Vancouver's FC's most recent acquisition secured his team a dramatic road win over Valour in Winnipeg Sunday, April 25, with Ayman Sellouf scoring a well-placed shot into the bottom right corner in the 97th minute to put his team up 2-1 鈥� on his birthday, no less.
骋翱础尝馃馃
鈥� OneSoccer (@onesoccer)
Have yourself a day Ayman Sellouf!'s newest arrival looks to have secured his team a dramatic road win over Valour, scoring in the 97th minute to put his team up 2-1, on his birthday, no less
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Sellouf was named player of the match. His goal gives Vancouver a six-point lead over Valour for the fifth and final Canadian Premier League playoff spot.
Earlier this month, the Langley-based team did a deal with Island-based Pacific FC, which swapped Sellouf for striker Moses Dyer.
Both players are on loan until the end of the 2024 season.
A dream birthday for Ayman Sellouf 馃ぉ
鈥� Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer)
No better way to introduce yourself to the Vancouver FC fans than a 97th minute winner 馃憦
鈥淥bviously you鈥檙e going to think about it,鈥� Sellouf said after the match about scoring on his birthday.
鈥淚 said before at the team breakfast that we had that the only birthday gift that I want is that we win the game, and that鈥檚 what we did, we won the game. That鈥檚 the birthday gift that I wanted and that I also scored the goal is more like like a dessert.鈥�
Gabriel Bitar scored first for VFC in the 30th minute, finishing off a successful counter-attack by firing a shot into the top right corner, taking a deflection on the way through.
It looked like that goal would end up being the winner, but then, former Eagles striker Shaan Hundal tied things up from close range in the 87th minute, only to have Sellouf score 10 minutes later to win the game for the visitors.
Despite being pleased with the victory, and the lead it has opened up over the pack of teams chasing them, Vancouver head coach Afshin Ghotbi is not satisfied.
鈥淥bviously we want to make playoffs, but I have higher ambitions for the group,鈥� Ghotbi said after the game. 鈥淲e feel that we can be in the top three and we鈥檙e going to go after it."
Valour also ran into a hot goalie, with Vancouver鈥檚 Callum Irving making a number of key saves,one a diving stop to deny Tass Mourdoukoutas鈥� header from a corner kick.
Callum Irving, incredible save 馃ぉ
鈥� Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer)
Well deserved Save of the Match 馃憦
Next, Vancouver heads to the nation鈥檚 capital to play Atl茅tico Ottawa on Saturday Aug 31 at 4 p.m.
