by Matthew Lacy

SPRINGFIELD, OR—  In their second and final pre-season friendly, our Vancouver Victory fell to Lane United (4-0) in Springfield, Oregon.  Three of the goals came off corner kicks and one from a deflection. Lane United offers up a nice recap with more detail.

But, as so often is the case, the score line does not tell the whole story.  Head Coach Logan Emory was, “disappointed with the results but at the end of the day, pleased by a lot of things.”  There were a few standout Boys in Blue that did well, but first and foremost, Emory stated that, “It was the opportunity to play against a team like Lane” that provided a springboard to solidify their own Victory identity.

Emory and the rest of the team are beginning to form that identity now, “It is not always about talent.  It is not always about what you can do with the ball at your feet. It is about communicating and staying organized and being a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Emory also went on to say that, “We [the team] learned who we can trust.  When the game is on the line at the 80th minute, who do we want on the field.  Who are the guys that not only have the talent but the experience, the awareness, the soccer I.Q. to do what is needed on the field.”  This was an opportunity to learn and grow, to see the little things that other teams and more experienced teammates are doing on and off the field.

As Emory stated, “This is an opportunity to be humbled and grow from there.”  And that is just what this pre-season has been for our Vancouver Victory, a time to both gain steam and grow together to become the dynamic, exciting team we have come to know season after season.  The only other game V2FC had was versus North Idaho College where they dominated and gained confidence with a 3-1 win.  Playing Lane provided just the right amount of gut-check to create a well balanced pre-season.

This is it, Sea of Blue, it is going to be a wild ride full of high level soccer and yet to even be conceived of antics.  This fourth division soccer, you never know what will happen on or off the field. The regular season starts this Saturday (5/5) at 4pm at Hampton Inns Championship Field, Harmony Sports Complex.  Game day tickets are available at the gate or on the team website and there are still season ticket packages available.