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!