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You can say a lot of things about Calgary. Thinking small isn鈥檛 one of them.
Foothills FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon has told the Calgary media that the United Soccer League Premier Development League could be just the first step toward eventually landing pro soccer for Cow Town, maybe even Major League Soccer.
The Foothills, in their second season, are in town to serve as the opponent for the Victoria Highlanders鈥� PDL home opener today at 2 p.m. at Centennial Stadium. The Foothills鈥� first season in the PDL featured players such as goalkeeper Sean Melvin from Victoria, since signed by the Vancouver Whitecaps, and 2016 third-round MLS draft pick Bradley Kamden.
The program continues as a development magnet.
鈥淭hey have good athletes,鈥� Highlanders head coach Dave Dew said.
鈥淚 would call it a Prairie all-star team, with top players from the University of Calgary, Mount Royal and Grant McEwan . . . with a few sa国际传媒 players from SFU, UNBC and Trinity Western.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to need to play smart defence. And we need quality finishing and can鈥檛 just be lashing balls at the goal.鈥�
Defence and finishing was lacking in a 3-0 loss on the field in Victoria鈥檚 opener against the powerhouse Pumas last week in Kitsap, Washington. That game, however, has been overturned and the three points awarded to the Highlanders after the PDL sanctioned the Pumas for using an ineligible player.
Calgary comes in today after a 1-0 loss in its PDL opener in Washington state last week against the Crossfire.
Making his Highlanders debut today will be midfielder Sean Prizeman from Dublin, Ireland, whose international transfer has been completed.
Prizeman admitted it was hard watching from the sidelines last week after being notified the night before the Kitsap opener that his international paperwork had not been finished in time and that he would have to sit out. Prizeman, who has his UEFA B licence and is an instructor with the Royal Bay/Dunsmuir school soccer academy, still made the trip to Kitsap and took mental notes.
According to the PDL, 35 per cent of MLS players in 2015 were PDL alumni, and Prizeman admitted to being an impressed observer last week in Kitsap.
鈥淭he game was very quick, with a lot of technical players,鈥� said the Irish 24-year-old, who played at Peninsula College in Port Angeles after starting in youth soccer with Belvedere FC and Killester United in Dublin鈥檚 northern suburbs.
鈥淚鈥檓 buzzed about getting into the lineup today. I鈥檓 doing what I love 鈥� playing and coaching soccer. I鈥檓 living the dream. The lads back home are just sick when I tell them.鈥�
Dew has settled on former University of Victoria Vikes captain Alex Redpath and former Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town pro Blair Sturrock as his co-captains.
鈥淎lex was a leader at the CIS level and Blair has had international pro experience,鈥� Dew said about his choices.
Redpath became assistant coach at UVic, under veteran Vikes mentor and former Canadian World Cup captain Bruce Wilson, this past CIS season after graduating from UVic the season before.
鈥淚 try to lead by example . . . and try to push our players to be better and to approach the game the right way,鈥� Redpath said.
He knows the Centennial Stadium pitch well because of his UVic pedigree.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big, grass field 鈥� while we mostly play on turf on the road 鈥� and we鈥檙e really looking forward to playing on it,鈥� the Terrace native said.
PROVINCE CUP: Pegasus FC of Surrey defeated Metro Ford Wolves of Coquitlam 2-1 in the men鈥檚 senior 鈥楢鈥� provincial final Saturday at Westhills Stadium in Langford . . . The women鈥檚 provincial 鈥楢鈥� final at Westhills is between the North Shore SC Renegades and Richmond FC today at 3:30 p.m.
