Copes Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 (edited) On 3/6/2019 at 9:20 AM, Copes said: Your rankings are very similar to mine. Looking at my last batch of rankings on February 1st, a lot has changed. For me: Pacific FC Forge FC Valour FC HFX Wanderers FC Cavalry FC FC Edmonton York 9 FC I'm not ready to put Valour ahead of Forge - although if they grab Forlan they jump to number 1 I think. I rate Halifax ahead of Calgary. I'm admittedly biased as a Wanderers fan, and one of my closest buddies being in Calgary, but I just think the Wanderers have more upside. A lot of unknowns, for sure. However, also the best coach in the league who has experience working with a large number of players on the team through his work with Canada and T&T. I thin hart pushed HFX ahead. I also disagree that there is no threat upfront - our attacking midfielder and striker have proven history playing (and scoring) together in Peru. I'm pretty stoked for them. I'm in agreement with you on the bottom two. Looking at Edmonton's 20 players, there are maybe 1 or 2 that excite me. As for York... I don't know. It's a combination of underwhelming signings after a couple of decent initial ones, and seemingly underwhelming team news and support. I also think that a lot of the talent I thought they'd get is going to Hamilton instead, I'm sad to say. Ok, it's kickoff day. Last time to lock them in. Looking back at my previous predictions, and considering preseason... I'm now ready to completely shakeup my rankings. Fun to see how they have changed over time! 1. Forge FC - They have emerged for me as the team to beat this year. I think they are the most consistent across all positions, and have strong leadership in Bekker. I am expecting playing in Hamilton to be a challenge for visiting teams. Many on the team have a long-term relationship with the coach. Forge is, in my opinion, the favourite. 2. HFX Wanderers FC - I've gained much more faith in the Wanderers over time, but ultimately I think they will be the underdog team that captures the hearts of the masses and punches above where they are expected to sit. I think Hart has quietly assembled a very competitive squad, with lots of links of familiarity throughout. I think that they have the best keeper in the league as well, and given that these new squads will be working to build chemistry, a strong wall in front of the net will go a long way. I haven't even mentioned the quality that is Stephen Hart, and what I think he'll do for a team. 3. York 9 FC - Some of their signings in March and April bumped them up for me. Further, I think that (much like Forge) their travel will be the easiest with a team incredibly close and a central location for other Away fixtures. I like their pieces - I think after Forge they are probably the most consistent across the board. They'll do well. 4. Valour FC - I've always struggled with where and how to rate Valour, but I think for me they are solidly centre of the pack. I think that their squad is "solid" but at the same time I don't know if they have any super stars or positions on the field that make me think they are the best at anything. They are middle-tier, and I think they'll finish middle table. 5. FC Edmonton - They continue to not really excite me. Probably the squad I care about the least. No standouts on the team for me. That said, I don't think they are the "weakest" anywhere, and I think that behind the scenes their experience as a team that has existed for several years will help. I could probably put them in the 4th or 6th slot just as easily. I'll leave them here. 6. Pacific FC - They've fallen a lot for me. The De Jong injury hurt. The small squad size is concerning. Beyond that I really think that their midfield and backline are concerning. What they DO have, and why I'm not placing them at the bottom, is one of the scariest combos of attackers in the league. I think they'll score a number of goals, but I think they'll leak a lot more. 7. Cavalry FC - I just don't feel good about Cavalry. A lot of their signings come from PDL, and I suspect that the quality for many of their opponents will be a bit higher. I don't think their home field feels like a fortress like some of the other teams, and ticket sales suggest that it may be quite empty. I'm not sure how this team will hang, and while I hope they do well, I'm placing them here at the bottom. We shall see! Kickoff in 4 hours so LET'S GO! Money is on a Hamilton win today, and a HFX / Pacific Draw tomorrow! Edited April 27, 2019 by Copes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 I think that for those putting Forge tops, that match could shift them downwards. As their next match is away to the HFX home opener, will be an interesting test. They may get some advantage with HFX having travelled to the west coast this week. And for many putting York9 lower, it could mean a shift up for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fil Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 Interesting the number of people that put Pacific FC at the top before the league started. I assume they expected a healthy De Jong to contribute heavily. A few picked Cavalry as the worst team! Totally ignoring the PDL champions. Now CPL Spring and Fall champions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie_the_parrot Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 I probably should have waited to mid-April to draw conclusions about the Cavalry's use of imports. They saved the best to last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rintaran Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 20 hours ago, fil said: Interesting the number of people that put Pacific FC at the top before the league started. I assume they expected a healthy De Jong to contribute heavily. A few picked Cavalry as the worst team! Totally ignoring the PDL champions. Now CPL Spring and Fall champions. A healthy de Jong was very much the expectation for most of us. I think it would have been a completely different competition had he been on field. That said, Cavalry was a question mark, as they were pretty much a promoted Foothills with a few new faces. I think the new faces didn't seem enough to put the over how other sides looked (on paper). Almost everyone underestimated them, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see them prove us all wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deschamp86 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Went though everyone's picks quickly to see who did the best. The final result being that we all sucked. 1 point given for getting the team in the right position correct. I left out people who got them all wrong Blackdude 2 Lord Bob 2 deschamp86 2 Senorpopps 2 Shortdutchcanuck 2 Copes 1 BCM 1 Big_M 1 Obinna 1 fil 1 Stryker911 1 BringBackTheBlizzard 1 toontownman 1 matty 1 ktf 1 fil, The Real Marc and Kent 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deschamp86 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I also have to encourage people to look at some of the earlier predictions. There are some real gems in there. I for one predicted Haber to win or at least be in the running for Golden Boot. FAIL The Real Marc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aird25 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 It just goes to show how important this league is. These guys were scattered before, and it’s so difficult to assess players when you never see how they stack up against each other. Winnipeg Fury, deschamp86 and Kent 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_Bison Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Wow - what a mess. Valour's Defense looks strong? GAH! Cavalry in last? DOUBLE GAH! Lofty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deschamp86 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 When I posted the standings, above, I had missed that Keegan had posted Ryan Brandt's list. He called the top three in perfect order. That's the best predictions I've seen yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now