Powell River Villa started the season with a couple of wins, plenty of depth and enough optimism to fill a team bus on a road trip to Victoria.
Fast forward eight weeks and suddenly wins are scarce, the player pool is shallow and morale at an all-time low.
This last weekend was a perfect example as 14 players bused down to Victoria for a game against Fusion FC2 but lost 2-0.
There were supposed to be a few more members of the team, but a couple of key players just didn’t show up at the ferry or on the trip down to the game so playing coach Kye Taylor had to make adjustments.
“It wouldn’t be our first 11 if we had to choose,” he said, “and that’s not to slight the players but it’s just the way it is. We started with half the players that would normally come in off the bench to help us out instead of playing 90 minutes.”
Despite their frustration with thoughtless teammates, the players took the pitch and actually played very well for much of the first half and gave Fusion all it could handle.
There were a couple of good chances for both sides but keeper Matt Liknes was his usual solid self while forwards for Villa couldn’t quite break the scoreless tie.
Villa was actually feeling pretty good about its game by this time, but very late in the half the referee further contributed to frustration with a call on Mike Hurren.
He went in aggressively against the opposition for a loose ball and a red card was pulled from the referee’s pocket.
“I thought oh my gosh, what a joke,” said Taylor. “From where I was standing it was maybe a yellow card or a warning but a straight red was really unnecessary at that point.”
It was a great game up to then with no indication of any rough stuff but the red stood and Villa had to regroup at the half.
The team carried on with 10 men and played well enough for most of the second half to realistically come out with three points or at least one.
Not to be however, when a through ball eluded the hands of Liknes at the edge of the 18 and a Fusion striker pounced on the rebound and deposited the ball into the net at 82 minutes.
Deflated after a long day, Villa received another goal from Fusion before the end of the game and that only frustrated some of the players even more.
One of them, Jake Kenmuir, was red-carded for profanity, a foul that is assuredly never called in the Vancouver Island Soccer League, but the referee decided it was a good time to make an impression.
A recent comparison would be the delay of game foul called on Canada in the London Summer Olympics. It just doesn’t get called, ever.
“It’s one of those ones where you’re just scratching your head and saying what is the point?” said Taylor. “We don’t have the luxury of 30 players and unlimited funds with guys already on suspension and travelling down here to play this game, and you’re just handing out reds like Halloween candy.”
Obviously pained by inconsiderate players, officiating decisions and of course the loss, Villa management is determined to deal with the issues it has control over.
“Even with the group that we had,” said Taylor, “they were bleeding for Villa and I’m happy to say that they stepped up and tried to do the business, but it just wasn’t quite enough. We’ll have a meeting this week and maybe it’s a ‘one and done, and you’re out,’” he said. “You shouldn’t be making excuses for why you’re not there. It should be a privilege to put on a Villa uniform.”
Next up for Villa is another road trip to Victoria where it takes on last place Gorge United on Saturday, November 17.
