Fern Mc Costigan

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Vancouver making an armada this 2018 and going for the league shield

For the Caps Boss is business as usual and after seeing their Cascadia foes consecutive success in the past three campaigns. The Vancouver Whitecaps is building ahead in what looks a contested 2018 campaign in building it as an all-around armada.

So far in the preseason the Vancouver Whitecaps front office are hard at work in building that contender.

By getting the ideal players in an effort to rebuild this squad and not only make it to the postseason but all the way to the league finals and possible be the second Canadian entity to win the league shield after their cross country foes the TFC.

Manager Carl Robinson is hard at work in the club preseason, looking from its returning veterans to the newcomers to this team acquired in the offseason and young prospects of how to find the right initials eleven to front in what seems another tough campaign in MLS.

Still the club has put a lot of attention in reinforcing an area of much need and this was its frontal attack, with several strikers so far inked for the upcoming campaign.

The state of new arrivals in its current core of strikers, the Caps manager is reinforcing it with a foursome in Venezuelan international Anthony Blondell, Kei Kamara, Australian Bernie Ibini, and New Zealander Myer Bevan to compliment with club academy Erik Hurtado and Yordi Reyna.

This crop of new strikers in the Caps camp send a message that manager Robinson and his Caps are looking forward to a prolific campaign filled with many goals and after last campaign with 50 goals in favor.

In addition, the club added more depth to its midfield with Mexican international Efrain Juarez who can make a one two combination with Brek Shea, the Caps with any of these strikers we may have a spectacular and full of fireworks attack.

In the defensive backfield with its majority of players coming back to BC Place, Tim Parker, Marcel de Jong, Brett Levis and Kendall Waston, these joined by another addition in former Premiership player and Hammer Doneil Henry.

Currently the club directives are hard at work and in talks to see several notable players of last campaign return to this club and continue their winning ways.

However, the Vancouver squad far from done in adding new players that can contribute dearly to the club in the whole campaign as well when it counts the most the postseason as their desire to close the circle among the three Cascadia squads. As both Timbers and Sounders already won the league shield, it is now turn for this Canadian squad to win it.

In spite of the competition in this campaign after many squads taking advantage of their Targeted Allocation Monies to reinforce their sides, but one thing this squad game has is a lot of depth and dynamic that has made them a force not to be messing with.

At the end for manager, Carl Robinson, in this preseason has achieved many goals among one of them the unity in his group and looking forward to get an excellent campaign from their game these have shown in all of their matches.

Is he a happy man, indeed! With a mission to deliver the shield, this club is missing and with no doubt for his club to deliver it with a notable finish among the top three spots in the Western Conference, winning the MLS shield for sure will round up this man all around happiness.

Photos Credit and Property of Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club and Bob Frid 2018

Adrian Heath and his Loons looking for a leap this 2018

With a notable end to their first year adventure in MLS after their 2017 debut, the Minnesota FC is back and ready to put on a contest in the Western Conference. As then expansion side making their debut with Atlanta United, the Loons did an exceptional job.

By finishing in ninth place with 36 points and a record of 10 wins 18 losses and 6 draws, with a total of seventy goals received versus 49 scored in favor. The Loons second year manager Adrian Heath is looking forward to boost both his defense and offense alike this 2018.

Also looking forward to round up a dynamic attacking core in his returning players and newcomer’s manager Heath is observing in the Loons preseason, the aim is to improve this squad record with more wins and maybe making a run to the postseason.

Counting on youth and veterans alike to make a splash in the upcoming campaign, the Loons directives are still in the look for new players to add more impact in its initial eleven as well make of this squad a total contender.

So far for both Sporting Director Manny Lagos and director of Player Personnel Amos Magee, its business as usual looking forward to add to this squad roster new faces to uplift this club game on the eve of another contested campaign ahead.

The arrival of defender Tyrone Mears drafted in the reentry draft and purchasing a couple of Cameroon nationals in winger Frantz Pango and defender Bertrand Owundi Eko’o adding speed and top of the line playmaking.

Minnesota United is still on the lookout for more players of top of the line caliber to reinforce this club in any area of need and with TAM available to do so; this club for sure is looking for new talent in South America or Europe to round up a serious contestant.

This team does not have a Designated Player that for sure three of this type of players for sure will be of a lot of benefit to the Loons in its midfield or an area of much need to give a new dimension to this club game.

As one post in the FC squad website that address the issue of improving its defensive backfield as one of manager Adrian Heath plans to front a tough and challenging campaign.

With several veterans in camp looking forward for a starting spot along of making of this squad a fortress in its backfield, with Tyrone Mears, Michael Boxall, Francisco Calvo, Brent Kallman, Jerome Thiesson, Marc Burch, Wyatt Ombsberg and Carter Manley.

Minnesota manager Heath so far has rounded up one area of much needed help and looking forward in the competition to step up in looking to seize a starting position in the start of the campaign.

As in the preseason he has observed a good deal and come opening day he can have his starting foursome in his defensive backfield that will give in this area of the field a much-needed depth this squad lacked last campaign.

To conclude the Minnesota FC front office can get its hands on a player or two to add more intensity to this squad attack, will be music to the ears of manager Adrian Heath in seeing his Loons displaying a one of a kind campaign.

Still with a newcomer in the Western Conference in the LAFC, the race for the west top six spots will be one hell of a contest, but for the Minnesota squad is poised to finish in seventh or eighth place in the end of the campaign.

Photos Credit and Property of Minnesota United Football Club 2018

Monday, February 19, 2018

An Opening Day Recap of the League of Ireland

With a new campaign that promises to be one amazing and contested in this 2018. The ten squads in the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland are ready to put on display their arsenals and looking forward to seize the ultimate of glories in this association.

Starting with the main event in the Dublin Derby with two familiar foes in the Shamrock Rovers coming to the colossus of Phibsborough of Dalymont and face their hosts the Bohemians FC. With a taste of what to expect in this campaign, this match lived by its expectations of a match filled with many fireworks.

The Bohs took this edition of the Derby when they beat the Rovers by a score of 3-1. After the visitors going up the first half in the 23 minute via a goal by Ronan Finn, looking like Stephen Bradley and his Hoops were heading for a win.

A resilient and hardened looking Gypsies with goals from decided the second half of this main event with goals from an inspired Dan Casey delivering with a double in the 72 and 84 minute to be the go-ahead goal. However, three minutes before Patrick Kavanaugh in the 81 sent the locals with the lead and later became a raucous win.

So far, the score in the Dublin Derby is Bohemians 1, Shamrock Rovers 0.

In Oriel Park, the visiting Bray Wanderers deliver a blow to the local Lilywhites with a stalemate score of zero goals and despite both squads open opportunities at the end these got a share of a point each and looking forward to their next compromise.

What a game lived in Inchicore as Richmond Park showed off a brilliant attendance and these were not disappointed despite seeing their Saints succumbed at to the push of the defending champions Cork City.

With a dominating first half were the visiting Rebel Army went up with an early goal from the former Candystripe Barry Macnamee to put the champions up a goal and the lead to increase it to two goals by former St. Johnstone forward Graham Cummins in the 11 minute.

As the dominance of the Leesiders in the first half when they saw their striker Cummins see a red card after a foul in the 26 minute leaving the visitors ten men in the field and later in the 34 Aaron Hughes own goal put the Pats in the board.

But in the second half the Pats put another goal and even the score at 2 goals each and with the locals advantage of playing with its initial eleven complete, when City rookie Kieran Sadleir score the winning goal in the 82 minute, for the win.

As the Regional Sports Centre in Waterford, the local Blues were to face off the visiting Derry City Candystripes coming with the label of favorites against the debutantes Waterford FC.

The newcomers and recently promoted Blues put on display an all-around masterpiece of a match, despite the early opening in the 19 minute by Derry Asmir Aganovic putting the visitors ahead.

No later Gavan Holohan put the reaction of the local Blues in display with a couple of scores in the 43 and later the game winner by Dean O’ Halloran in the 78 to leave the visitors in disappointment and denying them in what could been an easy win.

With just one game scheduled for Saturday, the Super Blues of Limerick FC visited the Showgrounds to play the always-hardened Sligo Rovers and with a very disputed match these two titans put in display.

At the end, the visitors of Limerick FC came with the win thanks to a lone goal from Darren Dennehy in the 62-minute and giving newcomer manager Tommy Barrett the win and three golden points for be tied in first.