The holiday season proved to be perhaps a little too jolly for Squamish FC, as the soccer club fell to Sarajevo FC by a score of 6-1 at Quest University field on Saturday (Jan. 8).
In what was a battle between the two top teams in Division 2A of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL), Squamish had an opportunity to leapfrog Sarajevo into first but a lack of training over the holidays might be to blame for the lopsided loss.
"We looked a little sluggish out there," admitted Squamish head coach Rod Wilson. "We haven't had anytime to train over the holidays due to the poor weather and I think it cost us."
The team had three of their previous five games cancelled due to poor weather, which combined with non-existent practicing led to the team coming out rusty to start the game. Sarajevo got on the board early, scoring off of a nice set-up from a penalty kick, fooling Squamish goalie Jeremy Galley. However, Galley kept Squamish in the game with several key saves as the game continued.
A poor missed call midway through the first half cost Squamish as striker Mark Sedgwick attempted to set up Richard Collins with a nice pass, which was tapped out of bounds by a Sarajevo defender. However, instead of a corner kick, the referee gave Sarajevo a goal kick despite the insistence of Collins that he did not touch the ball.
Sarajevo's defence played a sound game, keeping Squamish to the outside and breaking up any key chances. They also helped save a goal late in the second half after Sedgwick beat the keeper but not the defender who booted the ball out to safety. Sarajevo FC added a late goal to go up 2-0 at the end of the first half but the second half was where the wheels fell off for Squamish FC.
The team allowed two quick goals and following the fourth goal Galley was booted from the game for attacking a Sarajevo player who kicked a late shot at him. It is unknown how long Galley will be suspended for the incident. Sarajevo added two more goals but Squamish broke the shutout late when Gary O'Neil potted one after a scramble in front of the net.
Sarajevo FC midfielder Amar Talic, who scored two goals, admitted that it was an easier win than expected for his club.
"We thought it would be a much tougher match because we played a really close game against them earlier this year," he said. "We were surprised to be up 2-0 after the first half but one of their guys told me they hadn't been training much whereas we have been training every Tuesday and Thursday."
It was an important win for Sarajevo who now hold a five-point lead over Squamish in the standings.
"This was really a big win for us," Talic said. "To be honest, we went into this game wanting to play for a tie. We changed our formation but I just think we were more ready today than them."
This is the teams final meeting of the year unless they meet in the postseason. With the loss, Squamish's record stands at nine wins and four losses on the season, which places them in a tie for second place. Sarajevo improves to 10 wins, two losses and one tie.
Next up for Squamish will be a game against Club Punjab 'A', who currently sit in ninth place in the VMSL. It will be a road game for Squamish, who will travel to Surrey for the game, which takes place at Tom Binnie Turf on Friday (Jan. 14) at 8:45 p.m.
For more information on the league, visit www.vmslsoccer.com.
