BDSL Premier Postgame Week 8
2019 Premier Postgame Week 8
Lackwanna FCY (5-0-2) 4 - Amherst Sharpshooters (5-0-1) 0
This week's BDSLRumors game of the week featured two undefeated teams both near the top of the standings. A win for either team would see them at first place with 3 weeks to go in the regular season. These teams faced each other in Tehel Cup action a few weeks back, with Lackawanna moving on and Sharpshooters hoping for next year.
Lackawanna FCY were able to keep their hot streak going, dismantling a light Amherst Sharpshooters squad.
Lackawanna:"This win was extra special due to the fact that this game was highly anticipated by everyone. I’m sure emotions were still running high after we defeated them 4 - 1 in the cup game two weeks ago short handed with our team only having 12 players. They came into that game , with at least 5 subs , confident they can beat us. The Sharpshooters are a very good team , we’ve been beaten by them many times , for us to defeat them in back to back games with yesterday’s win being in the Cage in front of our fans was thrilling . Also taking back the first place spot in our division with a game in hand added to the excitement."Who was your best player?
"Everyone did great ,Our goalkeeper Sammy and back four were unbelievable."Who stood out for the opposing team?
"Ali Shawish was by far their best player"Your confidence must be high after this showing. How can you keep your guys focused?
"Playing The BSC Raiders /FC Buffalo this Sunday night is enough for us to stay focused. Players availability is huge for this game it should be a good one"Amherst blamed the loss on low numbers for the important tilt:
"We showed up with 12 then got a 13th a little while in. Our attendance had been great all year. This was the wrong day to show up with almost no subs and basically no actual defenders. It was hot and we wore down in the second half. "Who was your best player?
"Ali Shawish was our best player. He was all over the field."Who stood out for the opposing team?
"Lackawanna played very well. Zac Shaibi and Ali M were very dangerous."Do you think Lackawanna deserves to be in first place this season?
"I think they’re a very legitimate contender to win premier. They’re very good. Raiders still have to be the team to beat, but Lackawanna will be a big test for them."
Our take:
Another strong showing from the Lackawanna FCY squad puts them in first place with 3 games remaining. Maybe we were not high enough on them after some of their strong showings this year. It may be the year that Lackawanna puts it all together and wins the league. We think that they will come back down to earth this Sunday night when they face another BSC Raiders team.This isn't a surprising result to us for Amherst Sharpshooters. We have seen that teams who play Lackawanna with a light bench usually lose, especially at The Cage. We think this result does put Amherst in third place though.
Questions??
Last week we asked if Shaibi could keep his hot streak against some of the better teams. Well he apparently did just that. Now can he do it against a defensive team like BSC Raiders? Next weeks game should give us some answers.The surprise addition of veteran goal scorer Joe Vucic did not seem to help Amherst score goals this week. With only the league to play for will motivation be an issue in the last month of the regular season?
Celtic United (2-4-0) 2 - Williamsville Willies (2-2-3) 0
These two teams, who are both trying to find themselves this season, are also looking to sneak themselves into the playoffs. Williamsville comes into this game with 9 points while Celtic United comes in with 6 points but have had 2 quality showings the previous 2 weeks.
Celtic United shined through this week, disposing of a Willies team who are still struggling to find goals.
We spoke with Williamsville Willies first:"We had a thin bench so it was a tough one for us. They played well and yet again we could not generate enough offense."Who was your best player?
" Our MVP was Noah Smith. He came up huge multiple times to keep us in the game. Including a PK save."Who stood out for the opposing team?
"Their Defense and GK did very well at stopping the few chances we did have"That seems to be their theme of your season. You guys have a chance for playoffs. Do you think you will be there?
"I still do. Even though the results haven’t been there we have truly not been outplayed this season I believe. It’s whether or not we will have the attendance to support the guys we have on the field to keep up our tempo to start beating teams in this last stretch"Celtic United praised their team in a confidence finding victory:
"Yesterday the whole team played solid from top to bottom. We came out hard and took early control of the game, where Alex Cancilla converted early for us off of a well played ball from Greco. We kept that momentum going for 90. Willies had some opportunities in the second half, but our back line did a good job minimizing them, and assisting Smith get his 3rd clean sheet."Who was your best player?
"The MOTM for us was Alex Cancilla. In addition to contributing a brace, he created multiple great scoring opportunities."Did anybody stand out for the Willies?
"The best player for Willies was #15, Justin Bonetto. Believe he played 90 mins and was a well rounded cm"What was the difference between how you guys played yesterday compared to some unfortunate results earlier in the season?
"Well any season you start with 11 new guys, you can expect some glitches. I think the team has began to click and gain momentum."
Our take:
Willies have been consistently inconsistent. The have had some great results, 4-2 over Clarence, 1-0 over Queenston, and some puzzling results, 1-1 to PUFC, 2-2 to Wolves. They have 3 draws on the season and have not shown they have the killer instinct to get the job done. Their schedule is tough, with next week playing a hungry Southtowns team fighting to stay out of relegation, followed by #1 Lackawanna and consistent BSC Inter. We don't see them earning enough points to make the top 6, but they will remain in Premier.Celtic United seems to be putting it together finally. Wins over Wolves, Willies, and a strong showing against Amherst have put them in a good position. They also have a game in hand with a likely forfeit for BSC Raiders. Will 15 points be good enough for the top 6? With BUSS going from the basement to the playoffs that game at the end of the season may be crucial. We see them finishing with 15 points and narrowly missing playoffs.....but a strong showing against BSC Raiders in Tehel Cup action could make this season a successful one.
Questions??
Can Willies make a move at the transfer deadline to get a scoring forward? They desperately need to find some goals. The defense seems to be playing well but they don't get the results they need. How will attendance be the rest of the way?Have Celtic United turned the corner? Are they playing for each other? Will a loss against Clarence sink their confidence?
Clarence (3-2-2) 1 - Southtowns FPFC (1-6-0) 0
On paper this game should not be close. Southtowns have lost Kabura Elias and Isaac Sabtow for disciplinary actions this season, and Clarence has recently picked up Alex Reid from Celtic United to boost their offense. A weekday loss to BUSS in Tehel Cup action has brought them to a slow but with the regular season title still on the line, they have something to play for. But Southtowns FPFC doesn't seem to be a team to give up very easily.
Southtowns gave them a run for their money but ultimately Clarence was able to earn 3 points on the day.
Clarence had this to say:Physical game yesterday. Both teams battled and was a pretty clean game. We controlled most the possession but had some trouble breaking them down in the final 3rd. Finally was able to break through in the 2nd half. But keeping the ball wide and attacking space. Southtowns had some chances on counters that scared us but the back 4 played real well."Who was your best player?
"Our back 4 and LP were our best players. Reid was great as well."Who stood out for the opposing team?
" #10 Colin Archibald was there most dangerous player all day. There back line played very well."Do Southtowns deserve to be where they are in the standings in your opinion?
"Southtowns only had 12 guys yesterday and if they had more it could have been a different game. I think that could be there issue this year."After bowing out of Tehel Cup action this week, do you think you guys will have trouble staying motivated the rest of the season?
"Are goal now is to win the league."Southtowns only gave us one comment:
"fkn gutted"
Our take:
Southtowns is in serious trouble. They needed to earn a point Sunday to keep up with some of the teams above them. They have Willies, BUSS, and then PUFC to finish out the season. Let's say they earn 3 points only, that puts them at 6 points and 1 point less than what Wolves FC currently has. We fear relegation is in their future.Clarence are sitting in 5th place currently. They have two games, theoretically, they should win, with Celtic United and Queenston still on the schedule. 2 wins would put them at 20 points. That should definitely put them in the playoffs. This has been a strong campaign for a team that wasn't expected to do so well this summer.
Questions??
Can Southtowns pull off a victory against Willies or BUSS to pass Wolves?Is Clarence able to keep focus and not slip up against CU or Queenston? A loss to either of those teams could put their playoff hopes in peril.
BSC International (4-1-2) 0 - BSC Raiders (5-0-1) 1
The BSC Derby is here. BSC International, who have had a great season so far, against the incumbent champions BSC Raiders in a battle of BSC supremacy.
BSC International claim they deserved better than a 1-0 loss:"Who was your best player?
We played well. Good organization and communication. Raiders weren't as threatening as they usually seem. They had a few opportunities early on which they missed. Our counter attack and quick combinations in the mid field created several good chances. Ayoub missed just wide about 20 in. We got a PK shortly after but it was well saved. On their goal devonte got behind and squared across and our CB inadvertently shanked it into the top corner. Raiders never got close to scoring again. Abdi had breakaway in second half but pulled his hamstring unfortunately. He was electric beforehand. We played well despite Ross not playing. Good team effort."
"Rahim Otto and springer had great games. Mo Hussein was a potent threat"Did anybody stand out for your opponents?
"Their CB was good, Rogers I think. Rob was very strong, although Lorne did nutmeg him on the endline in glorious fashion. Lots of late slide tackles from Raiders, Another ref would have given straight reds."Thank you. Does this loss do anything for your teams confidence do you think?
"If anything we feel closer as a team"Are Raiders deserving of their reputation as the best in the league?
"And yes of course they're still the best"
Our take:
This is the result we expected. We figured it would be a close game with both defenses on point this season. This doesn't really change our opinion of either team.Questions??
BSC Raiders vs Lackawanna FCY for first place. Will Raiders show their dominance?A good showing from BSC Inter, even in defeat. Losing Mo Hussein to a red card could hurt them. Can this week vs PUFC be a potential trap game for them?
Pendleton United FC (0-5-2) 2 - Wolves FC (1-5-1) 3
This match features two of the BDSL Premier basement dwellers. Both squads have struggled to find points this season and are both in danger of relegation. A win for either squad could help them move up a bit but doesn't take them out of the zone.
In a tough game, Wolves were able to squeeze out the W.
We spoke to Wolves first:"We started off a little slow but came into it after the first ten-fifteen minutes. We had all but one of our players there, which hasn’t happened in the 5 years I’ve been on the team, so it was a little tough keeping everyone involved. But we had plenty of chances to pot more than the 2 we did in the first half. Chris Griffiths ran through off of a quick break from Joe Farrell from a tight angle. The goal they had in the first half was off a weak pk call. Jose Rodriguez had a banger from maybe 25 out that put us up going into half time. Game got a little questionable by the ref on both sides, and I think Pendleton would agree. Ravi didn’t call a great game, as he didn’t last week. But we had a few chances on the break in the 2nd half that we couldn’t finish, Gallo made a few good kick saves. But we had a break with maybe 15 to go that Shoemaker won a battle on the left sideline and carried it up and played Galanti in and he took a touch and put it in. They got one back pretty quickly after that which a guy was offside in the center of the key and made a play on it and it fell through to a guy unmarked on the far side of the box and he potted it. So Im not sure how that wasn’t called back, but it worked out in the end when they had a goal called off due to being off side (he was, run was too earlyWho was your best player?). Tough game. They had some dangerous balls played in the box consistently and had a few shots from range that were troublesome. Luckily they were blocked and hit a post."
"Solid effort from all my guys, but was pleased with Jose Rodriguez finally showing up. Chris Griffiths and Brandon Galanti we’re dangerous up top together as a duo also."Did anybody stand out for your opponents?
"Matt Pickard was a wrecking ball for them. Disruptive and was ripping the ball."This was a big win for you guys. Do you think you can gather momentum to make a late season push for the playoffs? Or do you think staying in Premier is the ultimate goal?
"Big win. I think we can gather a bit. We’re definitely playing better together, but we’re still lacking the killer instinct of putting the ball in the net as much as we should be. If we were doing that, we’d be much higher in the standings. We definitely needed to temper our expectations after the first few games, but at this point, safety is paramount."Would things have been different if you guys had consistent numbers all year?
"Not sure I would say attendance itself has been an issue, we’ve had 14-15 pretty consistently all year. Just having Franco and Jose out there gets us moving the ball better. And we can tinker with formations and put a little more pressure on the opposition. We were able to move Chris up top and that really opened up space for everyone. I think the thing that has plagued us has been finishing. We’ve had a plethora of chances in every game, except the Inter game. We just couldn’t put em in. That’s been the biggest downfall. If we finish half of our chances, were in a totally different spot."Losing Vucic to Sharpshooters was a tough blow to you guys, do you plan to replace him before the window closes?
"Yea that was a really abrupt one. We’re looking at a few things. Not sure what is going to transpire yet, but we will see"Pendleton claims that an AR was wrong in his decision on the potential game tying goal:
"Yesterday’s game was a summary of our season. Missed opportunities and chances at the end of the game decided by the referee. Willies game 5 minutes of extra time was added and they scored in the last minute to tie us, yesterday we score with a minute left but the AR called a guy off when he started his run at the 18 and their line held at the PK spot. Story of the season"Who was your best player?
"Sam Wagner and the return of Nick Dumond really were exceptional for us"Who stood out for the opposing team?
"AR Ref was their best player, denied us tying goal in the last minute when our guy was clearly onsides, brutal"
"2 of their forwards stood out"Where do you guys go from here? Can you keep fighting to stay in Premier? Do you think your guys will give up?
"We have to win 2 out of the last 3 games to have a chance at staying up, it will be tough but I think the lads are up for it"
Our take:
We have to disagree with PUFC, we don't think the lads are up for it. They haven't been up to it this season. They have had room on the roster to add guys, but haven't, and forfeited a game because of it. In the BDSL Premier division you CANNOT do that and expect to stay up. Hopefully they can regroup next year in Championship.Wolves are not out of the muck yet. They have a brutal schedule still to play. We don't see them earning another point this season. We do however see them staying in Premier for next season.
Questions??
Can PUFC motivate the guys to try to finish out strong and shake things up with a big victory over teams above them in the standings?Can Wolves play the role of spoiler and get a victory over one of their next opponents?
Buffalo United SS (1-3-3) 4 - Queenston FC (2-3-1) 1
This fixture featured two teams who have struggled to earn points this season. Both would have what you would call a set back after being playoff teams in 2018. A win for either team could keep playoff hopes alive, while a loss would potentially end the teams season.
BUSS moved up to 6th place with the victory, while Queenston dropped to 9th in defeat.
We spoke with BUSS first:"I actually though it was a really even game for the most part. Queenston has always been a thorn in our side. We lost last year 1-0 and drew 0-0 the year before I believe. They were strong out there for sure. I think our quality showed through though. We had 16 guys, they had 2 subs I think. We were up 2-0 at half after goals from Wes and Hunter Walsh. At half our focus seemed to be elsewhere but after our collapse to Clarence earlier in the year we were determined to win this one. Even though they scored on a really nice header by their outside back, we were able to score the next 2 goals. Bryce saved a penalty by Suitor, and had an incredible toe save on a scramble inside the 6. Queenston played well and their young guys were very talented."Who was your best player?
"Our best players were Wes Rider, Hunter Walsh, and Bryce Tramuta. Those guys were all difference makers. A couple other guys had solid performances as well. Mo Channer was a moving brick wall with guys literally bouncing off him as he sprinted."Who stood out for the opposing team?
"I thought Ross Suitor was really good for them. He was a pest by continuously chasing our guys in our own third when he didn’t have the ball. He hit the crossbar and missed a penalty, both could have changed the outcome."Do you think Queenston has what it takes to stay in the division?
" I definitely do. Queenston has the talent and I know Brian and Netter can figure it out. They seem to be having some unfortunate results this year."Where do you guys go from here? Surprisingly you guys sit in a playoff spot currently. Will you finish in the top 6?
"We hope to take all 9 points the rest of the way. We control our playoff hopes. If we win out, we make the playoffs. If we stumble then we will need other teams to do so as well. As I mentioned previously, I am confident we will finish in the top 6. We are also alive still in Tehel Cup with a game next Thursday against a tough side Los Chupacabras."Queenston thought they played very well in defeat:
"Yesterday’s game was a pretty even affair if you could believe it. Can’t remember the last time I’ve walked away from a 4-1 loss and said, “we played pretty well all things considered”. Definitely had one really bad sequence in the first half that led to the opening goal for BUSS. Then they made it 2-0 late in the first half sprinting right up the heart of our defensive midfield and center backs. We deployed a 4-5-1 last night to avoid that...whoops"
"Then we got one back early in the second half only to allow them to score a goal about a minute later. They tacked on another in similar fashion about 10 min later. We earned a PK shortly thereafter but it was saved. Basically any opportunity we had hit the crossbar, just skimmed wide or was saved point blank. Chances were equal for both teams but they converted theirs. Possession probably close to equal. We are playing like a wildcard playoff team yet we sit in 9th (I think) so it’s just frustrating. If we play like we did tonight, minus the disastrous first goal, we should get a win or two to close out our Campaign"Who was your best player?
"Our best player yesterday was either Eric Albrecht (defensively) or Jared Burns (offensively)."Who stood out for the opposing team?
"Their standout was eeeeasily Hunter Walsh"Do you think you guys can still find yourself in the playoffs at the end of the regular season?
"I think we are not going to make it. We would have to win this week against Amherst and then carry that over to Clarence. Is it possible to win those games? Sure. But then after that we probably need another 3-4 points from Lackawanna and Raiders. So realistically we will fall short"Do you think BUSS has the squad to make playoffs?
"BUSS has the squad and will make the playoffs. They should finish 5th"What about relegation? Are you worried at all?
"No, not really. As hard as our schedule is, Wolves’ is as well, so I don’t expect their goal differential to best ours come season’s end. And the way we are playing, we should secure at least one more point, which should keep us ahead of Pendleton or Southtowns or both. I think our worst finish is 10 one way or the other; and that would be disappointing given the fact we play better than “10th”. Best case 6th but that’s if we catch all breaks, such as a Celtic United over Clarence this coming weekend"
Our take:
Queenston have been putting in the effort but the 3 points aren't coming. They have let too many points slip away this year. They deserve to stay in Premier but we don't think the top 6 is in their future this season.BUSS have also worked hard after a slow start to the season. They sit at 9 points tied with CU and Willies. But we think they are trending upwards and have the roster to make a serious run at playoffs and Tehel Cup. Oh, and they just added another Division 1 player to their roster. We see them making the playoffs.
Questions??
Will Queenston be able to pull things together for a late surge for playoffs. Will the potential return of Troy Brady give them another attacking threat and potentially surprise one of their next 4 tough opponents?Can BUSS get through their next 3 games without a slip up? Will the addition of Kretschmer be what BUSS needs to get to the next level?
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
1. Raiders
2. Lackawanna
3. Sharpshooters
4. BSC International
5. BUSS
6. Clarence
JUST OUTSIDE
7. Willies
8. Queenston
9. Celtic United
10.Wolves FC
RELEGATION
11. Southtowns FPFC
12. Pendleton United
Thanks for reading, we will catch you next week!
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