Unfortunately they were doomed the minute someone decided that a CFL stadium on the outskirts of town was a good idea.
It is really unfortunate for the league. But it underscores the importance of a good gameday experience. I was very critical of the location of Spruce Meadows initially, admittedly with a bias that you'd expect from someone that lives in Tuscany. But once you get there it sure is great, and that makes it worthwhile. Stoney helps too.
Valour would be further ahead if they slapped some temporary stands for 3-4k, nice and close to the pitch, in a park somewhere. I'm not even exaggerating.
Soccer in baseball stadiums is a little wonky (they do it a lot in the US for big matches in cities without proper soccer stadiums) but if I was Valour I'd be all over Blue Cross Park. Really nice baseball stadium that seats 7500 right beside downtown Winnipeg.
Start small and try to get 3-4k in there and it would be an excellent atmosphere for what they are. They're not gonna find a spruce meadows type experience right now while on life support, and even building a third rate bare bones stadium is likely out of the cards while being loaned money each season.
It makes it so much easier. Howie_16 and our Tuscany Express were committed from the start anyway, but we have far less to complain about now.
On a busy day, it could take 50 minutes to get there. 40-45 was pretty typical.
Now a half hour is a good estimate. Maybe 35 minutes tops. And way less frustrating, which makes a big difference when you go there frequently.
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Originally Posted by shermanator
20 minutes from Altadore to Spruce Meadows. About 30 from the Ship. It's a game changer for sure.
For sure, and add in the fact that soccer is more of a weekly event than NHL. Making the drive more manageable, than say a Flames season ticket holder if an NHL arena was built on the outskirts.
Someone like True North Sports + Entertainment should just purchase Valour, and build a modular/temporary 4K-seat stadium; work with the City to find a location, build it (perhaps even share the development costs through a community revitalization levy, similar to how Calgary's East Village operates with their projects), and use it for Valour games and then community programs around the main CPL schedule. This really makes the most sense.
Sandwiched between a couple of cooler days and some wet ones. Perfect!
I will have to experience the weather vicariously, however. I’ll be multitasking while cooking for my in-laws and watching the match. Some of them are fans and have been to matches, so I’m looking forward to it being a little bit of a dinner event tonight.
Quick thoughts from the car. Tommy wears that first half. Shome basically playing a one man midfield. Stupid mistake by Montgomery creates the goal but he wasn’t the only one. Carducci probably the only guy who had a good first half.
Baldissimo is the player we’ve been waiting for in the midfield for years. Got some control once he came in.
I’m not totally worried about CBs yet but that was not good. Montgomery doing too much with the ball and Field got bodied physically a few times. I am also REALLY CONCERNED about Fraser Aird. Like I hope he’s playing hurt because everything that wasn’t a dead ball was bad
Tobi gets the goal out of nothing. So important to get a draw and get a goal to build on
Weather was unreal. Crowd was not really into it. Team didn’t help but for the first game of the year we should’ve been carrying them
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Took us about 60 minutes to start playing, the first half especially was painful.
Klomp is such a massive loss for us, and with Kobza out we’re in a tough spot at CB. Montgomery is solid, but he is nowhere near as good on the ball as Klomp. Hopefully the new signing is good.
Baldisimo was a huge improvement over Myroniuk, and the new left back was very lively too.
I thought the Cavalry players looked lethargic and maybe the extra week delay feed into that? It wasn’t a great start. I know it’s easier in the stands, but I thought Carducci should’ve stopped the goal. I realize that sounds a little silly, but it did go right through him. He made a couple other good stops though. I also thought we got away with a pretty blatant handball. The ref was on just the right angle (or just wrong, depending on how your view it!), but it was pretty obvious.
I also thought Ali Musse was really fighting it. He missed a lot of balls and just didn’t look good. There were a few culprits out there, and stretches where it felt like we couldn’t seem to string together a few passes. Part of that was Vancouver and good credit to them for a pretty solid game plan. I also thought that their #7 (Bah?) and Dada Luke played really well.
Took us about 60 minutes to start playing, the first half especially was painful.
Klomp is such a massive loss for us, and with Kobza out we’re in a tough spot at CB. Montgomery is solid, but he is nowhere near as good on the ball as Klomp. Hopefully the new signing is good.
Baldisimo was a huge improvement over Myroniuk, and the new left back was very lively too.
It looks like Tommy has given Montgomery a bit of the Klomp license to get forward and roam a bit, he did it against Pumas, Forge, and tried last night, but it’s just not a good match for his skills. He needs to keep it simple and get rid of it by any means necessary when in trouble. Without Kobza I think you have to play him for his height and physicality. I’m hoping that once Baldisimo is fully in the team that he’ll take on a lot of the responsibilities with the ball at the back by dropping between the CBs like he did in the second half and that will free up the fullbacks to bomb forward. I hope the new CB is good on the ball as well, but replacing Klomp like for like is a tall order, most likely going to have to be a change in approach.
I still think most of our issues with Montgomery and Field in possession were the midfield and not having anyone to pass to. Vancouver sat two guys on Shome and no one else was dropping in consistently to provide an out. Love Myroniuk’s energy and his positional awareness seemed good but he very much looks like a guy still learning the position (for good reason). And his touch was awful, not just bad, awful.
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I suspect the really awful formations are influenced by injuries and (hopefully) not design... since that's two games now with pretty dreadful tactics and formations that needed wholesale changes.
I liked Myroniuk's energy, but he's clearly not a CM at this level and its been tried twice now, and twice Tommy had to sub him out early after going down 1-0. Goal was 100% on Montgomery, but the CBs were pretty exposed all half and only Shome got back to try and help. Myroniuk was all energy and used pace, but he gravitated to the wings too much, and I felt it was literally one good play and one bad play from him... just very inconsistent in a key position. I think at present he's a substitute level winger in this league... problem is half the roster are wingers. Totally agree with the comments on bad first touch.
Cavs had zero in the middle until Baldisimo came in, since Shome was effectively marked out, and Myroniuk was all over the map. Unless there's a fitness issue, I'd rather give Baldisimo the 90 mins to get used to the team than integrate him in and have someone out of position.
Field and Montgomery are a very porous duo, granted they had limited support in the first half. I liked the line better with Kamdem at CB and Gherasimencov at LB. Really liked the speed and thoughtfulness he added.
I just don't see how this team can play without two solid box to box CMs at all times. I think we see a totally different team (and vastly superior one) once Kobza, Daley, and Gutierrez are back, and Baldisimo is fully integrated.
Really hope Laing is a quality CB, disappointed Tommy didn't get him in, since he needed to use 4 subs just to get the wrong players off the field before the 65th minute.
Camargo is only effective when he can play his game. Today he was scrambling and reactive. Not his best. Same with Herdman. VFC has big fast wingbacks, and with everything going through the wings for much of the game, easy to shut down the Cavs.
Just like last year, they'll be fine once they get healthy and get rolling... but tough start for sure.
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Play on the pitch and disappointing result aside, was a fun first game. Great weather, felt lively in the supporters end and the Ship bus is always a good time.
I've never been high on Field so hoping Laing gets into the lineup soon. Not sure why Myroniuk starts but he's struggled so far, wouldn't mind seeing Elva take his place in the starting lineup.
Ottawa look real good to start the year so will be a tough game next week against an opponent that always plays us tough at Spruce Meadows.
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you guys are too kind, I'll keep posting it but it won't be after every game. I missed doing one after the Forge match!
I'm looking forward to seeing Ottawa on Saturday (for the first time ever). Their new coach has them playing some great looking football and David Rodriguez looks really good. Cavs will need to step it up big time especially the midfield. I think Baldisimo has to start and hopefully you can get at least 65' - 70' out of him if he's not at match fitness yet.
