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
The game between the norvan squad and meralomas wasn't a heated game. It wasn't until the keeper got beat over his head as the previous year and then a second time. I was sitting beside one of our fans and he started chirping the keeper. I told him the best is to call him a marshmallow so he did and the keeper went holistic. Unbelievable actually. He then started swearing and screaming out my name which I thought was quite funny as I knew he was losing for sure in this state. He came over off the field challenging me to a fight and I told him then all that he was a marshmallow. His players were trying to pull him onto the field. The ref came over and yellow carded him. At no time was I drinking as we had just finished playing and was gathering things together. And especially at no time was anything said towards the refereee. It seems this keeper has been having nightmares about the two free kicks he let in against us last season to lose the game. Too bad. I'm sure he is a nice young fellow. I certainly know mick is a good guy. Good luck to our bouts against the green capsSo 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.