Div 1 [VMSL Div 1] Predictions, Results & Banter 2016/2017

[SmartCoach]

I would to thank our friends at Campo for the tie
Vs Guildford excellent result
Is there a conspiracy by Campo coach to promote
One of our teams

 

[Soccer Coach]

Campo Atletico 1 - CCB 1

I would to thank our friends at Campo for the tie
Vs Guildford excellent result
Is there a conspiracy by Campo coach to promote
One of our teams

uhm....flatter yourself... we know that Blaise team is not "your" team.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Campo Atletico 1 - CCB 1
or the importance of corner kicks.

To this date, this has been the most exciting game of the season.

Campo Atletico started dominating the game, and within the first 15 minutes created several goal scoring opportunities. The ball was worked patiently through each section of the field until an opening was found in one of the flanks. Our midfielder managed to cross the ball to the forward on the far post, and then he managed to place the ball calmly completely away from the keeper.
It was very good finish.


CCB woke up after the goal and played very well. However, it did not create clear dominance on the game. The ball went back and forth between both penalty boxes, and each time it seemed that a goal could be converted. In one corner kick, their forward headed the ball very strongly and it went like a rocket a mere inch above the post.

They also had a powerful shot that was going to the top right corner. We thought that it was a goal, but our keeper managed to put a couple of fingertips on the ball and it just barely got deflected.

CCB has a very skilled midfielder. It seems that he played professionally before. We overloaded him, and managed to neutralize him. This give new momentum to Campo, and in my opinion we should have converted one of the several options that we created, but their keeper kept them in the game with his solid performance. He did not give a single rebound.

In the last 15 minutes, we could not keep the pressing and CCB came with everything at Campo. They forced us to defend the lead, as our players were exhausted. It seemed that the game was going to be over. We had 2 minutes of extra time. One of our defenders without need gave them a corner kick. Perhaps he did not realize that the ball was going to go out of bounds. They got a last corner kick and fortune was not in our side.
A perfectly placed cross into the running tall forward who was completely unmarked, someone fell asleep in the last few seconds of the game, gave them a nice goal.


At the end, I do not think that it was a totally unfair result. Perhaps Campo played a bit better, but CCB created also good chances and played well with good creativity and nice treatment of the ball.

Essentially, we have conceded over 75% of the goals on corner kicks or free kicks. I can not complain because the players are playing well and in Division 2 it was easy to defend against them. This is something that we will work for next season.

Next game is against the Tigers. We hope to give them a good game. In my opinion, the Tigers are very well coached and have the most talent in the division, so it should be a good and interesting game.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Ps. Central referee did very well on this game as well as the crew. It is appreciated that they are sending us perhaps the best referees in the league after our complaints.
Only reservation is with assistant referee who comes and interrupts warm up like a little dictator. Is it really too hard to understand that players warm up in a sequence of activities and it can not simply be stopped arbitrarily? He did well on the flag, but men, this guy needs to act in a more professional manner when checking cards.

 

[SmartCoach]

Campo Atletico 1 - CCB 1

uhm....flatter yourself... we know that Blaise team is not "your" team.

Just like President Obama I can produce proof
Your posts are still fairytales

 

[Soccer Coach]

Just like President Obama I can produce proof
Your posts are still fairytales

the whole world is made of fairytales... we just do not know which ones are the fairytales...

 

[lego3]

Only reservation is with assistant referee who comes and interrupts warm up like a little dictator. Is it really too hard to understand that players warm up in a sequence of activities and it can not simply be stopped arbitrarily? He did well on the flag, but men, this guy needs to act in a more professional manner when checking cards.

I wouldn't talk my friend, aren't you the one that comes and stands behind the ref while he checks the cards of the other team??

 

[bandcamp]

and it can not simply be stopped arbitrarily?

It seems it can though...

 

[SmartCoach]

I will bring my coaching and Birth certificate next time one of our teams plays campo

 

[Soccer Coach]

It seems it can though...

oh well... there is no need to confront before the game.... I do have to give credit that the VMSL listens when we give feedback about refereeing and their procedures. Hopefully it does not happen again. We have been having very good officiating.

 

[Soccer Coach]

I will bring my coaching and Birth certificate next time one of our teams plays campo

No need. The two or three times that we have requested to see the cards is when we were informed that the other team had a non-registered player. In one case, indeed one player did go away from the group and did not play. Thus, it worked. It is up to you to exercise your rights about identity verification.
We have had cases where the referee have used the "honour system", but then why have cards at all. It is really up to you guys.

 

[crnogorskifudbaler]

Campo Atletico 1 - CCB 1
or the importance of corner kicks.

To this date, this has been the most exciting game of the sea

Ps. Central referee did very well on this game as well as the crew. It is appreciated that they are sending us perhaps the best referees in the league after our complaints.
Only reservation is with assistant referee who comes and interrupts warm up like a little dictator. Is it really too hard to understand that players warm up in a sequence of activities and it can not simply be stopped arbitrarily? He did well on the flag, but men, this guy needs to act in a more professional manner when checking cards.

Maybe you should ban him from doing anymore of your games...........................did the central referee stay in the central part of the field . That would make for a very good central refereeing......

 

[Canucks4Ever]

As we all enjoy an unscheduled extended break, let's look ahead to the New Year as I take stock of my preseason predictions, which were of course completely baseless, and re-evaluate them with all the baseless information I currently have available...

For context, here is last year's table (both at this time and at the season's conclusion) as well as the current table.





In the order the table currently stands:

Rino's Tigers
Current Position: 1
Pre-Season Prediction: 1

At this point these kids are as good a bet as any to win the division. After a dozen games it would appear that it's 3 teams competing for 2 spots. Now that being said, the top three have been far from dominant and should they continue to cannibalize points off each other, as was the case in the first half of the season, they do open the door for another challenger. The Tigers likely would have expected some more breathing room at the top of the table, but do currently enjoy a 4 point gap on promotion. Coming out of the Winter Break they play the other top two teams back to back. A 6 point haul would all but guarantee promotion, however, last time around they lost both these games in succession, a fate that if repeated, would throw them once more into the midst of a desperate promotion struggle. Even a single win in the two games would give them a sizable enough cushion that promotion would be likely. Based on last years's table it took 49 points to win the league and 47 to get promoted, albeit with an additional 2 games played. If we knock off those 6 points, that makes it 43 and 41. Given that Tigers are currently on pace for exactly 40 points and everyone else less than that, I think it is pretty comfortable to predict that if any team can hit the 40 point mark this season that should ensure promotion. The alarming statistic for Tigers is that, while they lead the league in goal scoring with numbers similar to those of teams at the top of the table at this point last year, their goals against is enormous. At the end of last season the top 5 teams in the table had conceded no more than 23 goals against and Tigers have already shipped 22! This must be addressed in the New Year or Rino's risk falling out of the promotion places. This will be a test of everything this young team has learned; can they rise to the challenge? These first two games will go a long way to filling in the edges of the promotion race and given Tigers need only 16 points from 8 games to hit the 40 point plateau, I think they will get this across the line, but not as Champions.
Final Prediction: 2

NorVan
Current Position: 2
Pre-Season Prediction: 2

The recently relegated North Shore lads came into the season with many question marks about the direction of their program. After a month of the season, and an indifferent 1-2-1 start, it seemed that NorVan weren't really up for it just yet. However, given a larger sample size, their pedigree has begun to show through. Having lost only once since Week 2, NorVan are displaying the form of title winners. A postponed fixture scheduled just before the break would have offered an opportunity to solidify their promotion credentials with a win over CCB. That game will now be played at the end of the season and NorVan will hope that by that juncture the points will be largely irrelevant to their cause. A home game against Bingers awaits on the other side of the break, ahead of a titanic clash against Rino's Tigers the week following. A pair of wins would see them climb to the top of the table with only 6 games remaining, putting them in the pole position for promotion. While goal scoring has remained relatively constant, they have improved their defensive record from the beginning of the season, allowing only a single goal per game since October. It would appear that their early form was not indicative of their true desire to bounce right back to the top flight. Their fate is in their own hands and I back them to prove their pedigree.
Final Prediction: 1

CCB Guilford
Current Position: 3
Pre-Season Prediction: 3

It's sort of becoming a case of deja-vu for the Surrey boys. They find themselves again in third place with near identical stats to those of last season. This is where it all started to unravel for the then Div 2 upstarts. Have they gained the necessary experience required to kick on from that this season? We are soon to find out. They are the team on the outside of promotion looking in with 8 games left on the schedule and, as such, they have all the work to do. With only a single win since the middle of October, the dropped points have begun to mount, as has the reality that draws don't win championships. Goal scoring has stalled and must be reinvigorated if they are to overtake either of the teams above them. Right out of the gate they will play Rino's Tigers and it's as close to a must win as you can get at this point of the season. The Tiger's bleed goals, so perhaps this is exactly what Guilford's anemic offense needs for a kick-start. Should they fail to come away with maximum points against Tigers, the finish line to the end of the season will begin to loom large and CCB will be running out of track. A win, however, and all bets are off, as Guilford would be back in it with at least one of the two team's they are chasing set to drop points the next weekend. So it is possible, but it's tough to bet on the outsiders. Rino's will no doubt be prepared to hit the ground running come the New Year, but will Guildford? Or will the Surrey boys perhaps be looking to ease back into things? Last year the heads went down and by the end of the season they were a shadow of the team they had once been. Can they persevere through this adversity and rise to the challenge? Hopefully. It would certainly keep the race interesting for all us neutrals. Unfortunately, "predictions" are based on past performance and available data, so until they start proving that they are more than just also-rans, I'll have to leave them on the outside looking in.
Final Prediction: 3

Campo Atletico
Current Position: 4
Pre-Season Prediction: 5

Like them or not (mostly "not" for the readers on this forum...) Campo have clearly established themselves as the best of the rest in Div. 1 this season. Regardless of the fact that they did not obtain direct promotion they were arguably the best Div. 2 team last season (as evidenced by their cup win). Despite often being criticized for not respecting them enough in my Weekly Predictions, I hit a bit of a home run in my Pre-Season assertion that they would make the top 5 (though, ironically, at the time I was criticized for being "too generous" to Campo...). The fact of the matter is that they have a concept and vision and the players are buying in at the moment. Believe it or not but the "give a shite" factor is huge in amateur football. Whether or not that concept and vision includes "paying players" or other allegedly nefarious actions is utterly irrelevant. The fact is they have got the mix right currently and it's working. Campo are not going anywhere and in fact might even pip Guildford to third if the Surrey boys stop caring, should they fall out of the promotion mix. Promotion for Campo this season is a likely a stretch. If we are using that 40 mark as a guide, Campo would need points in all 8 of their remaining games. Now if any team was to go on a Westside like run to the top it might be Campo. Then again if the other teams above them cannot stop dropping points, that 40 point ceiling would come down and maybe bring an outsider like Campo into the race. Overall, a long shot I would suggest. Can they continue this into next season for a promotion push? Or will the bottom fall out a la Campobasso of 5 or 6 seasons ago? I would suggest that revolves almost entirely around Edson Castro, the league's leading goal scorer, whom Campo currently boast amongst their ranks. He has tallied 11 of their 23 goals to this point and it is safe to say that without him they would not be in the lofty heights that they currently occupy. Whether he his their for the love of the club or money or some other purpose, he will be critical to Campo going forward both this season and in seasons to come. What I think we are all really hoping for is Campo to draw Metro Ford in the Imperial Cup, so we can see the two "best teams" in the Province duke it out .
Final Prediction: 4

Rino's Fury
Current Position: 5
Pre-Season Prediction: 8

Some big wins thus far for a team that was always likely to stay in the division following a well earned promotion from Div. 2. The reality is that there isn't much to choose between the teams from 5-10 in the table. A win one week will see you jump a place or two, while a loss can have the opposite effect. These teams will take points off each other but are outside of the promotion race and relegation is all but settled already. At 5-2-5 with an even goal difference the Fury could not be anymore .500. Likely their biggest focus in the second half will be the two Rino's derbies, the second of which will come at the end of the season against Tigers after being postponed due to the snow. What ramification could that game potentially have on the promotion race? Even better, could it spell the perfect storm for the collusion/conspiracy theorists among us? Only time will tell, but certainly a strong debut campaign for the Fury boys, regardless of where in the 5-10 places they end up.
Final Prediction: 6

Rino's Vancouver SC
Current Position: 6
Pre-Season Prediction: 9

Another of the mid-table brigade, with 4 being their magic number (4-4-4 with a -4 GD). Nothing inspiring about this bunch, but no doubt a chance along the way to influence the promotion race. They play all of the top the top 3, including finishing the season (as scheduled) against Tigers (insert collusion predictions here...). Plus there's another fun clash with Campo on the horizon. With no relegation fears, it will be safe to bet that this indifferent form continues, though their strength of schedule dictates them likely falling slightly from their current position.
Final Prediction: 10

Bingers Army
Current Position: 7
Pre-Season Prediction: 7

This is about right for Bingers. They're well into their mid-season swoon and should end up about where they are come the end of the year. A tough schedule against all of the top 4 in their final 8 games will make climbing the table difficult. However, knowing the Army, there's a promotion skewing win in that mix somewhere, along with some solid performances against the teams around them in the table. All in all, an impressive 14th(?) consecutive Div. 1 season on the horizon for this class group of lads.
Final Prediction: 7

Romania
Current Position: 8
Pre-Season Prediction: 12

So I botched this one, well sort of. I did say that if they could find some youth, organization, direction and ambition that they could reinvent themselves, I just didn't think it would happen. Sure enough it has and they have mixed in a couple of impressive performances with a draw against CCB and a win over NorVan. They face only NorVan from the top 3 in their remaining games. It's their for the taking if they want to climb up the table. I'm thoroughly impressed by their revitalization, I'll back them to do it.
Final Prediction: 5

South Delta
Current Position: 9
Pre-Season Prediction: 4

I expected much more of the Tsawwassen/LANDER boys this year after a surreal debut season last year. It seems they were hampered by Richmond luring several key players back to Premier. Still, after some early relegation fears they have steadied the ship and will be back for another season next year. They have established that even without some top players they are a solid Div. 1 side, and who's to say that if they can't draw some top talent back into the fold that they wouldn't be able to make another run at the top of the table in future campaigns. As for the rest of this season, I expect a better record than their first half performance delivered.
Final Prediction: 8

GN Sporting
Current Position: 10
Pre-Season Prediction: 11

It was a wild card season for the newly promoted Surrey boys, and after a slow start and then an inspired run, four straight defeats have seen them sink down towards the bottom of the 5-10 group. The mid-season run however, has all but ensured another season in the division. Perhaps things would have been different had their rivals Akal stayed in the division, but based on their performances I think they still would have been on the right side of the line. At the moment a massive slump is the only thing that could derail their season and I just can't see that happening.
Final Prediction: 9

Metropolitan
Current Position: 11
Pre-Season Prediction: 6

Turns out last season's performance was in fact a harbinger of things to come. What a disappointment this campaign must be for a group of guys who really do put a strong effort into running a first class operation. A brief spell of decent results gave them the faintest of lifelines, but surely now they are too far adrift to make up the ground. Barring a massive January recruitment, it will be a Div. 2 season next year and we will see what it means for the future of their program. Rumors that star players finally moving on to bigger things are the crux of this season's dismal showing and clearly the talent to replace these pieces just wasn't waiting in the wings.
Final Prediction: 11

Akal
Current Position: N/A
Pre-Season Prediction: 10

I will not retread my feelings on their disgraceful handling of their team this season. Suffice to say I expect that there will be no resurrection of this club anytime in the foreseeable future in the VMSL. Not sure if there has been confirmation, but I am assuming that they will be occupying one of the two relegation spots? Thus only one additional Division 1 team will be relegated? The usual two Division 2 teams promoted and then an extra Division 3 team promoted to fill Akal's Div. 2 vacancy next season??
Final Prediction: N/A

Well have a Happy New Year and bring on the January football!!!

 

[Dude]

Once again, some great writing there...

 

[LION]

Yes. Nice work. Well written and you are spot on on most of your predictions.

 

[lego3]

Great writing! always a treat to read your predictions. Just curious how long did it take you?

Wow that was quite the run for westside last year 10 wins in a row to win the league is nothing to sneeze at, maybe the mighty campo with the greatest coach in North America will do the same this year.

Happy New Year everybody!

 

[MKLeveron]

Those predictions are very well written, thanks for the read!

 

[MKLeveron]

No need. The two or three times that we have requested to see the cards is when we were informed that the other team had a non-registered player. In one case, indeed one player did go away from the group and did not play. Thus, it worked. It is up to you to exercise your rights about identity verification.
We have had cases where the referee have used the "honour system", but then why have cards at all. It is really up to you guys.

Hard to imagine a club like Campo wanting transparency with who is legal and illegal on the roster list. Campo is one of the clubs no one would ever suspect of cheating...

 

[Canucks4Ever]

And another weekend appears lost to weather...

 

[dezza]

I heard fields are clear in Ladner/Tsawwassen. South Delta's match might go...