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Premier [VMSL Premier] Predictions, Results & Banter 2018/2019
- Thread starter Canucks4Ever
- Start date
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SmartCoach
Well-Known Member
Rino’s 5 - Inter 1
Rangerforever
Well-Known Member
Looked like some dodgy officiating out there.
AGREE
First time in 14 yrs since BC won Nationals. North Shore Peg I believe in 2004. Congrats Hurricanes
Campo should swallow their pride and bring back Soccer Coach. He clearly knew what he was doing and they seem to be falling apart without him. Sad to see a club, who took every opportunity to tell you how superior their style of play was when you played them, struggling so badly. You hate to see it.
Canucks4Ever
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #92
Congratulations once more to BCT Rovers Tigers who are bringing the National Challenge Trophy home to BC for the first time since 2004. Their trip to Nationals has earned them another week off to recover, so Metro Ford will have to wait at least another week before they can try and score a goal again. Meanwhile, we have new leaders and no more unbeaten team's in the VMSL's top flight. Things are still tight at the top however, so we could have new leaders again by the end of the weekend.
Completely Baseless Predictions - Week 6
Club Inter EDC v NorVan
The goals have dried up for Habib and so too have the wins for Inter. The former league leaders were put to the sword by Rino's in an emphatic 5-1 win. No doubt that embarrassment is not sitting well with the South American/Italians and they will be looking to take out their frustrations on newly promoted NorVan. The North Shore side are hardly floundering at this level however and are unbeaten since opening day. Despite not scoring, their 0-0 draw with Coquitlam last week may be their most impressive result to date. Their three wins have come against teams that are struggling, even though Pegasus is a surprise team to count among those "struggling", but this draw against Metro Ford was earned against a side that is well established at this level and should be in the conversation when the Provincial Cup places are decided at the end of the season. While their strong start is to be applauded, and may well have already but aside any fears of an immediate relegation, NorVan are likely punching slightly above their weight class at the moment, sitting in a four way tie for third place on 10 points. The new boys still have most of the league's heavy hitter to contend with, beginning this week with Inter. More solid performances might just see them come away with a few points off any of the big boys who might think them a soft touch, having just come up from Division 1; however, Inter are not likely to fall into that trap. The former Provincial Cup Champions have a point to prove after being dumped on their ass last week and will be taking nothing lightly this week.
Richmond v Croatia
It would appear that Richmond's shock win over Rino's was indeed a false dawn as they have looked nowhere close to that level since, having lost all three of their matches by an aggregate scoreline of 14-1. Croatia are now co-leaders, tied with Rino's, atop the Premier table after a straight forward 3-1 win over Pegasus last time out. Not sure the Europeans are going to be able to hang with the high flying offenses of CCB, Inter and Rino's once we get down to the nitty-gritty but they did see off the now National Champion Rovers, though the Surrey side was rotating players ahead of their trip to Saskatoon. Certainly if Croatia intend to be taken seriously as a contender they will need to compound Richmond's misery this week and keep pace at the top. One half of the Malamura brothers is suspended this week, with last year's Golden Boot winner David missing out, so perhaps some respite for the boys from below sea level on that front. Croatia have plenty of other talented goal scorers though, not the least of which are brother David's brother Mark and Joel Padmore, who both have three goals so far this season. Looks like this week, as with seemingly most weeks given their form to this point, Richmond will have to overcome the odds to get anything out of this game.
Campo Atletico v Pegasus
Well if ever there was a week for Pegasus to kick start their season, this is it. As poor as Peg have been to begin the year, Campo have been worse. The Burnaby side are hemorrhaging goals, up to 22 conceding through just five games of the season. Pegasus could not build off their ship steadying draw against West Van two weeks ago last weekend, as they clumped to another defeat, this time 3-1 at the hands of Croatia, but with their next three games all against the three sides trapped along with them at the bottom of the table, it is truly now or never for the Surrey boys. Not helping is their discipline record so far this season. Peg will have no few than four players missing through suspension this week. The league finally handed down CJ's suspension for his conduct that caused the match against Rovers to be abandoned. The one time talisman for Pegasus has been hit with a six game ban, this week will be the third week of that penalty. Former Whitecaps residency alumni, and arguably the Surrey side's best player over recent season, Sahil Sandhu will miss out that to yellow card accumulation and Peg will be without Dilpreet Samra and Arrio Thomas as well. So while this may represent a golden opportunity for Pegasus, surely the deck is not going to get any more stacked in Campo's favour for a match this season. Peg are struggling, no question, and without two top players, plus two more means that they will likely be short staffed as well this week. This is a wounded animal and if Campo cannot contend with this, they might just want to hit the lights already. I have to think the pedigree of Pegasus will show through in this one, but it is honestly more about just how bad Campo have been as opposed to optimism about Peg.
Guildford v West Van
The slog goes on for the Surrey boys in their quest to find their first Premier result. While the continuous losses will of course be discouraging, the fact is their fate is far from sealed. Despite their 0-0-5 record, they are only one point from "safety" at the moment and Richmond only have three points to show for their efforts to this point of the campaign. All is certainly not lost for Guildford with matches still to come against the other strugglers this season, so survival is far from out of the question. That being said, they will need to stay positive, regardless of their other results, in order to be ready to capitalize on those opportunities when they come. It looks to be another challenging week for the new boys as they welcome West Van to Newton. The former Trollers saw most of the good work they did in beating Croatia clawed back by their draw with Pegasus. This means that they are off the pace at the top of the table and, while they got back on track with a comprehensive 4-0 result over Richmond last time out, they certainly can not afford to be dropping any farther back. Guildford will be hungry, especially at home, but the North Shore side are going to have to ensure that this trip to Newton goes better than their previous two this year, having only managed to bring a single point back across the bridges with them.
CCB LFC v Rino's Tigers
We will have to wait for Sunday to get out MOTW this week as CCB have altered their usual Friday night home kickoff for some reason. Perhaps it is simply a matter of field conflicts or maybe it has to do with their opposition. These two sides engaged in a well publicized arms race over the summer, each snapping up several big names from the local soccer scene, often at the other's expense. Indeed "expense" is a good term to use when describing these teams as they are often rumoured to be compensating their players in various nefarious ways. All these factors have created an instant rivarly between these two teams and the "new and improved" CCB will get their first chance to take on Rino's this weekend. The Sunday game time may allow the Surrey side to pull in some of their UBC players, as the the Thunderbirds play on Friday and Saturday this week, but that may be a stretch. Also Victor Blasco, who played last week for CCB, is with VIU who take on Langara Sunday afternoon, though his participation for CCB might be unlikely. Still, surely the home team has tried to do everything possible to give themselves a leg up in this match. Rino's have certainly hit their stride of late, surging to the top of table and looking unstoppable even without their college players, including the influential Polisi brothers who have suited up for the Tigers in the past. Rino's offence, behind Declan Rodriguez and his eight tallies, giving them 19 goals on the season, having scored five in a single game on three occasions, including their last two matches. CCB, however, have hit for 20 goals and Milad Mehrabi used their 8-2 beat down of Campo last weekend to vault himself to the top of the scoring charts with nine goals through five games. This should be a cracker I am definitely expecting plenty of goals. Rino's generally feast on teams that open up and try and trade chances with them and CCB certainly fit that bill. In a shoot out like this, it often comes down to the side with the better defending and through the early stages of the season that has been Rino's as well. Add to it the fact that the Tigers come into this one bang in form after crushing Inter and I will tip the Vancouver side to continue there tenure atop the league.
Completely Baseless Predictions - Week 6
Club Inter EDC v NorVan
The goals have dried up for Habib and so too have the wins for Inter. The former league leaders were put to the sword by Rino's in an emphatic 5-1 win. No doubt that embarrassment is not sitting well with the South American/Italians and they will be looking to take out their frustrations on newly promoted NorVan. The North Shore side are hardly floundering at this level however and are unbeaten since opening day. Despite not scoring, their 0-0 draw with Coquitlam last week may be their most impressive result to date. Their three wins have come against teams that are struggling, even though Pegasus is a surprise team to count among those "struggling", but this draw against Metro Ford was earned against a side that is well established at this level and should be in the conversation when the Provincial Cup places are decided at the end of the season. While their strong start is to be applauded, and may well have already but aside any fears of an immediate relegation, NorVan are likely punching slightly above their weight class at the moment, sitting in a four way tie for third place on 10 points. The new boys still have most of the league's heavy hitter to contend with, beginning this week with Inter. More solid performances might just see them come away with a few points off any of the big boys who might think them a soft touch, having just come up from Division 1; however, Inter are not likely to fall into that trap. The former Provincial Cup Champions have a point to prove after being dumped on their ass last week and will be taking nothing lightly this week.
Richmond v Croatia
It would appear that Richmond's shock win over Rino's was indeed a false dawn as they have looked nowhere close to that level since, having lost all three of their matches by an aggregate scoreline of 14-1. Croatia are now co-leaders, tied with Rino's, atop the Premier table after a straight forward 3-1 win over Pegasus last time out. Not sure the Europeans are going to be able to hang with the high flying offenses of CCB, Inter and Rino's once we get down to the nitty-gritty but they did see off the now National Champion Rovers, though the Surrey side was rotating players ahead of their trip to Saskatoon. Certainly if Croatia intend to be taken seriously as a contender they will need to compound Richmond's misery this week and keep pace at the top. One half of the Malamura brothers is suspended this week, with last year's Golden Boot winner David missing out, so perhaps some respite for the boys from below sea level on that front. Croatia have plenty of other talented goal scorers though, not the least of which are brother David's brother Mark and Joel Padmore, who both have three goals so far this season. Looks like this week, as with seemingly most weeks given their form to this point, Richmond will have to overcome the odds to get anything out of this game.
Campo Atletico v Pegasus
Well if ever there was a week for Pegasus to kick start their season, this is it. As poor as Peg have been to begin the year, Campo have been worse. The Burnaby side are hemorrhaging goals, up to 22 conceding through just five games of the season. Pegasus could not build off their ship steadying draw against West Van two weeks ago last weekend, as they clumped to another defeat, this time 3-1 at the hands of Croatia, but with their next three games all against the three sides trapped along with them at the bottom of the table, it is truly now or never for the Surrey boys. Not helping is their discipline record so far this season. Peg will have no few than four players missing through suspension this week. The league finally handed down CJ's suspension for his conduct that caused the match against Rovers to be abandoned. The one time talisman for Pegasus has been hit with a six game ban, this week will be the third week of that penalty. Former Whitecaps residency alumni, and arguably the Surrey side's best player over recent season, Sahil Sandhu will miss out that to yellow card accumulation and Peg will be without Dilpreet Samra and Arrio Thomas as well. So while this may represent a golden opportunity for Pegasus, surely the deck is not going to get any more stacked in Campo's favour for a match this season. Peg are struggling, no question, and without two top players, plus two more means that they will likely be short staffed as well this week. This is a wounded animal and if Campo cannot contend with this, they might just want to hit the lights already. I have to think the pedigree of Pegasus will show through in this one, but it is honestly more about just how bad Campo have been as opposed to optimism about Peg.
Guildford v West Van
The slog goes on for the Surrey boys in their quest to find their first Premier result. While the continuous losses will of course be discouraging, the fact is their fate is far from sealed. Despite their 0-0-5 record, they are only one point from "safety" at the moment and Richmond only have three points to show for their efforts to this point of the campaign. All is certainly not lost for Guildford with matches still to come against the other strugglers this season, so survival is far from out of the question. That being said, they will need to stay positive, regardless of their other results, in order to be ready to capitalize on those opportunities when they come. It looks to be another challenging week for the new boys as they welcome West Van to Newton. The former Trollers saw most of the good work they did in beating Croatia clawed back by their draw with Pegasus. This means that they are off the pace at the top of the table and, while they got back on track with a comprehensive 4-0 result over Richmond last time out, they certainly can not afford to be dropping any farther back. Guildford will be hungry, especially at home, but the North Shore side are going to have to ensure that this trip to Newton goes better than their previous two this year, having only managed to bring a single point back across the bridges with them.
CCB LFC v Rino's Tigers
We will have to wait for Sunday to get out MOTW this week as CCB have altered their usual Friday night home kickoff for some reason. Perhaps it is simply a matter of field conflicts or maybe it has to do with their opposition. These two sides engaged in a well publicized arms race over the summer, each snapping up several big names from the local soccer scene, often at the other's expense. Indeed "expense" is a good term to use when describing these teams as they are often rumoured to be compensating their players in various nefarious ways. All these factors have created an instant rivarly between these two teams and the "new and improved" CCB will get their first chance to take on Rino's this weekend. The Sunday game time may allow the Surrey side to pull in some of their UBC players, as the the Thunderbirds play on Friday and Saturday this week, but that may be a stretch. Also Victor Blasco, who played last week for CCB, is with VIU who take on Langara Sunday afternoon, though his participation for CCB might be unlikely. Still, surely the home team has tried to do everything possible to give themselves a leg up in this match. Rino's have certainly hit their stride of late, surging to the top of table and looking unstoppable even without their college players, including the influential Polisi brothers who have suited up for the Tigers in the past. Rino's offence, behind Declan Rodriguez and his eight tallies, giving them 19 goals on the season, having scored five in a single game on three occasions, including their last two matches. CCB, however, have hit for 20 goals and Milad Mehrabi used their 8-2 beat down of Campo last weekend to vault himself to the top of the scoring charts with nine goals through five games. This should be a cracker I am definitely expecting plenty of goals. Rino's generally feast on teams that open up and try and trade chances with them and CCB certainly fit that bill. In a shoot out like this, it often comes down to the side with the better defending and through the early stages of the season that has been Rino's as well. Add to it the fact that the Tigers come into this one bang in form after crushing Inter and I will tip the Vancouver side to continue there tenure atop the league.
Soccer Coach
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the comments, @Macho Man , I enjoyed very much the games with your team. They were really competitive.
Campo just lost another game. It was 2-5 to Pegasus.
I do not think that they will swallow their pride. It made it very clear to them that about half of the team needed to do serious work to be able to COMPETE in premier (i.e. some needed more fitness, others needed to improve technique, and quite a few needed to improve decision making). Cusano was for sure not be line up neither the son of one of the dads involved. Of course, this was not well received and they saw the writing on the wall on the last game that I coached them. It is fine, because at the end they needed to see it by themselves.
They have a few very talented players that can score a goal here and there, and hence saved the odd game or as last season showed, get lucky with the Rinos throwing them a game. However, they style by now is completely gone. I really felt bad for Nick seeing him to struggle so much with a defense in complete disarray.
You have to remember that I spent about three years with them, so I know what motivates them. At this moment, they just want to say that they "were" in Premier. It really does not matter if they compete or not as people at parties or social groups do not know that they are being demolished week in and week out.
The take away from this experience is that "football" is truly a team sport. You can have talented players, but if you do not have a "system" or a way to communicate in the field or a game plan that is coherent, then you are not going to win consistently. After I saw them playing, to be honest they are at the level of a upper Division 2 team.
I, myself, am happy enjoying watching lot soccer, and also taking care of my partner, who at some moment was hospitalized. Life is short, so enjoy it and make the best meanwhile you can, specially you, young fellas.
I must say that what I miss the most is trolling the opposition here at the TTP. I did have a lot of fun, and this it what I regret not having now. I really looked forward to all the mud throwing, controversies, and arguments that we used to have. It was fun.
Wish you the best, and I hope that you still have the hot girlfriends supporting your team.
and just for all time sake....on the Rinos...
Soccer Coach
Well-Known Member
It would be interesting to see if these sad events might be the end of the Tigers since trade relations are been suspended, students ordered to go back, and funding scaled back. This is the problem of having foreign influence in a local "amateur" league.
I have always been one to cheer on the underdogs and have enjoyed watching the Campo story the last few seasons from Div.2 to Prem. Getting to Prem was definitely a feat but staying in the top flight was in my opinion an even bigger accomplishment having to play against the cream of the crop week in and week out. They are definitely off the pace this season. Nick is an old friend and will give you more than 100% but seeing those highlights against Croatia might indicate he's punching above his weight nowadays...although he did almost score, he's got some fight left! Is Castro still on the team? Get Dever back to fill the net! haha
Soccer Coach
Well-Known Member
I wished Nick would have scored too. He always fights.
I am not sure about Castro. They should have been relegated last season as the performance was not there either. It was the combination of two dodgy games (one of them where Rinos sent the back ups to make sure that Westside and Chile) that made them escape relegation.
If you look at the table, mathematically they still have a chance. It really only takes a win every 7 games to stay in the zone, which is not that hard. The bottom half of premier has without doubt dropped in performance. At this moment, many division 1 teams would be doing way better. Perhaps Premier should have now 3 teams going down each season. Last year for sure 4 teams were quite suboptimal.
Soccer Coach
Well-Known Member
Aijal Tigers beat CCB quite convincingly.
You better prepare for storm that will hit the VMSL once Tigers become National "Amateur" Champions.
It is not going to be pretty.
You better prepare for storm that will hit the VMSL once Tigers become National "Amateur" Champions.
It is not going to be pretty.
Canucks4Ever
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #99
Well the triumphant Rovers Tigers return from Saskatchewan with the National Championship in tow, meaning we have a full slate of game once more this week. The VMSL's top flight has soldiered on without them the past couple of weeks and it is now a two horse race at the top between Rino's and Croatia. These two are hardly running away with things at this early stage, though only West Van are in a position to catch one or both of them this week. Of course, Rovers, with two games in hand, can join those two atop the table when they get around to making up those games. Lots will likely have shifted by the time make up games are coordinated, lets see how things begin to change this week.
Completely Baseless Predictions - Week 7
Croatia v Guildford
Croatia sit tied atop the league with Rino's after they picked up their fifth win of the season last weekend, knocking off Richmond 1-0. Given their start, one would have perhaps expected a more dominant performance against a struggling Richmond side. However, Richmond have proved that they are capable of a performance this year, as their lone win came over the aforementioned other top side Rino's. Croatia will continue to be without last season's league leading scorer David Malamura in this one, as he serves the second game of a two match suspension. Maybe missing their dynamic front man was what accounted for the Europeans seemingly stalled offence and Guildford will have a chance to take advantage of a less than full strength Croatia side. The Surrey boys were once more well off the pace in a 4-1 loss to West Van last week. Croatia are another stiff test and hardly a fixture that they can look at and expect to be taking points from. The penny is going to have to drop for Guildford at some point if they are serious about sticking around in Premier though, because just waiting to take points off the other bottom teams is not going to cut it. The key to survival is the surprise points a team can earn off the teams at the top. Not sure there is much chance of that happening this week, but I suppose you never know.
Rovers Tigers v Club Inter EDC
The National Champions return and immediately step into the MOTW. Meanwhile, Inter are coming off another week without a win, which has all but erased their perfect start to the season. Much of their downturn in form can likely be attributed to an injury to Habib. The revitalized striker bagged five goals in their opening three games, but has been limited to just a handful of minutes since then and, with that, Inter's offence has ground to a halt scoring just three goals over three weeks. With the table starting to separate, Inter risk being left behind in the chasing pack if they cannot find a return to their early season form ASAP. The big question for Rovers is where does their interest level sit? They are on top of the amateur soccer summit in Canada and now return to the bottom of the mountain once more. They are six points off the pace they need to be at if they are going to defend their VMSL title, but can make those up with their two games in hand. What remains to be seen is whether they is any motivation to do just that. The Surrey boys are tilting towards the "veteran" side of the age spectrum and, having won it all, are they interested in doing what it takes to try and repeat? This weekend will give us our first clue into Rovers psyche. The last time these two played, Inter took the piss out of Rovers in an Imperial Cup quarter final, could they conjure a similar performance in this one? I have to think it all comes down to the health of Habib. If he can take part from the start and be effective, Inter have proven they have to be respected as a top side. Without him, they are likely looking at more draws with the NorVan's of the world. Until we know "Chinter" are at full strength once more, I have to think Rovers are favourites.
Pegasus v Richmond
A big game for both these teams who are mired at the wrong end of the table. Traditionally you would have to think Peg would be favourite here but its been a tough slog to start the season for the Surrey crew. They finally notched their first win of the season off lowly Campo, but still gave up a pair of goals. It certainly was not a domineering performance, but the points look just the same and it will now come down do whether or not Pegasus can kick on from this. If they can come away with another with it will be six point on the spin with a struggling Guildford side on deck for neck week, so perhaps things begin to look a bit rosier. Richmond are far from a downtrodden side however, as despite some lopsided losses, they have proved they can compete on any given week. They proved that again last week when they held top of the league Croatia to a just a 1-0 win. The boys from below seas level earned their only three points of the season against the other co-leaders, Rino's, so there is plenty of reason to believe in the Hibs camp that they can put enough results together to stay in the league. Earning points of their fellow strugglers will be crucial though, and we both of these teams having decent veteran presences, they will no how important this fixture is, even with it coming in October. Expect a dsperation filled game, and that just might make for some good entertainment as well. Ultimately, I am thinking it might just have these two sides cancel each other out and split the points, which does not really help anybody!
West Van v Coquitlam Metro Ford
A week off to regroup for Metro Ford who are goal-less and winless in their last two matches. Despite an organizational reshuffle, it looks like Metro Ford will be a mid-table side again this season, competing for a place at the Provincial Cup. West Van, on the other hand, have loftier ambitions. They are within striking distance of the top of the league and are in good form after flexing their offensive muscles with a 4-1 win over relegation threatened Guildford. A few years ago this fixtures represented a titanic clash between likely the two top sides in the VMSL. Now both clubs are in a rebuild, with the North Shore boys looking to be slightly farther along in the process. There is still likely to be some animosity held over from those epic encounters of days gone bye however, so expect a spicy atmosphere. On the aggregate the Tri-Cities side have tended to have the better of the former Trollers, but last season was payback time with West Van taking both meetings by a combined 6-0 score line. They look to still be the side in better form so far this year, and I'll back them for all three points in this one.
Rino's Tigers v Campo Atletico
Look out here. Rino's and their league best 23 goals for host Campo who have allowed a staggering 27 goals against already. Tigers take the good teams in the league apart for fun; relegation threatened Campo has the potential be an absolute massacre. Rino's do love to mix in a surprise loss (see Hibernian, Richmond) but there is zero chance they can be anything but favourites this week. Set the over/under at 10.5; I'll lean towards the over...
NorVan v CCB LFC
In potentially the most intriguing fixture on the docket this week, NorVan host CCB. After storming out of the gate with their high priced roster and offensive acumen, CCB have gone cold. A charity 8-2 victory over last placed Campo skews their stats over the last four games, but if you remove that match, they have only two goals and a single point to show for their efforts over the last month. Hardly the team that looked to be coming exactly as advertised through the first two weeks of the season. Their title credentials are now fully in question as they sit five points off the pace. Newly promoted NorVan have established that they can hang with the big boys of the VMSL, chalking up a 1-1 draw with an experienced Inter side last week. True they still have the stiffest challenges in the league ahead, but, given that relegation almost already looks like an impossibility, they can start looking up the table and dreaming of challenging for a spot in the Provincial Cup. CCB would be the biggest scalp so far for NorVan, if they can get something from this one. The Surrey side need a bounce back result to prove to the league that they are, in fact, going to be relevant this year. A chance, then, for both teams to make a statement and that should hopefully make for a cracker out on the North Shore. Who will rise to the occasion? I have to think CCB's big guns are due for a breakout game, so I will make them slight favourites here.
Completely Baseless Predictions - Week 7
Croatia v Guildford
Croatia sit tied atop the league with Rino's after they picked up their fifth win of the season last weekend, knocking off Richmond 1-0. Given their start, one would have perhaps expected a more dominant performance against a struggling Richmond side. However, Richmond have proved that they are capable of a performance this year, as their lone win came over the aforementioned other top side Rino's. Croatia will continue to be without last season's league leading scorer David Malamura in this one, as he serves the second game of a two match suspension. Maybe missing their dynamic front man was what accounted for the Europeans seemingly stalled offence and Guildford will have a chance to take advantage of a less than full strength Croatia side. The Surrey boys were once more well off the pace in a 4-1 loss to West Van last week. Croatia are another stiff test and hardly a fixture that they can look at and expect to be taking points from. The penny is going to have to drop for Guildford at some point if they are serious about sticking around in Premier though, because just waiting to take points off the other bottom teams is not going to cut it. The key to survival is the surprise points a team can earn off the teams at the top. Not sure there is much chance of that happening this week, but I suppose you never know.
Rovers Tigers v Club Inter EDC
The National Champions return and immediately step into the MOTW. Meanwhile, Inter are coming off another week without a win, which has all but erased their perfect start to the season. Much of their downturn in form can likely be attributed to an injury to Habib. The revitalized striker bagged five goals in their opening three games, but has been limited to just a handful of minutes since then and, with that, Inter's offence has ground to a halt scoring just three goals over three weeks. With the table starting to separate, Inter risk being left behind in the chasing pack if they cannot find a return to their early season form ASAP. The big question for Rovers is where does their interest level sit? They are on top of the amateur soccer summit in Canada and now return to the bottom of the mountain once more. They are six points off the pace they need to be at if they are going to defend their VMSL title, but can make those up with their two games in hand. What remains to be seen is whether they is any motivation to do just that. The Surrey boys are tilting towards the "veteran" side of the age spectrum and, having won it all, are they interested in doing what it takes to try and repeat? This weekend will give us our first clue into Rovers psyche. The last time these two played, Inter took the piss out of Rovers in an Imperial Cup quarter final, could they conjure a similar performance in this one? I have to think it all comes down to the health of Habib. If he can take part from the start and be effective, Inter have proven they have to be respected as a top side. Without him, they are likely looking at more draws with the NorVan's of the world. Until we know "Chinter" are at full strength once more, I have to think Rovers are favourites.
Pegasus v Richmond
A big game for both these teams who are mired at the wrong end of the table. Traditionally you would have to think Peg would be favourite here but its been a tough slog to start the season for the Surrey crew. They finally notched their first win of the season off lowly Campo, but still gave up a pair of goals. It certainly was not a domineering performance, but the points look just the same and it will now come down do whether or not Pegasus can kick on from this. If they can come away with another with it will be six point on the spin with a struggling Guildford side on deck for neck week, so perhaps things begin to look a bit rosier. Richmond are far from a downtrodden side however, as despite some lopsided losses, they have proved they can compete on any given week. They proved that again last week when they held top of the league Croatia to a just a 1-0 win. The boys from below seas level earned their only three points of the season against the other co-leaders, Rino's, so there is plenty of reason to believe in the Hibs camp that they can put enough results together to stay in the league. Earning points of their fellow strugglers will be crucial though, and we both of these teams having decent veteran presences, they will no how important this fixture is, even with it coming in October. Expect a dsperation filled game, and that just might make for some good entertainment as well. Ultimately, I am thinking it might just have these two sides cancel each other out and split the points, which does not really help anybody!
West Van v Coquitlam Metro Ford
A week off to regroup for Metro Ford who are goal-less and winless in their last two matches. Despite an organizational reshuffle, it looks like Metro Ford will be a mid-table side again this season, competing for a place at the Provincial Cup. West Van, on the other hand, have loftier ambitions. They are within striking distance of the top of the league and are in good form after flexing their offensive muscles with a 4-1 win over relegation threatened Guildford. A few years ago this fixtures represented a titanic clash between likely the two top sides in the VMSL. Now both clubs are in a rebuild, with the North Shore boys looking to be slightly farther along in the process. There is still likely to be some animosity held over from those epic encounters of days gone bye however, so expect a spicy atmosphere. On the aggregate the Tri-Cities side have tended to have the better of the former Trollers, but last season was payback time with West Van taking both meetings by a combined 6-0 score line. They look to still be the side in better form so far this year, and I'll back them for all three points in this one.
Rino's Tigers v Campo Atletico
Look out here. Rino's and their league best 23 goals for host Campo who have allowed a staggering 27 goals against already. Tigers take the good teams in the league apart for fun; relegation threatened Campo has the potential be an absolute massacre. Rino's do love to mix in a surprise loss (see Hibernian, Richmond) but there is zero chance they can be anything but favourites this week. Set the over/under at 10.5; I'll lean towards the over...
NorVan v CCB LFC
In potentially the most intriguing fixture on the docket this week, NorVan host CCB. After storming out of the gate with their high priced roster and offensive acumen, CCB have gone cold. A charity 8-2 victory over last placed Campo skews their stats over the last four games, but if you remove that match, they have only two goals and a single point to show for their efforts over the last month. Hardly the team that looked to be coming exactly as advertised through the first two weeks of the season. Their title credentials are now fully in question as they sit five points off the pace. Newly promoted NorVan have established that they can hang with the big boys of the VMSL, chalking up a 1-1 draw with an experienced Inter side last week. True they still have the stiffest challenges in the league ahead, but, given that relegation almost already looks like an impossibility, they can start looking up the table and dreaming of challenging for a spot in the Provincial Cup. CCB would be the biggest scalp so far for NorVan, if they can get something from this one. The Surrey side need a bounce back result to prove to the league that they are, in fact, going to be relevant this year. A chance, then, for both teams to make a statement and that should hopefully make for a cracker out on the North Shore. Who will rise to the occasion? I have to think CCB's big guns are due for a breakout game, so I will make them slight favourites here.
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