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Premier [VMSL Premier] Predictions, Results & Banter 2018/2019

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Canucks4Ever

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Was tipped off to a friendly between the new look CCB and Prov Cup Finalists Langley at Newton last night and that just happened to sync up nicely with a golf game I had yesterday afternoon out that way. I stopped by on my way home and watched for an hour; score was 2-1 CCB at that time but both teams were headed to their benches to get guys runs out at that point. Not sure how it finished, not that it really matters this time of year.

For CCB their stand out acquisition has to be Victor Blasco from Vic West. The man looked a cut above, just as he did with Victoria when I watched him against Rovers Tigers in the Prov Cup last year. He scored the opener after five minutes and was a constant threat on the counter attack paired with Nic Morello in the opening thirty. He then slipped the ball through for Milad Mehrabi, who partnered him over the next half hour, to deftly poke around Andrew Hicks in the Langley goal. CCB has a forward line that looks like it has the potential to devastate the opposition at any moment. They started the game guns blazing and could have had a pair before they actually got that opener. Their defending is nothing to write home about though, as any time Langley was able to maintain decent possession they looked threatening. The goal I saw the FVSL lads score was a sublime finish, though the build up was woefully defended by CCB, as they were undone by a simple wide ball and cross.

The lack of Elie Gindo's presence up front for Langley was very noticeable. Hildebrandt was playing and, if he is putting the Europe idea on hold and suiting up for Langley, he will be a big boost for the Valley side. Hicks is obviously an all-star and Langley should be a favourite to lead the way in the FVSL again this season. Their workmanlike approach did make it difficult on CCB at times, but they struggled to have an answer for the Surrey boys pointed attack and that might prove costly against the other big guns of the VMSL should their paths cross. It is tough to see them replicating their run to the Prov Cup final again unless they can find a bit more star power along the way, especially with Hicks presumably suspended for their first game of the tournament, if they qualify.

Elsewhere, it seems the Inter/Chile era is off to a posisitive start as, per Twitter, they knocked off Coastal 4-3 in another VMSL/FVSL pre-season clash.
 

Canucks4Ever

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Completely Baseless Predictions:

Completely Baseless SEASON PREVIEW - Premier


Standard Disclaimer:

For those not familiar with my column, I am largely just pulling this stuff out of thin air. I try to find whatever information is readily available online, but, ultimately, I am just trying to generate some interest in local soccer in BC. If I have omitted or overlooked facts that you consider relevant to your team, it's not done intentionally...get over it...;)


Plenty of potential story lines to watch this season as the rest of the pack look to charge down VMSL and Provincial Champions, Rovers Tigers. New faces on and off the pitch highlight an off season of change throughout the Metro League's top flight. We are just under a week away from kick off as the teams race to make their final preparations. Will we see a new champion come February? Only one way to find out...

1) Rovers Tigers Utd.
The defending champions have had a quiet off season, relatively speaking, but how much of an overhaul do you really need when you are already the best? Led by player/coach and former TFC striker, Nic Soolsma, the Surrey boys have to be pre-season favourites to repeat as champions. Soolsma was runner up for the league golden boot for the second year in a row and he, along with the Dhillon's, Pavi and Ryan, combined for 37 goals which was as many as Campo, and more than Richmond, Westside, EDC, and CCB, scored all season. Back to back VMSL titles seem to be in vogue at the moment, with Coquitlam and West Van having won a pair each preceding Rovers. With Nationals on the horizon in October, it would not be uncommon to see some early season struggles from Tigers as they have one eye on peaking in Saskatchewan come Thanksgiving. Given the structure for the Nationals tournament, they will want a healthy, well rested squad for that gauntlet. Based on their impressive resume, it feels like they may well be the ones to end BC's drought at the country's top tournament. After being the new kids on the block with a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove, perhaps they will return from Nationals and the fire will have diminished somewhat, which may open the door to a new contender at the top of the table. Even if that were to happen though, these guys are overflowing with enough talent that they are all but surely going to be in the title conversation come February.

2) West Van FC
Once perennial title contenders, the former Trollers were left off that shortlist to begin the 2017/18 season a year ago. Their early season form seemed to back up the idea that the program was in a rebuild as they struggled to score goals and were mired in mid-table. However, a 1-0 loss to Inter on November 18 would be there final league loss of the season. While much of the attention was fixated on the title battle in Surrey between Rovers Tigers and Pegasus, the North Shore boys quietly returned to their usual standards. West Van would finish the season on a 7-4-0 run and wind up in third, just six points behind champions Rovers. An Imperial Cup semi final loss to Croatia and a narrow first round Provincial Cup exit on the Island at the hands of VISL Champions Cowichan will have left a sour taste in the mouths out at Ambleside, but, if they can continue to play at the same level as they finished their last campaign, they should put themselves in a position to write a better ending to this season. Interestingly West Van seem to have moved from their acrimonious home kickoff time at 7:30 on Fridays to a 4pm slot on Saturdays; we'll see if they can continue to wield their usual home field advantage.

3) Croatia SC
Croatia have been a young team trending up since they spent the first half of the 2016/17 season in a relegation battle. That hiccup coincided with a migration of several veterans to new pastures and the forging of a new, younger generation to carry the team forward. That being said, it was not uncommon to see talisman Johnny Sulentic taking a starting spot in the centre of midfield last season, though there may have been some games where his vast experience was outweighed by his age catching up to him. Most times, however, he had golden boot winner David Malamura on hand to bail the side out if necessary. Rumors are that Croatia will be adding to their much vaunted offence with FVSL golden boot winner Daniel Davidson, formerly of Abbotsford United and TSS Rovers, lining up along side Malamura for the 2018/19 campaign. Croatia will be hoping that Davidson can continue to propel them upwards as, after reaching the Imperial Cup final and finishing in fourth, they will surely have their sights set on a title challenge.

4) Pegasus SFC
Presumably the "S" in SFC now represents a formal partnership with Surrey FC. The Surrey FC website would seem to confirm this as it is splashed with the Pegasus logo as well as a blurb on how they will, evidently, be hosting Nationals in 2021. After finishing runners up last season and missing out on their chances to reel in their local neighbours, Rovers Tigers, what does Peg have in the tank for this year? Is the team mostly remaining together? Or is this move to SFC the signalling of a new era? In truth the horsemen were beginning to look a bit long in the tooth last season, but they shirked off any doubters and romped to a second place finish before being ousted in a close Surrey derby at the hands of those very same Rovers Tigers on their way to their Provincial Cup win. It will be all to do again for Pegasus especially with young, hungry teams eager to supplant them in the top half of the table. One player who won't be back is Yassin Essa, who has joined the recruitment drive over at CCB, the third member of the Surrey triumvirate and no word on if talisman and former Whitecap Sahil Sandhu will be back or if he too has been tempted elsewhere. There are many question marks for this team, but one thing not in question is their pedigree. This is a club of champions and, come first kick, you can bet they will be putting everything they have into it; you just wonder if it will be enough.

5) CCB LFC Utd.
Allegedly CCB, and their fearless leader Ted Hans, have had the cheque book out this summer and their recruitment drive certainly has the names to show for it. The aforementioned Yassin Essa is over from Pegasus, they plucked Milad Mehrabi from Inter, Victor Blasco from Vic West as well as Oriol Torres and Daniel Sagno from Rino's Tigers. They have also added Nic Morello and Robbie Geizen to go along with their former Whitecaps contingent now playing at UBC comprising Caleb Clarke, Victory Shumbusho and Mitch Piraux plus SFU players Mamadi Camara and Brandon Bassi. After being conspicuously absent most of last season, long time keeper Luke O'Shea is back to play in goal after backstopping Canada to the Nations Cup final, though his performance in that final hardly covered him in glory. One name they will not be adding though is Milad Rahmati due to his season long suspension. CCB tried to badger the VMSL into letting him come back in October when his BC Soccer suspension expires, but it was to no avail. Still, they have plenty to show for their efforts. The real question for this group is can they function as a team. There are a lot of big personalities and egos on that list and it will be interesting to see what kind of chemistry they will all form, especially the guys who might not make the starting eleven. They also have quite the array of attacking weaponry, but defensively there are still question marks. Certainly with this amount of talent, CCB will be aiming for much higher than the relegation battles that they have narrowly emerged from the past two seasons. We have seen this show before though, many times, and sometimes the team of hired guns tends to self destruct. It is likely important for this group to get off to a good start in order to get these guys to buy in and care, as opposed to just turning up when it suits them. They also seem to assume that their reputation will be preceding them when they turn up for games and are looking to claiming the hashtags #SoldMySoul and #WelcomeToTheDarkside. Huge wild card here, if everything goes right they might just find themselves in a title race come February; if everything goes wrong, then they will be looking to pull off yet another escape act.

6) Rino's Tigers
Shaking off the dust of their unceremonious ITC related expulsion from the Provincial Cup, Rino's Tigers will be looking to bring more consistency to the table this season. When they had their best side available, they looked to be unstoppable and a surprise title push seemed to be on the cards for awhile around Christmas. This form led them to an Imperial Cup Championship and a berth in the Provincial Cup; both firsts for the club since their disassociation from Westside roughly a decade ago. Young and hungry, they may be victims of their own structure in a way. Coach Blaise Nkufo is never short on recruits from his much relied upon academy, but most of these kids are still dreaming of playing soccer as a career. Leading scorer Connor MacMillan left before the end of the season last year to try his luck in the Swedish pro set up and others likely have similar ambitions. Rumours of deep pockets mean that Rino's are always in the conversation for top talent though, and this summer the former Ayjal Tigers secured the capture of Provincial Cup Final MVP Ellie Gindo from Langley FC of the FVSL. Gindo was a force up top for Langley throughout their run to the final, but is reported to have asked to play as a centreback for Rino's as he too wants to play professionally and feels that his best chance is as a defender, despite what his record may show otherwise. They also face increased competition for their SFU contingent from teams like CCB and will be desperate to hold on to midfield maestro Matteo Polisi. Assuming he is back, along with a healthy Kristian Yli-Hietanen and the now ITC cleared Declan Rodriguez Rino's have the potential to be a force once more. They have also picked up the top player off relegated Westside FC in Zach Karmel. Rino's has shown that they have that capability as a squad to beat any team on any day, but it would seem to come down to the question of, is winning the VMSL something that this group actually cares about achieving? Or is it just something to do while they look for a bigger stage to star on?

7) Coquitlam Metro Ford Wolves
The fall from the top is rarely graceful and didn't Coquitlam learn that the hard way last season. After back to back VMSL championships Metro Ford began last season by posting a woeful 1-1-5 record that saw them all but cede their title before November and left them sitting bottom of the league. They would rally and push Rino's right to the death for a Provincial Cup spot but, in the end, they would miss out on the tournament for the first time in recent memory. Whether this was the straw that broke the camel's back, or perhaps change was already in the air in the Tri-Cities, but, whatever the case, the program is under new leadership with Alfredo Valente taking the reigns from Les Krivak. What this means for the squad remains to be seen. Will Valente use the club and CAT system to give new players a look from the U21 team now playing in Division 3 and the Lupi squad who felt frozen out under Les and have worked their way up to Division 1? Baring an complete 180 degree spin in culture and direction, one assumes that Metro Ford will still have the services of talisman and goal machine Carlo Basso to rely upon. What of the other old guard though? Indeed, beyond Basso and his almost automatic 15 or so goals, it is a brave new world out towards the Valley and we will have to wait and see where this group fits in.

8) Club Inter EDC Burnaby
No team has likely undergone more significant changes than Inter. They snatched an opportunity to merge with relegated Chile and have embraced the #EvilEmpire moniker that was bestowed upon them last season as a way-point to guide this new endeavour. Rumours are that the balance of power has shifted from the old guard under the stewardship of the Marrello clan and is now firmly under the control of Moe Forouzan and Claudio Ramirez. Losing players such as top goal scorer Milad Mehrabi to CCB and long time star Milad Rahmati will not have helped the cause and you have to wonder who, if anyone, is going to be able to fill that void. Certainly it would be a surprise if there was a name that jumped out from a relegated EDC side whose top goal scorer only netted six times. Rizal Ganief, who was part of the Chile side that won the Provincial Cup in 2015 (ironically against Inter), has returned to the fold along with Inter veterans Bryan Fong and Michael Nonni, formerly of UBC and Edmonton FC respectively. Will that be enough to keep this team relevant at the top of the league? Their Twitter and Instagram feeds would certainly have you believe it, boasting of pre-season results against Coastal and Croatia. Certainly their off-field hype machine is working at its regular levels, but what of the on field product? It may well be that this is the dawning of a new super power in the VMSL and BC Soccer, but they are going to need to put up the results in order to prove it.

9) NVFC NorVan
Back after two seasons away in Division 1, and three of the last four in the lower tier, NorVan will be looking to establish themselves and get a foothold back in the top flight. They blew the competition away in Division 1 last season, winning the league by 14 points and dropping only five points all season. This is a tight knit group and they will need that camaraderie to carry them through as they step up a weight class. Leading goal scorer Will Kendell will need to find a way to continue to be productive at this level and, while another 20 goal season might be a touch unrealistic to ask in Premier, if he can be even just marginally as effective it should give the North Shore boys the chance to stay up. Being a new team in the league job one is to put enough points on the board to earn another season in the big time; ugly, scrappy, however those points may come. NorVan definitely have the heart for this fight, so look for them to be on the right side of the line come February.

10) Richmond FC Hibernian
It has been a fairly steady decline for Richmond since their return to Premier in the 2014/15 season and it seems likely that just staying in the league again this year would be the best they can hope for come the end of the campaign. While there is no doubting the pedigree of some of Richmond's stalwart veterans, they are not getting any younger and the club is in need of a serious injection of youth. Not just young bodies, but young legs that can compete with the best the division has to offer and players like that appear to have eluded Hibs over recent seasons. A superstar or talisman who other teams know they need to deal with every week is the mold that Richmond are searching for, but those players rarely just emerge from the woodwork. With two strong, youthful teams coming up and most of the division strengthening around them, it could well be another long winter for the boys from below sea level.

11) Guildford FC
At last, after three seasons as bridesmaids, the Surrey boys have reached the big time. Lofty talk of competing in Provincial and National Championships can now finally be put to the test against the cream of the crop in local amateur soccer. Guildford would do well to remember to walk before they run as, hopefully, their Division 1 experience should have taught them. If the second tier was difficult, is stands to reason that this one will be an even bigger challenge. Noted for their mid-season lulls, any string of bad results or disinterest could easily prove fatal. There is rarely much to chose between safety and relegation in this league and you cannot help but wonder if Guildford will be able to stomach a season where the majority of the results are likely to go against them in order to be able to seize the crucial opportunities that will present themselves at some point. Look for a few early season big results (ie on opening day against a new Inter/Chile side that may still be finding its feet) but the real measure of this team will come in the New Year.

12) Campo Atletico
Campo exceeded almost everyone on the outside's expectations last year by not only winning a game, but managing to just eek their heads above the cut line and survive for another season. Well done to them, but it would seem that they are likely going to need to pull the same rabbit out of that hat this year. What Campo lacks, since the departure of their enigmatic leader who lead them to promotion originally, is direction, vision and guidance. They certainly have some skilled players in their stable, such as leading goal scorer Ivan Colin, and are rumoured to be among the teams that don't shy away from "incentivizing" top talent. The problem is they lack the structure needed to thrive at the top level. It is rumoured that Zico Najm who ran Estrella de Chile's academy as technical director may have stepped away from that role amidst the Inter/EDC merger and may be involved with Campo this season. If that were to be true, perhaps the Burnaby crew have found their man, if not, it is likely to be another fight for survival.
 

big gk

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is ken serne not with inter anymore? he was a class act as i recall. not always the case with all managers in the vmsl. big fan of dino where is he these days?
 

dezza

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is ken serne not with inter anymore? he was a class act as i recall. not always the case with all managers in the vmsl. big fan of dino where is he these days?

Dino is technical director for Marpole youth and also working as an agent helping select young players from Vancouver find pro opportunities in Greece.
 

Canucks4Ever

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Last I saw Dino he was with CCB at the start of last season for a cup of coffee before the whole "respect the coach" idea proved to be fruitless with that group and they had parted ways by October.

Ken Serne is still listed as a contact for Inter/Chile, not sure how hands on his role will be/ever was.

Heard a rumour that Ted Hans might be stepping back from CCB; not sure I believe it based on his recent recruitment drive. Perhaps he is trying to get out of writing all those "alleged" cheques. If he were to step back I am not sure the team would be able to hang on to the talent it has attracted. Heard it might be either GN's former coach or the CCB Club technical director taking the reigns; both unconfirmed though.

Also I am told that Zico Najm's kid is rumoured to be playing for Campo; no idea where that would leave Zico in relation to his role with Chile.
 

SmartCoach

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Last I saw Dino he was with CCB at the start of last season for a cup of coffee before the whole "respect the coach" idea proved to be fruitless with that group and they had parted ways by October.

Ken Serne is still listed as a contact for Inter/Chile, not sure how hands on his role will be/ever was.

Heard a rumour that Ted Hans might be stepping back from CCB; not sure I believe it based on his recent recruitment drive. Perhaps he is trying to get out of writing all those "alleged" cheques. If he were to step back I am not sure the team would be able to hang on to the talent it has attracted. Heard it might be either GN's former coach or the CCB Club technical director taking the reigns; both unconfirmed though.

Also I am told that Zico Najm's kid is rumoured to be playing for Campo; no idea where that would leave Zico in relation to his role with Chile.
 

SmartCoach

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The Talent Ted Hans has on this years roster
Is amazing
Has to win everything this season
Imperial cup
Provincial cup
The Nationals
 

star #1

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Not as much as your team Rob.

I have taken a step back, will still be with the team but not as involved.

Peter Malakoane has taken over most of the responsibility such as coaching the team among other things along with the help of a few of the players. Even Steve Miller will be helping out this season.

Good luck to everyone this season.


The Talent Ted Hans has on this years roster
Is amazing
Has to win everything this season
Imperial cup
Provincial cup
The Nationals
 

SmartCoach

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Opening Weekend at Newton all prem team
6 games 12 noon 2 pm 4pm game starts on 2 back to back grass fields
Anyone have more predictions
Other than CCB winning
 

Rangerforever

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My prediction is the FVSL Premier and Masters Premier Opening Day matches Sunday at NAP will draw bigger crowds and be the better event than VMSL Saturday there.

:wa:
 

Canucks4Ever

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My prediction is the FVSL Premier and Masters Premier Opening Day matches Sunday at NAP will draw bigger crowds and be the better event than VMSL Saturday there.

:wa:

History would suggest that you are likely to be correct. Especially if last year's understated VMSL "Opening Day" was any indication.

History would also suggest that the level of play would be better on the Saturday, however, maybe this will be the year things change ;)
 

Crazy-K

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Here’s some predictions

Rovers vs West Van = 1-1 Draw
Metro Ford vs Campo= 3-1 Coquitlam
Rinos vs Pegasus = 3-3 Draw
Inter/Chile vs Guilford= 2-1Inter/Chile
North van vs Croatia = 6-1 Croatia
CCB vs Richmond = 4-1 CCB

Good luck to all VMSL
 

Canucks4Ever

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The "big" kickoff day is just around the corner at Newton Athletic. Last season's affair surely provided some surprises with divisional castoffs Campo stunning West Van, eventually relegated Westside beating defending champions Metro Ford and soon to be VMSL Champions Rovers absolutely ravaging the then Provincial Cup holders Inter. Opening day can be an indication of things to come, like Campo being able to find the results they would need to in order to survive, Rovers showing their strength en route to the League and Provincial double or Coquitlam sounding early warning bells ahead of a season of struggle. It can mean little, as both West Van and Inter would round into form and qualify for the Provincial Cup. Or, it can be downright wrong, as it was in Westside's case when their form would nose dive soon after. What will it have in store this season? Let's find out...

Completely Baseless Predictions - Week 1

Rovers Tigers v West Van
Right away we begin with the MOTW as last year's title winners, Rovers, battle third placed West Van. Both these teams should have title aspirations this season and what a way for West Van to reintroduce themselves as one of the VMSL's elite teams after a short hiatus at the beginning of last season than by knocking off the champions. Last season saw two very tight games between these two, with each side coming away with a 1-0 win. Reigning league MVP Nick Soolsma will be looking to finally add the golden boot to his trophy case this season having finished runner up in consecutive seasons. He and the rest of Tigers potent offense will look to unlock West Van's stingy defense; a unit that gave up only 20 goals over 22 games last season, a league best. If the meetings last year are any indicator, it would seem that in the battle of offense against defense, the defense usually dictates the game. Can one of these two teams find the breakthrough, though? A draw is tempting, but I think you have to defer to the champions on opening day and I will give Rovers the edge this one.

Coquitlam Metro Ford v Campo Atletico
It is the dawning of a new age in Coquitlam as Metro Ford usher in the Alfredo Valente era. Just how many holdovers there will be from outgoing manager Les Krivak's reign, we shall have to wait and see. Certainly the timing seems right for a change in the Tri-Cities, but can Valente restore the club to its place among the VMSL's elite immediately? Or will this be a process of building over a few seasons before they can once again reasonably be expected to compete for championships? Whatever the club's stated goals for this season may be internally (and I would have to assume they would likely involve qualifying for the Provincial Cup), they will be wanting to put the dumpster fire of last season's opening ten games well and truly behind them. To that end, seeing Campo on the docket for opening day should provide some respite. The Burnaby side was one of only three teams last season that Metro Ford took maximum points off of, including an absolute piss taking when they beat them 7-1 at the start of March. Further handicapping Campo is the fact that they have lost star man Ivan Colin's services to Rino's Tigers and are now rumoured to be without last season's leading goal scorer Edson Castro. Rumblings are that Castro may have decided to play for Metropolitan in Division 2, but those are unconfirmed. Yes, Atletico did pull off a stunner a last season's Opening Day, but I just cannot see lightning striking twice.

Rino's Tigers v Pegasus
A very intriguing fixture this one and one that will be tough to predict. With perhaps the second most transfer business of all the teams in the top flight, besides of course CCB, Rino's look set to field an almost entirely unrecognizable line up to that which took the pitch for their first ever Premier win against Richmond on this day last year. There are some holdovers, principally Declan Rodriguez of ITC fame, but new faces include Ellie Gindo, Zach Karmel and Ivan Colin while exits include Daniel Sagno and Connor MacMillan. Several players are also likely to be tied up with SFU and UBC commitments. Pegasus on the other hand have had a rather quiet summer, well away from the spot light of their local rivals with Rovers winning the Provincial Cup, Guildford earning promotion and CCB going on their epic summer recruitment drive. Surely Peg would like to emerge from the shadows and reclaim a place in the spotlight and a win on Opening Day would go some way to achieving that. This one has a ton of moving pieces, so I will fully turtle and call it a draw.

Inter EDC v Guildford
Get the upset special banner out for this one. Inter have had a tumultuous summer to say the least. After parting ways with the mercurial, but supremely talented, Milad Rahmati and their merge with Chile, they lost top scorer Milad Mehrabi to CCB. Now word comes out that second leading scorer Dzennan Bezdrob has too been tempted out to Surrey to join CCB. True, veterans Alex Marrello, Bryan Fong and Michael Nonni remain with the side, but, while they bring quality, you do wonder about an "X"-factor. Rizal Ganief was a player with that extra something and while their merger with EDC has tempted him back into the fold, you have to wonder if, three years on, he can still be that player. Guildford will surely find life difficult at this level, but they have a history of starting the season well (they won their first ever game in Division 1); it is generally the middle part of the season where they struggle for consistency. With a big crowd on hand in Surrey to cheer them on in their Premier League debut, they will no doubt relish the atmosphere and feed off of it. That being said the Evil Empire, as Inter EDC like to go by, love to play with a chip on their shoulder, so being cast as underdogs plays right into their hand. Surely they will enjoy the proverbial "up yours" that will come with winning this game if they can pull it off, but I am saying Guildford provides this year's Opening Day shock.

NorVan v Croatia
A tough draw for new boys NorVan to get on Opening Day as Croatia will fancy themselves as one of the teams who expect to challenge for the title this season. NorVan proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they deserve to be back in the top flight with their dominant display in Division 1 last season as they blew the field away. They certainly should have chances to establish themselves in Premier this season given their team camaraderie and heart. It also would help if the rumours of the club adding some former Whitecaps FC 2 talent to the squad prove to be true. That being said, those chances are not very likely to come in this game. Expect the North Shore boys to give a good account of themselves, but Croatia are definitely favourite.

CCB LFC v Richmond
If ever there was a must win game on the first weekend of the season, this might just be it. CCB have spent the summer amassing a veritable smorgasbord of talent and now it is time for the curtain to come up. They will be missing a good number of players due to college commitments, but the remaining pieces should be more than enough to put them over the top. One cannot fathom to think what it would do to their collective psyche if, after all this recruitment and build up, they fail to beat, and perhaps not only beat but dominate, a Richmond team that they do not expect to be in the top half of the table. Above all else, CCB need buy-in and losing games to teams that are "not at their level" is hardly the way to achieve that. The Surrey boys called themselves the #DarkSide as they lured players "sell their soul" over the summer and join them out at Newton. Well, now it is time to show everyone the true power of The Force. Richmond could not give a damn about fancy hashtags or flashy player reveals. They are a hard working, blue collar team and they play the same way against everyone. Are CCB favourite here? Yes. Could Richmond get a bounce or two early and set the cat among the pigeons in the CCB camp? Yes. If that were to happen, do the Surrey boys have the mental fortitude to overcome the resistance and persevere? Now that is the question. The most likely outcome is that CCB do exactly what they were assembled to do, and that is run out easy winners here, but there is a wild card. If they go behind early, this one might just be worth keeping a close eye on.
 

LION

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You are correct on all of them but two.
WestVan to best Rovers Hurricanes.
We played the Canes last week and they were in shambles(without Sooslma) . Just call them Soolsma united San with out him playing they had zero offensive threat. WestVan will be prepped and ready to rock this match.

Inter/Chile to best Guildford quite easily. Still lots of fire power at Chinter, especially down the middle of the field. Key guys remained and some solid additions up top.

Richmond and Guildford to be relegated this season.
 

Canucks4Ever

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First games are in the books.

CMF 2-0 Campo
Very pedestrian and tough to watch at times. Could have been more, Basso with a PK saved.

Rovers 4-3 West Van
MOTW lived up to its billing. WV up 2-0 early then one way traffic. Rovers with a pair to tie it early in the second half before WV retake the lead. Rovers would draw level again however and then steal it late. Result a bit harsh on West Van but great game to open the season.
 

robj

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You are correct on all of them but two.
WestVan to best Rovers Hurricanes.
We played the Canes last week and they were in shambles(without Sooslma) . Just call them Soolsma united San with out him playing they had zero offensive threat. WestVan will be prepped and ready to rock this match.

Inter/Chile to best Guildford quite easily. Still lots of fire power at Chinter, especially down the middle of the field. Key guys remained and some solid additions up top.

Richmond and Guildford to be relegated this season.
It’s pretty easy to call any team by their best player we could call ccb blasco United or metro ford basso united but the fact remains it takes 11 to win. Nick didn’t score a goal today we didn’t start 5 guys to make sure we don’t suffer any injuries today and by giving bench guys playing time to see how they adapt when we go to Nationals. Our exhibition vs coastal was to get conditioning in and try a few different things that obviously didn’t work lol
 
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Canucks4Ever

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Lots of goals but minimal entertainment value for the 2pm kickoffs.

Rino's Tigers 5-1 Pegasus
Peg weren't ready to play and they were punished. New boy Ellie Gindo scored despite now being a centre back; he had the opener on a corner. 4-0 by half time before Peg pulled one back on a freekick early in the second half. Thought it might get interesting for a second but Rino's made it 5-1 a couple minutes later.

Inter 5-0 Guildford
Well I was out to lunch on this one, as Guildford were well off the pace. Best example would be their keeper having to leave after 20 minutes because he took a knock. He and the rest of the team will need to toughen up quick if they are going to stay in this league. The Surrey team had no answer for the fit again Habib as he put in a hat trick for Inter/Chile. Tough to judge the play of this new entity as they were hardly tested in this one; long balls to Habib were more than enough for today.
 
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