Top two draw as just four points separate top nine in VMSL Premier standings (with video highlights)

It’s tight at the top of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL) Premier Division standings, which you would hope would be the case just five weeks into the season. But with just four points separating the top nine teams, two sides still remaining unbeaten, and four others having just lost one match, this is shaping up to be a very exciting campaign, with a lot of drama playing out at both ends of the table.

With BB5 United off to Halifax to represent BC in the Challenge Trophy, where they picked up a 5th placed finish, five matches were on the slate in the VMSL top flight last weekend. Only four were actually played to a finish with Inter EDC’s match with Columbus FC on Friday night at Burnaby Lake called off at half time due to queries regarding a player’s eligibility, but there was a lot of drama from those that did make it through the 90 minutes.

Columbus were leading Inter 2-1 in the incomplete match, storming back after falling behind to Adrian Pour’s 12th minute opener. Sebastian Sjo tied things up in the 21st minute before the Golden Boot leading Emiliano Brienza scored his 8th of the season in the 34th minute to give Columbus the lead they took into the half before things were called to a halt.

Two matches were played to a finish on Friday with the first seeing Port Moody head to the Cunnings Turf and shock Coquitlam Metro-Ford Wolves with a 3-1 victory.

Connor Robillard had given the home side a lead the half, after being played in on goal in the 30th minute and finishing from a tight angle with the aid of a deflection off the keeper. Port Moody came out all guns blazing the second half and Kaleb Vinthers brought the visitors level just before the hour mark. Lucas McIlveen’s bullet header gave Port Moody the lead with 20 minutes remaining and Bradley Hobson sealed the points for PoMo six minutes later, finishing off a cutback after an initial save from a fierce free kick.

You can see Sport Revolution’s highlights from the match below:

It was the visitors that got the victory at Ken Woods Field up at UBC on Friday night, with first half goals from Devon Mitchell in the 10th minute and Shane Howard in the 34th giving West Van a 2-1 victory over bottom side Rino’s Fury. Raphael Champollion set up an exciting second half when he pulled one back four minutes after the restart, but the Fury couldn’t find an equaliser.

Saturday afternoon saw a big 3-0 win for NVFC Norvan at Westside on the Point Grey turf.

Blake Burgon fired the North Shore lads into a 24th minute lead with a nice finish to the near post. Izamuel Martinez doubled Norvan’s lead in the 64th minute, chipping the keeper after getting onto a nice diagonal into the box.

Westside’s cause wasn’t helped when Jaihyun Jeong was sent off for a second bookable offence three minutes later, and Norvan put the icing on the cake with a second from Martinez in the 73rd minute, with another nice finish to the near post for the North Shore boys.

You can see Smart Runner’s highlights from the match below:

The final match of the weekend came on Sunday and was the match of the week as league leaders VUFC Hibernian hosted joint second-placed Croatia SC at the UBC South Turf.

It was a closely contested affair, with both goals coming within 10 minutes of each other in the second half. Edris Najm put Croatia ahead on the hour mark, but Mario Kovacevic tied things up for VUFC in the 69th minute and that’s how things finished.

So after all of that action, here’s how the VMSL Premier Division standings are looking after Week 5:

With BB5 United’s home game with Columbus off as the Surrey side return from nationals. Here’s what’s on the slate this weekend in the other five Premier Division matches:

FRIDAY OCT 13TH

West Van vs Inter EDC (Ambleside Park, West Vancouver – 7.30pm kick off)
BCT Rovers Hurricanes vs Westside (Newton Athletic Park Stadium, Surrey – 8.45pm kick off)

SATURDAY OCT 14TH

Croatia SC vs Coquitlam Metro-Ford Wolves (Burnaby Lake Field 2 – 3.30pm kick off)
NVFC Norvan vs VUFC Hibernian (Fen Burdett Stadium, North Vancouver – 4.05pm kick off)
Port Moody vs Rino’s Fury (Trasolini Turf, Port Moody – 8.30pm kick off)

A reminder, you can get all of the results, fixtures, and standings across all of the divisions at VMSLsoccer.com