Altitude FC 2022 League1 BC squad profile (Part One – The Defence)

Altitude FC 2022 League1 BC squad profile (Part One – The Defence)

The inaugural League1 BC season got underway on Sunday, with all seven clubs now having played their first matches in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Four clubs have now had their home openers, and they’ll be joined on Sunday by Altitude FC, who will be playing their first ever matches at Kinsmen Park in North Vancouver when they take on the Vancouver Whitecaps academy sides. The women’s game kicks off at 1pm, with the men kicking off at 3.30pm. You can get tickets for the double header HERE and it would be great if you can get out and support the newest sports team on the north shore.

To get you up to speed for the matches, we continue our breakdowns of some of the squads for this League1 BC season with a two-part look at Altitude FC’s men’s team. We kick things off at the back, with the goalkeepers and defenders on the squad. Some players will be listed in different positions than some may be used to seeing them in, but we’ve based these positions on what Altitude have the players listed under on their website.

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GOALKEEPERS

AIDAN BAIN

A name that will be familiar to many, 24-year-old Aidan Bain has just wrapped up his college career, after six years with SFU in NCAA Division II, a spell extended due to a redshirt year and the missing Covid season.

Bain finished his SFU career with 35 appearances, keeping 13 clean sheets, and with a 1.03 goals against average.

He spent the 2017 USL PDL season with TSS Rovers, but didn’t see any minutes in league play, although did play in their friendly against the Whitecaps U18 side.

Coming through the Surrey United youth system, Bain was captain of their U17 side, helping to guide them to victory in the 2014 EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League Cup. He was named Surrey United’s BCSPL Goalkeeper of the Year in September 2015.

The Port Coquitlam native has also participated in the Canadian National Training Center and had a trial with Aston Villa FC in 2014.

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LUCA ORTA

17-year-old Luca Orta came through the Fusion FC system in the BCSPL before joining Faly Academy where he has played for their U18 and men’s Premier side.

The 6-foot-2 keeper got the start in Altitude’s first ever match last weekend against Rivers FC and came within moments of recording a clean sheet and a 1-0 victory before the Kamloops side tide things up with a penalty deep into stoppage time.

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DEFENDERS

KOSTA ADZIC

20-year-old centre back Kosta Adzic is one of a number of players on Altitude that have been playing under head coach Faly Basse with FC Faly in the Fraser Valley Soccer League (FVSL) Premier Division this past winter season.

A 6-foot tall he can also play a holding midfield role and played his youth football with Burnaby Selects, West Van FC, and Coquitlam Metro Ford, captaining many of those teams.

In the adult game he played in the VMSL with Burnaby Selects White Eagles, before making the switch to FC Faly this past season, and started last week’s season opener at Rivers FC.

Adzic is not only a talented footballer, he also excels on the track, where he competes in 1500m and 3000m events, and in volleyball, and was named his high school’s Athlete of the Year in 2016, 2017, 2018.

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PETER ALEXANDRAKIS

21-year-old Peter Alexandrakis comes to Altitude’s squad after his second season with Capilano Blues in PACWEST, where he’s made 21 appearances, 15 of them starts, and tallied one goal and one assist.

Alexandrakis came through the Vancouver Athletic and Fusion FC youth systems and can play in defensive and midfield roles. Faly are looking at him as a full back/wing back and he started last week’s match at Rivers FC.

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BRANDON BANGAMBEE

Brandon Bangambee wrote himself into the Altitude and L1BC history books last weekend by scoring the club’s first ever goal with his 45th minute opener at Rivers FC.

The exciting 23-year-old is a multi-positional player, with Altitude likely to utilise him as a full back/wing back, but who can also play and excel as a winger, midfielder, and forward.

The Coquitlam native played college football with the Algoma Thunderbirds in Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, making 16 appearances and tallying one goal in their 2016/17 U Sports season, and 16 appearances with one goal and two assists the following season.

Bangambee came through the Coquitlam Metro Ford and FC Faly youth systems and has played with Faly in the VMSL and FVSL, winning the U21 Provincial Cup with Faly in 2019.

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WIZASO CHAVULA

Another player to have come through the Faly Academy, 19-year-old left back Wizaso Chavula comes to Altitude after his first season in the college game with Langara Falcons in PACWEST.

Chavula was part of the FC Faly side that won the 2019 U21 Provincial Cup and has played for them in both the VMSL and FVSL, scoring one goal in the recent FVSL Premier season.

Chavula was also named a North Shore Secondary Schools Athletic Association First team all star.

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RAFAEL ELIAS DE OLIVEIRA MONT’ALEGRE JORGE

Growing up in Bavaria, 24-year-old Rafael Jorge has played in the 4th and 5th tiers of German football.

Playing as a midfielder last season for Langara Falcons in his first year of college football, where he scored two goals in 9 appearances, Altitude have him listed as an outside back, so it will be interesting to see where he slots into their plans.

Jorge played the past winter season with FC Faly in the FVSL Premier, scoring two goals, one in the league and one in the cup.

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TYLER DHILLON

Coming through the Surrey United youth system in the BCSPL, 21-year-old full back Tyler Dhillon was recruited by the UBCO Heat, and made 18 appearances for them, 13 of them starts, in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, scoring one goal.

Transferring to SFU in 2020, Dhillon’s first NCAA II was curtailed by Covid, but he finally got to play for them last year, making 13 appearances, 10 of them starts, scoring one goal.

Dhillon, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, which is where he played most of his youth soccer, started last weekend’s inaugural match for Altitude at Rivers FC.

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TIEGEN KYLE

21-year-old defender Tiegen Kyle played his youth soccer with Vancouver FC, Burnaby District Metro Soccer, and Coquitlam Metro Ford. Playing this past winter season in the FVSL Premier Division with Micro Footie Academy, Kyle scored one goal.

Kyle started last week’s inaugural match at Rivers FC, grabbing his first assist of the season on Brandon Bangambee’s goal, heading on a Sairoob Sairoob corner.

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MATTHEW MARSHALL

North Shore native Matthew Marshall played his youth football with the Faly Academy, starting with their U13 team and playing up to the U21 side before moving east to play college soccer with McGill University in Montreal.

The 18-year-old can play as a centre back and as a defensive midfielder and made seven appearances for the McGill Redbirds in his rookie season, five of them starts.

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NATHAN WALTERS

22-year-old centre back Nathan Walters came through the Surrey United youth system, playing for them in the BCSPL. Moving on to the Faly Academy, Walters was part of the FC Faly U21 side that won the 2019 BC Provincial Cup.

Walters played the recent winter season for FC Faly in the FVSL Premier Division, scoring one goal.

Walters started in Altitude’s inaugural match at Rivers FC last weekend.

Authored by: Michael McColl

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