Surrey United have continued their good form in recent weeks of the EA Sports BC Premier League. After traveling to Kamloops and putting up six goals from five different goal-scorers in a 6-0 win, the Surrey boys hosted their first home date of phase two against the Magnuson Ford Mariners. United were again strong and picked up three points in a 1-0 win; still not allowing a goal against after three games.
This past weekend, Surrey United hosted cross-town rivals, South Fraser FC. The two sides had met a week earlier in exhibition play with United taking a 1-0 result, but South Fraser looked to be a much improved squad from phase one of league play. The majority of the first half was somewhat inconsequential with neither team presenting any kind of real scoring threat. The official did foreshadow some things to come as United was shown a yellow for a rather innocuous offense. In the latter part of the first frame, Kerman Pannu displayed some excellent dribbling to find some space and caught a convenient deflection on his shot that handcuffed the South Fraser keeper to take a 1-0 lead into the half.
The second half would have a significantly different flair than the first and United looked much more threatening from the start. It was South Fraser however that would give the game a real injection of life when Braden Owen got sent in clear on a breakaway and a quick decision by the United centre-back Liam Morrison had disastrous results. A slightly mistimed tackle took out Owen in the box for a penalty kick and straight red for Morrison, unlucky but unavoidable. A man down, the home side responded beautifully and created a number of chances before catching South Fraser napping on a corner. Luke Warkentin was allowed a free cross from inside the eighteen that was headed home emphatically by Will Grayson, his third tally of the season, to take the lead. Shortly after, South Fraser midfielder Alexei Basziw was shown a very harsh yellow for a handball in the box, his second of the game, which led to a red and sending off. Brendan Shaw converted the PK for a 3-1 lead. Back on even terms, ten men apiece, United looked to be in firm control until Bradley Heffey was shown his second yellow of the game, again another apparently harsh decision and was sent off. Down to nine, South Fraser unlocked United's back line and Michael Caldwell got on the end of a good cross to bring the visitors back within one but that would be a far as they would get in a 3-2 final.
United showed some resolve in earning 3 points and will be tested next week when they play Fusion FC in the first half of a double header on Saturday and Mountain United on Sunday (game times posted at right). With a pair of wins, United can lock up the league with one game remaining.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
United Opens Season In Fine Form
Surrey United opened phase two of the BC Soccer Premier League season away to Vancouver Island Wave. The teams have met three times already since March, including Premier League Cup play, with United taking all three contests.
It was a bit of a mystery what kind of game United was going to bring with some changes to the roster and a relatively short pre-season leading into the second phase of the season. Any questions or doubts were answered immediately as Surrey hit the ground running from the opening whistle and dominated possession. Vancouver Island were back on their heels for most of the first half trying to stay organized defensively but upon gaining possession struggled as United were disciplined defensively and communicated very well to stay organized themselves.
Surrey could have opened the scoring several times as they built up well but couldn't find a way through the Waves keeper who had an outstanding game. Despite outplaying them, United sat locked at 0-0 with the Victoria squad going into the half. Not wavering a bit from the game plan, Surrey pressed on in the second half and were finally rewarded for their efforts. After a good initial save on a corner kick, United picked up the rebound and slotted it in, low under the diving keeper, to go up 1-0.
Surrey knocked the ball around confidently right to the final whistle and despite the narrow scoreline put together a top class performance that gave them a well earned three points in the standings. Surrey United play away again next week, traveling up to Kamloops to take on Thompson Okanagan FC.
It was a bit of a mystery what kind of game United was going to bring with some changes to the roster and a relatively short pre-season leading into the second phase of the season. Any questions or doubts were answered immediately as Surrey hit the ground running from the opening whistle and dominated possession. Vancouver Island were back on their heels for most of the first half trying to stay organized defensively but upon gaining possession struggled as United were disciplined defensively and communicated very well to stay organized themselves.
Surrey could have opened the scoring several times as they built up well but couldn't find a way through the Waves keeper who had an outstanding game. Despite outplaying them, United sat locked at 0-0 with the Victoria squad going into the half. Not wavering a bit from the game plan, Surrey pressed on in the second half and were finally rewarded for their efforts. After a good initial save on a corner kick, United picked up the rebound and slotted it in, low under the diving keeper, to go up 1-0.
Surrey knocked the ball around confidently right to the final whistle and despite the narrow scoreline put together a top class performance that gave them a well earned three points in the standings. Surrey United play away again next week, traveling up to Kamloops to take on Thompson Okanagan FC.
Friday, August 3, 2012
B.C. Provincial Champions - Season Review
Surrey United U15 Premier - Provincial Premier Cup Champions
Surrey United opened their inaugural EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League campaign in February with a pre-season trip to Phoenix, Arizona to compete in the FC Del Sol President's Day Tournament. The team underperformed in a lot of areas and their lack of training, combined with inexperience playing together, showed against top level teams that were in mid-season form. The premier league season opener came quick on the heels of the Phoenix trip and, still a bit rattled, United served up a very flat performance drawing nil-nil with Fusion FC.
The boys picked up a couple solid wins against Mountain United (3-1) and Thompson Okanagan FC (2-0) in early March before participating Whitecaps College Showcase during spring break. Surrey United played a fantastic game against the Whitecaps FC Residency at the showcase; they ultimately fell 2-1 to the 'Caps but looked very strong in the performance. The month of March ended with a game against Surrey rivals South Fraser FC; United dismantled them 6-0 which maintained an undefeated record through the first month of the league.
Early April saw Surrey United put together one of their more notable performances of the year, again against the Whitecaps FC Residency squad. Although just an exhibition match, United fought hard and had to come from behind to earn a 3-2 win; the result seemed to spur the team to new heights in the month of April. Although the squad initially stumbled drawing 2-2 against perennial rivals Coquitlam Metro Ford, the Surrey boys followed that result with a pair of wins. The first, away to Thompson Okanagan FC (3-0) and the second, a 4-0 home win against a strong Vancouver Island Wave squad to close out the month of April, ...still undefeated in the league.
The month of May opened in much the same way as April, with a game against Coquitlam Metro Ford. This time United truly faltered, falling 1-0. With the pressure of maintaining an undefeated record seemingly off their shoulders, Surrey United rattled off five straight wins, four of them on the road. The fifth game in the streak was another season highlight. The boys were down 4-1 twenty five minutes into the match, yet clawed their way back to a 5-4 win. The result clinched the premier league title for United with one game remaining on the schedule against second place Fusion FC, who could not catch United even with a win. Surrey dropped the final game 2-1, which had no effect on the standings, but it left United winless in three games against Fusion FC.
The Provincial Cup semi-finals had League Champions, Surrey United, defeating fourth place Vancouver Island Wave (2-0) and second place, Fusion FC defeating third place Coquitlam Metro Ford (4-3). This staged a Provincial Premier Cup final for Surrey United against a Fusion FC squad that they had yet to defeat. The final was a very tough affair with Fusion playing a very high pressure and direct style of play that limited United's typical possession game. The Surrey boys got on the board early on a great strike off a rebound from 20 yards out to take a 1-0 lead. On the back of some excellent goalkeeping and strong team defensive play, one goal was all they would need to claim the title of Provincial Champions.
With team success, also comes a lot of individual accomplishments and Surrey United had a number. Cole Basarich was named MVP of the Provincial Cup Final and Brendan Shaw was named team MVP and is up for Surrey United Player of the Year. Five players from last year's squad have moved on the Whitecaps FC Residency (Jeevin Kang, Nikhil Reddy, Zach Verhoven, Liam Fraser and Matteo Bordignon). Nine players were identified for Provincial Teams or National Training Centre camps (Aman Thind, Brendan Shaw, Bradley Heffey, Will Grayson, Manraj Bains, Nestor Valencia, Eric de Graaf, Kerman Pannu and Russell Coffin), seven of those players were selected to the BC U15 Provincial Team. Finally six players joined the Surrey Guildford United Traveling Team in early July (Cole Basarich, Darren Rulofs, Parker Denton, Manraj Bains, Marcus Thavonesouk and Liam Morrison) and helped them to defend their title at the Sounders FC Cup, beating the BC U14 Provincial Team 1-0 in the tournament final.
Surrey United begin competition phase two of the league on September 15th, away to Thompson Okanagan FC and will begin pre-season training on August 20th.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Whitecaps Residency Add Another United Player
Jeevin Kang playing as Captain of Surrey-Guildford United U-14 MetroAfter a stellar performance over the first seven games of the EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League, Surrey United captain, Jeevin Kang has been added the Whitecaps FC U-14 Residency.
Whitecaps Press Release: click here
Kang joins four other players from the United squad, Matteo Bordignon, Liam Fraser, Nikhil Reddy and Zach Verhoven that were added to the program last spring.
Whitecaps Press Release: click here
Kang joins four other players from the United squad, Matteo Bordignon, Liam Fraser, Nikhil Reddy and Zach Verhoven that were added to the program last spring.Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Any Way You Look At It, Undefeated is Undefeated
Surrey United closed out their season on a bitterly cold Saturday evening, in that special kind of chill between rain and snow that makes every tackle sting. Their opponents and home side, Mountain United FC, had very quietly snuck up the standings after a slow start that saw them unexpectedly drop a game to Thompson Okanagan FC. Now, with one game remaining and after four successive wins, Mountain were sitting three points back in the standings and in striking distance to draw even with Surrey United.
The home side showed their enthusiasm for the match and pushed hard in the opening minutes; much of the first fifteen minutes were spent with Surrey defending and Mountain trying to force a way through. For the most part the visitors were able to remain calm and organized which allowed them to settle into the game and begin to mount some offense of their own. Surrey started getting in behind Mountain's back line in all sorts of ways setting up a number decent half-chances. Ultimately though, the pressure deep set up a pocket of space about twenty five yards where Surrey's centre mids played the Sedin routine to set each other up and a beautiful strike on goal put the visitors up 1-0. Surrey United doubled their lead not long after, this time unlocking Mountain with an excellent through ball that sprung free a striker. With little to shoot at, Surrey's striker put it low and right at the keeper who got most of it but could not stop it from trickling through him and across the line. Right before the half the home side were awarded a PK but Surrey's keeper made a fine save to maintain the 2-0 lead going into the half.
After the break the visitors started to impose a bit more of a presence in the game not so much by creating chances but by limiting the Mountain's ability to build up and keeping possession in the opposition half. At the sixty minute mark, Surrey finally got the third goal they needed to put it away. A shot from about 20 yards deflected off a defender, handcuffing the keeper and putting Surrey United up 3-0. In the final twenty minutes, Surrey and Mountain traded some excellent scoring chances with Surrey missing the target on their chances and relying on some good saves to keep Mountain off the scoreboard. In the final minutes Mountain got some consolation converting on a corner to bring it to 3-1 but that was all the could manage.
The 3-1 win against their toughest league opposition to date was a strong finish to their inaugural EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League season. Although Surrey United never showed the offensive outburst a lot were expecting they did manage to lead every statistical scoring category by a wide margin and were a full goal per game better than the next three teams chasing them in the standings. But statistics can read whatever way you like and at the end of the day, after playing every team, no one beat Surrey United: Undefeated is undefeated, no matter which way you slice it.
Surrey United's next big date is the FC Del Sol President's Day Tournament in February.
The home side showed their enthusiasm for the match and pushed hard in the opening minutes; much of the first fifteen minutes were spent with Surrey defending and Mountain trying to force a way through. For the most part the visitors were able to remain calm and organized which allowed them to settle into the game and begin to mount some offense of their own. Surrey started getting in behind Mountain's back line in all sorts of ways setting up a number decent half-chances. Ultimately though, the pressure deep set up a pocket of space about twenty five yards where Surrey's centre mids played the Sedin routine to set each other up and a beautiful strike on goal put the visitors up 1-0. Surrey United doubled their lead not long after, this time unlocking Mountain with an excellent through ball that sprung free a striker. With little to shoot at, Surrey's striker put it low and right at the keeper who got most of it but could not stop it from trickling through him and across the line. Right before the half the home side were awarded a PK but Surrey's keeper made a fine save to maintain the 2-0 lead going into the half.
After the break the visitors started to impose a bit more of a presence in the game not so much by creating chances but by limiting the Mountain's ability to build up and keeping possession in the opposition half. At the sixty minute mark, Surrey finally got the third goal they needed to put it away. A shot from about 20 yards deflected off a defender, handcuffing the keeper and putting Surrey United up 3-0. In the final twenty minutes, Surrey and Mountain traded some excellent scoring chances with Surrey missing the target on their chances and relying on some good saves to keep Mountain off the scoreboard. In the final minutes Mountain got some consolation converting on a corner to bring it to 3-1 but that was all the could manage.
The 3-1 win against their toughest league opposition to date was a strong finish to their inaugural EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League season. Although Surrey United never showed the offensive outburst a lot were expecting they did manage to lead every statistical scoring category by a wide margin and were a full goal per game better than the next three teams chasing them in the standings. But statistics can read whatever way you like and at the end of the day, after playing every team, no one beat Surrey United: Undefeated is undefeated, no matter which way you slice it.
Surrey United's next big date is the FC Del Sol President's Day Tournament in February.
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