2019 Premier Postgame Week 5

BDSL Premier Postgame Week 5

The BDSL Premier division in week 5 brought us some high scoring games.  Teams are starting to see where they fit in the division, and we had the highest scoring week of the season with 43 goals in 6 games.

BSC International (1-1-2) 5 - Celtic United (1-2-0) 2

After being accused of terrible judgement last week for putting Celtic United at the bottom of our rankings, we had hoped they would rebound and prove us wrong.  BSC International has had a steady season so far, finding themselves in the top 6.  Unfortunately for Celtic United, and our accusers, they could not prove us wrong in BDSLRumors "Game of the Week".

We spoke with BSC International first:

"We came out extremely flat and error prone in our own third. Terrible combination and Celtic’s midfield did very well with the extra time and space in our end. They put two away in the final minutes of the first half off of our lazy transition play. Ross tweaked our formation second half and the game flipped dramatically. After being gifted an own goal we were finding all kinds of space on the wings, which got our center mids downfield. We leveled quickly by putting sustained pressure in their end. Momentum carried from there."

Who was your best player?

"Lorne, Jenaro, and lil Mo were outstanding second half"

Who stood out for Celtic United?

"Pablo and their forwards. Their finishing was solid."

You guys have far exceeded expectations so far, at least ours anyways. What do you contribute your success to?

"We attribute our success so far to knowing our own abilities and trusting our teammates. We have good team understanding and chemistry, and excellent leadership."

Will you guys be active in the transfer window ?

"Transfer window could go either way"

Celtic United had this to say:

"We came out the gates hot going up 2-0 in the first half. Combination of EA music fest & bachelor party hangovers didn’t match well with the heat on the turf, as we conceded 5 in the second half and looked horrendous. We were a complete different team in the first half. BSC International played well and are a much improved side from the years prior."

Who was your best player?

"Our best player was Pablo Ordonez. Pablo was the only consistent player all match and played some beautiful balls in."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"Best player for BSC was Brian Arcara who made some big saves, and provided strong distribution in the back."

OUR TAKE
BSC International has been great so far.  They seem like they play a team game and don't have anybody with a "me first" attitude.  That is what makes them so successful.  Their schedule seems pretty favorable as well with a tough game sprinkled in with some easier ones.
Celtic United is in real trouble.  They have yet to play 3 of the top 6 teams currently in the division.  We still think they will have trouble escaping the relegation zone.

QUESTIONS??
How will BSC Inter do against teams like Amherst, BSC Raiders (who they lost to in Tehel Cup action)?  Can Jenaro and Mo Hussein continue to score goals at the pace they have so far?
When will Celtic United live up to potential?  Will the return of Mitchell Ali help them product offensively?  Do their players take the team seriously enough to keep themselves focused the night before a game?

Amherst Sharpshooters (3-0-1) 8 - Pendleton United (0-2-2) 0  

In a game that would be expected to be a blowout, Amherst were able to get production from their young guys, to exceed expectations.  

Amherst had this to say:

"Pendleton only showed up with 10 guys. They tried to park the bus and defend, but it was never really going to work."

Who was your best player?

"RJ Grampp had a great game at left back showing off some silky skills and picking up 3 assists. Taha Ahmed and Kyle Hofschneider each scored twice."

Did anybody stand out for PUFC?

"Their best player was Matt Pickard. He threw himself around with some rough challenges, but at least he looked like he was trying."

You guys are on quite a roll so far. Is there anything you need to work on? Attendance has been great, goals are going in, your defense is playing well. Anything concerning you?

"We have a big few days coming up. Tehel Cup on Thursday at the Cage then Raiders under the lights on Sunday night. Both will obviously be difficult games so we’ll have to make sure we’re playing our absolute best and taking our chances in both of those games."

Will you guys be active during the transfer window?

"No I don’t think so. Our roster is full currently and all 22 players are healthy and committed"

Pendleton United had few words in defeat:

"We had 10 guys lads, not much to say"

Injuries? Or just availability?

"Few injuries and a lot of availability. Our mate and leader Juszczak was out of town for work too"

Do you see the attendance issues sorting themselves out?

"Yes, after this week we should be good to go. Few players sat out too so they are good to go next week."

We noticed you don’t have 22 on the roster, do you plan to fill the last 2 spots?

"Nope, roll with my guys since moving up every year"

OUR TAKE
Sharpshooters are on fire so far.  Their young guys are really stepping up and filling some voids in their roster.  We still see them at 1 or 2 in the division.  This week will be a telling week for them.  If they can beat Lackawanna FCY and BSC Raiders, they will take over our number one spot in the division.
Pendleton United is in serious trouble.  Their talent may have brought the promotion last year, but Premier is a different animal.  You need talent and attendance.  On the other hand, they have had a difficult schedule so far.  We would recommend filling out the roster during the transfer window though.

QUESTIONS??
How will they fare against two of the top teams in the division?  Can they pull it all together and be the team to topple BSC Raiders?
Can PUFC bring a full squad?  As the weather gets warmer, bringing 11 guys to a match is a recipe for disaster.  Will the break in the schedule that they have after this Sunday do them good?  Will they fill the roster? 
 

B.U.S.S. (0-2-2) 5 - Clarence (2-1-1) 5 

BUSS came into the game struggling for goals, while being stout defensively.  Clarence were fresh off a trouncing from BSC Raiders.  Clarence may be considered the come-back kids of the BDSL with their second come-from-behind draw of the season.  This one from being down 5-0 and finishing 5-5.

Clarence was first to respond to our questions:

"Came into the game knowing we would be missing 3 CBs again who are trying to get healthy. Never fun when you have to face BUSS. They controlled possession and played a lot of balls over the top in the 1st half. Went to halftime down 2-0. 2nd half we made some adjustments but they still got 3 on us from counters. About 60 minutes in we got 1 back then our game started taking over. Gary, Sammy and Berardi just took it to another level. We just kept pushing and got the 5-5 tie. So much heart from the guys yesterday."

Who was your best player?

"Everyone was our best player yesterday who came and played."

Who stood out for your opponents?

"Mo and Hunter up top were killing us for most of the game."

2 incredible comebacks from you guys so far this season. Are you concerned that you guys are starting off so slow?

"Way more concerned with injuries. We got players playing out of position so it causes issues in the beginning of game. Adding some players in the transfer window should help us and our guys are coming back next week."

Anybody you are targeting in the window? Or positions specifically?

"I’ll keep the names private lol. But a holding CM and a striker"

BUSS seemed hungover from the letdown:

"Do I have to? I’m still in shock from our collapse. Well, we came out strong early. But in typical fashion for us this season we couldn’t bury our first 4 chances. Clarence got a bit of possession once Clint entered the game, but they couldn’t handle our pace. Jason got our first goal by crashing the box on a cross. We put in a couple in a row, Mo C got one, Kyle got one. Then Hunter Sherman got a beauty from the corner of the 18 that landed upper 90. We went into halftime 4-0. After half we put in another one right away, and missed a couple more glorious opportunities. At that point some of our guys thought the game was over. A couple guys were nicked up and decided to sit the rest and let some other guys get some time. Clarence made us pay. I’m still not really sure what happened. It just seemed like every couple minutes the ball was in our net. We didn’t really start getting worried till like 5-3. Then we panicked at 5-4. Their 5th goal was a nice flick header off a set piece to tie it up. We put on some serious pressure the last 5 minutes but couldn’t take the lead. Well played to those guys though. It was a hell of a comeback. And shame on us for being so nonchalant thinking we had it in the bag. This result is typical of our season so far."

Who was your best player?

"Polo was good, Prince played well. Jason probably gets man of the match to me. Just played really hard and gritty."

Who stood out for Clarence?

"Sam Sutherland always gives us fits, I wish we were able to keep that guy. I love how he plays. Clint and Gary were strong as well."

 Where do you go from here?

"Good question, and I wish I had a strong answer for you. We just have to keep the intensity we had in the first half for the full 90. I take the blame for this collapse. As manager I should have stepped in and done a better job keeping our heads in it. We are in no position right now to ever think we have a game won before the final whistle blows. This won’t happen again to us."

Will you be active in the transfer window?

"We have a player on the radar during the transfer window. I can’t give a name of course but this guy will be a huge addition to us."

OUR TAKE
Clarence refuses to give up a game.  Coming back from 2 goals down in the last 5 minutes against Amherst, and 5 down in the second half against BUSS?  Those two points earned may be what they need to propel them to the top.  Their loss to Raiders is disheartening, but each of their other results has been favorable.
BUSS promised last week that once they got their first goal they would score in bunches.  Well that happened but they forgot how to play defense.  Giving up 5 goals in the second half just cannot happen if you want to be a top team.  As it looks right now they aren't in that conversation.  This result knocks them just out of playoff contention for us.

QUESTIONS??
Though Clarence claims their issues are from injuries and playing out of position, is there something else to discuss about their slow start?  Is management unable to get their team motivated?  Giving up 5 goals to a team who hasn't scored yet, regardless of quality, is a bad sign.
Why would BUSS, a team without a win, allow their top players to rest when they have yet to win a game.  Is BUSS management on the hot seat?

Queenston FC (1-2-1) 7 - Southtowns FPFC (1-3-0) 0

Two teams with similar records, both needing a strong showing to put themselves near playoff contention.  Only one team showed up to play though in another Week 5 blowout.

Queenston praised the defense in the win:

"Yesterday we finally had everything click. Outside of one pitiful first half against Celtic United, our defense has been very strong this season, but we were plugging offensive weapons back there which stunted us going forward. With the return of Eric Albrecht and Dylan Duncan last night, we were able to get the right bodies forward. Our best performance to date. Probably could have had 10-12 goals if we did better in the final third. But we were flying out there"

Who was your best player?

"Our best player was probably Jared Burns. He had 3 assists and looked like he was playing downhill while our opponents’ midfield played uphill. Shout out to Bryce Schiltz for his second goal which was an absolute peach"

Did anybody stand out for your opponents?

"Will Smith was their best player and it was rather noticeable. He was playing CB last night and despite the score line I think he had a strong game regardless. When he pushes forward with the ball he reminds me of a Clydesdale. But I think once we bagged the third goal last night it was pretty telling the team around him was deflated. But you wouldn’t be able to tell by just watching Will"

Do you think this will be your form going forward?

"I think so. Outside of one disastrous first half against Celtic United, we have conceded only twice this season. As long as our offense is confident we can be dangerous. The issue here is, our fixtures get harder now in the back half of the season, so we may not always get the results we think we deserve"

Will you be active during the transfer window?

"Only if we think there’s a difference maker we can grab. We won’t force it"

Southtowns FPFC kept didn't have much to say:

"we didn’t play good soccer , not much to say about it other than we hope to respond positively on Sunday"

Did anybody stand out for Queenston?

"netter played a great game in net and robbed us a few times , westatd and trey were dangerous all game . they are a very talented team and i’m sir they will win many games going forward"

We were unable to get any more responses from SFPFC

OUR TAKE
Queenston has found their quality the last two games.  The key to their success is defense first.  They seem to have patched the holes in the last few games.  With their recent showing we have no choice but to put them higher in the standings than last week.
SFPFC had a great showing last week, but this week they fell back into their lane.  This result has all but assured them back into the relegation zone. 

QUESTIONS??
Can Queenston keep marching forward, taking points along the way?  Will their young players continue to pot goals in games that are tight affairs?  
Can Southtowns FPFC find a player during the transfer window that can bring them out of the basement?  Which Southtowns team can we expect week to week?

Lackawanna FCY (3-0-1) 6 - Wolves FC (1-3-0) 2

From all reports, the cage was rocking Sunday as Lackawanna FCY played in front of their home crowd for the first time this season.  Their home fans were able to propel them to a strong showing to keep them at the top of the table this season.

Lackawanna FCY were confident in their victory:

"This was our first game of the season on home field, we were excited and nervous. We were missing players because of a wedding in the community for one of our players ,(congratulations Abdul Albabeh.) Both teams were going back and forth .they scored first in the first half .second half we came out strong missing too many chances, we finally got a pk to tie the game , we scored another one to take the lead didn’t take long to tie the game 2-2 , after we scored the third goal we never looked back . Good clean game overall. All the players were playing great"

Who was your best player?

"Ali Mohamed was unbelievable 2 goals and 3 assists , The back line were awesome."

Did anybody stand out for Wolves?

"FRANCESCO CARDILLO strong game by him."

Can you guys keep your momentum going?

"We are confident that the squad we have now are capable of winning against any team the issue is the players attendance on game day also injuries could be a factor for any team."

Will you be active during the transfer window?

"Yes , we will be somewhat active during the transfer for one maybe two out and one or two in ."

Can you give us some names? Or maybe positions you are looking for?

"No, not now, sorry."

Wolves FC had an issue with the referee:

"Think we played as solid as a first half we could have. We had chances to snag more than the one goal lead, just couldnt capitalize. They had chances too. Dubious pk call that was outside the box, and the ref even admitted he didn’t see where it was, but was then aided by the words of two of their players and he gave a pk. Half time whistle blew after that. As we walked off, we saw the head ref with his arm around one of their players joking and laughing, which continued through out the second. They scored early on and we battled back to tie it, but we just fell apart with sloppy play. Had a few chances that we couldn’t convert. "

Who was your best player?

"It was great having Franco back in the fold. His ability really stood out for us. Brian Comerford also had a very solid game at center back."

Did anybody stand out for LFCY?

"Ali Mohammed was their best player. He was buzzing all over the offensive third."

What will it take to bring it all together for Wolves?

"A positive result. We’re not far off. Just need to convert more of our chances. They are there."

Will you be active in the transfer window?

"We’re looking at a few potential things. Could happen."

OUR TAKE
After a bit of a setback last week, Lackawanna was able to get some strong play from their shortened roster.  No doubt being in front of their home fans was a lift to them as well.  We still don't think this result puts them in the top 2 but definitely a close 3rd.
Wolves have only one win this season, and that was against a struggling SFPFC side.  Good new is that they get to play Celtic United this week, who are struggling themselves.  A convincing victory could give them the confidence they need going into the transfer window.

QUESTIONS??
It was helpful for Lackawanna to have Ali Mohammed back in the lineup this week.  We think he is the piece, along with Mateo, they need to contend with the top 2.  Can he be available every week for them?  Can they take down Amherst this week in Tehel Cup action?
What has happened to Wolves?  Has last summer's Cinderella story lost their magic?  Has the carriage turned back into a pumpkin?  Can Franco be available for them every week to help dig them out of the hole they are currently sitting in?
 

Williamsville Willies (1-1-2) 0 - BSC Raiders (3-0-0) 3

Here at BDSL Premier Postgame, we try to be unbiased and fair to every team.  However this week we were informed that BSC Raiders are not allowing their players to do these interviews.  We aren't sure how big the stick is up their managers ass is, but we assume its an extra large one.  So from this point on we will not be approaching them for questioning any more.  We hope that they stop taking themselves so seriously and realize that this is an amateur league and our questions don't hurt anybody.  

With that being said, here is our representative from Williamsville Willes:

"Not much to say when playing the raiders. Went scoreless in the first half. They scored then We hit a crossbar and Figler made a great point blank save off the rebound. I hate to say it but their second goal was a beautiful strike from their guy and the pk for their 3rd I thought was weak."

"It was 3-0 but we still are not producing the offense to take the pressure off our defense."

Who was your best player?

" I’d say or best player was either Wilkinson in the middle or any of our defenders."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"O’Keefe was a threat all day. The kid just doesn’t stop working ever, it’s tiring to watch."

OUR TAKE
Willies need to find some goals somewhere.  They need somebody to step up, or a transfer from the outside during the window to put some goals in.  Maybe a formation switch could help them bag some goals?
Despite being stifled and censored by their management, BSC Raiders keep racking up wins.  We don't see them being beaten easily this summer.

QUESTIONS??
Can Willies grab a guy like Vucic from Wolves, Reid from Celtic United, or Sherman from BUSS?  Guys who have proven they can score goals at this level and are playing on struggling teams this year?  


PLAYOFF PREDICITONS

1. Raiders

2. Sharpshooters

3. Lackawanna

4. BSC International

5. Clarence

6. Queenston FC


JUST OUTSIDE

7. Buffalo United SS

8. Willies

9. Wolves

10. Southtowns FPFC


RELEGATION

11. Celtic United

12. Pendleton United






Thanks for reading, we will catch you next week!

 

2019 Premier Postgame Week 4

BDSL Premier Postgame Week 4

Amherst Sharpshooters (2-0-1) 1 - Buffalo United SS (0-1-2) 0

BDSL Rumors "Game of the Week" gave us a clash between two of the perennial top teams in the BDSL Premier division. Amherst Sharpshooters came in to the game undefeated, while BUSS came in struggling, yet to earn a victory in 2019. Sharpshooters were able to get a headed goal from Theo Pencic in the first half to take the victory.

We spoke with Amherst first:

"We started slow and BUSS had a lot of pressure. We settled in about halfway through the first half and got a bunch of good chances though. Theo scored just before halftime to put us up 1-0."

"Both keepers were excellent all game. It was a game that could’ve easily ended with several goals for each team."

Who was your best player?

"Derek Bartlo and Cody Rouse were everywhere in the midfield. The defense and Quinn played great."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"BUSS has some really good attackers. Hunter Walsh and Musse were particularly good. Rider and Polo were solid at CB and Bryce made some huge saves."

Where would you put BUSS among the teams you have faced so far this season?

"They’re probably the strongest. I expect them to start putting some results together. They have a lot of talent"

Our BUSS rep found a silver lining in defeat:

"We got back to BUSS soccer yesterday. We are a much different team when our core group is available." 

"As far as the game is concerned I would say it was a typical BUSS vs Sharpshooters matchup. We knew going in it would be a battle and usually our games are 1 goal games. We came out hot and really took it to them. They held strong and were able to withstand the pressure. Quinn made some 10/10 saves on a couple amazing opportunities for us. We couldn't beat him. They came back at us with a couple really good spells of play. Pencic was really good in the first half. He had one header chance that Bryce had to lay out to get to. We couldn't find the net. Sherman, Jason, Walsh, Musse all had some chances that would normally go in. Quinn either saved them or we went wide. Very frustrating for sure." 

"They scored on what I would consider a bit of a fluke goal. They did well to get up the wing but from what our defenders said, when Pencic scored, the ball kind of just bounced off his head. It floated over Bryce and landed on the line and the post and went in. Don't get me wrong, they had a couple really good chances, but that goal was a bit of a fluke." 

"Second half got a bit physical, but their young guys were able to play with the physicality. We had what we thought should have been a PK when Mo was taken down in the box, and another foul in a good position when Jason was tackled from behind/side just outside the box. Neither was called though. I think both teams could have had a couple more calls but oh well."

Who was your best player?

"Our best players were Wes at CB, Andre at outside back, and Bryce in goal."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"For Sharpshooters, Quinn was fantastic, their CB's Ricky and Drew were really good. #18 Bartlo was all over the place as well."

If the season ended today you guys would be relegated. Any thoughts on that?

"Thanks for bringing that up. I'm having flashbacks to 2016. We are better than our record. We have only conceded 4 goals in 4 games. Our defense is playing great. We are just having a hard time finding the net. Once we get the first one I think they will start pouring in. We will make the playoffs this season."

Our take:

The BDSL season in 4 weeks old and BUSS has yet to find a goal in the run of play. This team, which is supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, is really struggling despite the return of offensive players. Amherst just keeps on rolling, and in the way they always seem to do, earning points every step of the way. It seems to be the Sharpshooter M.O.

Questions??

Can this Amherst Sharpshooter team be the one to dethrone the kings of the BDSL Premier Division, BSC Raiders? Will the youth Amherst has added continue to develop its style of play to keep up with the Premier divisions physicality?

Is it too late for BUSS? With 7 games remaining on the schedule, are they in a must win situation every week? Will they ever score a goal again?

BSC Raiders (2-0-0) 6 - Clarence (2-0-1) 1

BSC Raiders have started off the 2019 campaign undefeated, disposing of BUSS and Pendleton United, while having yet to concede. Clarence has been one of the most surprising teams so far, putting in strong showings against Wolves, Inter, and Amherst, while also remaining undefeated. BSC Raiders were able to show their class was a step above though, with a thorough beat-down of the Coyotes.

Devonte Black of BSC Raiders was available for comment:

"Yesterday's game was good. We had a rocky start. Lots of possession but not creating too many chances. While the other team was mainly playing for the counter attack and had two good chnaces they missed. They were hard to break down especially through the middle so we had to use our width more. as the first half went on we start breakthrough more and more. Then Colin scored." 

"Our fitness and pace boosted us to a 6-1 win. We were able to get in behind very easily in the second half."

Who was your best player?

"Colin had a great performance. He was out best player. Kyle Rodgers was good. Everyone eventually ending up having a very good game because our quality came through.

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"Gary Boughton and it was all him really. He's the best player for sure."

Where would you rank Clarence among the teams you have faced so far this season?

"Buss has been the best team we played so far this season ! Even though they were missing guys, they still were able to compete more than the others."

Do you think you guys will run away with the league? Any team you are worried about playing?

"We will run away with title. And we do not fear any team in the BDSL."

Clarence had nothing but praise for BSC Raiders:

"The Raiders came to play yesterday. They controlled most of the possession and the movement off the ball was a higher level then ours yesterday. We had some chances but injuries killed us. Never fun asking players to play out of position. We hope to be healed up by this Sunday"

Who was your best player?

"Gary and JJ were our best players."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"Both CBs Casey and Kyle Rodgers were fantastic. Chris Walters and Colin O’keefe smoked us all game."

Where would you put BSC among the teams you have faced so far this season? At the top we assume?

"Yeah it is BSC then everyone fighting for 2nd in my opinion."

Our take:

This may be one of the most talented Raiders teams we have ever seen. And that is saying a lot with the success this franchise has had. Oh yeah, and Rob Williamson has yet to see the field for the mighty BSC Raiders. Clarence is still a contender at this point of the season. We doubt that this loss will do any severe damage to the Yotes with the hot start they have had.

Questions??

Will BSC's arrogance get to them and potentially leave points on the table one week? Will anybody else be able to topple them at full strength?

Are the injuries starting to pile up for Clarence? Do they have the depth to maintain their hot start for the whole season?

Lackawanna FCY (3-0-0) 1 - BSC International (1-1-1) 1

On paper it would seem that this game would be very one sided. Lackawanna FCY came in top of the league with the most goals scored. BSC International, while seeing success so far this season, have had a bit of a roller coaster start, beating up on Wolves, while getting trounced by Clarence. But in this league any team can win at any time. Both teams were able to earn a point in this one.

 

We spoke with BSC International first:

"We game-planned for a fast tempo game and got exactly that. The physical presence of our center midfield gave our faster/creative players space, which was the difference maker. The score line accurately reflects the flow of the game, but it was tough watching those 2 points slip away."

"From a different teamate: "We were leading for almost 75 minutes when they scored what I could call a lucky goal""

 Who was your best player?

"Top performances go to Jenaro and Otto."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"Usual suspects were standouts for Lackawanna, but their two center backs were notably excellent."

Would you consider Lackawanna to be the best team you have faced this season so far?

"They were among several strong teams we've met this year"

Lackawanna FCY had this to say:

"Lackawanna's played the ground game, short passes while moving thier ball up field and BCS Inter played the long ball from the back alot."

"The game was very physical with more fouls than any other game we faced. The ref also handed out a few yellows to BSC Inter for very bad tackles on our forwards. I guess when the games is this close, players tend to get a little aggressive to gain the edge and cause turnovers."

Who was your best player?

"Mateo was the best player on the field. Very vocal and commanding on the field. Also the entire defense."

Did anybody stand out for the opposing team?

"Ross was exceptional directing players and perfectly placing long passes over the mid field. "

"Felt like both these veterans were generals on the war field."

Do you think that BSC Inter has what it takes to sneak into the playoffs this season? Or are they still another year away?

"They absolutely do have a chance. They have the right player personnel, they have speed and skill, an amazing keeper. And a true leader on the field with Ross Karipidis."

Our take:

This result is quite puzzling to us. While BSC International has shown they are better defensively than we have seen in a while, shutting down Lackawanna FCY is quite an accomplishment. Lackawanna, on the other hand, needs to win games like these against mid-table teams and not leave points hanging. But maybe BSC Inter is just that quality of a defensive side?

Questions??

Will BSC Inter continue to be able to steal points from teams theoretically, they shouldn't be? Are we not high enough on this teams ability?

Is this just a blip on the radar for this offensive powerhouse? Could teams follow BSC Inter's game plan of expecting a fast tempo game be stolen by Lackawanna's opponents this season?

Wolves FC (1-2-0) 0 - Queenston FC (0-2-1) 2

This fixture featured two teams that we think would consider themselves under-performing this season. Both playoff teams is 2018, but below .500 this summer. Queenston were able to get their first win of the season, leaving Wolves to curse the goalposts.

Wolves

"little bit of a feeling out process the first 15. We had a few chances inside the box where we missed the net or didn’t get a good shot off. They had a solid chances off of headers that just went wide. But once we settled in I feel we had the better spells of possession. The second half we came out very well. I’d say the first 15 minutes we really had them backed up which included a breakaway that was shot wide and stretch of 4/5 posts in a 10 minute stretch. They scored shortly after that on a broken play that ended up being slowed down by a slight deflection off my defenders toe. We had some more possession after that and they scored one more on a counter and that was it. Weird game, think Queenston would share that opinion. Could have and should have been a few more goals for each side."

Who was your best player?

"I thought that once again Klecks was a destroyer in the midfield. Brain Comerford was very very solid in his first full 90 at center back."

Who stood out for the opposing team?

"Their young guys were who really stood out. Schiltz, Burns, Buscaglia, Zachary, and Westadt. Winkworth was solid, as was Suitor at center back. You could plug that guy anywhere and know you’re going to be in good shape."

Where does Queenston list in the teams you have faced so far?

"I’m not sure. It’s been a crazy year in premier results wise. Like us, sure they’d say they should be better, and I think they’ll find their stride also. It’s very tight. So much talent league wide now."

Queenston had a similar view on the match:

"Yesterday’s game had a couple nervy moments as our opponent hit the post a few times; one of which was a chip of our keeper John Netter, but thankfully due to his height and being on turf, Joe Vucic had to loft it a bit higher and as a result it actually bounced off the crossbar off a previous bounce on the turf. Netter made a couple other A+ saves sprinkled throughout the game."

"We applied pressure on Wolves pretty much all game; their possession spells didn’t amount to much of a threat outside the few aforementioned posts and whatnot. We were a much quicker side than theirs which helped us gain many chances on net. Two registered past Renkas, he probably saved two others that most goalies could not and then we probably squandered a few more very solid looks to come away with even a larger margin of victory. I think a two goal victory was fair honestly, I’m probably sure Wolves will see it differently."

Who was your best player?

"Thought Ross Suitor did well at CB since our three other CB options all were not present. But our best player was Brian Rademaker as he completed every pass he attempted all game"

"Also shout out to Paul Malinowski yesterday as he was critical in ball movement from defense to offense from his DCM position. Thought he was really strong for us as well"

Did anybody stand out for Wolves?

"I’d say Renkas stood out most because he squashed a lot of our dangerous runs forward in the final third thanks in part to being very quick off his line"

"This is not intended to be disrespectful but no other field player of theirs really stood out. None were poor though; just a decent collection of players. Shout out to former QFC player Joe Farrell for a good showing himself but Neon always prevails. Or royal blue in last nights case"

Where would you put Wolves compared to other teams you have faced this season?

"Last. They’re more skillful than Pendleton but I think Pendleton cares/hustles more"

Our take:

We think that Queenston has just started off slow and this showing proves that they can still compete. We still think that they will finish out of a playoff spot mid table, but they will be a tough team for other mid table clubs to beat. Wolves don't seem to be the same team they were last season. They need to win games like this one to have a similar run as they did in 2018. A surprising result to us to say the least.

QUESTIONS??

Can Queenston's young guns put together a strong showing week to week? Is Ross Suitor the answer for Queenston at CB? The combo of Suitor and Netter could challenge for top two at their positions in the league.

Who are Wolves? 2 weeks in a row now they have lost to teams they need to beat to be a contender for the playoffs this year. Can Renkas bail out his team as he did so many games last season?

Pendleton United (0-2-1) 1 - Williamsville Willies (1-1-1) 1

This match featured two clubs founded in the same year, who have worked their way up the BDSL divisions to make it to Premier. While Willies found their first season in Premier difficult in 2018, PUFC is struggling in their first season as well. Both teams have found offense hard to come by so far as they both have only registered one goal prior to this game. After 90 some minutes both teams were able to double their goal total, but unable to earn 3 points.

Pendleton United believe Willies were gifted a draw by the referee:

"Yesterday’s game was fairly even, I’d say Willies dominated more of possession but they only had a few chances. It was a heartbreaker to concede in the final minute gifted by the referee."

Can you explain "gifted by the referee"?

"Was not necessary for 4 minutes of added time at the end of the game. There were no goals scored, injuries or delay of time."

Who was your best player?

"Our best player was former Syracuse player, Matt Pickard"

Did anybody stand out for the opposing team?

"Willies midfield of Bach and Harris were the keys to their success"

If the season ended today you would be relegated to Championship. Any thoughts on that?

"We have played the top teams in the division so far expect Queenston so we aren’t too worried."

Williamsville Willies thought they deserved better than a draw:

"We dominated the whole game. Their only goal came from a corner kick in the 1st. We had possesion almost the whole game besides a few of their counter attacks. Their defense stood strong and we we’re just missing that final ball in the final 3rd."

Who was your best player?

"I would say Bachwitz scoring in the final seconds of the game was the highlight for us. But our Defense played well as usual and and Fleck continues to put in huge shifts for us."

Did anybody stand out on the opposing team?

"only person that stood out on the other team for me was their keeper. Fredo did what he always does and made some big saves until the final minute of stoppage time."

How would you compare PUFC to your other opponents so far this season?

"I think that they have looked like all of our opponents so far. Slow even game like the past 3. Just couldn’t score"

Our take:

Neither one of these teams excite us to be honest. Both clubs have worked hard each week but aren't getting the points needed to be considered contenders. We still believe that Willies are the better of the two clubs, but have a hard time thinking either can find the offense to score when needed. Unfortunately PUFC will struggle all season and we think they are one of the two teams relegated to Championship for 2020.

QUESTIONS??

As proposed last week, can anybody step up for Willies and score some goals? They will need goals against teams like Raiders, Clarence, Lackawanna, and BSC International. With the transfer window looming, can they find somebody to help them out?

Pendleton United has to stay strong defensively. They have done well to keep mid-table teams in check but can they steal a win from Sharpshooters or Clarence? We are interested to see how they fare against BSC International, or Wolves.

Celtic United (1-1-0) 2 - Southtowns FPFC (0-3-0) 6

We would have to consider this game the biggest upset of the 2019 Premier BDSL season so far. Southtowns FPFC were able to shake off their slow start and hand Celtic United a devastating loss, while scoring the most goals in a single game this season (6, tied with BSC Raiders over Clarence)

Southtowns FPFC didn't really have much to say about the win:

"our defense played very solid, but going forward everyone was on and it was a great team win"

Who was your best player?

"will smith was all over the pitch and our keeper made a lot of key saves to keep up us"

Did anybody stand out for your opponents?

"i don’t know the kids name but he played like lm he was dangerous, or his number. i think his number was like 64" (Celtic United does not have a #64, but they have #94 Ryan Keller)

Is yesterday’s result more of an indication of who your team is?

"100%"

Celtic United were also very quiet after the tough loss:

"Overall impressions - We couldn’t finish to save our lives. Played horrible and got outworked"

Who was your best player?

"Myles Taylor and Ryan Keller"

Did anybody stand out for Southtowns FPFC?

"Their best player was Phil pinzone"

Our take:

Seriously Celtic United...what is up with your club? You guys have some of the best talent in the league but you keep disappointing your supporters with a lack of desire. We can't help but think there is a rift in the locker room between players or management. We have to drop you out of our playoff predictions with this loss. Southtowns, well done lads. This was a perfect time for you guys to show your quality and play with some passion and get the job done. Putting 6 in the net is no small feat, especially considering the two goals scored in the previous 3 weeks.

QUESTIONS??

Do Celtic United need a change in management? Is Brian Theuerkauf on the hot seat as the first manager to potentially get sacked this season?

Is this what we can expect to see from Southtowns FPFC on a more consistent basis? If so, can they creep from the basement of the division and find themselves staying in the division in 2020?



PLAYOFF PREDICITONS

1. Raiders

2. Sharpshooters

3. Lackawanna

4. Clarence

5. BSC International

6. Buffalo United SS


JUST OUTSIDE

7. Willies

8. Queenston

9. Wolves

10. Southtowns FPFC


RELEGATION

11. Pendleton United

12. Celtic United






Thanks for reading, we will catch you next week!

 

 

2019 Premier Postgame Week 3

BDSL Premier Postgame Week 3

Clarence (2-0-0) 2 - Sharpshooters (2-0-0) 2
Both squads came into the BDSL Rumors Premier Game of the Week unbeaten.  Amherst Sharpshooters beat Southtowns and Willies, while Clarence beat both Wolves and BSC International.  Clarence lost starting GK Len Private to a red card against BSC International, leaving manager Mike Antkowiak to take over in net.
We spoke with a representative from Clarence Coyotes first: 

"Tough/grind it out kind of game for us. Sharpshooters are young and great on the ball. They could have had a couple more goals. We packed it in and tried to counter them with 5 key players missing with injures/vacation/FC Buffalo." 

Who was your best player?

"Antkowiak played great in goal for never playing before. Berardi was great on both goals. AC and Kenny played there hearts out at CB."

Who stood out for Amherst?

"Cody Rouse was fantastic for them and Zack Schmitz" 

You guys have been great so far this season. Will you be able to keep it up the rest of the way? 

"We will be in every game all season. We have a great team mentality this year then some years in the past." 

Amherst Sharpshooters had a similar take on the game:

"We had a lot of possession and created a lot of chances but our finishing was poor. Ahead 2-0 in the 88th min we should’ve come away with 3 points. Very disappointing result."

Who was your best player?

"Schmidt has a goal and assist for us. Riley Wagner played well in his first game. Braun and Martinez played well at CB."

Did anybody stand out for Clarence?

"Berardi almost singlehandedly managed to steal a point for Clarence. Kowi made a few good saves to keep them in the game."

You guys have been great so far this season.  Will you be able to keep it up the rest of the way?

"We’ve played okay, but our finishing has been off. We have quite a few new players this year so I think it’s just taking a little time for the chemistry to click in the final third. I think we’ll improve as the season goes along. I think it’s just taking a little time to get settled and get used to playing together."

Our Take: 
3 weeks into the season it seems like both squads will be contenders.  Amherst has gotten young legs in their squad, while Clarence seems to be finding the continuity that has helped them be successful in the Premier Division for many years.

Does Amherst have a player that can put in goals regularly like Brodfuehrer, Loncar, and Steele have in previous seasons?
Will Clarence continue to have a full squad every week, or will the season eventually wear on them?


Lackawanna FCY (2-0-0) 5 - Southtowns FPFC (0-2-0) 1

Lackawanna FCY has come out of the gates on fire, leading the league in goals for with 7, while Southtowns FPFC has struggled mightily, going without a point in the first two weeks of the season.  Unfortunately for Southtowns FPFC, it didn't get any better for them this week as they ran into BDSL's Premier buzzsaw.

We spoke with Southtowns first:

"Lackawanna is a very good team . they move the ball well and are extremely dangerous going forward, easily the best team that we have played against so far."

Who was your best player?

"our goalkeeper Ralph Grizanti believe it or not played rather well and make a couple of big saves early to keep it within reach"

Who stood out for Lackawanna?

"not one player really stood out from the rest because truthfully they are very well balanced but there absolute unit of a cb was very good and they had a very good tall white cam which i don’t know the number of."

Last week you guys said your previous results didn’t indicate the quality of your team. Do you still believe that or was Lackawanna just that good?

"Lackawanna is a very good side but i don’t believe that the score line reflects the kind of club we are. we are in a tough spot right now and we just need to dig out of it week by week"

Lackawanna FCY manager Taha Omar had nothing but praise for his squad after another impressive showing.

"the movement of last night game was fast , aggressive and intense from both teams, we were more organized and we settled into our style of play early ,our movement with the ball was great starts from our back line to midfield to offense, we capitalized on our scoring chance , our D were unbelievable .Southtown at moments they looked as if the finally found their team play but then they lose it quickly, they are young , fast and aggressive and they played hard to the end"

Who was your best player?

" its hard to say who was our best player , all players in all positions did great job. If I really have to pick a player it would be Zakaria because of the three goals ."

Did anybody stand out for SFPFC?

"Kabura Elias"

You guys have been great so far this season. Will you be able to keep it up the rest of the way?

"we are jelling together as a team our chemistry and fitness is getting better every game , if we stay healthy and the players show up on game day we will be able to keep it going and compete with top teams in our division that we will play in the coming weeks ."

Do you think SFPFC has what it takes to stay in Premier or do you think they are in trouble?

"Southtown FPFC have to make some adjustments to their style of play and must find couple of players to help them moving forward. BDSL Premier Division requires a settled style play and experience leadership on the field to survive relegation."

Our Take: 
This game was a tale of two teams headed in two opposite directions.  Lackawanna FCY had come out red hot, while SFPFC has come out ice cold.  The score line seems to accurately reflect each clubs season so far.

Can Southtowns FPFC be active during the transfer window and find some players to vault them from the relegation battle?
Will the issues that Lackawanna FCY have faced in previous years resurface? Will they deal with attendance and leadership issues, or is this the year that they put it all together and challenge for top of the league?   Will Zakaria Shaibi be this years Ali Shawish?


Celtic United (0-1-0) 4 - Queenston FC (0-1-1) 1

Celtic United has always had the roster, on paper, to keep up with any team in the Premier division.  They seem to struggle with numbers and end up lower than their potential.  Queenston FC is usually the opposite.  While player for player they may not win the league, they are always consistent and stout defensively, keeping them in games.  This week however, Celtic United lived up to their potential, while Queenston struggled to get going.
Our representative from Queenston FC shared his/her thoughts from yesterdays loss to United:

"Celtic United beat us in every phase of the game. They’re extremely dangerous when they bring a full team (I think they had 17 yesterday)."

Who was your best player?

"Our best player was probably Ross Suitor again. We had more dud than stud performers yesterday."

How about for Celtic United?

"They played a really good team game so no one in particular stood out because they all contributed well. I’d say maybe Myles Taylor stood out the most but they all did their thing"

You guys haven’t performed well compared to last season so far. What can we expect from Queenston the rest of the way?

"Not sure. We started slow last year too (0-1-2) and finished 6-1-1 down the stretch so we are hoping it’s a little bit of finding our footing. We could easily blame this on a lack of normal impact players being available (two defensive starters return from out of the Country in Week 5) but most teams deal with some level of attendance problems. And it’s really not even that; we have bodies at games. Something just feels off still this season, so we are tempering expectations for the time being until we play better collectively. It’s like 11 guys are on the field all thinking of a different plan moving the ball forward, and we are giving up the ball to easily in the wrong spots on the field."

Celtic United shared their thoughts with us after a strong showing:

" In addition to making some key tactical / lineup changes, we finally all played pretty well together. Queenston seemed to be a bit unorganized in the back, causing our attackers to have dozens of chances in first half. Netter did a good job had made some tremendous saves to keep the score line close"

Who was your best player?

"Was tough to narrow down to a single best player, as multiple guys played solid. Wiatrowski and Myles were very strong for us in the back, and have to give Keller an accolade as he had a brace"

Did anybody stand out for Queenston?

"Netter - as aforementioned he made several tremendous saves to keep them in the game."

 Is yesterday’s team more of what we should expect from you guys this season?

"Absolutely - I think we will continue to get stronger since we’ve added so many new players this season, we are finally beginning to click. From the first minute we appeared a much better side than the previous week."

Our Take: 
Another tale of two teams headed in opposite directions.  While defense has always been a strong point for Queenston FC, they seem to be struggling to maintain their form from previous seasons.  We have them fighting for their Premier lives, but we think they are better than their current record.  Celtic United is so hard to judge.  They have the talent, but not the commitment.  We are looking forward to their reschedule against BSC Raiders to see what team we can expect week to week.

Will anybody from Queenston step up and score some goals?  Can Queenston's experienced players step up and help get things moving?
Is this Celtic United team a top 6 team, or are they just outside looking in?  Is this the year that their leadership gets a consistent product on the pitch? 


BUSS (0-1-1) 0 - Willies (1-0-1) 0

BUSS, which may be the most disappointing club so far this season, only earning 1 point in 2 games, has struggled off the block, while Williamsville Willies seem to be enjoying their second season in Premier.  Both teams came into the game having only scored one goal in the first two games.  After the game, both teams had the same goals for as the game finished 0-0.
We caught up with Williamsville Willies first:

"I thought we controlled most of the game. Just could not put our chances away."

Who was your best player?

"I’d say our best players were our defense. They handled their offensive threats really well and really gave them no chances."

Did anybody stand out for BUSS?

" For BUSS Sherman was a threat as always. But their GK is who stood out. I don’t think it was their normal keeper but he shut us down."

You guys seem to be performing much better than last season, what do you account this to?

"Our off season pickups are the biggest reason why we have improved. We went out and looked for guys that would grind and play anywhere on the pitch. Everyone is settling in nicely and working hard"

You guys seem to have trouble putting the ball away. Do you think that will change throughout the season?

"Ben Noel will be coming back to play for us and him along with Fleck up top I think we will start to bag goals. If that doesn’t work I will just have to go out there and score the goals myself."

Our representative from BUSS had a fairly similar view of the game:

"We were not very good yesterday.  In fact we haven't been good at all this season.  We have points in the game where we look like ourselves, but then we miss that one connecting pass and have to start all over again.  We have been hit hard by the injury bug this summer.  5 of our "starters" have yet to see the field.  Our games this year have been mostly our veterans.  It just really sucks because we know we are better than we have played.  But I promise we will be better. 

Willies were pretty solid though.  They definitely had the better of us in the first half, by far.  We were trying a new formation and they ate us up.  Once we moved back to our normal formation, with wingers, we got the game back a bit.  Second half I feel like we were the better team but we couldn't find our way in the final third.  They moved the ball well in the midfield and their defense was strong.  Picking up Graham Harris was a great move for them.  He is just really strong and did pretty well with our forwards.  I was impressed by them for sure.  I think they will be much better than last year. 

Who was your best player?

"Hands down it was Tim Clark in goal.  He saved us a bunch of times with some very difficult saves.  I remember at least 2 near breakaways and a point blank shot he somehow got his right hand on to knock wide.  He was good on corners and free kicks as well.  Andre had an incredible game as well.  You would think he was the tallest guy on the field at times, winning headers over taller forwards.   Christian was good in the midfield."

Did anybody stand out for Willies?

"They had a couple guys that I really liked.  #9 Ian Harris was good and composed on the ball.  As I mentioned before, Graham was tough to beat.  He had a couple great battles with Hunter Sherman.  I love watching those guys fight each other for the ball.  Their other CB was good too."

Where does BUSS go from here?  If the season ended right now you guys would miss the playoffs and would be fighting relegation.

"It's a good thing we have a lot more season to go then.  Listen, we are not performing well, that's a given.  But we are still one of the top teams in Premier.  We have been missing some key players all season.  Musse, Hunter Walsh, Wes, Nate, Bryce, none of those guys have played a game with us yet.  We will be better."

Our Take: 
Willies have been good.  Their additions have made them a much stronger team.  We don't quite think they are there yet, but definitely a team to keep an eye on.  An attacker with a nose for goal would be a great addition during the transfer window.  We put them in the middle of the table, safe from relegation.  BUSS is still a dangerous team.  They may have lost a bit compared to previous years, but the roster is still top notch.  We think they finish right around 5-7 in the league.

As with Queenston, can Willies start scoring goals and putting teams away?  Teams with young rosters tend to have attendance issues by the end of the season.  Can they win a couple games they maybe shouldn't and surprise the league?
Can BUSS' injured players get them back to form.  Will the return of some of their players solve whatever issues they have on the field? Are the older guys on BUSS getting too old for Premier?
 

Pendleton United (0-1-1) 0 - BSC Raiders (1-0-0) 3

League and Tehel Cup Champions from Summer 2018 were able to find their form late in the game to dispatch of newly promoted Pendleton United.  
Pendleton United had this to say:

"Pretty even first half, they had some players late from the FC Buffalo match, which helped them get the late winner. Obviously they’re the cream of the crop but we didn’t look terrible. Also, one of the most unclassy teams we’ve played."

Who was your best player?

" our entire back line"

Did anybody stand out for BSC?

" Ryan Walter. also his dad taught half of our team at starpoint. (fun fact)."

It hasn’t been a good start for you guys so far this summer. Can you guys find your form soon? Or do you think you just ran into a couple really good teams?

"we’ve definitely ran into good teams. Last two games we’ve found our footing in the league. expect Yemen to be a top 4 team this year and obviously BSC is a class above everyone else. our first half of the season is incredibly difficult, so we have to focus on finishing the second half of the season well."

Once again, BSC Raiders are the only team without a twitter account, so we have no responses from them.

Our Take: 
Pendleton United has done about what this writer has expected.  They may have even done better than expected against two of the better teams this season.  We are interested to find out how they fare against a team like Wolves or Celtic United.  We still think they will end up rounding out the bottom three clubs and will have to fight tooth and nail to escape relegation.

Can the mighty lions of Pendleton claw their way out of relegation?  Will they continue to get decent numbers to each game?
Will BSC Raiders ever get with the times and get a twitter account to answer our questions?
 

BSC International (0-1-1) 4 - Wolves (1-1-0) 1

In what would seem to be a bit of an upset, BSC International handled Wolves on the back of 3 goals from Mo Hussien.

"We returned to our usual formation after positioning errors against Clarence and it paid off. The game played even through the first 45, with the difference being our first goal, which came from pressing their back line. Wolves’ defensive line was pushed up high, which created a lot of chances on the counter. Ultimately we beat them with speed on simple through balls. I’m betting they feel a lot like we did after Clarence; game plan broke down."

Who was your best player?

"Mo or Jenaro. Both were essential for the win and they had a hand in all of the goals."

Did anybody stand out for Wolves?

"Not great on names but their left wing was dangerous throughout the game."

Who are you guys? Are you the team that controlled BUSS and beat up on wolves? Or the team that was handled by Clarence? What should we expect from BSC Inter?

"We are both. We know we are playing for survival rather than trophies, and that requires us to be more strategic with the lineup/formation and pick our times getting forward carefully. The execution hasn’t been consistent, and in this division that can result in a 3 goal swing. The important thing is that we have grabbed the points we were looking for out of then first 3 games and our offense is getting more dangerous."

 Wolves did not have much to add today:

"We played like (expletive deleted)"

Who was your best player?

'Kyle Kleckner"

Did anybody stand out for BSC Inter?

"Mo Hussein"

A disappointing result for you guys yesterday. Are you guys inconsistent or would you consider it growing pains for the club?

"We just didn’t execute/ made a plethora of dumb mistakes."

Thanks, anything else you would like to add?

"No"

Our Take: 
BSC International is hard to pin down.  The addition of Hussein has helped their offense, and the defense was able to control Wolves.  We need a few more games to predict where they will end up.  Wolves had a great game last week against Southtowns, but they are bottom of the table.  We see them finishing middle of the pack, not really in the relegation battle.

Which BSC International team can we see week in and week out?  Is it the team that stopped BUSS and Wolves?  Or the team that was beaten soundly by Clarence?
Wolves are in the same boat.  Are they the team that throttled Southtowns?  Or the team that played BSC International and Clarence?

 

That's a wrap on Week 3 of BDSL Premier Postgame.  Enjoy the holiday next weekend!

 

2019 Premier Postgame Week 2

Week 2 BDSL Premier Postgame

Willies(1-0-0) 0 - Sharpshooters (1-0-0) 1

In a battle of two of the winning teams of week 1, Sharpshooters were able to come out strong in the second half and hand Willies their first loss of the season.

"First half was a little scrappy and ugly. Both teams were fairly short handed. Second half we settled in and controlled possession" a representative from Amherst told us.

"Derek Bartlo had an excellent game at holding midfield. Kyle Hofschneider was also very dangerous 1v1 and earned a PK. Z. Schwartz had a very good game filling in at RB and scored the winner."

When asked who stood out for Willies, the Sharpshooters Twitter account manager said:

"I thought their CB pair of G. Harris and J. Retzer were solid and J. Bonetto up top was dangerous."

Do you think Willies are good enough to stay up in Premier?

"Yeah I actually think they may be a playoff team. They were missing their Mercyhurst guys and were solid even without them." 

No representative from Willies was available for a comment...they didn't return our tweet.


Clarence (1-0-0) 5 - BSC International (0-0-1) 1

Two of the most surprising teams in week one were Clarence and BSC International.  Clarence took out 2018 playoff team, Wolves, while BSC International were able to keep 2018 playoff team, BUSS, to a lone tally, via PK.

"We controlled most of the play yesterday. I’d say possession was 70-30 us. They did receive 2 pks chances but I thought both were 50/50 calls. We scored some beautiful goals on set pieces and crosses into the box." the Clarence twitter rep told us.

BSC International were unable to score on either of the two pk's they drew, with the first going over and the second saved by emergency reserve keeper Eaton.

Starting keeper LP1 was sent off for taking down BSC International striker Mohamed Hussein in the box, forcing Ryan Eaton to man the goal for the rest of the game.

When asked about BSC International's defense, our Clarence representative said:

"Big and physical but couldn’t handle our pace and quick off the ball movement. We used the width against them all game."

Who was your best player?

"Ryan Eaton, Chris Berardi and JJ Hughes"

Did anybody stand out for BSC International?

"Ameya deshpande was there top player"

No representative from BSC International was available to respond to us.


 BUSS (0-0-1) 0 - BSC Raiders (0-0-0) 2

This match featured two of the perennial powerhouses of the BDSL Premier division.  Both teams had a shortened roster due to FC Buffalo's trip to Germany.   

A representative from BUSS said:

"We came in with 13 guys but lost Kyle Clifford within 2 minutes of kickoff with an ankle injury. Hammer has been fighting a groin injury for a while and went out at halftime. Luckily Andre showed up before half and filled in well for him in the second half. We lost Al and Nate as they both came down with the flu/sicknesses in the days leading up to the game.  Mo Channer and Musse were both injured as well so we didn't really have many options." 

"I would say that BSC probably had more of the possession but weren't able to generate many solid chances.  Their defense was strong though and held us to only a couple chances ourselves.  Bobby scored a goal in the final 10 minutes but it was called back by the ref because he blew the whistle for a foul right before it went in.  They scored both of their goals on PK's."

"BSC played as they normally do, complaining and constantly berating the referee. I don’t know how they can deal with those guys.  Mermigas was especially vulgar.""

Where do you guys go from here, only earning 1 point in two games so far?

"I'm not sure honestly.  We seem to be missing something right now.  I think the Hunters are the glue that keep us moving up top.  It has been tough without them.  But we get both guys back this week, along with Wes, who is back from studying abroad.  Hopefully we can put some balls in the net this weekend."

Who played well for you?

"I'll always answer this question with the same guy, Polo.  He was really strong Sunday.  Andre filled in well at CB, and I thought Neil played great filling in at CM."

And how about for BSC?

"Rudy was a menace as always, Evan had a pretty solid game as well.  He toasted one of our defenders to earn a Pk.

BSC Raiders do not have a team twitter page so we assume they will never be able to give us their opinions.
 Wolves (0-1-0) 3 - Southtowns FPFC (0-1-0) 0

Both teams came in to this game with a 1 in the loss column from the previous week.

Our representative from Wolves responded first:

"Game started off a bit slow. Still adjusting to all the new guys, but we ended up getting there closer to the end of the first half. Second half we came out with a little more intensity"

"Dugan cashed in off a corner from Richards. Second was a long ball picked out by Terp to C. Griffiths, who played Vuc down the left wing and he lofted one to the back side netting. Vuc then had it on the left side of the box and saw Dugan’s run to the top of the six and he rolled it in. We saw it out from there."

Who was your best player?

"I’ll give a shout out to everyone. We’re still figuring out how to play with each other, but it’s definitely looking up."

Did anybody stand out for SFPFC?

"Oh I meant to say josh Barker stood for southtowns."

Our Southtowns FPFC rep seemed to have a different view:

"We played much better then the score line reflected. We had more possession on the ball and created more quality opportunities. Colin Archibald and seba both had good chances in front of net but couldn’t convert. Ralph grizanti has a couple clutch saves and josh barker played really good at cb but unfortunately the wolves scored all the goals of crosses."

Did anybody stand out for Wolves?

"Number 99 (Dugan) on their team stood out, we had no match for his height so he controlled a lot of their game moving forward with crosses being sent in to him and with him playing the ball on to other forwards using his head."

Do you think Wolves will be able to compete for top of the league?

"I don’t think they will perform against the top teams. Their play is too simplistic and they’re defensive positioning is poor. Any team in the league can beat them on their day."

What do you say to those who have predicted you guys to be bottom of the league?  Can you prove them wrong?

"I’m sure we will prove them wrong. Our first week we kept the sharpshooter to two goals and other than a penalty and a miss hit cross we shut them down on the ball. We are a strong team who don’t get the credit we deserve. This weeks result is not indicative of how the rest of the season will go. That’s a promise."

Celtic United(0-0-0) 1 - Lackawanna FCY (1-0-0) 3

Lackawanna FCY had a strong week 1, easily taking town Pendleton United, while Celtic United was forced to reschedule their game against 2018 league and Tehel Cup champions BSC Raiders.

Faress from Lackawanna FCY spoke with us:

"Yemen controlled most of the first half and had better chances especially in the first half. The game started to get chippy near the end. Sammy the keeper stood on his head saving 2 pks during the game."

"We were missing alot of key players especially on Defense."

"I can tell you one thing. Zac Shaibi and Abdullahi Hussein amazing tandem. Zac and very shifty and cuts on a dime. You will hear alot about him this season."

What happened to earn both teams a sending off?

"Red card at the final minutes of the game to our keeper Sammy for retaliation for what he felt was an elbow to his head on a corner kick.  I think Sam Greco got the other red."

How were your opponents?

"Celtic will definitely win games, i would not count them out. I just feel the team is deep this season and playing as a team right out of the gate.  Celtic United had many shots at the net, most eaten by the keeper and a few just inches wide."

Did anybody stand out from Celtic United?

 "Alex Reid and the keeper. Alex Reid is a force, without him, not many shots on net. And thier keeper i think Nick, made crazy saves especially point blank and one i thought should have went in."

We were unable to reach anybody from Celtic United for a comment.


Queenston (0-1-0) 1 - Pendleton United (0-1-0) 1

With both teams taking a loss in week 1 of the BDSL season, week 2 was pivotal for each team to get things rolling.

We spoke with a Queenston rep first:

"...so both teams were missing a handful of impactful players, but we ended up having 15 guys play to their 11. So we were upset with the result, all things considered. I commend them for going a full 90 without a sub. They stayed very organized. We missed some halfway decent chances but they actually limited our good looks to be honest.  

We think they did an admirable job to get a point but obviously we were disappointed not to get a game winner. I don’t think we necessarily deserved it, but I think we probably should have gotten it one way or another, if that makes sense"

Who was your best player?

"Our best player was Ross Suitor who also registered our lone tally; phenomenal strike, one of the best I’ve ever seen in person. He hit it from probably 35 yards out. A frozen rope into the top left corner of the net"

Did anybody stand out for your opponent?

"Their best player on the field was Matt Pickard, who normally plays defense but slid into a DCM role yesterday. He snuffed out a lot of our buildup which made our threats on goal less frequent or altered what we preferred to do. Mike Juszczak also stood out as a keeper. He’s a keeper by trade, as he was headed to UB for that position until they folded the program. For BDSL he usually plays center back but again for personnel reasons they slid him to keeper, which I think actually hurt us.  It hurt us because he had complete command of the box. No indecision when coming out for a ball and he barked orders to keep his team’s shape right, which I think also helped them thwart our offensive chances, which were coming often late in the second half as they expectedly started running out of gas."

Do you think Pendleton United has what it takes to stay in the Premiership?

"Umm I’m not sure. If they get more numbers they can probably steal a point here or there and they should at least get one win against Southtowns. Southtowns might be the worst premier roster I’ve actually ever seen. Yesterday’s game felt more like a relegation battle then a playoff battle. So I’d say Pendleton will be in the mix for relegation and if we continue to play the way we have thus far (not terrible, but no where near good), then we will be as well."

Our representative from Pendleton United kept his responses short and to the point:

"For having 11 men, the heart out of our mighty lions took care of business and came out and dominated the 1st half. We ended up getting 1 point which was a good result.

Best player was Kevin Loftus, he is a stellar CB."

And how about for your opponents?

"Only standout from their team is Ross Suitor, they look in trouble this season"

Thats a wrap on our coverage of Week 2 of the 2019 BDSL Summer season.  Good luck to all the teams next week.