Pre World Cup Q&A

I have had a lot of different questions on here, some which are worthwhile answering and other which are completely not. I thought I would take a stab at answering a few of both.

Anonymous asked: What about a skills competition?

The idea has been thrown around quite a few times and there are a few problems with it. The biggest being that there just is not enough time to have it. The tournament already begins on a Thursday this year because we needed the extra day and we have had to resort to playing games on the backfields which is obviously not ideal. Besides that the sheer volume of people you would have to put through, assuming you did 1 person from every team in every division, would be so large that it would probably get old to watch very quickly.

Anonymous Asked: How does this fantasy thing work?

Here is the breakdown: Players get 1 point for a goal and receive extra points for multiple goals in a game. The first goal in a game is worth 1 the second worth two the third worth 3 etc. So if someone scored a hat trick in a game its worth 6 point.s Yellows are worth 2 points as well but reds are worth -10. Defenses start every game with 5 points and lose one for every goal they allow. Defenses scores can go into the minus. Keepers get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 for a loss. They can also add 2 points for a shutout and 20 for a goal if they are playing net. Points double for playoffs.

Anonymous Asked: How come people haven't asked Collins how his team did in Division 1 this year? They blew big chunks.
I imagine most didn't ask because I didn't play this year.

Anonymous Asked: Please try and get Greece and Scotland interviews with their cockiest players. That would be a treat!

I would love to do this as well as get many of the other teams perspectives as well however I don't have contacts for all of the teams. I attempted to get the questions sent out to all teams but for whatever reason by request was lost in the shuffle. If someone happens to be reading this and wants to have their answers put up then simply copy the questions in the previous posts and email them to me at officialblogservices@hotmail.com would be great to have some new perspectives. I don't need to include your name if that's understandably holding you back.  

Anonymous Asked: Devin Sembaluk, fast. What kind of cheap crap are you smoking?

Both Dustin and Devin Sembaluk are much faster than most presume. From a fan's view its tough to gauge how fast they are really moving due to the flailing of limbs and obvious lack of basic motor function but I can guarantee that being out there with them you realize they are just as fast as the Garrett Peter's and Troy Lydiate of the tournament. Cheap crap? I am half Jamaican.

Peter Asked: By the way Collins, you are aware of why you are being called Mitch Collins right?

Yes. I am definitely aware that there is alarmingly underwhelming amount of creativity on this blog.


If anyone has anymore questions, especially ones that are actually worth answering send them my way.

WCP 2014 Pre Sale Tickets

2014 WCP Fantasy Draft

As we have every year for the past 3 years we once again have concluded our fantasy draft. Here is how things shook out with the format being a snake draft with Scotty picking first.

ROI - Questions & Answers

Name: Dwayne Gareau

Team: ROI

How would you rate last years performance?

Last years side was disappointing. The type of team Ireland had been fielding in WCP was always filled with plenty of talent and depth. The side last year was short on both. It was a team that was still competitive, however Ireland in years past was always a favourite entering games. The side last year would have been considered an equal and maybe even an underdog entering games.

Are there any new signings or departures?

The team is rebuilt and should field plenty of skill and depth. Their was too big a drop off from the top players to the bottom end players on Ireland last year. I don't think that will be the case this year.

Who is your most important player? Why?

In a 50 minute match and with a crowded field there is always the potential for upsets and teams that are not as good winning games against a better team. A team with lesser quality that works hard can compete. Therefore you will notice that all of the top teams in the tourney will have a quality keeper. If you don't have a quality keeper you are at a huge disadvantage. Therefore I think all of the top teams will/should answer that your most important player in WCP has to be a quality keeper.

Where do you think you will finish this year?

Anytime ROI does not make the final and win it then it should be considered a dissapointment. This year will be no different. ROI will be one of the favorites this year. Anything can happen in the knock out stages, but I don't see how this side does not get through into the medal games without it being an upset.

If you could sign any player in the tournament who would it be and why?

As a player and now as a coach (in various sports) I value someone not only skilled but I love when players have a high work rate. I also enjoy playing with players I have not had a chance to play with through my lengthy time playing in Saskatchewan. By that criteria I guess I would like to play with someone like Boun from Laos or Tavis from Canada. Both guys that are WCP veterans and guys that can be difference makers in games.

Who do you think will win this year?

I think it would be foolish to bet against any of the top teams that have had plenty of success in the tourney. Therefore I would guess that it will be one of France, Laos, Poland and ROI winning it all. I would give the edge to France at the moment. They have a large core of Regina players on their team and are least affected by schedule and making sure all of their quality players are there for every game.

If you could change one thing in the tournament what would it be?

The time of the games. Obviously it is tough to do with the facility and this is something that won't happend due to the large volume of teams in the tourney, but a 50 minute game is too short for my liking.

Jamaica - Questions & Answers

Name: Garrett Peters

Team: Jamaica

How would you rate last years performance? After a few years of Jamaica "underachieving" last year we finally had what I would consider a successful tournament. We were in an extremely tough pool and managed to make it out in second place. In the Quarter finals we beat a pretty good ROI and we lost in the semis, in a shootout, to an extremely tough team Poland.

Are there any new signings or departures? We made some great signings this year with Rolfe and Cesar joining but our key signing would be Mitch Bauche. Mitch who is arguably one of the best midfielders in the tournament is a player with an insane work rate, offensively and defensively. And his composure and control of the ball is second to no one in the tournament. A key departure will be Carson Macdonald. He didn't make it to all the games last year, but with him at the back with Troy, we were a tough team to score against. I hear Carson is looking for a championship ring and has moved to a newly stacked ROI. We will have to see if the move pays off. Hopefully we can get a Jamaica vs. ROI Quarterfinal!

Who is your most important player? Why? Our most important player in the tournament is Kevin Holness. Kevin understands how to play the game, and his knowledge and experience are a huge asset. As a player and coach we all look to him to lead us to the promise land. I've even heard rumors that Kevin might actually take a few shots this tournament.

Where do you think you will finish this year? The plan is to make it out of the group stage, because in a one game quarterfinal anything can happen.  Jamaica has a history of doing well against the tough teams and dropping points to teams we are supposed to beat. Watch for a tight game against Norway, that game will decide our tournament.

If you could sign any player in the tournament who would it be and why? Do the Patterson twins count as a package deal? On the ball they are skilled, off the ball they are tenacious. They are good in the air, and can play quickly on the ground with other players. Add a striker with those two and you already have a team that can contend to win the tournament.  

Who do you think will win this year? ROI are the favorites by far. Brown has revamped Ireland and is downplaying how good they are. They have snatched up a bunch of huskie players and upgraded at goal. Look for them to walk through their pool putting up tons of goals. France game will be a good one but not as important as people think. I expect their first challenge will be in the Semis.

 If you could change one thing in the tournament what would it be? I would change the number of players on the field, as well as the kick in rule. In Sasaktoon we play 6 vs 6 (plus a goalie) and scores are still relatively high. We don't need to have a goal scoring opportunity on every kick in to make worldcup exciting. I think it takes away from the quality of the game.

Poland - Questions & Answers

Name: Michal Bandula











Team: Polska









 How would you rate last years
performance?

I think last year we had a very
successful tournament. We had intense playoff games and were able to beat some
very good teams on our way to the final but due to injuries and not having
Chris Sarrazin at final vs France we were not able to keep up with them and
eventually they broke through our team and were able to take the championship
from us in the last 5 minutes. Congrats to them.









 Are there any new signings or
departures?

We have lost Dane Mcdougall to a knee
injury, Jordan Lupastin went back to his Canadian roots to play with his Enter
boys, Kris Swatecki, and Chad Neald. We picked up Bobbi Nicholat from
Afghanistan and Sam Mylymok is back playing again after taking a year
off. 









 Who is your most important player? Why?

The one and only Jay Tomchuk a.k.a. the
"Polish God". Battled ankle injuries the past couple of years, look
for him to be as healthy as he has been in a while and hopefully he will able
to score a bunch of goals and clutch goals this year for us. Honourable
mentions go to "Tips" and that goofy looking guy in net. 









 Where do you think you will finish this
year?

Never liked predicting how we will
finish in the tournament. I do believe we are a contender again this year, we
need to take it game by game and we can't get too ahead of ourselves. 









If you could sign any player in the
tournament who would it be and why?

Mitch Bauche - absolute beast in the
midfield and would be a great compliment to our team.









Who do you think will win this year?

Look for Ireland to be back in the final
this year. They have stacked their team again and are looking to make a run.
Not sure if they will have all their guys during the group stage, but I do
expect them to have a full line up during playoffs and they will be a very
tough team to beat.









 If you could change one thing in the
tournament what would it be?

I was not a huge fan of the new Draw
Format that they used this year. I understand that they were maybe trying to
change things up and have the potential to call out other teams to create drama
for the group stage. But why try to fix something that's not broken? I guess I
just prefer the classic draw format that has always been used.

Laos - Questions & Answers

If any other teams are interested in filling out the questions just let me know!

Name: Scott Myrah

Team: Laos

How would you rate last years performance?
 I think last year everyone on our team agrees we under-performed to our potential.  It was the first time we hadn't been in playoffs let alone the final in a few years so it was a bit of a shock for us, but I believe it was a good thing to experience that coming in this year.

Are there any new signings or departures? 
 To my knowledge we have picked up Northey and Roman, and lost Chico and Damien.  I'm not 100% on the roster for this year so it will be a surprise to me at the first game.

Who is your most important player? Why?
 In my opinion Evan is our most important player.  Every year he stands on his head back there and is a top-tier goalie in this tournament.

Where do you think you will finish this year?
 I don't like guessing position, but I believe we are a top team that has the potential to make playoffs and push for another championship.

If you could sign any player in the tournament who would it be and why?
 Another tough one as we have a great team, but who wouldn't want Jay Tomchuck on their team?

Who do you think will win this year?
 I wouldn't be surprised to see Poland back in the final and pulling through this year.  From what I've heard they have the same guys and when they are on they are tough to beat.  

If you could change one thing in the tournament what would it be?
 One thing I would change is the time.  All the players who are in University are bouncing between exams, so it would be nice to have a tournament where it's more convenient for some of the players.