PowerPlay Magazine

Another year in the books and another season on the horizon as Canada’s top division prepares for its ninth season opening today. Returning to the country’s premiere stage are Melchester Rovers, The Flying Frenchmen, Ontario Alpha Particles and Vancouver FC after one year hiatuses. Coal Harbour Captains return after two years in the second division while Xenons and L’Impact du Mont-Royal are making their debut among the nation’s elite.

I will now break down each team and predict their position come the end of season 9. There are three inactive teams (Grassmen, Bordeaux and The cKs) meaning all but one team will have a shot at remaining in I.1 when all 42 sets of matches are completed.

1^st – Kenora Stingers (1^st I.1, 29-6-7, 93pts, +68)
Not much to be said about this club as they are built around the best striker in the nation. Riding on his shoulders the Stingers have climbed among the world’s soccer elite and have since added several formidable players to compliment their franchise striker. Last season the Stingers had 2 more wins than anyone else in the top division.
Prediction: I.1 title with another 90+ point campaign.

2^nd – NK Divlje Jagode (11^th I.1, 18-11-13, 65pts, +19)
After a disappointing season last season, finishing 11^th in league play and 4^th in the National Cup, I predict “NKDJ” will have a strong season 9 campaign. They spent a whopping ~$575M on three players from The cKs to add to their club, all aged 20 and under and all Canadian internationals. These moves will not only improve “NKDJ” in season 9, but will strengthen their club in the many seasons to come.
Prediction: I.1 Runner-up with 85+ points.

3^rd – Loser Patrol FC (2^nd I.1, 27-7-8, 88pts, +53)
I like to call them “the little club that could”. Despite a team that consistently has lower OTS than the other top clubs, Loser Patrol FC performs above and beyond what appears on paper. A strong defence-first mentality keeps their goal differential down while their two forwards carry the brunt of their goal scoring which saw them find the back of the net 88 times, second only to the Stingers. They’re not afraid to go after points in key matchups and they’re an exceptionally well managed team.
Prediction: Third place finish ahead of KetchHoel for whom they were named after, 85+ points.

4^th – Ragateene Rabbits (6^th I.1, 23-6-13, 75pts, +26)
Boasting Canada’s “Camp Nou”, Ragateene Rabbits have spent the past many seasons building up a world-class stadium. While diverting funds there while others were investing in facilities and players, the Rabbits have remained competitive finishing in the top half of the table in the past three seasons. With their stadium nearly complete and funds beckoning to be spent, I predict a very strong campaign from the Rabbits who will rely very heavily on Steve MacDonnell.
Prediction: Fourth with 80+ points.

5^th - Shinodas (4^th I.1, 22-13-7, 79pts, +28)
The top defensive team in season 8 will be contending once again in season 9. An all-Canadian team,  Shinodas was the defensive team of the year last year with a GAA of 0.64 over the 42 game season, first among all clubs. Canadian internationals Sammy Chagnon and Harvey Patry are key contributors on the back line and are only getting better. What is keeping Shinodas from claiming a title is between the pipes. If Shinodas wish to make a push for I.1 glory they’ll need to address their goalkeeper situation.
Prediction: Another strong defensive year, 75+ points.

6^th – HL Football (3^rd I.1, 27-5-10, 86pts, +31)
When you have perhaps the best goalkeeper in the game you can find yourself getting more points than you lose. Captain Yves Todd will backstop HL Football in season 9 to another strong finish on his team that has never finished lower than 7^th in its history. Kadin Fortier is their lone offensive threat so if HL Football wish to climb above 6^th in my predictions, they will need to spread the offence.
Prediction: Up and down season, 75+ points.

7^th – Brutal Deluxe (7^th I.1, 19-14-9, 71pts, +36)
Another strong defensive team, surrendering one more than Shinodas, Brutal Deluxe has the ability to really make some noise. They’re a team that always finds a way to stay in games regardless of their opponent’s strength and can never be considered down and out. Their team does everything by committee working hard through good coaching and management. They’re not the flashiest of teams, but they win games.
Prediction: Lots of wins when they have less than their share possession, 70+ points.

8^th – Bow Valley AFC (13^th I.1, 16-7-19, 55pts, +7)
Since season 3, Bow Valley AFC have not found themselves in the top-half of Canada’s premiere division. Season 9 I am predicting them to be the biggest climbers moving from 13^th in season 8 to 8^th in season 9. They have lots of potential and a very capable manager at the helm. If they can batten down the hatches in the defensive part of the pitch, they’ll have a fantastic season.
Prediction: Surprise of the season and 70+ points.

9^th – Muffin Fighters FC (9^th I.1, 19-12-11, 69pts, +30)
Consistently consistent, Muffin Fighters FC have placed in the 4^th to 11^th range since their promotion to I.1.  Alvaro Dryden is the heart-beat of the team and is the main contributor offensively. They’re capable of scoring goals, notching 79 in season 8, but their back 4 plus 1 can be porous at times, surrendering 3+ goals on several occasions last season.
Prediction: Hardest performance to call but 70+ points.

10^th - Ontario Alpha Particles (1^st II.4 – 41-1-0, 124pts, +210)
Rounding out the top 10 is the team that consistently under performs. It was obvious in their undefeated II.4 campaign that I.1 is where they belong, yet they have not finished in the top-half of the table since season 5. The tailspin sees them return to I.1 action but likely will lose a few key matchups and miss a shot at making any noise. If Rod MacNeil can continue his impressive GK display and extend his 1706min CS streak, "OAP" could find themselves moving on up the ranks, however history tends to have a knack for repeating itself.
Prediction: Under-performing team of the season with 65+ points.

11^th – Reflex de Montréal (10^th I.1, 18-12-12, 66pts, +11)
A solid season 8 campaign saw the club break the top-10 in I.1 for only the second time in the team’s history. Their offence revolves around their Chinese striker purchased early last season for just over $100M. Reflex de Montréal are a tough team to predict as they have lots of potential but just haven’t found their way over the hump yet. They’ll be in many close games so an extra goal here or an extra save there can make all the difference in their season.
Prediction: Bubble team to make a charge up the standings, 65+ points.

12^th - Coal Harbour Captains (1^st II.2, 36-3-3, 111pts, +158)
A tough-luck team if there ever was one, “CHC” have been through the ups and downs that come with sports. They have a fantastic set of players who claimed glory in II.2 last season. They boast no players currently representing their nation and have no real superstars. That being said, they are a team who can win games and are poised for a good season after three seasons in Canada’s II.2 division. With Captain Dominik Popovec at RB, “CHC” could find themselves easily climbing higher than their predicted 12^th.
Prediction: Could find themselves much higher or even in the promotion/relegation zone. Just depends how tough of a tough-luck season they have, 60+ points.

13^th - Dinamo Montreal (8^th I.1, 20-10-12, 70pts, +38)
Season 6’s Canadian I.1 champion has found themselves finishing 8^th in the two seasons since. They are very much an up-and-down team finishing in the top-3 early in I.1’s history before relegating and then promoting and claiming the crown their first year back. I think this season will be another slide down the standings for Dinamo Montreal who boast an impressive stadium and strong facility build. They certainly have a bright future even just looking at their players. Depth is this critic’s main concern and if Dinamo Montreal want to regain I.1 glory they’ll need to do so with some of their fantastic youngsters taking the reigns.
Prediction: Continue the sinusoidal trend of ups and downs, 60+ points.

14^th - Melchester Rovers (1^st II.3, 37-4-1, 115pts, +211)
Squeaked out the II.3 crown by a single point, Melchester Rovers have a solid campaign ahead of them. They boast a 42-man roster of all Canadians who will be excited to return to the top division after a one-year hiatus. Thomas Kerby and Honoré Mullin share the offensive duties notching 51 and 47 goals respectively last season. In goal Douglas Earle carries the brunt of the workload and is no stranger to posting clean sheets. Depth is my main concern with this club as there are some holes in their midfield that may need to be addressed before they can reach I.1 success.
Prediction: Lots of high-scoring games will sure keep fans coming to games, 55+ points.

15^th - 77777 (12^th I.1, 17-10-15, 61pts, +21)
The lowest ranked of the I.1 returning teams, 77777 has me confused. Yes, there are 5 sevens when seven seem more logical, but they’re a hard team to gauge. Graham Lough carries the offensive workload scoring over a third their goals last season.  They’ve spent a total of four seasons in I.1 finishing anywhere from 12^th to 16^th. They’re consistently competitive but are just missing that special something to send them over the top and into the top-10. I don’t think this will be the year they crack the top-10, but I don’t think it’s far around the corner. Infrastructure at 77777 is geared for the future and I think that future bodes well for 77777 fans.
Prediction: Likely to upset some title-contending clubs, especially late in the season, 55+ points.

16^th - Vancouver FC (2^nd II.4, 35-2-5, 107pts, +197)
It was a tough-fought and close call in season 8 for Vancouver FC. The westerners earned a shot at promotion by gaining 107pts tying Joel Team but winning out on goal differential. It came down to the final game for Vancouver FC as three teams were vying for that promotion chance. A convincing win saw Vancouver FC through where they defeated Ottawa Magic to make it to I.1. Vancouver FC holds a 35-man roster, all but one of which are Canadian players. Look to Damon Connor to lead the way and dictate the results of Vancouver FC’s upcoming season. The striker notched 75 goals in last season’s campaign, claiming the II.4 scoring title.
Prediction: Some hard-fought wins mixed with some close losses, 50+ points.

17^th - Xenons (2^nd II.1, 32-6-4, 102pts, +139)
Finishing ahead in the prediction pool compared to the team they lost the II.1 season 8 title to, Xenons will turn to Darien Fralick their star up front to carry the team offensively. Like their II.1 promoting counterparts, Xenons have climbed the ranks from III.2 to I.1 where I think they have what it takes to stick around for a second season peaking at 86 OTS last year. They have top-notch training facilities and if they can hold on for a season or two in I.1 they’ll find themselves a consistent contender in the seasons to come.
Prediction: Slow but methodical campaign, 50+ points.

18^th - The Flying Frenchmen FC (2^nd II.3, 37-3-2, 114pts, +227)
Returning to I.1 after a single-season absence where they lost the II.3 crown to  Melchester Rovers by a single point, “FFFC” will have their work cut out for them in this upcoming season. They boast no 900+ OR players but don’t let that fool you. They had four players score 30+ goals and 8 with 10 or more goals last season showing they know how to score by committee. They play as a team and get results, that’s the bottom line.  They have two 22 year old GKs who can share the workload if one gets hot it could spell trouble for the teams I have ranked higher.
Prediction: Looks like a promotion/relegation round team to me, winning and staying in I.1 for another campaign: 50+ points.

19^th - L'Impact du Mont-Royal (1^st II.1, 32-7-3, 103pts, +135)
Sorry “IMR” fans, but I predict your team to be a one-and-out of I.1 this season. The lowest goal differential of the promoting teams, it has been a long road from III.2 to I.1 for them but they’ve made it. I hope they prove me wrong and stick in the top division as they have loads of potential on the team and an exceptional manager. There’s only one way to go from this prediction spot and I hope they do just that.
Prediction:  No players over 900 OR at time of publish will make for a tough season but anything can happen in soccer, 40+ points.

20^th-22^nd - Bordeaux†, Grassmen† and The cKs†
We’ve lost some long-time PPM managers this past season and their remnants still remain in I.1 for one more season and will most certainly finish 20^th, 21^st and 22^nd. Always sad to see friends and foes leave under any circumstance.

I hope you all have enjoyed this read. It is not easy ranking teams, especially with this season boasting such a great set of teams. It should be a very exciting season and I hope those at the bottom of the table can prove me wrong. Feel free to post comments predicting the top-10. If anyone gets a correct prediction a hefty prize in the form of credits will be due your way.

That’s all for now,
-Scott