So it goes for a mother when her sons are on opposite sides of the 101st Jackson Cup final for Vancouver Island Soccer League supremacy Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park.
鈥淲e always joke about it . . . because mom always hopes for a tie,鈥� said veteran Cowichan FC defender Tyler Hughes, a former pro and Hall of Famer with NCAA Division 1 Coastal Carolina.
A draw, of course, is the one result that can not happen Sunday. Whether it goes to overtime or penalty kicks, there will be a winner declared because it鈥檚 the cup final.
On the other side of the ball will be Tyler鈥檚 brother and veteran star striker Jordie Hughes of Bays United.
There is little doubt Cowichan FC heads into the final as the favourite. This is Cowichan鈥檚 sixth Jackson Cup championship game appearance in seven years, with three titles to show for it.
And it never gets tired.
鈥淲hen I was growing up, I remember watching all the great players who played in the Jackson Cup, and wanting to play in it, too,鈥� said Tyler Hughes.
鈥淭he history and pride behind this cup is so tremendous. We have other goals this year [sa国际传媒 and Canadian titles] but this is a big thing for us.鈥�
It has been since the Cowichan FC rise began sevens seasons ago.
鈥淐owichan are the defending league and Cup champions for a reason,鈥� said Bays United coach Rich Fast.
鈥淭hey have the best back-line player in the league with Tyler Hughes, and he sprays that ball up-field with such accuracy to the best strikers in the league,鈥� added Fast.
Those deadly Cowichan FC scorers, that Hughes hits with such efficiency, include Cooper Barry, Paddy Nelson, Josh Cuthbert, Steve Scott and UVic Vikes-grad Craig Gorman.
Bays, however, have one advantage and it鈥檚 a big one. Former UVic Vikes standout goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou patrols the Bays box with tactical authority and twitch-reflex quickness.
鈥淓lliot Mitrou can steal a game by himself,鈥� said Tyler Hughes, who plays during the summers on the Victoria Highlanders of the PDL with the likes of Mitrou, Gorman and brother Jordie.
Bays have constructed a Jackson Cup legacy of their own in Fast鈥檚 22 years with the club as player and coach. This is Fast鈥檚 fourth Jackson Cup final, third as head coach after one as a player. Fast guided the Bays to their lone championship in 2013, which was the culmination of a dream.
鈥淚 still love it . . . the chase to be the best . . . and to be competing for trophies,鈥� said Fast.
Cowichan FC, which has lost only once in regular-season or cup play, got past annual league-power Saanich Fusion in the Jackson Cup semifinals. Bays outlasted a breathless Cinderella upset bid by Westcastle United, which placed second-to-last in the regular season. The Westcastle upstarts made it a one-shot semifinal game by takings Bays to penalty kicks.
鈥淵ou just never know what鈥檚 going to happen in cup play . . . Westcastle was tough to break down . . . we needed to score all five of our penalty kicks while they missed only one,鈥� noted Fast.
But that was enough to advance, which is the only thing that matters in Cup play.
Cowichan FC took the season series against Bays, winning the first meeting 2-1 and tying the second 2-2.
鈥淏oth were very close games,鈥� said Tyler Hughes. 鈥淭his matchup is very competitive.鈥�
The VISL championship weekend at Royal Athletic Park begins today at noon with the Tony Grover Cup final for the Masters championship between Saanich Fusion Old School and Salt Spring. The George Pearkes Challenge Cup final, for the championship of Divisions 3A-3B through 4A-4B is at 2:30 p.m. today and features Saanich Fusion Harris Dodge and Juan de Fuca.
The Jackson Cup on Sunday is preceded at noon by the George Smith Cup Under-21 championship game between Saanich Fusion and Gorge FC.
