Div 1 [VMSL Div 1] Predictions, Results & Banter 2017/2018

[robino]

Every point is always welcomed. After 1st half of the season, gn north delta is going down as they should. Buying a team and being in div1 right away is not fair, thus they wil most likely dissapear from vmsl once they are relegated. We will see.
One team thats playing well is Romania. They have been in relegation battle last few years, but this year no such worries.

 

[ref44]

why does one player play for inter vs columbus or other way around both italian based teams with long traditions in the same geographical area. is it like a real madrid athletico madrid situation?

Hey big gk. do u know that matt the ref we had is trying to get us fined for insufficient or unacceptable uniforms?? $25 fine. Total bs. We all had the same jerseys and strip did we not??? Got an email tonight saying we owe $25 for this offence. Lol.

 

[soccer8]

Trying to find anyway for more $ to the league.the rates the refs are dishing out yellows is ridiculus.iv seen far too many soft yellow cards this season throughout the league

 

[ref44]

Trying to find anyway for more $ to the league.the rates the refs are dishing out yellows is ridiculus.iv seen far too many soft yellow cards this season throughout the league

The thing is if anyone knows me I am a stickler for everyone having all the same kit on and ready. Lol. Once we were fined for not having the field lined and we play on a turf field lol.
As for the soft yellows I would take them as what we have had from a few officials have been two foot tackles from behind with no play on the ball what so ever and no card but when our player asks where is the card on a violent reckless tackle he gets a yellow. And the linesman who is there right at the tackle says nothing.
The refs have to be held accountable somehow.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Journeyed to Newton this past week to see the important promotion clash between NorVan and Guildford and the game certainly provided several talking points. It was a stalemate early, but NorVan drew first blood 20-25 minutes in when the banged in a scrappy one from somewhere around the top of the six yard box. The North Shore boys then began to carry the play and it was, in truth, nothing fancy; mostly just direct balls with some speed and good work rate that saw them dictate things. Guildford were creating essentially nothing offensively, but attacking was difficult because they had almost none of the ball and when they did regain, they gave it away cheaply time and again. The second goal came around ten minutes before half time and you could almost sense it was a dagger even this early. The NorVan attacker stripped the ball off the Surrey defender, who hit the deck and screamed for a foul, before slamming it hard and low across the net from the corner of the penalty area, into the side netting. Lovely finish to be sure. The Guildford players surrounded the referee in protest, but I certainly didn't think it was a foul in real time and the referee, who was in a better position than me, did not deem it to be one either. It looked very soft and I thought instantly as it was happening and the player was going to ground that he was taking a very big risk given that, if they whistle did not blow, and it didn't, the attacker would have an unimpeded route to goal. Guildford spent the rest of the half winding themselves up at the referee and their own poor play as their frustration continued to increase. They almost conceded a third time off another goal mouth scramble, but the attacker was ruled offside. NorVan were a constant threat from set pieces and just seemed to want it more both offensively and defensively, putting their bodies on the line at will to try and create offense or prevent a chance against.

It was 2-0 at half time and Guildford came out with a high press after the break. They were causing some problems, but you had to wonder if this tempo was sustainable. They did fizzle out a bit, but overall they were much more dangerous than at any time during the first 45 minutes. Their best lifeline into the game came when they earned three successive corners. Again however, NorVan seemed to just want it more, finding a way to scramble everything clear. Guildford were certainly better than they had been and were earning more set pieces, but you still struggled to see where exactly the goals were going to come from. NorVan, for their part, appeared content to defend and look to put things out of reach when they had opportunities to counter attack. With 15 minutes to go the Guildford wide man put in a heavy challenge near the touchline in front of NorVan's bench and when he saw the referee reach for the yellow card he completely lost his head and directed some foul and abusive language towards the man in the middle. He then opted to pull out the red card, as he was well within his rights to, and this game effectively ended as a contest. Credit to Guildford, as their ten men never stopped playing and they were reward with an injury time penalty to put some gloss on an otherwise forgettable performance.

Strange scenes after the final whistle though and it really showed the dichotomy between the two teams. Guildford were giving it to the referee as he walked off the field with his assistants and he looked to call a player over towards him. The two continued to exchange words and Sasa, Guildford's coach who is never shy of offering an opinion, got involved with the referee. The ref then walked over to the Guildford bench to engage the team further and, predictably, ended up surrounded by the players and staff in a mass confrontation almost all of his own creation. Things continued to escalate until the assistants went over and pulled the referee away with Sasa screaming about reporting the official's actions, blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile, NorVan, who had a mass of subs (I counted at least 8 at half time, which is impressive for a very long drive on a Friday night given that you have to assume there's a decent chance that with that many bodies you might not see the field), finished their cool down stretches before joining arms in a huddle for a focusing/bonding moment. All this while chaos was ensuing only metres away in the other bench area. Bizarre.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Halfway through the season and first and last place look all but decided at this point. While obviously nothing is mathematically certain, after a sparkling 11-0, undefeated run through the first round of fixtures, it would take a monumental collapse on NorVan Lion's part to see them playing Division 1 football again next term. Indeed, they require only eight wins over the second half of the season to officially achieve promotion. At the bottom, GN North Delta finally picked up their first point of the season, but will need to make up six points and climb over at least two teams in order to avoid the drop. The second promotion and relegation spots, though? Those are very much in the balance and it should be a wild ride all the way to the finish line, so let's get into it.

Completely Baseless Predications for Week 12:

Metro Athletic v Rino's Fury
A major slip up for Metro in the promotion race, as they dropped two points away to relegation threatened Binger's last time out. It was a trademark Binger's Wednesday night home game, so the Burnaby boys have had plenty of time to stew over their wasted opportunity. As it was, the draw did not hurt them too much as their promotion rivals, Guildford and Columbus, both lost, meaning Metro hit the half way mark sitting in second spot and with their promotion fate in their own hands. If Rino's thought they were pulling out of their miserable start to the season a month ago after they picked up seven points on the spin, they were wrong. They went on to lose three straight and topped it off by becoming the first team not to take maximum points against league bottom feeders, GN North Delta. This means Rino's now are right in the thick of the relegation race and, after a fabulous debut in Division 1 a season ago, a return to Division 2 is looking like a real possibility. Tough week to see high fliers Metro Athletic on the schedule then and, while Rino's will surely play with some desperation, Metro's draw against Bingers was only the third time they have dropped points all year. The other two were a loss to NorVan Lions, who beat everyone in the first half, and a loss to fellow promotion hopefuls Guildford. Metro had minimal difficult seeing off Rino's in Week 1 and I would expect to see the Burnaby boys back on track after this weekend.

Guildford v NorVan Storm
It's all gone wrong for Guildford of late as they are without a win in their last three games and are coming off of back to back losses, their first defeats of the season. All of this has seen them drop outside of the promotion places and it's an all too reminiscent feeling for the Surrey boys. This is the time of the season that has seen them traditionally take a dip in form and fall out of the promotion battle. The good news is the schedule sets up well for Guildford to right the ship. They will play three teams from the bottom half of the table, beginning this weekend, before what is shaping up to be a titanic clash with the team they are now chasing for promotion, Metro Athletic, ahead of the VMSL's winter break. This week's opponents, NorVan Storm, are treading water after coming up from Division 2, but, while they have established themselves at this level, they are far from safe, hovering a mere two points above the relegation zone. They missed out on a crucial opportunity to put themselves on more solid footing last weekend when they lost to Richmond. It was only Richmond's second win of the campaign and means that instead of being eight points clear of the drop, NorVan still have work to do yet. It was the second consecutive week that the North Shore boys let points slip in the relegation battle after they drew with relegation threatened Binger's the previous weekend. The Storm were well off the pace in the first meeting between these two teams, but it is uncertain what sort of Guildford team will be waiting for NorVan at Newton on Friday. Will they be able to move on from recent disappointments and get back to the task at hand, knowing that a string of results will have them back in the second promotion place by the time the calendar changes? Or are they already mentally on a slide that is once more doomed to derail their season? Tough to predict, but this game will go a long way to telling us what we can expect from Guildford the rest of the way. For now, I will give the Surrey boys the benefit of the doubt and say they find a way to win this one.

Richmond Royals v Binger's Army
A massive relegation six-pointer on the cards here as these two teams meet tied on seven points and sharing the second relegation place. Both are coming off strong results with Bingers pulling out some vintage form to take points off a promotion contender, as they have done so many times before. Their 1-1 with Metro Athletic last Wednesday marked the first time this campaign that the Army picked up points in back to back games. Meanwhile, Richmond claimed only their second win of the season this past weekend, beating NorVan Storm 3-2. Neither team is having a dream season, but, given their results to this point, this is the best form these teams have been in all year! Both these teams will know how vital an opportunity this game presents and surely we will see two desperate teams duking it out. They were unable to be separated in Week 1 and now sit level in the table after 11 weeks with comparable goal differences. It points to another draw, but I will be bold and say that Binger's continue to ride this "hot streak" and lean on their veteran savvy to come away with three massive points.

GN North Delta v GN Sporting
This game was postponed in Week 1 and when they finally got around to playing it over the Thanksgiving long weekend, North Delta were no match for Sporting, losing 3-0. In fact, "losing" was essentially the theme of North Delta's season over the opening half, even with the extra week to prepare they lost 10 of 11, but finally managed a draw this past weekend with Rino's. That draw was well deserved after recently improved performances, including a narrow 1-0 loss to second place Metro Athletic. North Delta still have a long way to go to achieve respectability in the division and the odds of them escaping relegation are rather slim. Certainly their local cousins, Sporting, won't be in a mood to do them any favours. They have lost two in a row to their mid-table rivals, White Eagles and Romania, and now sit seventh with an even goal difference. It is a vast improvement over their performance last season which saw them stave off relegation on the final weekend of the season. Should be a good derby and, I will venture, a better game than their first meeting, but I'll still pick Sporting to be comfortable here.

Romania v Columbus
MOTW here as, don't look now, but Romania have vaulted into the relegation conversation. True, they haven't taken points off the Top 4, save for a draw with Guildford, but just like the company they now find themselves keeping, they have done the business against the rest of the league. They would be truly a shock to go up and it is likely still a bridge too far, but a win over preseason favourites Columbus, who they are currently level with on 22 points in fourth place, would send shockwaves through the league. The Italians have looked to have steadied themselves of late after some early season struggles with a couple of wins against bottom teams followed by an emphatic 4-0 thumping of Guildford to pull themselves back into the thick of the promotion race. However, they cast aside much of that good work last time out, losing 2-1 away to White Eagles. Romania likely would have been happier to meet Columbus a month ago when they were mired in an 0-1-2 slump, but surely they will still fancy their chances with the East Van boys looking to be in less than top form. Columbus had be scoring at will, tallying four goals in each of their three consecutive victories, but White Eagles held them to a lone tally, which seems to be the recipe for success against the recently relegated outfit. Indeed, Columbus are 1-1-3 when being held to two goals or less, but are 6-0-0 when they score three or more. Can Romania hold them? Goals against have been a problem for the Europeans, as they have allowed the most goals of any team in the top seven. This one looks to be a cracker on paper and I think the goals will come tumbling out of it. That favours the Italians so I will give them the nod and pick them to win. Good luck to Romania though, everybody loves a Cinderella!

Burnaby Selects White Eagles v NorVan Lions
The two top offenses in Division 1 go at it in this one, as well as the top three goal scorers in the league. Vuk Erbez finally improved his goal tally in Burnaby's 2-1 win over Columbus last week, after being stuck on eight goals for weeks. He won't have a chance to add to it further this weekend, however, as he finds himself on the hot sheet, suspended for yellow card accumulation. It will be up to his partner in crime, Matlash Vladyslav, who remains on eight goals for the season, to do the damage against the league leaders. Both players pail in comparison to NorVan Lion's Will Kendal, who leads the league with an astonishing 16 goals from 11 games. NorVan sit atop the table with their perfect 11-0 record, leading the league with a monstrous 39 goals while, perhaps most impressively, having conceded only six times. They are the class of the league so far this year and even though this fixture was close in Week 1, with NorVan only winning 2-1, the North Shore boys will be favourites by far in this one. They will know though that every team from here on will want to be the one to break up their perfect season and White Eagles will be no exception. The former Serbians are not to be taken lightly with their 35 goals for and they showed last time out that they are capable of knocking off top teams when they beat Columbus. Still, NorVan will be confident and I expect them to find a way to win here just as they have done every week so far this season.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Only made it out to one game this past weekend and it was NorVan at Burnaby Selects White Eagle on Sunday night. The game started off very cagey and the most action was actually taking place out on the street as a dozen or so emergency vehicles came flooding past during the first half to attend what must have been a pretty serious accident just down the street. On the field, the former Serbians were set up very defensively and were clearly playing for a draw right from the offing. Their coach, who I had not seen the last time I watched White Eagles against Romania, was very vocal about trying to make it half time at 0-0 and calling out time intervals for the team to manage the game towards. Not sure if he was the regular or coach or perhaps just a stand in? Maybe a new man in charge, as he didn't seem to know the players very well and he kept referring to their keeper simply as "goalie" when he was mostly screaming at him to quit bitching at the referee. It was at least worth a chuckle and was about as entertaining as anything taking place on the pitch during the first 45 minutes. For all their frustrating defending, NorVan still had a few half chances, including their front man completely mis-hitting a ball that somehow dropped to him inside ten yards of goal, and they always looked dangerous on set pieces. White Eagles also had the occasional look on the counter attack so, presumably things were all going according to plan when it was 0-0 at the interval.

Second half had the talking points in this one and, after making it to the hour mark, Burnaby finally capitulated. It was off a set piece that likely should have been dealt with better. The initial ball just kept carrying and floated over the goalkeepers head. He misjudged it and was backpedaling before it looked like he lost his bearings because, just as the ball was about to clang flush off the crossbar, he panicked and desperately tried to jump and either catch it or tip it over. He did neither and this left him completely off balance and unable to deal with the rebound which popped onto the head of a NorVan player. The attacker had followed the ball in and was not tracked by the defenders who were seemingly mesmerized by the floating free kick. It was a simple task for the NorVan man from inside six yards and their well stocked bench (I again counted eight or nine willing substitutes on their travels as opposed to the one or two bodies on the home side's bench) erupted. It was certainly going to be an uphill for the host's after this who had to be given credit for their performance to this point, however it became a near impossible job with roughly 15 minutes to go when they were reduced to 10 men. A scuffle over a throw-in saw the Burnaby man lash out with a kick to the chest of the prone NorVan player. The referee had a good view and was decisive with his judgement; from my vantage point it looked to be the correct decision as well. The North Shore boys saw the game out from this point and tacked on a late one in the dying minutes off another free kick. This one was whipped in to the back post and met first time with a great run and finish to salt things away. 12-0 and, with other results, only 19 points away from promotion.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

The first week of reverse fixtures saw four of the bottom six pick up huge wins and sees Columbus take over a promotion position for the first time in quite awhile. That promotion race has gone from will anyone drop points? To, will anyone pick up points? As it was only the Italians to come away with anything last weekend, making the record for the three "contenders" 1-1-4 over their last six games. The one constant remains NorVan at the top of the table, now 12-0; can anyone stop them? Let see what this week holds...


Completely Baseless Predictions for Week 13:


Binger's Army v Guildford

It's an all too familiar feeling for the Surrey boys. Guildford are into their winter slump and look poised to fade from the promotion race once more. A 3-1 loss to bottom half NorVan Storm makes it a full month without a win for the Newton based crew, but it is the manner in which they are losing these games which is cause for the most concern. After a disappointing performance against bottom half GN Sporting, where they only came away with a single point in a game they would have expected to win, they completely failed to turn up at Columbus the next week. They were well beaten, 4-0, when they had the chance to strike a real blow to a languishing promotion rival. If Guildford fail to achieve their promotion goal once more this season, they can likely point to that game as the iceberg that did the telltale damage. They then faced a tough task against league leaders NorVan Lions, but were very much second best in that game and they hardly responded to adversity well as the frustration was evident all over the field, as well as among the players and coaches afterwords. A chance to bounce back against a lower table team whose last win was in mid-October went by the wayside as they lost 3-1 to NorVan Storm this past weekend. For the second consecutive week they have had a player sent off, so discipline is now an issue and when you add it all up it begins to point directly at the culture/psyche/mentality of this group. Call it immaturity or maybe inexperience, it's tough to label it clearly. What is for sure is that this is a talented group, but their results continue to prove that they are not ready to take that next step just yet. A team in an unfamiliar position is Binger's Army. Their 3-1 loss to Richmond was a massive body blow and the Army now firmly have one foot in Division 2. Not helping was the fact that NorVan Storm and Rino's both pulled off upsets and took three points themselves last time out, meaning Bingers are fully three points back of safety and, looking at the fixture list, it is tough to see where exactly they stand to make that ground up. Guildford are certainly a wounded animal, and a midweek trip to the city with exam season on the horizon, weather conditions forecast to be less than ideal and likely at least one or two players starting to lose buy-in with the program is hardly the tonic that you would recommend for the Surrey boys, but surely they will still beat Binger's. Despite the Army's long standing pedigree as a Division 1 upset specialist, it is tough to see how they get anything out of this one. They ground out a great draw against promotion hopefuls Metro two weeks ago, though you have to think spirits have been dampened by this past weekend's result. The first goal is likely to be crucial in this one as I can't say I have much faith in either size battling back to overturn a deficit. I'll say the Surrey contingent have the weapons they need to find the back of the net and escape with a much needed three points.


GN Sporting v Rino's Fury

Both these teams have dropped points to bottom of the table GN North Delta in consecutive weeks. Rino's gave the ND boys their very first point of the season two weeks ago before Sporting provided them with their first ever Division 1 victory at the last time of asking, losing 2-1. While Sporting were busy ensuring that their club cousins didn’t go winless for the season, Rino’s were bouncing back in a big way, knocking off back to back promotion hopefuls Metro Athletic 3-0. It was by far the Vancouver boys’ most impressive result of the season and a performance more indicative of the form they showed last season. Both these teams have been rather Jekyll and Hyde this season and it is tough to predict what you will get from them on any given day. Either could end up being dragged all the way back into a relegation race, however, I think it is most likely that we see them both back in the division next season. They are both hovering around mid-table and have shown that they are capable taking points off teams in the top half. That is a pretty solid survival formula and with goal differences just below zero things are trending towards respectability. Neither team is blessed with goal scoring; GN’s Jaspreet Bains and Rino’s Pablo Zubiria are the only names from either group to appear in the top half of the goal charts, but they are getting the goals when they matter and certainly enough of them to remain competitive. It looks a fairly even match up on paper, and likely I should pick a draw here, however, Rino’s have a chance to vault themselves level with GN and, after their performance against Burnaby last week, I expect them to be buzzing. I’ll take the Fury in this one.


Richmond Royals v Metro Athletic

Absolutely massive result for Richmond in their relegation six-pointer against Binger’s last weekend. Their 3-1 win hardly allows them to exhale, but it does put them out of the drop by three points and leaves them with their fate firmly in their own hands. Metro’s fate in the promotion race remains in their own hands as well, but only just, after a surprise loss to Rino’s last time out. The offense has begun to sputter somewhat for the Burnaby boys as Navid and Co. have only managed four goals in their previous four games and have failed to win for consecutive weeks for the first time this season. Particularly concerning is the fact that these struggles have come against teams from teams in the bottom half of the league standings, having faced four of the bottom five over the last month. The will face the other two bottom half clubs, beginning this weekend with Richmond, followed by GN Sporting the week after, before running the gauntlet at the top of the table through until the end of January. Back to back promotions from Division 2 to Premier are almost unheard of; it was tough to remember the last time it happened before Campo fell into it almost seemingly by acclimation last year, and it is beginning to look like it may just be a bridge too far for Metro. Certainly if they are to repeat the feat for a second consecutive season, they will need maximum points from their next two outings before they enter the tempest that awaits them sandwiched around the Winter Break. Despite Richmond’s markedly improved play, they have won two on the spin for the first time this season, last week was their big match and I think Burnaby should be the more desperate team in this game. I’ll take Metro to keep pace at the top here.


NorVan Storm v Burnaby Selects White Eagles

When these two promotion cousins met in Week Two it was all Burnaby. 7-0 the full time score and NorVan were offered a stark reality check that there would be no easy games at this level, even against opposition that they had matched up against the previous season. Since then both teams have got their footing in the division and look good bets to be around again next season. White Eagles sit sixth with an even 6-6 record. They have scored the second most goals in the league though and, with a plus 15 goal difference, when they win, they tend to do so in style. They claimed the scalp of former Premier league Columbus two weeks ago but, like everyone else to this point, were unable to come away with anything against 100% NorVan Lions last time out. NorVan Storm got their biggest result of the season away to suddenly struggling Guildford last week and will certainly be looking to atone for completely failing to turn up in the reverse fixture. White Eagles have been penned in of late as you have to go back four games to find a match in which they have scored more than two goals, so they would seem due for a breakout. That being said, especially after seeing the limited roster that Burnaby was able to field for a home game, I am going to play a hunch here and say a motivated Storm side gets a point out of this one at home.


Columbus v GN North Delta

Don’t look now but GN North Delta, after starting the campaign 0-10, have picked up points in two straight games. Also don’t look now, but Columbus are back in a promotion position, albeit tied with Metro Athletic. The performances have been steadily improving for the North Delta boys, though it would still seem a very long shot for them to escape relegation. Despite their new found ability to get results, they remain a distant six points from safety and must now play the top two teams in the league. That being said, their schedule to begin January has some tasty fixtures against teams in their weight class that might just have the ability to make the relegation race very interesting. I can’t them getting anything this week, though. Columbus are resurgent and, having almost fallen out of the promotion race then hauling themselves back into it, only to drop more points, they will be keen to consolidate their position against the bottom team in the division. Clearly they would do well not to take GN lightly, however, I’m expecting the Italians to be comfortable here.


NorVan Lions v Romania

The beat keeps on playing for the league leaders who continue to boast one of the VMSL’s last two remaining 100% records. Due respect to O45 Division 1’s Pacific 96’ers though, but a 14 game schedule that already boasts a pair of victories via forfeit is not a great comparable in my opinion. Lacking a true marquee fixture on the docket for this weekend this one will have to serve as MOTW. The Romanians are hovering on the edge of the promotion places and, while seemingly a long shot, they could fashion a promotion charge over the second half of the season. A shock win over the league leaders would certainly put the other contenders on notice and surely their odds of a win here cannot be longer than their odds of promotion, so what do they have to lose. These would be bonus points in the truest sense of the phase! Truthfully, these games are now more about seeing if NorVan will slip up, given their promotion is essentially a fait accompli at this point. Promotion stands at 55 points currently, with NorVan having already amassed 36 of those. Depending on results that number will change, but the light is getting awfully close at the end of the tunnel on the North Shore.

 

[machel]

Nice win for @ref44 and crew last weekend. Starting to get your sea legs in this division! It's still competitive down at the bottom.

 

[ref44]

Cheers. I mus

Nice win for @ref44 and crew last weekend. Starting to get your sea legs in this division! It's still competitive down at the bottom.

t admit it did feel good. We also rang one off the post late. Felt bad for their keeper who was red carded later in the game as he came out to challenge a break away at 25 urs out. He was at a full run then slid head first at our strikers feet who also was at a full run. After the collision our striker was sent stipulating over the keeper. We were worried he broke his leg but he was up immediately and checked on the keeper. He waved to get a trainer on as he was out cold. Hope he is ok now.
It's great as every game means something up here.

 

[big gk]

sadly for us our first goal did not sink guilfords mojo. they equalized with a sublime volley and we gifted them the game in the 85th minute. we are in deep shite. if we cant get some points fast i will be back in div 2, where i think i last played for the army in 2001 likely a time where most of guilford had not been playing soccer yet

 

[ref44]

sadly for us our first goal did not sink guilfords mojo. they equalized with a sublime volley and we gifted them the game in the 85th minute. we are in deep shite. if we cant get some points fast i will be back in div 2, where i think i last played for the army in 2001 likely a time where most of guilford had not been playing soccer yet

That's crappy. I hate it and we too have dropped points where we have been in control of games. U will find the way to stay.

 

[SmartCoach]

Rino’s 7 GN Sporting 1

 

[Silviu]

Norvan 1-1Romania
We only had 11 guys and a loud bench for this game. We were 1 goal up at some point during the second half.
All in all a real football match in north van. Well done men!

 

[Silviu]

Norvan 1-1Romania
We only had 11 guys and a loud bench for this game. We were 1 goal up at some point during the second half.
All in all a real football match in north van. Well done men!

 

[GoF]

I headed up to catch the second half of the Div 2 game between 13th Legion and CMF Lupi, but had half an eye on the other pitch at Empire and the match between Columbus and North Delta. What a hammering and one way traffic that was. Columbus dominant.

Columbus won 10-0 in the end, with ND looking all at sea, knife through butter, and all that. Not sure if it was Columbus were amazing or ND were understrength (I think I counted they had ten men). The Div 1 promotion race is going to be exciting these last few weeks. Columbus look to have really got themselves back in the thick of it all and control their own fate.

Wasn't filming this match but did briefly catch this goal, which kind of says it all as to how the game was going by this point. No idea what goal number this was! One of the last ones though.

 

[SmartCoach]

Rino’s 5 teams scored 27 goals and won 5 games this weekend the soccer god finally listen to all my prayers for the teams to get back on track from a poor start to the season for the open teams

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Well the perfect season is over, but NorVan's lead at the top continues to appear all but insurmountable. Especially help to the North Shore boy's cause is the fact that their would be rivals continue to drop points. Columbus are now out in front for the second promotion spot, but it will be interesting to see how thing shake out this weekend, as it looks like we might well lose some games to the fog. If matches are postponed, what potential advantages could games in hand hold down the stretch? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Completely Baseless Predictions for Week 14:

Guildford v Richmond Royals
Well Guildford finally stopped the rot. After a month without a win, the Surrey boys knocked off Binger's a week and a half ago, if only just barely. The will now face another relegation threatened team in Richmond and a month ago you would have chalked this one up as a sure thing for the home side. Now? Not so much. Guildford have been well off the pace of late and it looks very much like they will, for the third season running, fall out of the promotion race as the calendar page turns. Richmond, meanwhile, have finally kick started their season and, by picking up seven point over their last three games, have moved away from the relegation zone. Indeed, they now sit a full four points clear of second bottom Binger's. They drew Metro Athletic, who are level on points with their hosts, 2-2 last weekend in what is likely their most impressive result of the campaign so far. With Guildford's motivation lacking, and interest seemingly waning, don't be surprised to see a PPD next to this one if there is even a hint of fog around Newton. If the game does go ahead it should be an intriguing one. You would still bet on the Surrey boys having enough in their locker to get the job done, but you would have thought that as well against NorVan Storm and GN Sporting, both of whom they failed to come away with the points against. Richmond have their tales up at the moment and, knowing that they are underdogs, will play like they have nothing to lose and might just be confident of knicking a draw. I'll take Guildford to come away with the victory if the game goes ahead, especially given that, if the Surrey boys have any designs on being relevant in the promotion conversation come 2018 this is all but a must win. A massive showdown with Metro Athletic next weekend looms large as it looks like the loser of that one could well be cut adrift of the top three, so Guildford would be well advised to try and get their game in order ahead of that showdown.

Metro Athletic Burnaby v GN Sporting
It was a surprise draw for promotion hopefuls Metro against relegation threatened Richmond last week. 2-2 was the final score and that makes it just two points from the last three games for the Burnaby boys. This has seen them drop out of the promotion spot they had been holding and means they now will need to scramble to keep pace with Columbus who sit two points ahead of them. Dropping further points to GN who sit in the bottom half of the table and were fully humbled at home last week 7-1 by Rino's is really not an option. Metro will face Guildford next week, with whom they are currently level on 26 points, and the loser of that match could well be dealt a blow from which they may be unable to recover. The Surrey boys have posted some decent results this season, including a 1-1 against the aforementioned Guildford, but overall remain a team that any promotion contender should be favoured to beat. GN are solely concerned with staying in the league this term, so any chance to pick up bonus points will be welcomed and Burnaby would be smart to try and assert themselves early, lest GN think there might be something worth hanging around for in the match. It looks like there are enough points on the board and in the pipeline for Sporting though that if Burnaby play desperate enough, the points should be there for the taking.

GN North Delta v NorVan Lions
So there will be no perfect season this year. The NorVan boy's perfect run was stopped at 12 games when Romania earned a draw on the North Shore last time out. The Lions continued to move in the right direction however, as that point, combined with other results, moved their magic promotion number to 24 points, or seven wins. They have a very good chance to pick up one of those seven this week when they face bottom of the table GN North Delta. GN had been on a minor role picking up their first points in Division 1 with a draw and win in successive weeks, but normal service was quickly resumed last weekend when they were embarassed 10-0 by Columbus. A tough week then to see the league leaders on the docket and, if leading scorer Will Kendall has as much success as Columbus talisman Steve DeBlasio had against North Delta, it could be another lopsided scoreline. Expect NorVan to be comfortable in this one.

Romania v NorVan Storm
The giant killers, or "drawers", return home to face the other NorVan side, Storm this weekend. After becoming the first team this year not to lose to league leaders NorVan Lions in a 1-1 draw, Romania will look to vault back to edge of the promotion race with a good result against mid-table Storm. Promotion has always seemed a very long shot for the Romanians, but with this bonus point off the first place team, perhaps there is an opportunity to stay in the race longer. With the two teams directly ahead of them, Guildford and Metro, both sputtering and now set to play each other next week, a couple of good results could leave Romania in a shock third place when the league stops for the holidays. NorVan Storm should not be taken lightly however, as they have won back to back games for the first time since knocking off both GN teams back when September changed to October. The North Shore boys impressively outlasted high scoring Burnaby White Eagles last weekend to post a 6-4 win, though it does appear that this may have been aided by the White Eagles having Novica Pavic sent off. Still, full credit to NorVan who are in fine form at the moment. I would usually tend to lean towards a draw in a match like this, but I will have to give Romania their due as, if they can play at the same level that earned them a draw last time out, they should be favourites in this one.

Rino's Fury v Columbus
Columbus proved the old saying: "There's no such thing as a bad 10-0" last weekend. Ok, so maybe that's not actually a saying, but still, they dismantled a woeful GN North Delta side a Steve DeBlasio scored enough goals to vault all the way to second place on the scoring charts, taking his total for the season up to 14 in 13 games. Rino's also exploded for a big goal output, sending seven past GN's cousins, Sporting, and having a similar effect on Pablo Zubiria's goal scoring account, lifting to 10 for the year and putting him in a third place tie among the league's Golden Boot chasers. More important than the goals or individual achievements, is the fact that Columbus now sit alone in second place, occupying a promotion spot. With the way the promotion challengers have been dropping points of late, the Italians will badly want to consolidate their standing, especially given that at least one of their rivals, Guildford or Metro, are guaranteed to drop points next week. It won't be an easy task though as Rino's appear to have turned a corner after a very rocky start. Given the performances by both teams last week, I'll suggest this is likely the MOTW and let's hope we see a similar output in terms of goals! As for a prediction, I am again leaning towards a draw, but I'll tip Columbus to understand just how valuable these points are likely to be and find an extra gear in order to come away with the win.

Burnaby Selects White Eagles v Binger's Army
It's looking more and more like the end of an era as Binger's are now four points adrift of safety. While there is no quit in the Army and they will fight right to the last game of the season, it is difficult to see where the opportunities to make up the points lie. After losing a relegation six-pointer to Richmond two weeks ago, the Army lost 2-1 to Guildford and then watched Richmond knick a point off Metro Athletic. It will be an uphill climb for Binger's for sure, beginning this week against a White Eagles side that had little trouble seeing them off 5-0 in the reverse fixture. Goal scoring has been the least of Burnaby's problems since coming up from Div. 2 as the former Serbians have tallied 39 times in 13 games; that's 3 goals per game for anyone doing the math at home. However, if they actually scored three goals per games they would have a record of 10-0-3 and would be sitting in second place on 30 points. Unfortunately, it tends to be feast or famine for the Burnaby boys as, when they win, they generally win big. They are also running into discipline issues as they had a player sent off for the second week running in their 6-4 loss to NorVan Storm. White Eagles have lost two straight since an impressive win over Columbus so they will certainly be licking their chops as they get ready for lowly Binger's. Would love to see the Army come away something from this one, if only to keep the race at the bottom close, but I think Burnaby are clear favourites.

 

[ref44]

Well the perfect season is over, but NorVan's lead at the top continues to appear all but insurmountable. Especially help to the North Shore boy's cause is the fact that their would be rivals continue to drop points. Columbus are now out in front for the second promotion spot, but it will be interesting to see how thing shake out this weekend, as it looks like we might well lose some games to the fog. If matches are postponed, what potential advantages could games in hand hold down the stretch? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Completely Baseless Predictions for Week 14:

Guildford v Richmond Royals
Well Guildford finally stopped the rot. After a month without a win, the Surrey boys knocked off Binger's a week and a half ago, if only just barely. The will now face another relegation threatened team in Richmond and a month ago you would have chalked this one up as a sure thing for the home side. Now? Not so much. Guildford have been well off the pace of late and it looks very much like they will, for the third season running, fall out of the promotion race as the calendar page turns. Richmond, meanwhile, have finally kick started their season and, by picking up seven point over their last three games, have moved away from the relegation zone. Indeed, they now sit a full four points clear of second bottom Binger's. They drew Metro Athletic, who are level on points with their hosts, 2-2 last weekend in what is likely their most impressive result of the campaign so far. With Guildford's motivation lacking, and interest seemingly waning, don't be surprised to see a PPD next to this one if there is even a hint of fog around Newton. If the game does go ahead it should be an intriguing one. You would still bet on the Surrey boys having enough in their locker to get the job done, but you would have thought that as well against NorVan Storm and GN Sporting, both of whom they failed to come away with the points against. Richmond have their tales up at the moment and, knowing that they are underdogs, will play like they have nothing to lose and might just be confident of knicking a draw. I'll take Guildford to come away with the victory if the game goes ahead, especially given that, if the Surrey boys have any designs on being relevant in the promotion conversation come 2018 this is all but a must win. A massive showdown with Metro Athletic next weekend looms large as it looks like the loser of that one could well be cut adrift of the top three, so Guildford would be well advised to try and get their game in order ahead of that showdown.

Metro Athletic Burnaby v GN Sporting
It was a surprise draw for promotion hopefuls Metro against relegation threatened Richmond last week. 2-2 was the final score and that makes it just two points from the last three games for the Burnaby boys. This has seen them drop out of the promotion spot they had been holding and means they now will need to scramble to keep pace with Columbus who sit two points ahead of them. Dropping further points to GN who sit in the bottom half of the table and were fully humbled at home last week 7-1 by Rino's is really not an option. Metro will face Guildford next week, with whom they are currently level on 26 points, and the loser of that match could well be dealt a blow from which they may be unable to recover. The Surrey boys have posted some decent results this season, including a 1-1 against the aforementioned Guildford, but overall remain a team that any promotion contender should be favoured to beat. GN are solely concerned with staying in the league this term, so any chance to pick up bonus points will be welcomed and Burnaby would be smart to try and assert themselves early, lest GN think there might be something worth hanging around for in the match. It looks like there are enough points on the board and in the pipeline for Sporting though that if Burnaby play desperate enough, the points should be there for the taking.

GN North Delta v NorVan Lions
So there will be no perfect season this year. The NorVan boy's perfect run was stopped at 12 games when Romania earned a draw on the North Shore last time out. The Lions continued to move in the right direction however, as that point, combined with other results, moved their magic promotion number to 24 points, or seven wins. They have a very good chance to pick up one of those seven this week when they face bottom of the table GN North Delta. GN had been on a minor role picking up their first points in Division 1 with a draw and win in successive weeks, but normal service was quickly resumed last weekend when they were embarassed 10-0 by Columbus. A tough week then to see the league leaders on the docket and, if leading scorer Will Kendall has as much success as Columbus talisman Steve DeBlasio had against North Delta, it could be another lopsided scoreline. Expect NorVan to be comfortable in this one.

Romania v NorVan Storm
The giant killers, or "drawers", return home to face the other NorVan side, Storm this weekend. After becoming the first team this year not to lose to league leaders NorVan Lions in a 1-1 draw, Romania will look to vault back to edge of the promotion race with a good result against mid-table Storm. Promotion has always seemed a very long shot for the Romanians, but with this bonus point off the first place team, perhaps there is an opportunity to stay in the race longer. With the two teams directly ahead of them, Guildford and Metro, both sputtering and now set to play each other next week, a couple of good results could leave Romania in a shock third place when the league stops for the holidays. NorVan Storm should not be taken lightly however, as they have won back to back games for the first time since knocking off both GN teams back when September changed to October. The North Shore boys impressively outlasted high scoring Burnaby White Eagles last weekend to post a 6-4 win, though it does appear that this may have been aided by the White Eagles having Novica Pavic sent off. Still, full credit to NorVan who are in fine form at the moment. I would usually tend to lean towards a draw in a match like this, but I will have to give Romania their due as, if they can play at the same level that earned them a draw last time out, they should be favourites in this one.

Rino's Fury v Columbus
Columbus proved the old saying: "There's no such thing as a bad 10-0" last weekend. Ok, so maybe that's not actually a saying, but still, they dismantled a woeful GN North Delta side a Steve DeBlasio scored enough goals to vault all the way to second place on the scoring charts, taking his total for the season up to 14 in 13 games. Rino's also exploded for a big goal output, sending seven past GN's cousins, Sporting, and having a similar effect on Pablo Zubiria's goal scoring account, lifting to 10 for the year and putting him in a third place tie among the league's Golden Boot chasers. More important than the goals or individual achievements, is the fact that Columbus now sit alone in second place, occupying a promotion spot. With the way the promotion challengers have been dropping points of late, the Italians will badly want to consolidate their standing, especially given that at least one of their rivals, Guildford or Metro, are guaranteed to drop points next week. It won't be an easy task though as Rino's appear to have turned a corner after a very rocky start. Given the performances by both teams last week, I'll suggest this is likely the MOTW and let's hope we see a similar output in terms of goals! As for a prediction, I am again leaning towards a draw, but I'll tip Columbus to understand just how valuable these points are likely to be and find an extra gear in order to come away with the win.

Burnaby Selects White Eagles v Binger's Army
It's looking more and more like the end of an era as Binger's are now four points adrift of safety. While there is no quit in the Army and they will fight right to the last game of the season, it is difficult to see where the opportunities to make up the points lie. After losing a relegation six-pointer to Richmond two weeks ago, the Army lost 2-1 to Guildford and then watched Richmond knick a point off Metro Athletic. It will be an uphill climb for Binger's for sure, beginning this week against a White Eagles side that had little trouble seeing them off 5-0 in the reverse fixture. Goal scoring has been the least of Burnaby's problems since coming up from Div. 2 as the former Serbians have tallied 39 times in 13 games; that's 3 goals per game for anyone doing the math at home. However, if they actually scored three goals per games they would have a record of 10-0-3 and would be sitting in second place on 30 points. Unfortunately, it tends to be feast or famine for the Burnaby boys as, when they win, they generally win big. They are also running into discipline issues as they had a player sent off for the second week running in their 6-4 loss to NorVan Storm. White Eagles have lost two straight since an impressive win over Columbus so they will certainly be licking their chops as they get ready for lowly Binger's. Would love to see the Army come away something from this one, if only to keep the race at the bottom close, but I think Burnaby are clear favourites.

Not that it matters much the game was over when the white eagles player was sent off their last goal came with a minute left.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Well it's the final week of play in 2017 and, this year, the weather outside has been far from frightful. Only the Guildford versus Richmond game got lost in the fog last weekend (predictably I might add...) and now stands as the only game to be made up on the schedule going into the New Year. Safe to say then that we have a decent idea of where each team stands and how the table might change when we return in January to play the final six (or seven if you are Guildford or Richmond) games of the season. In the meantime however, there remains one more set of fixtures before the holidays, so let's get to it!

Completely Baseless Predictions for Week 15:

Binger's Army v Romania
Things are looking far from festive for the Army, as they are guaranteed to head into the break occupying a relegation place. After a disconcertingly routine 3-0 loss to White Eagles, Binger's remain four points behind Richmond who now have a game in hand as their trip to Guildford was postponed due to fog. The odds look bleak for the longest serving Division 1 side, but if they are to pull off the great escape it will need to start now as they face a slew of mid to lower table teams before finishing the season against three of the promotion challengers over their final four games. They will play a massive games against last place GN North Delta as soon as they return in the New Year and one has to think that will be a must win if they are to have any hope of survival. However, Richmond are still to play ND as well and, even if they were to lose, Binger's would still be a point back, presuming they don't fluff their lines against GN themselves. They will need to pick up points elsewhere along the way and this week against Romania might just be a chance. After becoming the first team to take points off league leaders NorVan Lions, Romania followed up that performance by laying an egg against the Lion's newly promoted cousins, NorVan Storm. That 3-0 loss all but officially wipes out the Europeans slim promotion hopes, leaving them eight points back of second place Columbus. With relegation also all but mathematically removed as a possibility, it is essentially job done for Romania and they will play out the string. Enter Bingers in a relegation fight and, while Romania certainly won't be handing out free points, you can see where there might be a chance for a desperate Binger's side to get something from this one. Add in the fact that this is a mid-week game before the holidays and you can see how some on the Romanian side might have checked out already. They are still certainly the favourites in this one, their results to this point have earned them that status, but I think the Army still have some fight left in them and I'll say they claw a point from this one.

Guildford v Metro Athletic
This one is the MOTW as third plays fourth and both teams will be desperate to stay relevant in the promotion race. A loss would severely damage the hopes of either side, leaving them, at best fully three points off the promotion pace, but likely five points, and two teams, back. How different things looked when first these teams met. Back in Week 4 Guildford maintained their 100% start to the season with a message sending 2-1 win over the newly promoted upstarts from Burnaby. A week later Metro would bounce back with a win over Columbus and that left Guildford sitting comfortably along side NorVan Lions atop the table and in the two promotion places. A wobble the next week at Romania would see the Surrey boys fall off NorVan's torrid pace at the top, but Columbus were in a funk and took only one point from their next three matches while Guildford recovered to beat bottom half GN and Rino's by a combined 9-0 margin. That was the last weekend of October and that was the last time the Surrey outfit looked dominant. The next week they slipped up once more in a shock draw with local rivals GN; the same weekend Columbus were rounding off the second of two bounce back wins against bottom clubs Binger's and Richmond. However, the litmus test would come a week later when Columbus hosted Guildford at Empire. The Surrey boys were still undefeated at 7-2-0 and sat in second place with a chance to go up seven points on the Italians, whose record sat at 6-1-2, leaving the former Premier side a massive uphill battle to get back into the promotion race. Instead, Columbus showed their quality and it began a dreadful stretch of form for Guildford who would lose two more games before narrowly slipping past second bottom Binger's 2-1 in their last fixture. They did not play last week and, while the fog was particularly thick out in Surrey, cancelling several games on that side of the river, I am willing to bet that there were not too many from the home side dismayed by the referee's verdict. Guildford appear to have sadly earned a reputation as a fair-weather side. Everything begins rosy in September with a slew of good results and promising performances, only to hit a speed bump as the days get shorter that somehow seems to derail everything. It seems around this time of the season the Newton based club, for lack of a better term, just seem to lose interest. Metro, for their part, took advantage of Guildford's downturn in form and stepped into the vacated promotion place. After the aforementioned loss in the first meeting between these two Burnaby recovered, beating Columbus as stated, and losing only to league leaders NorVan through to the middle of November. Things seemed to be setting up well for Metro as they now had the bottom four teams in the league on deck, however they surprisingly struggled. Perhaps the writing was on the wall after a slim 1-0 win over last placed, and at the time pointless, North Delta. They followed it up by drawing relegation threatened Bingers, then a loss to resurgent Rino's by a convincing 3-0 margin and finally another draw, this time against relegation threatened Richmond. This past week they pulled out of their nose dive by slipping past bottom half GN Sporting to the tune of 1-0. That win, combined with Binger's loss, means Metro are mathematically safe from relegation, which is always goal number one for any newly promoted team. They have, though, surrendered their promotion place to Columbus, who now hold a two point lead in second place. More concerning however, is that the Burnaby boys seem to be struggling for offence; they have only scored 25 goals on the season, easily the lowest of any team in the top half and well behind the pace of NorVan and Columbus who have each found the net 46 times over the first 14 weeks. Since the end of October Metro are 3-2-1 having only scored seven goals in that span and not more than two in any individual match. So it is two teams facing off, both of whom look to now be underdogs in the promotion race. Given their recent form, it seems eminently likely that they will find a way to essentially doom each other with a draw in a sort of murder/suicide pact. That being said, based on previous seasons, I just don't think Guildford will be up for this one and I think Burnaby will find a way to win.

Richmond Royals v Burnaby Selects White Eagles
Richmond got the night off last week when their match against Guildford was cancelled in the fog, but they still likely had to at least drive to Surrey before the referees would have called things off. The Royals are resurgent of late, going undefeated over their last three matches and pick up seven points to crawl out of the relegation zone and into relative safety with a four point cushion between them and the drop. The do have a name on the hot sheet for this week and I believe it is their goalkeeper, though I am not sure how the goalkeeping hierarchy works exactly out in Richmond as they may be using the new CAT rules in order to cover for this type of potential situation. If they are in fact without a regular man between the sticks though, then it is a tough week to see White Eagles on the schedule. The Burnaby boys have a potent offense and have scored 42 times this year; second only to promotion placed Columbus and NorVan Lions who have 46 goals each. The White Eagles themselves are still feeling the effects of some reckless discipline, with Nova Pavic and Vladimir Vukovic set to serve the final games of their respective suspensions. White Eagles had enough to get past second bottom Binger's 3-0 at home last week, but the former Serbians don't seem to have the deepest of squads and one wonders what sort of team they will be able to drag out to Richmond with them. Five of White Eagle's seven losses have come on the road and, in fact, their only wins away from home have come against the bottom two in Binger's and GN North Delta. Tough to gauge whether Richmond's new found form is simply a hot streak, born out of necessity, destined to fade, or if they have actually turned a corner. With so many variable I would usually settle for calling this one a draw, but given the fact that Burnaby are the only team in the league without a stalemate I will pick a winner and I'll follow the numbers. Richmond are hot, Burnaby struggle away from home and, with 21 points already, are all but a certainty to be around in the division again next season. it sounds like the perfect chance for the boys from below sea level to continue their climb to safety.

NorVan Storm v GN North Delta
No goals for a 14 against over there last two games has hit the pause button on whatever brief pulse GN North Delta may have had. A few weeks back when GN were coming off their first win of the season against cousins Sporting and the second of their back to back point earning weeks, NorVan Storm were slumping after a draw and a loss to relegation threatened Binger's and Richmond respectively. Perhaps ND would have fancied this one at that juncture, but NorVan would beat Guildford that weekend and then rattle off two more win against White Eagles and Romania to ride a three game winning streak into this match. The Storm have found their scoring touch as well, bagging a combined 12 goals during their winning streak and you can look for them to keep that going as ND make the three bridge trek to North Vancouver this weekend. It is tough to see ND mustering enough troops to make a real go of it on the North Shore, but they will likely know that any minute survival hope they may still cling to will be put to the test immediately following the winter break. The play the two teams directly above them in the table, the aforementioned Binger's and Richmond back to back on the other side of the holidays and that will likely either give them a lifeline or seal their fate.

NorVan Lions v Rino's Fury
After dropping their first points of the season to Romania, NorVan bounced back with a freebie against last placed GN North Delta. With seven games to play the North Shore boys are nine points clear at the top but, more importantly, they are 11 points up on promotion. This puts their magic number for a return to Premier after a two year absence at just four more wins. Standing in their way this week are Rino's who, after a shambolic start to the season, are headed towards mid-table respectability. True, they lost to surging Columbus 3-1 last time out, but they are seemingly headed in the right direction. They will need to be ready to go come January as they will emerge from the break to play three bottom half teams and will need to be picking up points in order to ensure they steer clear of being dragged back into the relegation battle. NorVan remain clear favourites here, but Rino's could set up as a bit of a trap game right before the break. With the job so nearly done, NorVan would be well advised to make sure that they stay focused and don't drop any further points to leave the door open for their pursuers, all of whom they will face in the New Year.

Columbus v GN Sporting
After starting the season by seemingly turning over a new leaf, GN Sporting now find themsleves once more on the edge of a relegation battle. The Surrey boys escaped the drop by the narrowest of margins last term but looked to be relatively safe this year, sitting as high as mid-table this season. They have lost four straight, including an embarrassing 7-1 thumping at the hands of Rino's two weeks ago and have only manages three goals over that stretch. In contrast, Columbus have at last battled their way up to where they feel they belong, in a promotion place, positioned for an immediate return to Premier. The Italians resurgence has coincided with a renascence for the seemingly ageless Steve DeBlasio, who it feels like has been wearing the blue out in East Van forever. One might says he's a "young veteran" leading the way for Columbus and his recent goal cache has seen him vault to second place on the scoring charts with 15 goals through 14 games. Columbus now hold their fate in their own hands but have some tough tests waiting on the other side of the VMSL's Winter Break. Third placed Metro and first placed NorVan will greet them in January though the East Van boys will surely relish this as an opportunity to consolidate their promotion as opposed to a threat to their standing. Great games await, but for now the Italians must ensure they do not falter against GN. The Surrey boys a well out of form and with an away trip to the city, I think they will be looking ahead to the holidays. Columbus to be comfortable in this one.