Imperial Cup 2017 VMSL Imperial Cup

[dezza]

Predictions time...

West Van FC A - ICSF Columbus FC A
West Van have not been great of late, but Columbus have been poor all season. I can't see this changing in the cup, so should be a comfortable win for West Van

Coq Metro Ford A Wolves - Campo Atletico A
Despite all the claims of dynamic, flowing football complete with youtube video representations, the fact is Campo have a limited number of players who actually have skill on the ball, and they are complemented by some hardworking lads who will put in a decent shift. The result is that Coach Trump is going to set his team up to bunker and play anti-football. It's possible that this strategy will lead to a low scoring game, and maybe even that Campo could nick a goal on the counter, but if Metro Ford can score early, the floodgates could open and we could see another lopsided loss like Campo had last Wednesday night. Queue the excuses...

Rovers Tigers United A - Rino's Tigers
Rino's Tigers are clearly focused on winning Div 1. The cup is just a distraction, and will be used as an opportunity to give a run out to the secondary players who have not seen much game time recently. I'd expect a pretty easy day at the office for Soolsma & co.

Pegasus FC A - Pacific United LFC A
Pegasus are in fantastic form, and are probably the favourites to win the Imperial cup this year. Pacific have some ballers, but not a lot of depth. Unless @star #1 can work the phones and get a full squad out, I can't see them pulling the upset here.

Rino's Vanc SC - South Delta Royals
Rino's Van will be looking for redemption after a humiliating loss out in Tsawwassen back in November. SD have lost 3 on the trot, including Sunday's defeat at the hands of last place Metropolitan. Based on current form, Rino's Van are the favourites.

Club Inter - Croatia SC A
Match of the round for me. The teams are tied for points in the standings and last time they met it was a 5-3 thriller in favour of Croatia. Being a cup game, I'd expect a little bit of a tighter battle, and will tip the experience of the Inter lads to win out on the day.

NVFC Norvan Lions A - Rich FC Hibernian A
With Guildford's forfeit last week, Norvan have played only a solitary game since early December. They're bound to be rusty, and as they are making a big promotion push may just be grateful to use the cup match as a way to get back into the swing of things. Richmond are having a renaissance as a club, as they've pushed their way into the top 4 of the Premier division this season. They may well be a darkhorse for the Imperial Cup.

Westside FC A - Binger's Army
Westside seem to have adjusted well to life in the Premier division, after yo-yo'ing up and down several times over the last half decade. Binger's cup exploits are well known as they have had their share of giant killings, but at this stage it seems like father time is catching up to them and the young legs of Westside will be too much for Binger's old bones to match.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Why so quiet soccercoach? Easy to pop off until you're called out

.... I see that you miss me...
I am sorry bud.... I am under the weather.... I hope that I recover my energy for tomorrow....

 

[Soccer Coach]

...sick... but I can tell you that this Basso boy will face the man marking of his life....as he has never seen before...

no goal from him....

 

[Soccer Coach]

I am confident that the Campo boys can take down Metro Ford down.....

 

[Soccer Coach]

Coquitlam Metro Ford:
Please remember that giants fall....

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Ominously a light dusting of snow in the forecast on the eve of the Imperial Cup Round of 16... Let's hope it doesn't affect the games this weekend!

Looks like @dezza and I are in agreement with this weeks matches...nice to have someone to compare predictions to.

Preliminary Round: 4/6
Overall: 4/6

West Van v Columbus
It's been a slip in form for the North Shore lads recently, though a League win vs. Croatia last time out will have done much to right the ship. Columbus took a point off top 4 Richmond last weekend, proving that they are still fully capable of stinging just about anybody in the league, despite not being able to deliver desperately needed wins against teams hovering just above the relegation zone. Clearly the Italians are adept enough to pull off a win on any given night, but based on the form of these two teams over the season, as well as the fact that the former Trollers handed Columbus a resounding 5-0 defeat in their first meeting this season, I would expect to see West Van off to the quarter finals.

Metro Ford v Campo
Here's the MOTR...I think Sky Sports is carrying it live... One thing is certain though Campo WILL NOT be handing Metro Ford their first loss of the season, as previously prophesized. Mostly because Peg took care of that last week, but also because Campo will lose. The real prediction is how will everyone's favourite TTP villain react to it? If the score remains reasonable or if Campo score a goal, expect a declaration of victory, despite the ultimate score line. Campo will have succeeded in forcing "the great Metro Ford" into a game that they had to work for a "could have, maybe should have" lost. If the score remains close until the second half before becoming decisive, expect the referee/league conspiracy theory. "The powers that be were threatened by the rise of the poor, destitute Campo players who play for the love of the game" as, if they were to upset CMF, it would "irreversibly alter the way we think about soccer and force us to confront our preconceived notions" blah blah blah. Finally, if it is a complete blow out, expect the excuses angle "we have so many injuries, we've had to play so many games recently, the field was frozen, we're focused on the league....but we would beat them with the proper conditions and a full squad, etc...." Anyway, it should all be very entertaining!

Rovers Tigers v Rino's Tigers
I would suggest Tigers will win in this one! (I know, it is amazing my comedy career never took off...) In all seriousness though, this will be a good measuring stick for the Rino's crew. They've opened up a comfortable lead, finally, on the chasing pack and are only 9 points away from confirming the club's first ever promotion to Premier. As such, it will be a good opportunity to evaluate the level that they will need to compete at, week in and week out, next season. Rovers have hit their stride as a legitimate top team in the VMSL and will surely be viewing a Semi-Final berth and one more crack at Coquitlam as their goal for this competition. No doubt the Rino's crew will have a well thought out game plan for VMSL Premier top scorer Nick Soolsma, but overall Rovers should be a task too far for the Div. 1 leaders.

Pegasus v Pacific
A Surrey derby out at NAP and hosts Peg are rampant at the moment; winners of 5 on the spin including handing juggernauts Coquitlam Metro Ford their first loss of the season last weekend. They've only allowed 1 goal in that stretch (to, of all teams, North Delta) and are clearly on the hunt for some silverware this term. The league is still fully within Metro Ford's grasp as even if the Surrey boys take three more points off the league leaders as they will still be two points back with Coquitlam holding a game in hand. Therefore, the Imperial Cup offers the best opportunity to raise a trophy this season for Peg and I would expect them to be at full strength. A team you can never expect to be at full strength is Pacific. They saw off Div. 1 Rino's Fury last round, but with a game again on Sunday I am guessing they will be prioritizing the league and ensuring they don't leave the door open to being dragged into a relegation battle while keeping their Provincial Cup hopes alive. Expect Peg to be comfortable in this one.

Rino's Vancouver v South Delta
Winner gets to lose to Peg! Whatever the opposite of the MOTR is, it's this fixture. Rino's broke their "crossing the river" curse with a trip to GN and a victory at Newton Athletic last round. It will be put to the test again this week with a trip to Tsawwassen. South Delta are reeling at the moment, having handed Metropolitan a lifeline last weekend and will now have to pull up their socks for a relegation fight. They've got a bit of breathing room, but a cup run can't be the priority at the moment. The SD guys are first class competitors and certainly won't be rolling over, but when it comes down to who wants it more this weekend, the Rino's boys likely see some value in earning another trip to NAP.

Inter v Croatia
A tasty one here as two evenly matched clubs go at it. Croatia have asserted themselves this season after some early wobbles that saw them potentially relegation threatened. Inter have been up and down and thoroughly unpredictable to this point, but they saw off Chile last round with limited issue and, as I have said before, they seem to get interested when the stakes get higher, so a cup run is right up their alley. Croatia will be keen to prove they have earned their Provincial standing, to this point in the season, but I think the Inter vets have another gear. I'll say this one takes more than 90 minutes, but that the Italians eek it out.

Westside v Bingers
Div. 1 Bingers famously knocked Premier Croatia in the first round last season. The Army will no doubt be relishing a game against a local opponent they know well from over the years in Westside. That being said, Bingers are far from in form at the moment, coming off a complete thrashing against Rino's Tigers last weekend and are mired in the bottom half of the Div. 1 table. Westside saw of North Delta in the first round and will no doubt be expecting to progress past lower league opposition. Bingers will never make it easy, but I back Westside to show their pedigree and advance.

NorVan v Richmond
This match offers the best chance for an upset/giant slaying, but it still seems unlikely. Guilford ducked out of the cup at the last minute last round (one hopes the league would have taken a dim view of this...), leaving NorVan with yet another empty weekend on the schedule. Richmond got back into things at Minoru, though they were held to a draw by second bottom Columbus. NorVan are in the same tier as the Italians, so they should be able to give Hibs a good run out. How sharp will they be having played only one game since December 4? You wouldn't expect them to be super dialed in after such a layoff and that will likely be the difference in this one. Two teams that play a traditional "North American" style of footy, very physical, very direct and it will likely come down to being able to take the few chances in front of goal that appear from counter attacks and set pieces. For a rusty team, that isn't a recipe for success, especially playing a team in a higher division.

 

[dezza]

@Canucks4Ever it's a home match for Rino's vs SD.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

@Canucks4Ever it's a home match for Rino's vs SD.

I still pick you to win... lol

 

[GoF]

Are there any odds for Soccer Coach to eat a pie on the bench?

Disappointed the game's not at BC Place with the roof to keep the snow at bay. Surely that would have been a lower bowl sell out.

 

[Dude]

I assume you mean humble pie?

Odds are 0:1. Will never happen, no matter what.

There will always be an excuse explaining away their loss: officiating, rough play by the opposition, bad pitch, clod, snow flakes, Canadian soccer culture not understanding the way the game should be played, fans dressed up as scary wolves on the sidelines, Wolves players stealing Campo player's girlfriends the night before the match, Roxy effect, unplanned Alien invasion...really, endless possibilities.

 

[akslop]

I assume you mean humble pie?

Odds are 0:1. Will never happen, no matter what.

There will always be an excuse explaining away their loss: officiating, rough play by the opposition, bad pitch, clod, snow flakes, Canadian soccer culture not understanding the way the game should be played, fans dressed up as scary wolves on the sidelines, Wolves players stealing Campo player's girlfriends the night before the match, Roxy effect, unplanned Alien invasion...really, endless possibilities.

You missed one.

Coach was sick. Team couldn't prepare properly.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Hello guys,
I really wish that I would have been in better condition to give you a good fight and tease, but I am not well. Everyone seems to be against Campo this week: the TTP, the VMSL, the referees, AFTN, and even mother nature.

We are highly depleted with injuries, suspensions (unfair), sickness (two players and coach), two games at the same time (we can not have supporters as they will be playing another game at the same time). I do still believe that Campo players can prevail despite all the obstacles.

You really can not tell me that the VMSL is doing by chance this (putting us against Coquitlam Metro Ford and scheduling conflicting games for our club).
I do have full confidence in the bravery and heart of the remaining Campo players.


As for the bet, I can not bet money if I am the coach of a team. However, I have this for you. If Campo losses, I quit the TTP.
If Campo wins, the TTP takes the Campo team for a nice meal to a stake house.

 

[Dude]

JTL? Is that you?

 

[Canucks4Ever]

You really can not tell me that the VMSL is doing by chance this (putting us against Coquitlam Metro Ford and scheduling conflicting games for our club).

Yes I can, and will. It is chance, in fact it is RANDOM DRAW.

The names came out of a hat. Coquitlam and Gastown are the home teams and they play Friday nights. They both do; have all season.

It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LEAGUE.

You may now continue with your regularly scheduled excuses...

 

[Soccer Coach]

Yes I can, and will. It is chance, in fact it is RANDOM DRAW.

The names came out of a hat. Coquitlam and Gastown are the home teams and they play Friday nights. They both do; have all season.

It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LEAGUE.

You may now continue with your regularly scheduled excuses...

Oh I see... do you really think that we are this naive?
show us the video?

 

[Soccer Coach]

 

[GoF]

Hello guys,
I really wish that I would have been in better condition to give you a good fight and tease, but I am not well. Everyone seems to be against Campo this week: the TTP, the VMSL, the referees, AFTN, and even mother nature.

Just for the record I really want you guys to win tonight. Always want a cup upset, but mainly because the fallout on here would be amazing!

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Oh I see... do you really think that we are this naive?
show us the video?

The draw is open for everyone to attend. If you chose not to, that's on you. The league makes every effort at transparency. Frankly I am shocked that you didn't attend given rumors of you checking the other teams' IDs at games.

Following the lead of @GoF; just for the record I do not care if you win tonight or not. I don't think you will, but if you do hats off, it'll really throw a wrench in the draw.

But you call me "naive" for thinking the league wouldn't "rig" the cup draw. Well, agree to disagree, because this is the thing about conspiracy theories: they're way too complicated. The amount of time and coordination and planning and subtlety it would take to pull off this kind off "conspiracy" is excessive. Do the words "subtlety" and "coordination" scream VMSL to you? Do you really think Azzi could keep his mouth shut about this "genius" plan?? Come on. Who's naive now?

Here's the thing at the absolute crux of this though, and this is the piece you just cannot grasp. Yes, you have people on this website up in arms and in your face and clearly you get off on this and that's fine. We all know you love being the underdog and the villian and the little guy, it seems to get you motivated. At the end of the day though, IT DOES NOT MATTER to us, IT DOES NOT MATTER to the league and IT DOES NOT MATTER to soccer in Canada if you win against Coquitlam, or win the Imperial Cup or win the Provincial Cup. We'll smile and congratulate you, some through gritted teeth no doubt, and then we'll hold the competition again next season and start all over.

That's how I know the league didn't "rig" it - it doesn't matter. Nobody is truly happy unless they're the ones lifting the cup. The league does not care if it's the "evil" Rinos or the "rich" Westsiders or "poor" Campo. They'll hand the winning team the cup, or the league title or the Provincial championship and get it engraved and do it again next season.

Get your head out of the clouds and get a grip. Go do your best and let the haters hate and the doubters (including me) doubt. I respect what you bring to the soccer conversation in this forum and beyond, just as I respect everyone with something to add to this conversation. I believe we're stronger together and that's how we will build something great. But please, don't condescend to me with your conspiracy theories and call me "naive," because that's self defeating.

Good luck in the Tri-Cities tonight...

 

[4STGMP]

Any update...first half of the game of the century should be over

 

[djones]

Heard Campo is up 1-0.