was enough to throw off goalkeeper Triston Henry, who dove the right way but not far enough to reach the ball.
Valour doubled its lead 20 minutes later through Ricci's determined individual effort. The 25-year-old forward intercepted a loose back pass from a Forge defender, darted towards goal, cut back to split two defenders before beating Henry low with a left-footed strike.
"It's great to start the season off with a win, a clean sheet, and basically assert ourselves," said Ricci. "We're confident in our abilities and we know we can carry it on forwards. To be honest, we came in expecting to get a win and that's what we did."
Ricci celebrated the goal by plugging his ears with his fingers, a symbol he said was directed at Valour's critics.
"Everyone in our locker room believed in ourselves," he said. "We know we have a strong supporting cast. It didn't really matter about the outside noise. We had a game plan and it worked well."
Valour failed to make it past the first round at the Island Games last September.
"This year, hopefully we get a little bit of a different opinion," added Ricci.
The defending CPL champs Forge came closest to getting a goal back in the 87th minute when substitute Chris Nanco's powerful shot from the edge of the 18-yard-box beat Valour goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois but rattled the crossbar. Sirois made two saves for the clean sheet.
Fans were not allowed inside Winnipeg's IG Field, where Valour and the CFL's Blue Bombers play home games, but several of them gathered outside to cheer on their club at a distance.
All eight CPL teams are playing at IG Field for the first part of the season -- a 29-day single-city stretch being dubbed "The Kickoff."
Later Sunday, Cavalry FC held on for a 2-1 victory over York United FC.
Cavalry took the lead through Sergio Camargo's 32nd-minute goal before Jose Escalante made it 2-0 in the 51st.
Diyaeddine Abzi replied for York United in the 79th but the comeback fell short.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.