Div 2 Div 2 Cup 2018

[Canucks4Ever]

The top half looks stronger than the bottom half. It would be good to see how the top div.3 teams match up with the div.2 teams.

Goodluck to all teams.

I'll have to disagree with @lego3 on this one as I would say the bottom half looks the tougher of the two, particularly the bottom quarter. 13th Legion will have to get past likely both of Shaheen and Bombastic to reach the semis where Greencaps will almost certainly be waiting. The Div 2 B leaders will likely have a tricky encounter with Meraloma in their first match before likely having to play Gastown in the quarters.

The top half has Metro Ford Lupi with pretty much a walk to the semis. Maybe a chance for a hiccup against Harps in their opener, but other than that it is all Div. 3 teams except for Astro and Royal City who are at the bottom of 2A. There are plenty of Div. 2 teams in the second quarter, but you have to think it will come down to Metropolitan against Strikers in the Round of 16 for a date with Lupi as you would back both of those teams to get past the winners of Rino's Bulldogs/Punjab Tigers and Twin Arrows/HK Hrvat respectively. Maybe a reinvigorated Sarajevo or Westside could be tricky in the quarters for Metro or Strikers, but they would certainly be favourites.

Should be good fun though and yes, good luck to all the teams indeed.

 

[dezza]

@Canucks4Ever an unlikely semifinal match, but hypothetically who would win between Westside Black Aces and Westside Juniors?

 

[Canucks4Ever]

@Canucks4Ever an unlikely semifinal match, but hypothetically who would win between Westside Black Aces and Westside Juniors?

Not sure my crystal ball can see that far into the future, but I would have to think, if it somehow happened, their Div. 2 team would be quite comfortable against their Div. 3 team, despite their Div. 3 group currently leading the way for promotion. IMO, from what I have seen of it, this year's Div. 3 is not as strong as last year's. Still, I suppose if that match up were to occur it would mean that Black Aces some how beat Metro Ford Lupi, which I would rate as just this side of impossible. Hopefully the semis would not be at Burnaby lake, though, because if it was Westside/Westside I'm sure there would be no keeping the pints away; similar I'm sure to if Rino's/Rino's ends up being an Imperial Cup quarter final.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Well cup season gets underway this weekend and in a winner take all format anything can happen. It only takes one bounce or one bad day at the office to see you go tumbling out of the competition and there are no second chances. While it seems somewhat improbable that one team will win five or six games in a row when they have to go through all the top teams in the league, but somebody will. The Div. 2 Cup has a 52 team field this season and I am sure nearly every team has conceived of a scenario that has them lifting the trophy if the can just get the little bit of luck they need, when they need it.

Completely Baseless Predictions: Div. 2 Cup

Preliminary Round:

PCOV Benfica v Harps
Tough go for a club with the history and tradition of PCOV as their open program has completely fallen off the map. Their two open teams both ply their trade in Division 3 with Europa, who have not entered the cup, propping up the table in 3B and Benfica just below to mid-table line in 3A. Harps have not had a great season in Division 2 and are certainly well off the form that once saw them promoted to Division 1, but are likely all but safe from a shock relegation and are certainly favourites to progress here. If memory serves, the Irishmen were stunned by a last place, possibly winless at the time, Division 3 team in the cup last season, so anything can happen, but you would expect them to be comfortable in this one.

FC Serbia Utd. v Regent College
FC Serbia are not having quite the same success as they had last year when they made the Provincial Cup and could really use another win in the league to avoid being dragged into a last minute relegation battle. That being said, they proved in that Provincial run that they can get results in cup football, including an impressive away win on the Island. Regent College are VMSL debutants this season and have struggled, sitting ninth in 3C so this should be fairly straight forward for the Serbians.

Royal City SC A v Bombastic FC B
It's been an utter disaster of a season for Royal City's flagship team. After outlasting Westside and America in a tough promotion battle to win their group in Division 3 last season, they have been completely off the pace at the next level. Their last place finish in 2A and accompanying relegation back to Div. 3 has already been confirmed which comes as a minor surprise when you learn that they were able to hold on to the Gray brothers who led their promotion charge last season. The brothers lead the team in scoring again this season but it hasn't been nearly enough to give them a sniff in Division 2. Good news is that they got a decent cup draw to perhaps try and put this miserable season behind them and finish on high note with a bit of a cup run. They are the only Division 2 team in their quarter and have been handed a soft one to start against Bombastic's second team who sit second bottom in 3A. With the season that Royal City are having they are certainly capable of bottling this one, but they are still the favourites.

Vancity Snipers v Bowen Island
A domestic match up from 3A in this one, which is often disappointing as teams are often hopeful of being paired with a team that they have not encountered during league play. That being said, it does make a prediction somewhat easier as there is a track record to go with between the two groups. The Boners have had a good season that will see them finish in the top four in their group, though a 1-0 loss to Bombastic at the weekend will have fallen below the standard that they have set for themselves this season. They had little trouble seeing off Vancity back in Week 3 and a the beleaguered crew sitting third bottom in the table did not even bother with the trek to North Van for the rematch and instead forfeiting. As long as Bowen can avoid another sub-par performance in consecutive weekends they should be safely through to the next round.

South Delta v Siaron
The first toss up match of the cup has South Delta from 3A against Siaron from 3B. SD look to be on pace for a top half finish in a very competitive 3A group and had some decent showings against the top sides taking points off Strathcona and Westside who will be dueling it out for promotion. The Tsawwassen boys nibbled around the edges of the promotion race themselves until results in the second half of the season saw them fall behind the pack. Siaron led the way in 3B for a time, but a 1-1 draw with Ex-Patriots last time out has confirmed that they will not be winning the title in that group. It looks a good match that either team will be capable of winning and surely both sides will fancy their chances. A telling stat though might be Siaron's road form however; seven of their nine wins have come at home and one of their two road wins came against France FC, who also play Sundays at 10am. That would make their record 1-5-3 outside of that kickoff time and in their only other match played on a Friday night they could only manage a draw against bottom of the league PCOV Europa. This one is a toss up, but might just come down to what sort of a squad Siaron can get out across the river on a Friday night. I could see penalties in this one, but I'll tip South Delta based on the home field advantage.

BCT Punjab Tigers v Rino's Bulldogs
MOTR here as we get a cross over between the two Division 2 groups. Both of these teams likely would be favoured to go a round or two at least in other sections of the draw, but, alas, they have been drawn together immediately and, for one of them, their journey will be over already, having only just barely begun. Tigers sit fifth in 2B while Rino's are sixth in 2A, both with seven wins, though Tigers have six draws to go with their wins where Rino's have not salvaged any points along the way with 10 losses outside of the games they have won. The telling stat though might be that all of Rino's wins, and therefore points, have come against teams below them in the table; meanwhile BCT have managed to take points off of three of the four teams above them. This should be a good game and a good gauge on the strength of the two groups. Based on their results across the board I will take the Surrey boys at home to have the edge and progress.

HK Hrvat v Twin Arrows
Another inter-divisional match up and this one could end up being a preview of a relegation playoff. Twin Arrows are no strangers to the one game survival showdown, having survived it last season. At the moment though they are currently hovering one point above the playoff place and have a game in hand over Snipers below them. HK Hrvat find themselves in uncharted waters being in a relegation fight. Once of Division 1, Hrvat have struggled to gain traction in recent years and have slowly begun slipping down the ranks. A relegation to Division 3 would surely represent the lowest point in the club's history, though recent results, including holding likely promotion winners Coquitlam Metro Ford Lupi to a 0-0, have provided hope that this proud club can yet salvage their season. This game is another cross conference toss up which are tough to gauge in the first round, but Hrvat always seem to manage a cup win or two every season. They have proven they know how to get results in cup football, regardless of their league form, so I will tip them to keep their usual standard.

Bosna SC v Vancouver Greencaps B
Match-ups like this are what cup football are all about. Greencaps B have wrested control of 3C and look very much likely to be booking a place in Division 2 for next season. Bosna were promoted last year but, after a few good results early in the season, they have plummeted to the basement and are looking odds on for an immediate return to Div. 3. So, does Bosna still poses the Division 3 winning pedigree of a year ago? Will they be able to sweep aside Greencaps and offer a cautionary tale about just how much of a step up it is in Division 2 to a team that would be keen to follow in their footsteps? Or will Greencaps be able to ride their winning feeling right over a team that has simply become resigned to losing week in and week out? Always an intriguing sort of mach up and with the way Bosna is trending at the moment I very much like the upstart Greencaps and think an upset is on the cards.

Westside Juniors v Richmond Olympics
It is a similar set up in this fixture as well as it features a newly promoted Division 2 team in Westside against a Division 3 promotion hopeful in Richmond. The difference here is that Westside have got a decent foothold at the next level, despite being the team to earn the "bonus" promotion last season after failing to win their group, and they look all but assured of retaining their place for next season. On the Richmond side, they look set to be missing out on promotion for a second consecutive season after being the unlikely runners up to powerhouse Coquitlam Metro Ford Lupi last season. Westside will be favourite here, but one concern is their astonishing seven ties which is the most of any team across the open divisions. A couple of their draws have been bonus points against Shaheen and Metropolitan, but the others have all been points dropped to teams below them in the table. Richmond will certainly fancy that they are in with a shout if they can keep the scores close and either knick the decisive goal themselves, or else steal it on penalties. I'll still take Westside to progress, but they will need their Shaheen/Metropolitan form, not their Euro/Twin Arrows form.

Sarajevo v Lobbans
Unsurprisingly Sarjevo are reborn in the New Year and have pulled themselves off the bottom of the table and, in fact, currently sit two places above the relegation playoff place. It was always likely given their squad and the fact that they still retain a few of the core players from their two seasons in Division 1. Lobbans themselves were once a Division 1 team, but that certainly seems like a long time ago now. They have now dropped in Division 3 and their loss last week to Strathcona leaves them likely to end up on missing out on a return to Division 2 this season. Coached by former Canadian International Randy Samuels, they are well organized but usually a team of very young players. Certainly they will set up to frustrate Sarjevo, but the Eurpean's veteran presence a rediscovered confidence on the pitch should be enough to see them through tot the next round.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

****Had to break this one into two posts as it appears I would otherwise exceed the 20000 character limit, who knew!?****

NorVan Vikings v Meraloma
Meraloma are enjoying a upper mid-table season in the arguably weaker 2A group, however, this will come as a welcome relief for the Lomas who often find themselves mucking it out at the bottom just to stay in the division. NorVan are a competent Division 3 team who flirted with promotion for awhile but will finish mid-table after a disasterous stretch that has seen them win only once over their last seven matches, dating back to November. That lone win was nothing to write home about either as it came against basement dwellers PCOV Europa. Perhaps the trek to the North Shore will inconvenience Meraloma, but I think the Division 2 side are definitely favourites here, especially given NorVan's currently form.

Campo Atletico B v VAFC Celtic
A good inter-divisional Division 3 match up here between VAFC in 3A and Campo in 3B. Both sides sit lower mid-table in their respective groups, but both will fancy their chances of a cup win in this one. A look at the draw shows that the winner will get another similar match-up in the next round against Metropolitan B, so it is a chance for a bit of a cup run before they will almost surely need some cup magic to get past, in all likelihood, Greencaps A in the Round of 16. It was rumoured that Campo may have been taking advantage of the new intra-club permits to allow players to play for both this team and their Premier team, but if that was the case it certainly did not appear to bear fruit except perhaps in a 7-1 shellacking of promotion contenders Siaron back in November. Of course, by now any Premier players will have needed to have been transferred if they wanted them to play in the Imperial Cup so it should likely be a regular strength side for the B team's cup run. What you see is what you get with Celtic and the eternal Division 3 boys with a mixed bag of results. While I am sure they would likely want one or two of those games back where they felt they were in with a chance, their record shows they are about where they belong, having only twice gotten results against teams above them in the table and not having earned anything from their seven games against the top five teams in the group. Both these teams concede a decent amount of goals, so it should at least be entertaining. Toss a coin here; I'll take Celtic.

Marpole Vancouver Tropics v North Delta Utd.
North Delta went into the winter break very much with a chance at promotion, however, they have emerged from it and earned only a single point in the four weeks since then. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when they were thumped 7-0 but a Cosmos team that has given up an astounding 63 goals this season and, at that time, had earned only seven points on the season. In fact, a closer look that their results reveals that North Delta's last three wins have come against the three bottom placed teams in the league, one of which was via forfeit, and that the last team they beat of any consequence was these very Marpole Tropics, 2-1 at home, back at the beginning of November. Thanks to North Delta's poor form, they now find themselves one point behind the Tropics in the table and the Vancouver boys have been on a bit of a flyer of late, beating up on the leagues bottom teams. They scored 22 goals over four games, including putting up six goals in three consecutive weeks, before their run was brought to a halt by second placed Richmond who edged them 2-1 this past weekend. The Tropics are much better at home, where they have only lost twice, and will now doubt be keen to prove that their earlier loss to North Delta was based on the fact that they had to trek out to the suburbs on a Friday night. In a fun twist, this game was on the schedule this weekend anyway, as the reverse fixture between these two was set to take place until cup got in the way. I feel like the Marpole crew will have the better bounce in their step in this one and I like them to progress at home.

Gastown v West Coast Saints
A tough draw here for West Coast Saints who need just one more point to button up their promotion and title winning campaign in 3B. Gastown are one of several powerhouse former Division 1 teams in 2B and they stand as the only team on the season, so far, to knock off league leaders Vancouver Greencaps A. They have also posted a draw against second place, and recently relegated, Metropolitan and if not for early season points dropped in draws with bottom teams Bosna and Snipers, Gastown would likely be in with a chance at promotion themselves. As it is they are not mathematically condemned to another season in Division 2, but it would take the stars aligning to see them go up now. They come into this game on the heels of four straight wins (five if you count Bosna's forfeit) and are surely favourites to progress from this section to the quarter-finals as the only Division two team, save for Euro FC who are hovering near the bottom of 2A.

Euro FC v Unicorns FC
Two teams struggling in their respective division have been drawn together for this tie. Unicorns lost last season's relegation playoff to Twin Arrows, but having seemingly justified that result as they are no where near a return to Division 2. These mythical animals are set for a mid-table finish in 3B and their rebuild will have to go on for at least another season. Euro are hoping not to emulate Unicorns as they look to steer of that winner-take-all game to stay in the division. A recent uptick in form has seen them lose only once in their last six matches and earn 11 valuable points over that span. This has lifted them to eighth place on 20 points and has all but assured them of safety. That should allow them to focus on a bit of a cup run and a good draw that sees them match up against lower league oppositions for at least the first two rounds. They will be favourites to win in this one, especially given their newfound taste for winning.

Ante-Up Utd. v Strathcona Utd.
Having won a massive match 3-0 over Lobbans to keep them in the promotion battle in 3A, Strathcona now get a chance to flex their muscles against one of the lower lights from 3C. That win has vaulted Strathcona, at least temporarily, to the top of their group, though Westside have a game in hand that they will play this week after drawing a bye in this preliminary round of the cup. That battle looks like going right to the final weekend to determine the winner, so Strathcona might rather be focusing on the promotion battle, rather than the cup at the moment. Fortunately, Ante-Up should not pose too much of a threat as they sit second bottom in 3C, bleed goals (they have conceded 71 times this year) and also have a pair of forfeits to their name. I have to think this on should be fairly straight forward for the East Vancouver lads.

Shaheen FC v HiVE FC
Yikes an absolute and complete mis-match in this one. VMSL new boys HiVE have found the league tough sledding this season and a rotted to the basement in 3C. They have earned but a single point over their 17 match, scoring on 12 times while conceding an enormous 85 goals. With three league games still to play, they may yet crack the century mark. Now they have to journey to the North Shore to play a former Division 1 side in Shaheen. This one could get ugly, if HiVE even turn up at all. Nothing at all to analyze in this one; Shaheen to be beyond comfortable.

Bombastic FC A v VUFC Rangers
It is a 2A domestic match up in this one, as Bombastic will look to carry their somewhat surprising league form into the cup. More used to hovering around the drop zone, this season Bombastic have taken advantage of the arguably weaker Division 2 group and now find themselves in the race for a Provincial Cup spot. VUFC, however, are not nearly as well positioned as they are, in fact, mired in a relegation battle, sitting just a single point above the playoff place. Bomabastic have won both meetings between these two by an aggregate score of 6-0, including a 4-0 in their last match two weeks ago as the East Van boys are coming into this one after a bye week. I'll back them to make it three for three.

GFC Utd. Lions v Royal City SC Rangers
After leading 3B for a decent stretch of the season, including at the final turn after the Winter Break, GFC now look set to miss out on the title. They drew a promotion six-point 1-1 with West Coast Saints just before the holidays, but have not won a game in this calendar year which has paved the way for Saints to pip them to first place. Disappointing certainly, but for a group that I do not believe won a single game last year, this is a remarkable improvement. Their cup match should give them a chance to vent their frustrations, however, as Royal City sit bottom of 3A, with just a single point to their name this campaign. Much like their big brothers in 2A, it has been a wildly disappointing season for Ranger and for a club that announced itself on the scene last season by winning promotion at the first time of asking. Even more in GFC's favour is the fact that Royal City have failed to score more than a single goal in a match at any point this season; so you have to think this one should be a slam dunk.

France FC v Snipers FC
At the very bottom of the draw we find my Upset Special for this round. Snipers once nibbled around the edges of promotion to Division 1, but that seems like a long time ago now, as they have begun to slip further and further down the table in recent years. Now they are in real relegation trouble sitting second bottom in 2B and have lost six in a row, posting just one win since the beginning of October. France meanwhile are on the opposite trajectory. They were overwhelmed when they first joined the VMSL last season, but had things figured out by the second half of their inaugural campaign. They have continued to take steps forward this year and are set to finish in the top half of 3B, perhaps even as high as second place. I would suggest that, if they can continue to build like this, they will be serious promotion contenders next season. Maybe these two will even be battling to go up by this time next year. Les Coqs du Sport are particularly potent at their ungodly home kickoff time time of Sunday, 10am, where they have lost only twice and those came against the top two teams in the group. They will have home field for this one and I tip them for the upset.

 

[soccer8]

West coast saints with a cup upset taking out Gastown.

 

[lego3]

West coast saints with a cup upset taking out Gastown.

That's a big result for West Coast Saints. Game report anyone?

 

[username]

Norvan 2 Meraloma 1. Lomas didn’t play their best but congrats to Norvan. Tom back at it again today. 60 something year old man drinking( I think it was Labatt Wildcat) in the park on Saturday night abusing the referee and the opposing team. Wouldn’t be surprised if he drove home too. Congrats Tom. You are pillar of the community.

 

[trece verde]

Toss a coin here; I'll take Celtic

Kiss of death here. Too many injuries, players returning to Ingerland, and a coaching implosion against SD meant that from a roster of 29 players we weren't able to put 11 healthy bodies onto the field for this so the healthy survivors decided to pull the plug and gift Campo a freebie. Bitterly disappointed by what I've been having to listen to from the contents of the roster especially since our masters' team played their cup game with only 7 guys this morning, but still at least showed up to play.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Very disappointing out of VAFC; doubly so because they likely could have had a go at things in the next round as well. Even poorer form out of HiVE FC. Understandable not to want to trek to North Vancouver to get absolutely pumped by Shaheen, but have the decency to at least inform the team/league in advance. Realistically, why enter the cup if you are having that bad of a season and are essentially just shutting up shop? Nonetheless, have some class.

No idea what the deal on the France/Snipers appeal is regarding, presumably an illegible player?? Maybe @clem can clarify?? Three upsets of Div. 3 over Div. 2. Things were apparently heated when NorVan Vikings got past Meraloma and Sarajevo may have been caught taking a well organized Lobbans team lightly. The biggest upset though was Gastown losing to West Coast Saints, which was a complete bracket buster given that I had Gastown in the quarters. That section of the draw is now wide open as Euro FC are now the only Division 2 team in the section and, with Meraloma out, this is now looking like a very straight forward march to the semis for Greencaps A.

 

[Gurps]

I think its time for HiVE Fc to join their friends Dexterity FC, East van Forest as well as Friends United back in the Urban Rec League.....

 

[trece verde]

Very disappointing out of VAFC

You can afford to be disappointed. I'm fcuking pissed off at our players.

Gurps - the guy who ran No Friends United is playing over 45 for Taaj FC now. He's still special...

 

[SmartCoach]

You can afford to be disappointed. I'm fcuking pissed off at our players.

Gurps - the guy who ran No Friends United is playing over 45 for Taaj FC now. He's still special...

My favourite team Friends Untd

 

[dezza]

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Sure enough, ineligible player for Snipers against France, so instead of a 3-0 win they are out and France are off to the next round.

 

[soccer8]

Every year same story how come so many teams are getting caught with illegal players. Are they not paying attention to the rules or are teams just trying to cheat??. Snipers have had a very poor season this year think they have lost a few keys players.

 

[Schweinsteiger*31]

Not sure about this case but in the past few years players have secretly played for more than one team in the province without teams' management being notified at any point in the season by the league. Due to a lack of effective registration process, the teams are then found at fault and get punished by the league during cup games (when majority of the league games have already been played) for "fielding an ineligible player" when they themselves had no idea their player was registered and has been playing for another team.

 

[dezza]

It could be as simple as being disorganized and accidentally making 6 subs. The 6th sub is the ineligible player.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

It could be as simple as being disorganized and accidentally making 6 subs. The 6th sub is the ineligible player.

That would be an idiotic way to lose a cup game that you were winning 3-0...

Hopefully it was just a CATing error with the new rules or playing a suspended player from last season without realizing and not something nefarious or completely brainless.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

So it's on to the First Round Proper and 32 teams remain. Of the 23 Division 2 sides in the competition we lost five in the first round to varying measures of upsets and a further three to attrition in all Div. 2 match-ups. That leaves 15 sides left to contend with a further 17 hopefuls from division three. However, the real story is how the teams are spread out with 10 of the 15 division two sides in the top half and eight Div. 2 sides will face each other in this round. Furthermore, eight Division 3 have also been drawn together, which means at least 4 Div. 2 teams are going to be finished after this weekend while we are guaranteed a minimum of four Div. 3 side in the last 16. Surely every remaining team has charted their course to the final, let see how it all plays out!

Completely Baseless Predictions: Div. 2 Cup
Preliminary Round: 15/20
Overall: 15/20

First Round Proper:

Coquitlam Metro Ford Lupi v Harps FC
The Latin Wolves have all but cemented their second consecutive promotion as they sit atop the 2A standings with breathing room after their nearest rivals, 13th Legion, slipped up this past weekend. Now they will turn their sites to what they will hope is their final attempt at the Div. 2 Cup as they begin play after having being seeded directly into this round. While not infallible, Metro Ford have the same number of wins and goals scored as the top teams in 2B, having played two fewer games and have also conceded the joint second fewest goals across both groups. They look to be the class of the Division and will of course expect to see themselves in the final, especially having home field through until the semis when the games shift to neutral grounds. Harps run hot and cold, but have certainly been more cold than hot this season. They are lower mid-table in 2B and, while capable of a performance on any day as they have proven by posting three draws in four meetings with the top two teams in their group, they were not exactly convincing in their opener against lower mid-table Div. 3 PCOV , eeking out a 2-1 win to advance. This is the kind of fixture that a team with Lupi's pedigree expects to win.

FC Serbia v Astro FC
A toss up in this one as it is a domestic clash between a pair of sides from 2A. These two sit next to each other in the table and, barring a spectacular cup run, their respective seasons will wrap up on the outside of the Provincial Cup spots. In fact, after qualifying for that competition last season and making some noise, FC Serbia are not yet fully safe from being dragged into a relegation playoff. The Europeans proved they can still turn on the flair as they cruised past Division 3 bottom feeders Regent College in their opener. However, they followed that up by losing a massive relegation six-pointer to HK Hrvat at the weekend. Astro, for their part, won their relegation showdown with VUFC Rangers and look to have just about made themselves safe. They drew a random bye in the first round will hope to carry that momentum from a cup-like league victory into their opener here. The tale of the tape show these two are rather evenly matched, having drawn in their two league meetings during the campaign, so perhaps this one might be decided from the spot. This match could go either way, but I'll tip the Serbians based on their recent cup performances.

Royal City A v Bowen Island FC
The Boners are always a sentimental favourite with their upbeat, community football culture and commitment to traveling to away days. They might just fancy an upset in this one as well given that Royal City will be returning to Division 3 after an abysmal debut in Division 2 following a wonderful promotion campaign. The New West lads had a chance to start with a blank slate in their cup opener and proved that they are in fact still capable of knocking off a Division 3 side when they slipped past Bombastic B 2-0 to taste victory for just the second time this season. Bowen have had a solid season by there standards and are guaranteed a top four finish at worst as they continue to build their program. They comfortably saw off domestic rivals Vancity Snipers in the last round for a third time this season and followed that up with a very impressive 3-0 trouncing of one time promotion contenders, Lobbans, last time out. The Island lads will have every reason to fancy themselves in this one if they can keep that form up, but I do worry about availability for a 6pm kick-off on a Saturday in New West. Royal City will be keen to continue to prove that they are better than anything Division 3 has to offer and with another Div. 3 team guaranteed to be waiting in the next round, a chance at a quarter final appearance might offer a silver lining for an otherwise forgettable season. I think a motivated New West side finds an extra gear to get this one done.

South Delta v Westside Black Aces
This should be a spicy one. It's a domestic battle from 3A and these two teams will both fancy their chances at progressing to the next round. South Delta have made little secret of their opinions regarding the current league leaders and promotion hopefuls from Vancouver. The Tsawwassen boys do not believe that Westside are the best team in the division and will no doubt be looking forward to backing up that opinion with a cup winning performance at home. Indeed, one of Westside's few blemishes this season was a 2-2 draw out at Winskill back in September in the early days of the campaign. The league leaders atoned for their slip up in the reverse fixture, thumping SD 6-1 at home in their biggest win of the season. South Delta assert that they had personnel issues for that one, given that it was the final game before the Winter Break, but let's hope that they have a full side available for this one. It should be an old fashioned battle out in the suburbs in this one, but I'll take the Vancouverites as first place has got to count for something, even if it does not impress their hosts in the slightest!

Metropolitan A v Rino's Bulldogs
After all the opening round upsets this match has the two highest ranked teams of any clash in this round and it is a crossover fixture as well; clearly then it ticks all the boxes to be MOTR. Rino's won a close one against Punjab Tigers, 2-1, in another crossover last round. The Bulldogs started off the season slowly but have turned it on since the calendar rolled over. They have lost only once in their six matches since returning from the break and their win over Meraloma last weekend mathematically assured that they will not be relegated. They can relax and focus on the cup now and perhaps that will give them an advantage here because Metropolitan are still very much crunching the numbers on their league campaign. Following relegation last season, Students are now hanging by a thread in their hopes for an immediate return to Division 1. Greencaps need only one more win to doom Metro to another season at this level and we will have to see if that has any effect on the UHill based team's attitude towards the cup. Will they be able to shake it off and take a run at a competition that they will be favoured to go deep in? Or will the disappointment be too much to overcome for a team used to competing in the Imperial Cup and prove a distraction as they look to refocus before the Provincial B Cup? They still look to be a top team, so they will be favourites here, but certainly Rino's in their current form would not be shock winners by any stretch.

HK Hrvat v Vancouver Strikers
Hrvat won their customary, minimum one round in the cup when they defeated Twin Arrows two weeks ago. They will be hoping not to encounter Twin Arrows again in roughly a months time as that would mean that they are playing in a relegation playoff. Hrvat did themselves a massive favour winning a huge game over FC Serbia last week which lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time in months. The league is surely their focus and with a game to come against bottom side, and already relegated, Royal City Hrvat will be confident of securing the points that they need to stay in the league without the need for an additional match. Strikers have concluded their league campaign and are looking good for a spot in the BCs. Their third place will likely hold up unless Bombastic catch them and that will likely be enough to get them to the post-season dance. Strikers have had little trouble casting aside Hrvat this year, winning their two meetings by an aggregate score of 10-1. While Hrvat no maybe better than most about cup magic, I think their focus ultimately lies elsewhere and I expect this match to follow a similar story line to the league encounters.

Greencaps B v Westside Juniors
Greencaps embarrassed Div. 2B bottom side Bosna 6-0 and will now face the other newly promoted side in 2B, Westside Juniors. Westside are fairing much better than their promotion cousins however, sitting mid-table and are all but mathematically guaranteed another season at this level. Greencaps B will be joining them in Division 2 next season, having already clinched promotion, and the soon-to-be Div. 2 group will be eager to prove that they belong in this one. Westside saw off Greencaps groupmates Richmond in their opener by a rather comfortable 3-0 margin in the last round, so Greencaps should expect a stiffer test here. Top Division 3 sides are never short of confidence in this competition, especially given that they are used to that winning feeling, so any lack of preparation by Westside will leave the door open and Greencaps are liable to kick it right down. I'll take the Div. 2 side as there is no real reason to bet against them, but this game will likely come down to who can assert their dominance early, because the team chasing this game will likely leave themselves exposed at the back and that is a dangerous games to play.

Lobbans v Ex Patriots
Lobbans had one of the big upsets in the opening round, defeating a resurgent Division 2 Sarajevo side 1-0. Lobbans are very well coached and organized, so grinding out cup results will suit them just fine. While they may have fallen out of the promotion race to return to Division 2, Lobbans don't back down from anyone. Ex Patriots are in, I believe, their second or third season in the VMSL and they have hardly been a revelation. They sit lower mid-table in 3B and have amassed the majority of their points from teams around or below them in the table. They were drawn a random bye into this round and I think they will be in tough travelling to Surrey for a late Saturday kick off.

Greencaps A v NorVan Vikings
NorVan pulled off the upset of Division 2 Meraloma in the Preliminary Round in what was a heated affair with some hard feelings afterwords. Their reward is to face the top team in 2B as the defending Provincial B Cup Champion Greencaps are just two points from confirming their promotion to Division 1. Add to that the fact that this cup draw has opened right up for the Irishmen with lower mid-table Euro FC the only remaining Division 2 side in their quarter. It is Greencap's to lose seemingly and, given their performances to this point in the season, they are certainly the favourites. This would be the ultimate upset for the North Shore boys; can't see it happening.

Campo Atletico B v Metropolitan B
A toss up here between a pair of less than impressive lower mid-table sides in 3B. Neither team played in the first round with Metro drawing a bye and VAFC forfeiting to Campo. These two drew their first meeting and then had the lights snap off with Students leading 1-0 in their second match. The winner will likely be cannon fodder for Greencaps in the next round, so toss a coin here and get on with it. Metropolitan are ahead in the table and ahead in their half game played, so I'll give them the edge here, why not?

Marpole Tropics v West Coast Saints
Marpole did the business in a close one against their domestic rivals from 3C, North Delta, in their opener and would likely have expected to see Division 2 powerhouse Gastown in this round. Instead, West Coast Saints pulled off arguably the upset of the Preliminary Round knocking off the boys from downtown and that just adds another feather to their cap as they followed up that win by securing the 3B title and promotion to Division 2 last weekend. With this section of the draw light on top end Division 2 sides thank to West Coast's upset along with NorVan's the Saints will now fancy a fairly good cup run. True, Greencaps A are likely to be waiting in the quarters, but, having already pulled off one upset, West Coast surely would not back down from being the underdogs once more. They'll be favourites in this one though and I expect to see them progress.

Euro FC v Burnaby Selects White Eagles B
Burnaby were handed a bye through the first round while Euro had a soft toss one against the loser of last year's relegation playoff from Division 2, Unicorns. Euro are hoping to avoid being involved in this season's relegation playoff, but are far from breathing easy sitting only five points up on the bottom two with teams below them holding games in hand. They still have a massive six-pointer to play against the team currently occupying the relegation playoff place, Twin Arrows. Burnaby are likely to be a step up from Unicorns as, if not for an unfortunate opening day roster blunder, leading to them fielding an ineligible player, the former Serbians would be in the thick of the promotion hunt in 3C. Instead, the team they donated those points to way back in September, Greencaps B, have clinched the league title and White Eagles fell out of the race for the bonus promotion spot when West Coast Celts won last weekend. Burnaby are a formidable team in a 3C group that has produced excellent competition at the top. Also, similar to their big brother in Division 1, White Eagles have an explosive offense and are often merciless when they come up against inferior opposition. They lead all of Division 3 with 69 goals and went on a four game stretch against teams in the bottom half that saw them score 33 unanswered goals. If they get into their rhythm Euro could be in trouble. This one is my Upset Special; Burnaby to advance!

13th Legion v Strathcona Utd.
A tricky one here for the Legion as they match up against a similar, physical, direct, North American style team in Strathcona. The East Van boys are still in the thick of a promotion race and, while they will need Westside to slip up in their final match to have any hope of automatic promotion, they are still very much in the mix for the bonus promotion spot. The Legion are also contending for promotion as they look to make the jump up to Division 1, but after a draw against Strikers this past weekend, they look set to be bridesmaids for a second consecutive season. This one should be a muckers delight but I expect the Legioners to grind out a win.

Shaheen v West Coast Celts
Shaheen had to turn up only to find out Div. 3 bottom feeders HiVE FC were not bothering to turn up. I would expect West Coast Celts to make the trek to North Vancouver though as they will look to emulate their cousins the Saints in pulling off a big upset over a team from 2B. Unlike Saints, Celts have missed out on automatic promotion to Division 2, but they are still in the hunt for the bonus promotion spot. Shaheen pushed hard for much of the season to return to Division 1, but were ultimately squeezed out in a highly competitive 2B and will spend at least a third season at this level. Certainly favourites in this one against Celts, though surely Gastown felt the same way about their match with Saints, so Shaheen would be well advised to bring their A-Game, even if it is against lower league opposition.

Bombastic FC v GFC Lions
Two feel good stories from the VMSL this season. GFC did not win a single game in their debut campaign last year, but spent much of this season leading the way in 3B. In the end they were nudged out for promotion by West Coast Saints, but they certainly have to be looked at as arguably the most improved team across any division. They got rewarded with a decent draw in their opener against last placed Royal City Rangers from 3A and added a cup win to their impressive season. Bombastic have also had a fantastic year by their standards. Much more used to relegation battles, they hold their fate in their own hands in terms of their chance to qualify for the Provincial Cup. They knocked off fellow Div. 2 side VUFC in the last round and know face lower league opposition in this round and the next, should they advance. Both these teams will be full of confidence, but I'll give the edge to the Division 2 crew.

France FC v FC Ui
France are here only because they managed to catch Snipers playing an ineligible player in their last game. That turned a 3-0 loss into a spot in the last 32 teams and now they will play a fellow Division 3 side. France have continued to improve from when they first came into the league last season and this has led to them finishing in the top half of 3B. FC Ui are debutantes this season and would surely love to emulate the trajectory that France have taken over their two VMSL campaigns. Ui have had a respectable campaign for a stand alone first year team, though most of their success can be attributed to the goals of Sun Min Kim, whose 16 tallies are the most of anyone in any of the Division 3 groups. Not too much to chose between these two, but I think France's experience will show and help them to progress.