Div 3 [VMSL Div 3] Predictions, Results & Banter 2016/2017

[SmartCoach]

Hope not... he's suspended, no?

Something wacky with that
We had 2 cards of suspended players returned to us
They both sat out our first game
We will not play suspended
Players
Even thought we had the cards
Other team played a suspended
Player
I do not understand how this mess happend

 

[club_i_champ]

Don't know how the league buggered up the suspension list already, but I had sat out last years final league game of the season, so had the all clear for this past weekend...

 

[trece verde]

Don't know how the league buggered up the suspension list already, but I had sat out last years final league game of the season, so had the all clear for this past weekend...

It's your white shoes...

 

[Soccer Mom]

Ugly outting for SD Rangers last night against Coq Metro Ford in the 3C pool. We were unexpectedly missing a couple guys, but I don't think that would've changed a thing. Coq was very well organized, fast, and move the ball very well around the entire pitch. They play a diamond shape in the middle of the pitch that move the ball well between the 3 of them. They also play with 3 strikers, coupled with their speed proved tough for us to defend. Was only 0-1 at halftime, but we just couldn't keep up in the second half.

Might be early, but I wouldn't be surprised to see these lads finish in the top 2 in pool C. Apparently they were a U21 team that came over from the FVSL.

 

[dezza]

They play a diamond shape in the middle of the pitch that move the ball well between the 3 of them.

A 3-man diamond midfield? What sorcery is this?

 

[jimmy_jones]

A 3-man diamond midfield? What sorcery is this?

You didn't read the entire post, they came from the FVSL

 

[Soccer Coach]

Campo Liber 2 - Burnaby Athletic 1
It was a deserved win for our guys. We dominated the first half. We went 1-0 due to a rocket from our striker. We should have scored more but the defense and keeper saved some goals on the line. They are fit and took control of the game on the second half. Our keeper made some fantastic saves. It hould have been 2 or 3 for them. Then in the last two minutes we score from top of the box. They were tired. In the last minute they score from a long ball and a superb finish by their striker. Overall, they are a good team and are very fit. More than us; thus they will win game due to fitness and their midfielders.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Ps Burnaby Metro.

 

[trece verde]

I guess we'll just have to try to beat them.

Joga Bonito on Sunday for us. Hopefully that will be how we play and not who wins.

 

[Soccer Coach]

I guess we'll just have to try to beat them.

Joga Bonito on Sunday for us. Hopefully that will be how we play and not who wins.

You should be able to win that one, @trece verde . I predict a 3-1 on your side.
I think that they are a new team (from a summer rec league). They will get better, but your team should be able to handle them.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Campo Libre 4 - West Coast Saints 1

This became a highly interesting and contested match with both team playing with intensity and desire to win. The result does not reflect the skill and hard work of the West Coast Saints. I would tend to venture that final result came to two aspects.

Our twin strikers are brothers and they have an almost telepathic communication. On two instances, they read each other very well and were able to defeat the entire back line with their passing and movement off the ball. Those two goals sealed the win as made it 4-1, and the West Coast capitulated and just waited for the final whistle once the distance was unreachable.

The second aspect was that both our defence and attack was more organized than theirs. This translated in more chances (4 goals and 3 posts), and less situations of risk for us.

Campo dominated possession on the first half and ended with a comfortable 2-0 lead. Both goals were nice and the result of good build ups and clinical finishing.
The Saints did not give up and kept fighting hard, something to say about the Gaelic players as they never seem to give up. They got a deserved discount goal thanks to a good penetrating pass and nice chip over the goalie and defender.

In the second half they played with more determination, but it was not enough as our twin brothers finished them off.
This put us with 6 points. It is the best start that we ever had as a team/club in the last four seasons.
Does anyone knows to which club are they associated? I see so many clubs named West Coast, but it is not clear whey they belong too.

 

[trece verde]

Celtic 4 Joga Bonito 1

One more than Soccer Coach predicted, due to Quince Verde (or Trece Junior if you must) opening his account for the club late in the game. Joga are a bunch who previously played Urban Rec and decided to put a VMSL team together. Yesterday it looked like they were put together with a fair bit of duct tape, like the numbers on the white t shirts they were wearing for jerseys. It looks to be a long season for these lads.

 

[trece verde]

Celtic 2 France FC 0. Not at this one, so can't provide a report. @clem, your take from the other side of the pitch?

Saw a couple of other scores - America 3-0 over Campo Libre (don't know if that was expected); West Coast Celts with a 13-0 hammering of CCB Guildford; West Coast Saints 5-4 over Burnaby Selects...

Next week is Campo Libre at home for us. I need to go find some videos...

 

[Soccer Coach]

Celtic 2 France FC 0. Not at this one, so can't provide a report. @clem, your take from the other side of the pitch?

Saw a couple of other scores - America 3-0 over Campo Libre (don't know if that was expected); West Coast Celts with a 13-0 hammering of CCB Guildford; West Coast Saints 5-4 over Burnaby Selects...

Next week is Campo Libre at home for us. I need to go find some videos...

Well done Trece. I think that this is the best year for VAFC Celtic with a perfect score in three games.
We are changing formations for this game in case you can find a video somewhere.
I will provide separate report about America game.

 

[Soccer Coach]

Campo Libre 0 - America 3.
Not much to argue with the score as America was the better team on the day. It was clear that they wanted to win more and were more experienced at winning games. Perhaps the experience of playing on Division 2.

The game was relatively even in terms of possession, but America was doing the transitions faster and hence would approach our net with more danger.

Their first goal came from a nice build up, a good cross to the top of the box and then a bullet to the top corner. Very unusual for a Division 3 team to get three things well done in sequence. A well deserved goal.

The second goal was an error from one of our defenders. He panicked under pressure and gave the ball away to a striker. He passed the ball to the striker because he confused him with a midfielder. A bit of lack of experience under tight pressure.

We pressed hard for the equalizer, and we were very close. A couple of very good saves by the keeper who deflected shots for a corner kick kept the score to a zero. Towards the end they got the final goal as we had many players up, and they hit us with the counter. A very good finish on a one versus one with the keeper.

America is without doubt is contender for promotion. I think that they have weaknesses, and next game we will try to exploit them. However, it might be hard to catch them up in the standings.

I always find it very entertaining to have games with their coach and manager. A nice couple who are very passionate about the game. Without doubt they are pouring their hearts into the team and the game. I was happy to see them having a functional team again.

The referee did well. Nothing to complain. Perhaps only a bit overcautious with the coaches in both teams and could have let the players play a bit more. Sometimes you can tell when they get overtly cautionary as if they fear that in any second we are going to have fireworks on the coaching sideline, but perhaps he was coming from a bad game.

 

[trece verde]

We are changing formations for this game in case you can find a video somewhere.

Okay. We're just going to go with a standard 2-3-5.

 

[Soccer Coach]

We will play the standard 4-4-2.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Well done Trece. I think that this is the best year for VAFC Celtic with a perfect score in three games.

5 perfect records left across Div 3. In Pool A it's the recently relegated America FC and VAFC Celtic. Taking nothing away from @trece verde and his crew who are wily veterans of this division, but their 3 wins have come against the 3 bottom teams in the table.

In Pool B Cliff Ave are the only 9pt team after 3 weeks. Lots of wins on the board up and down the division with only GFC as whipping boys at the moment after 3 losses with 15 goals against and none for.

Pool C again with 2 perfect teams. Strathcona's wins also against bottom clubs (including a fft) but hey a win is a win. Coquitlam look the real deal though, with 19 goals for and none against in their three wins. From what I know, they are a new team to the VMSL and clearly have their eyes on promotion. At the bottom CCB doesn't look long for this world with a postponement, a forfeit and then a 13-0 drubbing this week.

 

[clem]

Celtic 2 France FC 0. Not at this one, so can't provide a report. @clem, your take from the other side of the pitch?

Saw a couple of other scores - America 3-0 over Campo Libre (don't know if that was expected); West Coast Celts with a 13-0 hammering of CCB Guildford; West Coast Saints 5-4 over Burnaby Selects...

Next week is Campo Libre at home for us. I need to go find some videos...

So first we were not lucky with injuries and players not available (4 injured and 3 players unavailable) so we had only one sub for the game and our goalkeeper was a field player a little injured.

We started well for the first 15/20 minutes with a good pressure, then it started to be more balanced for the rest of the first half but with no real dangerous situations (on both sides) except a dangerous corner for Celtic saved on our line... but your team were physically better and I can tell you guys play together for a while with good combination, 1 2, 1 2 3 and moving the ball well horizontally to use all the width of the pitch.

In the second half, Celtic scored right after the break and took the control of the ball for the rest of the game, helped with all the subs, a good midfield and an excellent 9. Second goal is kind of a mistake from our Goalkeeper on a long distance shot from your striker. So Celtic dominated the game for sure but they didn't have that many dangerous situations.

I can easily say that Celtic is the best team we played yet with a good organization and some technical players. So it's our 3rd defeat in 3 games, but it's getting better and better, knowing as well we never played with our full team and we always missed at least few key players in each games. It's our first season and we still learn to know each other but there is definitely a good potential, don't think it's going to be easy when you see France FC for your next game, you might be surprised

 

[trece verde]

@Canucks4Ever Yep, no crowing going on here. We're just taking this one game at a time, and trying to be realistic about our prospects. Not looking past Campo, but we are a bit more familiar with each other since we've already been through a friendly. That should be a good match-up. The next 3 games we have after them will be against West Coast Saints, America, and Burnaby Selects, all of which should help prove out if we've done our prep work properly or not.

@clem - thanks for your report. Tough break to have to deal with injuries this early in the season; hopefully your guys have speedy recoveries. We have gone for a bit larger roster than normal as it gives us a few more knives in the drawer and helps us deal with those contingencies. Yes, Sammy and Jack are handfuls, and we're glad that they're playing with us instead of having to play against them. Looking forward to meeting you next time around.