Courtesy: Beacon News


BC Soccer Premier League teams set to kick-off Futsal championship

December 7, 2012

B.C. Provincial Futsal championship Jan. 5-6

Soccer teams from across B.C. are ready and registered for the 2013 B.C. Provincial Futsal Championships.

The tournament runs Jan. 5-6 and will be contested at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Futsal is a variation of soccer played indoors in a five-on-five format.

Teams from both the EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League and the BC Metro-Select League will take part in the tournament. This gives Metro-Select teams the chance to test their skills against higher-level teams.

The tournament will have both U14 and U16 divisions for boys and girls. It will also feature two tiers; division one for elite level teams and division two for the remaining teams.

The U16 boys’ category will feature both the U15 and U16 Fusion FC teams.

The U15 Fusion squad is coming off a heart breaking loss in the Premier League championship game, losing 2-1 to Surrey United SC in penalty kicks. The team amassed a 4-2-1 record in the Fall season, finishing second overall.

They will no doubt be looking to bounce back from the tough loss to win the provincial Futsal championship.

Fusion FC’s Patrick Metcalfe played this season with the U15 squad though he is a U14 player. He will be age upgrading again in this tournament as his team is playing U16.

Coach Brent Branker has worked with Metcalfe for many years and come hell or high water, wants him on his team.

“I’ve had him since he was a wee one, he’s been with me ever since but when he came to the Fusion he couldn’t play up [an age group] like he always did, they wouldn’t allow it,” said Branker. “But I fought over it and got him back. He’s an excellent player; tiny little guy who you can put anywhere on the field.”

One team the U15 Fusion FC will have to beat to do this is their U16 counterpart.

The U16 Fusion FC did not see the success the U15 team did this season but still have an age advantage. The Fusion FC finished fourth the Fall season with a 2-3-1 record.

Coastal FC will also be sending a U16 boys team to compete.

Burnaby Selects of the BC Metro-Select League will be the dark horse of the category being the only team not from the BC Premier League.

Favorites playing in the U16 girls division 1 will be Surrey United SC and Fusion FC. The two teams tied for second in the Fall Premier League season, both sporting identical 4-1-1 records with 15 goals for.

Coastal FC is also entered, while Royal City NW Barcelona will be the competing against the Premier League teams.

Coastal FC will also be sending a team to the U14 boys’ bracket.

Also competing in U14 is the Fusion FC and Magnuson Ford Mariners FC. The NVFC Selects will join the fold as the only non-Premier League team in the bracket.

One slot still remains in the girls U14 division 1. Both Fusion FC and Coastal FC are penciled in.

Outside the Premier League the Richmond All-Star Selects will also be in the mix in the U14 girls category.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com