FC London?s chances of running down the Thunder Bay Chill for the USL Premier Development League?s Central Conference regular-season title are slim.
But that shouldn?t place their bid to hold the conference playoff soccer tournament July 27-28 in a deep freeze.
The first-time Great Lakes division champion Blues are a single point back of the Chill with one game to go against post-season hopefuls K-W United Friday at Cove Road field. Problem is, Thunder Bay finishes with two weekend tilts against Winnipeg, doormats in the already locked-up Heartland division.
Typically, PDL tourney hosting rights fall into the lap of a willing conference champ, but that?s not written in stone because the divisions don?t cross over for regular season play.
?We make a real strong case,? FC London head coach Martin Painter said. ?You look at our division this year and any team in it has the ability to take points at any time. There?s a lot of strength over here and you have to be prepared every time you take the field.?
The Blues have been hungry to stage the conference tournament. The last two have been held in Pontiac, Mich., by the Michigan Bucks.
In 2010, the tourney was held in Thunder Bay.
All three clubs are interested in holding it and a decision should be made by the end of this week.
FC London president and CEO Ian Campbell indicated the league includes points, strength of bid and travel costs in its final decision.
It shouldn?t hurt the Blues that they?re the defending PDL champions and their lone home game in that run last summer was a semifinal victory over Seattle.
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FC London already knows who they will play first ? Heartland runner-up Real Colorado Foxes. They just don?t know where it?s going to happen.
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?We would love to have home-field advantage,? Painter said, ?but at the same time, our road record (5-1-1) was pretty good this year, too. This is a confident bunch and you look at what they did last week (winning three games in five days to clinch the division title), it?s quite an accomplishment.?
This last tune-up tilt means a lot more to K-W United and the Toronto Lynx, who are clinging to the third and final division playoff spot and won?t want Painter to rest some of his bigger names.
?We?re not thinking about what?s going on below us,? he said. ?That said, whoever is healthy will be playing. What will be determined is how many minutes they will see. That?s something we?ll monitor as the game goes on. Now that we?ve won the division, the next thing is playoffs and doing what we did last year.
?We want to go into it with the proper frame of mind. We know what it takes to win those last four games and it?s not going to be easy.?
FC London has boasted big scorers in the past. Former top gun Carl Haworth has provided 11 goals for the Northeast division champion Ottawa Fury this season.
But the Blues? one-two punch of Aaron Boyd and Jordan Ayris (10 goals) has proven unsettling to opposition defences.
?It?s not easy to shut down when you have two guys like that,? Painter said, ?and it?s even more complicated when you have Ayris doing so much work at the back for us. I know if I was an opposing coach, there would be a few different tactics I?d try, but most teams don?t like to stray from their normal defences.
?I imagine in the playoffs, we could see some new strategies.?
What kind of effect could it have on a championship-hardened squad?
?This team has a lot of character,? Painter said. ?You look at league discipline and we?re way at the bottom in yellow cards. They just go out and play the right way. They allow me to bark at them when necessary, but they will bark at each other when it?s needed, too.?
And the still-hungry dogs would love to showcase their bite a few more times in front of the home crowd ? conference tourney bid success, of course, permitting.
ryan.pyette@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/RyanatLFPress
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PDL SOCCER
FC London?s regular season finale vs. K-W United
When: Friday, 8 p.m. kickoff at Cove Road field.
Admission: Adults, $12; Youth, $9.
UMBRO Cup decider: FC London in driver?s seat from 2-1 road win on June 12 in Waterloo.
New Partnership: FC London has hooked up with Toronto FC and Danone to offer a selection camp for players ages 7-11 with a chance to appear in the Danone Nations Cup, billed as a World Cup for kids. FC London?s selection camp will take place in two sessions on Sunday at the Windermere soccer fields from 12-1:30 p.m. (ages 7-9) and 1:30-3 p.m. (10-11). There is no charge for the camp and up to 20 players will be selected for another provincial camp. Players can register at www.fclondon.ca or email info@fclondon.ca.
Source: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/07/17/fc-london-eyes-playoff-tourney
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