Matthew Lacy is the Victory Lookout – providing inside coverage of Vancouver Washington’s own soccer club. Watch for his columns on your #HometownSoccer club as they stay #ShipShape for the people of Clark County and beyond!
By Matthew Lacy
VANCOUVER, WA—On a beautiful spring evening (4/7), a strong contingent of Vancouver Victory Football Club hopefuls arrived at the Hampton Inn Championship Field for the 2018 season final round of tryouts. It was a night full of skills, smiles, goals, and a few surprises. Head Coach Logan Emory confidently stated that, “I am more excited now than I was before. There is no reason why we couldn’t win the league.”
Coach Emory ran a well-balanced tryout session with a mix of technical skill work and chances to simply compete. Assistant Coach Scott Lewis was encouraged by what he saw, “We had very good shooting and small-sided games.” The players got a chance to really shine, putting in strong efforts the entire way through, “There wasn’t an obvious guy to drop from the roster tonight.” stated Coach Emory, “There is more here than just kids that are worker-bees.” He went on to state that, “There is a good balance of guys who can play in a lot of spots.”
There was also a sense of camaraderie on the field, even in the midst of competing with each other for a chance to pull on the blue and black. Most of the hopefuls are local players, having battled on the pitch together for years. There was joking. There were flashes of real skill in shots fired at the goal, distribution, stopping attacks, and in off the ball movement. There were some natural leaders in the group as well, productively vocal in both the games and in the drills.
Scott Lewis (left) and Logan Emory (right) watch on as the V2FC coaches assess the 2018 open tryout candidates. (Alan Moditz photos)
Coach Lewis was just as excited about the prospects as Coach Emory, he was, “Very impressed, we have a good base here, we are going to have a very good group.” Combining the quality players that are already on the roster with the current influx, the V2FC are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the EPLWA. The players will be notified within the next few days regarding the results of the tryouts; but even if they do not make the cut, they are welcome to continue practicing with the team.
Sea of Blue, the 2018 season is right around the corner. Get your season tickets now and don’t miss a single minute of your hometown soccer action.
