Gale Teases ‘Big Profile’ Valour FC Signing

With Valour FC now entering its third week of preseason ahead of a 2021 Canadian Premier League campaign rumoured to be kicking off right in the club’s own backyard, head coach Rob Gale has all eyes forward on the challenges ahead.

It hasn’t been an easy road thus far: the club had to terminate the transfers of international athletes Ronny Maza and Nestor Monge earlier this month, with Gale now taking a look at several trialists at preseason camp. Some of those more high profile candidates include Cuban international Andy Baquero and former Whitecaps prospect Georges Mukumbilwa.

In a conversation with Ed Tait today, however, Gale opted to tease a brand new ‘big profile’ signing who could be announced as early as this week:

I don’t want to build it up too much and over-promise because we don’t know his physical condition, and he’s got to go through quarantine. But, in terms of profile, this is big.

Rob Gale

The league has already seen some high profile signings this month, with Cavalry FC bringing in Championship veteran Joe Mason and Forge FC signing veteran defender Dejan Jakovic.

The Valour FC head coach remained mum on further details regarding the big profile acquisition, though it sounds like this could be related to the key defensive signing he has teased since February. In an update regarding that from earlier this month, the coach admitted it was taking longer than he’d like to get across the finish line.

The gaffer also offered his first comments on trialist Andy Baqeruo, a 26-year-old versatile Cuban international who had accrued 24 caps for the national team prior to defecting to Canada after his country’s 6-0 loss to Canada in September 2019.

We’re getting to know what his capabilities are. I think he could be a versatile piece and we still have to see if that’s exactly what we need for the squad positionally. But he’s got obviously technical ability, he’s vastly experienced with international teams in Cuba. He’s an interesting player.

Even with only 18 players on the books and in the midst of some preseason injuries, the club was able to pull together 22 athletes for a 70-minute intra-squad friendly this weekend which resulted in a 2-2 draw. Returning midfielder Masta Kacher scored a brace for his team, though the other squad nullified the advantage through goals from newcomers Keven Aleman and William Akio.

With the 2021 Canadian Premier League season expected to begin in early July and sides likely arriving to the as-yet-unconfirmed single location in late June, it’ll be interesting to see how Valour FC performs in a full length 28 game season. The club showed remarkable improvement throughout its second campaign last year, though the condensed nature of the tournament likely didn’t benefit a side which saw Arnold Bouka-Moutou go down injured during his debut.

According to the club itself, news pertaining to the club’s ‘big profile’ signing could come as soon as this week, though it’s clear that the Winnipeg-based side has several more roster decisions to make ahead of the 2021 CPL season.