August 20th - 21st 2022 Team Announcements and Pre-Tournament Odds.

Ladies, Gentlemen and all others, the time is nigh. 

11 years ago I set out on a journey to make tournaments between my friends more competitive. I was fed up of the same group of guys creating a team together and dominating all the games. Thus, the Indoor Invitational was born, an Indoor Soccer tournament designed to allow all abilities to have fun and everyone with a genuine chance at glory.

Three Counties, Five Cities and Hundreds of participants later, we are here, in Vancouver, Canada, preparing for our very first Outdoor Invitational. For those that know me, I love Indoor Soccer, specifically Indoors on turf, I just felt it avoided any issues with weather while keeping that "outside feel" to it. As we've grown, we've been listening to feedback and finally decided that it was time to do an outdoor tournament. 

Here we are, less than 3 weeks out and the teams are finally complete (excluding two empty positions), as always these teams are subject to change and likely will change in some way. But, we can't do a writeup if we don't have some preliminary teams can we!

I think it's important to write some information here while I have your attention;

- This write up is for fun only, please do not take it seriously

- The tournament is a fun first tournament. We have plenty of new players and experienced players, we should be accomdating to all.

- The referees are volunteers, people that were going to be playing but got injured - so be nice!!!

- Remember to give your number (wristband) to the referee if you assist or score a goal.

-Teams must be wearing the shorts and jerseys provided on the second day. It's up to you as a team to decide if you want to wear them on the first day, but you must be in unison (we have bibs if you decide not to).

- Alcohol should not be brought to the pitch (feel free to sneak off to have a beer here or there if you wish).

With that being said, it's going to be a great weekend and I'm looking forward to hosting all of you, so without further adieu, the first Indoor Invitational teams are;

As always, we'll do a breakdown of each team. Keep in mind the format is 7v7 so these teams will look differently with only 7 players on at once, but this will give you some idea of how your team, or opponents teams might line up depending on who is playing at that time.

Numbers mean nothing, they will not necessarily be your wristband number on the day.

Some teams have 11 players instead of 10, I have a couple of extra players in case of dropouts on the day, but if no dropouts they are playing for teams that have somewhat injured players.

Land of beautiful scenery, food and soccer! Captained by an Irishman who speaks Spanish! Fantastico. As the sole representatives from North America, they will be hoping to beat out their rivals in the South Argentina & Brazil at the very least.

Goalie:

Sergio Barbosa: One of the newest players to sign up, Sergio comes in with a whole host of experience in goal. He's really catapulted Mexico up from being the "wooden spoon" contenders to a mid-table side. He is an aggressive goalie who isn't afraid to put his body on the line, strong reflexes and safe hands make him difficult to beat but one of the interesting parts of his game is his ability to distribute the ball with his arms which allow for quick counters. The weakness in his game is definitely that of the ball at his feet, he's not going to be spraying passes left, right and center like some goalies, but in the grand scheme of things you'd prefer a goalie to save with his hands over pass with his feet.

Defence:

A'Lon Santiago: A ball playing defender who is fast on and off the ball. A'Lon is the definition of a modern defender, not all about physicality and more about being able to keep up with the play, get a foot in and find a breakout pass. Speed is definitely on his side which is going to be a huge asset given this team is primarily a forward thinking team, being able to get to the ball quickly will be massive. The only issue I see here is that he does gas out pretty quickly after running, so if his team is on the back foot a little more than they would like, he could faulter. Oh, and "usually AJ is on my team" was another weakness he told me about.

Sean Mulligan: Truth be told, there is not much to know about Sean. We know his primary position is right back, though is comfortable anywhere in defence of midfield. He's been playing from a relatively young age in Ireland so expect him to be a decent player in general. He'll be part of a make-shift back 2 most likely in this team with a serious lack of defenders, all eyes will be on him and A'Lon. Some late news we have is that Sean is somone that likes to go forward a bit as a defender, a very comfortable dribbler which could be useful to provide some width on this team.

Emily Elizabeth: After coming in as a replacement just a couple of weeks before, Emily gave this team some much needed breathing room in defence. A strong tackler who isn't afraid to get into the nitty gritty areas. She's also someone who plays a safety first kind of game, which given the attack-minded team she has is probably something they could use. The biggest concern that she might have is her relatively new stature to soccer given she's only been playing for 5-6 years, I don't think it will be an issue though.

Midfield:

Fionn Thielitz [C]: Captain Fantastico will need to be on his game for team Mexico in this tournament. Fionn is by no means afraid of a challenge though, having been part of the winning team in the last Indoor Invitational despite losing their opening 4 games. On paper he has a slightly different challenge this time around given his previous team was very defence minded. Fionn is a silky dribbler and someone who will work hard all over the pitch. His best strength though is being able to shield the ball from the opponents and break away on the turn, in the 7aside game this can be a game-changer. He is a generally all-around good player, but if we had to put him at fault for one thing it would be his want to hold on to the ball for a bit too long which can lead him into situations where he loses the ball sometimes.

Mike Marion: Outside of Fionn, Mike is probably going to be the more defensive midfielder for this team. He is an extremely good defender with brilliant positioning, he will be the one to break up the play and send the more attack minded players on their way, especially with his exceptional passing skills. That being said, his weakness also comes into play with that, as a pass-first type player, he will always look for that pass even if he has a golden opportunity to shoot.

AJ Potts: A dynamic runner who will make late runs into the box. AJ is known for his off the ball movement really causing havoc to defenders trying to stop him. He has high endurance so do not expect him to stop running, which is going to be a nightmare for anyone trying to mark him -I almost expect him to act in a floating role to drag players out of positions. His biggest weakness is he lacks some finishing, so while he will get into the box a fair bit, he won't always score.

Alexandre Severo Junior: In the middle of the park, likely pushing towards the strikers will be Severo-Jr. His ability to play a pass and dribble with the ball is something this team is going to really love to see. He will happily press the defence a little bit during the game too, so don't think he'll be a liability defensively. In terms of weaknesses, he does lack a little bit of fitness and while he will press the defence, once they go past him he can take his time to get back - this is why he will be better suited to a more attacking position.

Robbie Creaner: Returning back to football after a few month hiatus due to an injury. On his day Creaner can be the difference maker for any team. The best part of his game is his willingness to run directly at a player, with this being said he is also better suited to a forward thinking position as this does come with the risk of losing the ball. He'll be happy in any of the midfield positions though. He will take a pass in any situation and trust his own ability to get out of it. From a weakness standpoint, similar to Fionn he does run into trouble a fair bit and can be known to hog the ball a little. He'll need to work with his team if they are to outscore their opponents.

Forwards:

Michael O'Hanlon: A deceptively quick striker who likes to bring the midfield into play a lot. He has brilliant vision that he uses to lay midfielders off for the shot, or to make a darting 1 - 2 run into the box. One of his best assets is his ability to turn quickly and take a pop shot which will be difficult for goalies to handle. His biggest weakness is his aerial ability, don't expect much defensively or going forward in the air.

Coral Robinson: Coral is one of the most attack-minded females in the tournament. In fact she might be the only 'attacker', though she is comfortable in midfield also. A brilliant passer and a lethal shooter of the ball, I expect Coral to find herself with a few goals in this tournament. She's much better on the bigger pitch like 7 aside where she can utilize her running more. On the downside, she is weak defensively, though she will try - she just hasn't got that defensive edge about her.

5/1 Odds - On paper, Mexico have a solid team. They would probably be between 4th and 6th for overall ability on paper in my opinion. The reason they drop a little in the odds is due to their lack of defence. However, the introduction of Sergio Barbosa in goal has put them as a middling team again.

The two main defenders on the team, one of them we're not even sure if he's an outright defender. This could leave some serious leakage at the back. That being said, the creativity of the talismanic playmakers in Robbie Creaner and Alexandre Severo Jr means this team is going to create chances and surprisingly enough, if you score more than your opponent, even if it's 10-9, you win!

Euro 2020 Champions taking center stage in the first ever Outdoor Invitational. Captained by the only female captain in the tournament, Breanne Arcane-Kootenay (what a name by the way). Breanna is used to captaining teams having spent the past season captaining her side on Sundays.

Goalie:

Andres Marin: An aggressive goalie that likes to go in hard on the ball (but cleanly). He's someone who wants to come out and meet you where you don't expect it, like a sweeper keeper. With that he's also brilliant at anticipating the pass which makes him very useful for any teams that try long balls. On the downside, while he is a goalie, his handling isn't the best and he is a little shorter than most goalies, so perhaps those top corner shots might cause an issue.

Defence:

Eli Rumpf: I expect Eli to be a real energy person in the defence on this team, with great vision he will be counted upon to handle the ball-playing aspect in defence which means he's going to be under pressure a lot, but he can handle it. He does tend to get a little over-zealous which can lead to him going a bit too far forward, leading to the opposition being able to break sometimes too.

Val Sissons: A smart player who reads the game well. Might not be the quickest player on the pitch, but has a good amount of stamina which will come in very useful over the two-days. Val is not afraid to put a foot in so expect her to go all out for 50/50s. On the downside, this does sometime mean she jumps into challenges which for skillful players can mean an easy way past.

Breanna Arcane-Kootenay [C]: Similar to Val, Breanna is not the quickest. But her positioning is the biggest strength, alongside her communication - making her the perfect captain for this team. Breanna will put her body on the line for the team, even at her expense, it's that do or die attitude (ok but please no one should be dying, this is just a saying) attitude that will serve her team well. On the negative point, going forward she's not going to offer too much. Luckily I expect this team will probably play 2 at the back, allowing her to sit back.

Leo Hynes: Leo is going to be between midfield and defence, I just decided to do defence to add another person here. I expect Leo will be more of a midfielder due to his high energy and relentless tenacity. I do see him dropping back when people sub off though. Hynes is a pretty consistent all-around contributor, one of the reasons why this team looks so strong. You'll see him defending as much as attacking, and has a deceptively good pass on him. His biggest weakness is he likely lacks that real doggedness that someone of his ability could use. He's relentless off the ball, but if he had that slight bit more fire, he could be this Italy's new Gennaro Gattuso.

Midfield:

Sebastien Magana-Garcia: An elite playmaker with a keen eye for goal. Magana-Garcia has a real shot at being the playmaker award winner in this tournament and could be a real danger from distance. His weakness is that he seems to have some sort of love hate relationship with the crossbar though - could it be a "hello darkness my old friend" moment, or will he finally get one (or many) over on his arch-enemy, the crossbar.

Nick Bice: A do it all midfielder, calm on the ball, will defend from the front and get back to cover while having the technical ability to dribble past players and bring the ball under control from a difficult pass. If Nick was not injured, he would be a serious contender for one of the top awards, but alas, his biggest weakness is that of his weak ol calf muscle and ankle. He also doesn't have the best vision for a pass, so he might not be much of a playmaking midfielder.

Miguel Mantilla: Miguel will be the first to tell you his legs aren't what they used to be. He's not 18 anymore. But the technical ability is all still there. I put him as a winger here, though I really expect him to be more of a Pirlo-Esque player, spraying passes left, right and center. Mantilla is an attack-first mentality, so don't expect him to be playing back to the goalie, he'll be looking for that forward pass. If you do see him on the wing, expect more of a Beckham-Esque style, dropping in balls from deep. As I mentioned, negatively his downside is he's not going to be sprinting to get back from a break, or catching up with the young bucks, but experience trumps this most times.

Taylor LeFevre: A speedy winger with a fantastic foot. Expect to see a few long-range efforts and some brilliant crosses coming in from Taylor. He reminds me of an Insigne type, maybe not the type to go one on one with someone, but he will dribble and put in a beauty of a ball. As we mentioned though, his weakness despite being fast is that he's not the most skillful winger, so one on ones are not really his forte, he also lacks a little endurance which seems to be the go to weakness for this team.

Forwards:

Garrett Brick: Garrett is someone who might not be the fastest, but he will chase down the lost-cause 9/10 times. He's technically a very gifted player, clearly having a lot of experience growing up. He will happily ping a shot from 30-yards and have a good chance at scoring from it. Italy will need Brick to score some goals if they are going to do well in this tournament. The best thing about his game is he will be the defence from the front, defenders will not enjoy playing against him. His biggest weakness will be his ability to control a longer pass, while his short passing control is good, if he's playing as the sole striker he likely doesn't have the speed to get onto an over the top one, and he doesn't do as well bringing the ball down from height.

Dylan Bergunder: Truth be told, not much is known about Dylan, or if he is even a striker. But this team is crying out for goals and given his experience which consists of playing since he was 5, including training in England and Div 1 in Edmonton, we think he is there best shot. Ultimately, he could be a CB and this team is going to be a bit too defensive, but I think Bergunder could be a real one to watch here. No weaknesses to talk about, except that he might not be a striker!

4/1 Odds - Dark Horse contender here. Italy is a tough one, on paper they have a lot of technically gifted players. However, they are probably the team with the least amount of stamina. If they can really make things work and utilize those players who are like the duracell batteries then I really expect them to do well.

I expect a lot of nice goals from this team, they have the technical prowess to score from outside of the box. They are also very solid defensively which is going to be there biggest strength, I'm expecting a lot of low scoring games, but nipping results based on some masterclass shooting.

One of the most feared nations in the world, on the soccer scene people I didn't mean that. Captained by 2 time Indoor Invitational winner (and 1 time runner-up) Jayson Postle. Germany will be looking to utilize their captains experience in these tournaments. Being part of Germanys team also means you're expected to know how to drink, people will be looking to you for the after party!

Goalie:

Marlon Davila: By no means the most experienced goalie, but will quite easily be one of the ones most willing to put his body on the line. Marlon only recently started playing goalie, but with that comes a wealth of knowledge of how players play given he was formerly an outfield player. This gives him a wide-range of passing ability. His true strengths lie in his ability to come out fast on the ball, something he's been working on recently and really started to showcase some extraordinary talent. Weakness is probably his ball-handling, while not bad, he has been known to spill a ball here and there, in hockey we would call it his "rebound control". 

Defence:

Philip Twohig: Not much is known about Philip to really give a clear description. From what we do know, he's more of a defender and given he plays VMSL Div 2, we expect he'll be at least comfortable on the ball.

James Whelan: This guy has played a tournament or two before and is one of those players that really goes under the radar but is absolutely vital for his team. More of a defensive midfielder usually, James is likely going to find himself dropping a bit more in this tournament given the amount of midfielders. James is good on the ball and likes to play a long ball when needed. Ultimately his general all-around reliability and consistency is his best ability though, he doesn't do too much wrong. With that being said, his weakness is that he doesn't have that "one thing" that is top notch, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Midfield:

Ari Ross: A real bundle of joy to play with, Ari is going to be the cheerleader from within the pitch while creating many chances for her team also. It's going to be hard to see this team losing any morale with Ari on their team which is only going to be a huge benefit for them. That's not everything though, Ari will be providing a lot of attacking creativity going forward, and could be a potential for the playmaker award! Her weakness lies in anything related to height or putting the body on the line, she's not a defender so I don't expect we'll see her lining up in the wall for a free kick anytime soon, and if we do - she'll probably duck.

Davis McCall: Our newest player to the tournament, replacing a late drop-out. Davis comes in to this team as a slightly interesting prospect for Germany. He can play anywhere on the field, and is a real team player. Given the lack of defence in this squad I could see him playing CB, or CDM. He loves to pass the ball and will go for the long through balls from time to time as well with his excellent vision. The only downside to his game is that his finishing is sub-par, so while he can play as a Striker, he would be more of a trequartista style. 

Jimmy Price: A brilliant communicator who loves to control the play from the middle of the park. His passing and vision are some of the best in the tournament and his technical ability in general is something to marvel at, high ball coming at him with speed? You bet he'll get it under control. He does lack a little defensively, as the primary center mid this could be an issue, and he is not much of a runner - more of a spray balls from the middle kind of midfielder. The german equivalent of Pirlo.

Carmina Cura: A decent dribbler, likely more of a center mid mezzala type playing, running into the wing spaces for the overlapping runs. Curas' top strength is her passing ability, able to pick out a pass from pretty much anywhere on the pitch which is going to be huge for this creative looking team. On the downside, her defending isn't great, so don't expect to see her doing much there and she is a little slow with her reaction times.

Colin Higman: Extremely fast off the block, the acceleration to beat most players and with the ability to use both feet. He loves to switch the ball to the opposite flank to create space, or even just coming deep and turning to find a long ball over the top - something Jayson is going to relish with his speed. Outside of this though Colin does lack some fitness, so his sprints do leave him exhausted for a few minutes afterwards - Leroy Sane esque. He is also very injury prone, so expect to see him on the subs bench a fair bit.

Hesham Shelabi: Another player not much is known about, it will be Heshams first tournament with us. He's relatively new to soccer in the grand scheme of things, having only started in the last 4 years. He's more of a winger/behind the striker type player, which is unique for a newer player given they usually start in defence. I expect he'll be comfortable moving the ball forward, but from a weakness he likely isn't going to offer much defensively.

Ronan Duignan: I'm expecting Ronan to be the one supplying Jayson up front and contributing some goals himself. Not much is known but another Div 2 VMSL player who likes to play further forward, we've heard from our sources he's willing to pitch in with goals too. A slight update here after hearing that Ronan might be a little better than he first led on. As the captain of his VMSL team and a prime forward-thinking player, I think he's going to be a real contender for one of the top awards in this tournament given he's going to be playing alongside the reigning MVP and Top Goalscorer, Jayson Postle.

Forwards:

Jayson Postle [C]: Enigmatic Striker who has a real ability to find the net. Top-Scorer and MVP from the most recent Indoor Invitational, any team with Jayson stands a chance. Having won twice before it'll be interesting to see how he changes his methods for the outdoor bigger field. Jayson will work hard all over the field, including being the defensive striker that is so effective in 7-aside. His weakest attribute though is he does like to drop quite deep, looking at this team they have a lot of midfielders so he is likely going to need to be that focal point. 

6/1 Odds - Truth is you can never cast a team with Jason out, but the resurgence of Mexico getting a legit goalie has pushed ze Germans down a notch. Previously equal with Brazil I decided one team needs to take the lowly wooden spoon spot (which I never get right, so let that be a good omen to you Germany!). The team is all around a good team, however their lack of defence is mightily concerning. With only one out and out defender, they could be in for a tough time on that front.

A recent revelation has led me to change Germany to now be the joint wooden spoon team with Brazil, but this could quite easily be higher, I just didn't want to redo all the rankings. They now have a real playmaker on the team to help provide the assists which is a huge asset to have for the reigning top goalscorer on their team.

On par with Germany in terms of being a dominant soccer nation. Let us hope they come prepared and not full of Croissants. Captained by newcomer Richie Smith to the Invitational, not much is known about Richie from a captain standpoint, but he seems to be a level-headed guy so expect this team to be full of some knowledgeable and calm minds.

Goalie:

Conor Larkin: Truth be told, not much is known about Conor, from what we hear he is relatively new to soccer - at least in goal. But we think this could be a rouse to hide some true hidden talent!

Defence:

Luis Gonzales: What Luis lacks in fitness these days he makes up with pure heart. No one in the tournament loves soccer as much as this guy and it will show on the field. He will leave it all out there every single time. An astute defender who has the technical ability to make some great passes. He'll also happily take you on if you dive in too hard on him, showing that technical ability as he rolls back the years. Negatively, he does try too much sometimes, maybe he forgets he's not 18 anymore, but these are not often.

Laura Barlow: Laura is quite similar to Luis in the leaving everything out there aspect, I expect they will be playing defence together a fair bit, so this is going to be a dynamic duo. Laura is likely the faster of the two and has a bit more feistiness in her, she will put a foot in hard in a 50/50. She's not the fastest player, but is able to listen to instruction well, which makes anyone with a bit more experince a really good match for her in defence. As I mentioned, her speed isn't the best and if she plays wing back, she will push up which is great, but might not have the speed to get back from a break.

Andrew Spens: Another ball playing defender in the tournament, strong in the tackle and defensively in general, Spens is liekly going to be a major source of this teams speed up the other end of the field. Lofty over the top balls, or slick ground passes to the wingers, this guy can do it both. However, he has the potential to be a favourite for the Arse of the Day award, as he can be a little overly aggressive in the tackle sometimes, while not meaning to - he just has a real want to win!

Daniela Gonzalez: Brilliant first touch and turn, is going to really deceive some players utilizing this. Off the ball Daniela is one of the best, I expect her to be playing on the wing back positions due to this, getting up and down the pitch creating space for a fast looking team. That being said, her weakness is likely her explosiveness and speed, but her team makes up in this, and given her ability to turn quickly it shouldn't be a problem.

Midfield:

Richie Smith [C]: Captain Richie is another not much is known about. Though we know he plays more of a central defensive role. Given the defenders already in the team, I expect him to be playing an N'Golo Kante type role, all around the midfield breaking up play and spraying passes to those creative players to get the ball up the field quickly. Weakness wise not much is known, but I imagine given his want to stay further back, he's not much of a shooter, as he'll be likely playing midfield this might lead to some wayward shots.

Sebastien Sanchez: A quick-footed attack minded player. One of the players with real technical dribbling, expect to see stepovers and skill moves like fifa street with this guy. His dribbling is definitely his best attribute, he's able to glide past people using a variety of tricks which makes him a major, major threat. This does come with its drawbacks though, he can get caught with his head down, focusing on the skills and miss an easier opportunity for a pass at the same time.

Rabih El-Alami: One of the first dynamic wingers I've written about today. Rabih loves to play on the wing and find balls into the box, but his favourite thing to do is to cut inside and take a pop shot. Given the size of the 7-aside goals, I expect him to score a few goals in this tournament. I think he's going to have really good linkup play with the two main forwards, Sebastien and Alexis. Weakness wise he might not be the fittest he once was, as a winger in 7-aside he's going to be expected to do a lot of tracking back, which could be an issue.

Hamza Farooqui: Another player that not much is known about, which could make this team a real dark-horse (or the opposite). But playing in Div 3 in FVSL and Div 2 in the Muslim Soccer League, I expect Hamza to be somewhat decent at least. Not sure where he plays but for now I'm going with a more winger style of player.

Forward:

Alexis Martinez-Torres: A true false 9 striker, I'm expecting Alexis to come deep to get the ball before turning and running at the defence or opening up to make a pass. The dynamic duo between Sanchez and him will be a joy to watch as they each make overlapping runs for each other. He's also a brilliant communicator, and will help those newer players in the team which is a huge asset from one of the main forwards. Despite being a striker, his biggest weakness is that of his finishing, he will make many many chances for himself, but only score a few - but I still expect it to be enough to catapult him up the top scorers table.

5/1 Odds - The real middle of the pack team, one of the most well rounded teams that could be the favourites if their dynamic duo of Torres / Sanchez really pops off. I'm really intrigued to see how those two play out. 

I think their defence is going to be a major part, the double Gonzales[z], Spens and Barlow with Captain Smith sitting in front is going to be very difficult to break down. From there they can play it forward to one of the wide players who can break up the pitch fast.

One of two South American teams in the tournament, Argentina will be looking to at the very least beat their rivals Brazil in the tournament. I don't really know what Argentina is known for, but I bet it is awesome. Captained by former Indoor Invitational top scorer, Reza Rahiem, they look in good hands as Reza aims to take his mantle back.

Goalie:

Ricardo Aldasora: Already a contender for the golden glove, Aldasora is the tournaments prized candidate for any team. The first goalie in Invitational history to win MVP, Ricardo is known by many now and anyone who has him on their side is going to be a legit contender. Impeccable shot stopping and a willingness to put his body on the line unlike most. The only weakness in Ricardos game is that if he lets in an early goal, he can let his head drop a little.

Defence:

Gursewak Mangat: Another defensive-minded player who is also brilliant in the air. Gurse is a relatively tall defender with a wide array of passing ability. He will look to play a long ball here and there, while also using the shorter pass if needed too. His strongest ability is that of reading the game, he will see things before they've happened, whether a long pass from the opposition team, or a one-on-one situation. His downside is that he does like to play his way out of trouble sometimes, as a defender it's not the best thing to do.

Kate Pietras: When someones weakness is they are sometimes too sore to play 100% because they do too much of a workout before the game, you know they're a competitor. That's exactly what Pietras is, fierce, bold and fearless. An elite defender with unrivaled physicality, you better place your money on her in most 50/50s as it's more like 90/10. Her defensive ability is going to be the standout factor for her, she might not be the best ball playing defender but next to someone like Gurse she can focus on the winning the ball side of things.

Midfield:

Sean Evans: A dynamic dribbler of the ball, who will do the defensive duties as well. Brilliant tackler which makes him a useful asset in midfield as he can do both attack and defence. He also has a brilliant attitude which makes him a pleasure to play with! His biggest weakness is that of his fitness and perhaps reluctant to shoot, he loves to pass.

Paul Joehnk: Starting with his weakness, his endurance isn't the best but I think on this team it's going to be fine. I think Paul is going to be the sit back midfielder, spraying passes from the midfield. This is because his biggest strengths lie in finding open players and his general vision. He will get forward from time to time i'm sure, he'll just need someone to cover him, and with that he will be a good source of assists for this team.

Donovan Gleason: A master of long-ranged shots and passes. Donovan is not someone you should expect to bomb forward at blistering pace, but he is someone that can play a perfectly weighted pass to the feet or infront of the Strikers. I fully expect a few long-ranged goals from this guy, and could potentially be a dark horse for playmaker award. On the weak side, as mentioned he's not the fastest player so he's going to be pretty deep - this team already has a player similar to this so we'll see how they do together.

Justin Willness: Justin is another new player to the tournament, but our reports have it that he will be a primary source of assists for this team, some say he could be in the running for the playmaker award too. As this team has two strikers already, I expect to see Justin playing more as a winger with the occasional stint in defence. Having played in regional whitecaps academies, we're expecting a decent player going forward here. Not much can be said for weaknesses, though he did say he primarily plays for fun these days, so perhaps his fitness isn't quite what it used to be.

Salena Farris: A gifted passer and someone who will always be able to find that little bit of open space. This is going to give players like Mangat the ability to pass out from defence to the wing or center mid depending on where she is at that time. Her game relies on her ability to find open space and be smart about her place, that's why her biggest weakness isn't that much of an issue - speed. While it would be nice to have that little bit of extra speed, I don't see it being a problem on this team.

Forward:

Jed Bath: A player that can play anywhere down the middle of the pitch, CB, CM and CF is someone that you need to watch out for. This team looks pretty set at CB, so I expect Jed will be a CM or CF for this team depending on who is on at that time. He's a new player so not much is known other than that, but he has played for about 20 years in the UK which does suggest he's going to be  a decent player.

Reza Rahiem [C]: The return of Reza, after having to miss out last minute on the last tournament, he's come to take his top goalscorer crown back, though it does count for different stats. Reza is a playmaker and goalscorer in one. If there is another striker who is more of an out and out striker, expect him to become the playmaker, but if his team is needing goals, he will be the one to get them. He can pretty much play anywhere along the front line and a little in midfield too. He's a hard-worker who won't give up on the ball. His biggest downside is he perhaps goes too hard too soon, which does lead him to gas towards the end of the day. The beauty of that though is playoffs start on the 2nd day here!

4/1 Odds - Probably the better team on paper compared to their 4/1 counterparts in Italy, but really I had to pick an underdog to make the top 3. Previously I was excited about this teams defence, but a late drop out has forced a more attack minded player (midfielder) to come in, meaning they are left with only 2 defenders. That being said, they still have former MVP Ricardo Aldasora in goal.

Brilliant playmaking and a team who will work well as a unit is what is going to make this team do well. They have goals in them, and two solid defenders -but they will need breaks which could be the time to strike against them

Alongside Argentina as the representatives for South America, Brazil come in with a huge weight on their shoulders after a poor few years in the International team. Can captain Olaniyi Osatuyi bring Brazil back to the glory days? Will he channel his inner Ronaldo, or more like Kleberson?

Goalie:

Rob Dufalo: Fearless goalie who loves to play out from the back using his hands. Rob is a true old school goalie, Julio Cesar-Esque. He loves to use his long throw to start the counter attack and will not be afraid to put his body on the line to stop a goal. Goal kicks however are not his forte, in his own words "can't do a goal kick" which suggests he'll be doing short passes from the kick.

Defence:

Giovani Agostini: The leader at the back, Giocomo is a real old school defender. He loves to put a tackle in and loves the art of defending. It's said that Maldini copied his quote of "If I need to make a tackle, I've already done something wrong". The biggest strength of Agostini though is definitely his ability to lead his team, Olaniyi might be the captain but this guy is going to be the one doing the talking. His biggest weakness is he does like to get a bit mouthy with the referee sometimes, which could lead to a SIN BIN.

Jaime Souza: One of the top women of the competition, Jaime brings a real passion for womens soccer. She will go toe to toe with any person and really encourage the women on her team to be vocal about receiving a pass. Her passing ability is really what sets her aside from most though, one of the best passers of the ball, and has some great vision. However, with the great vision does sometimes lead to some slightly overambitious attempts of a pass.

Sophie Burnett: After a while outside of the Soccer game, Burnett is returning! While not much is known about her style of play, we know she prefers to play on the midfield area. Given the abundance of CMs this team has, we think she will be utilized on the wing back position to get forward and back. 

Matthew Short: In a team full of fitness, comes the fittest of them all! Short is not going to be short of energy (urgh, gross, sorry). The Brazilian Duracell Battery is what they nickname him, he's going to be hopping along until 6pm on Sunday. However, this is just part of his greatest asset which is his overall field awareness which means he doesn't need to run around like a headless chicken, he's going to dictate the game from defence with his awareness. On the flip side, he's not the most technically gifted player, so he might not have the most finesse in the world.

Midfield:

Will Van Dao: I imagine Will is going to be the main person breaking up play. Don't expect him to always be sitting deep though, he's very similar to someone like Gilberto Silva, holding the midfield while in defence before breaking forward when the space permits. A pretty small player, he relishes the ball at his feet and will not be afraid to run at people, with that being said that can also be a negative, especially if playing a more defensive role as it can lead to turnovers.

Cian O'Hanlon: Another player that not much is known about, but having played for a long time in Ireland, and now for a little bit in Vancouver, I expect Cian to be a difficult opponent to play against. I'm not sure why, but he looks tall in photos so I think he's going to show a bit of N'Zonzi in the midfield almost.

David McLeod: Strong, fast defensive midfielder? Gilberto Silva at the helm with this guy. David is a very quick central midfielder who loves to play a bit deeper and play the easy pass to move things forward quickly. With his strength he is able to bully midfielders and strikers alike off the ball. However, coming in midfield his one issue is that his pass accuracy is not the best, so he is limited in his range of passes that he can do.

Striker:

Luke McMahon: A dynamic dribbler with the ball, probably one of the most active runners in the tournament. I fully expect Luke to bang in a good number of goals in this tournament, especially with more room to run. If there was an award for 'most successful dribbles completed' he would probably win it. On the other hand, he would probably also win the 'most dribbles unsuccessfully completed' which shows the Jekyll & Hyde style of player he is.

Olaniyi Osatuyi [C]: Are we going to see Ronaldo, or Kleberson? Pele or Jo? Who knows! But I do know he'll score some goals and at some point he'll be up there for the top scorers at the very least. A tall, strong striker who can hold up the play and dribble as well. There won't be many who can handle Osatuyi during this tournament in the bigger pitch so expect to see him bully his way through sometimes. His biggest flaw is that he does have a tendency to look for the shot rather than the pass, even if it's a completely free opportunity to pass, with the likes of Luke and other dribblers in the team he will probably need to switch his game up a bit.

6/1 Odds - Brazil have gone from 3/1 to 6/1 solely based on other teams becoming stronger. This team is classy though. With some brilliant dribblers, and a real out and out striker they are going to score goals. They also have a very good defence so I don't expect them to concede many. 

I think the emergence of Agostini in defence is going to be a real game-changer for them. A last minute change to teams meant Agostini moved over for a more attack-minded player. They also have a real enigma in Souza, who could be a difference maker and is able to play anywhere on the field, I don't expect to see her playing much at CB, but perhaps a few games.

The Return of the Mighty Orange in the past few years has been beautiful. After being pretty non existent for a while, they have finally started putting some results together. Now, they travel to Squamish under the guidance of Jordan Mant, fresh off a captains performance in the Indoor Invitational to see if they can bring some (more) glory back to the red light district.

Goalie:

Sam Serrano: Extremely quick goalie, definitely more of a sweeper keeper with top notch reflexes. Sam is going to be a real one. to watch, especially as I think this team has some solid defence, it's going to be a case of shooting from distance which will really test his skills. On the weak side of things, he's not the best at corners which could be something to exploit going forward.

Defence:

Shaun Goncalves: Strong defender who loves to play the ball out from the back. He's not the fastest but his positioning usually keeps him out of needing to sprint after the ball - this teams Van Dijk (without the height). This team is very strong going forward and having a CB who can play the ball forward is going to be huge. His weakest attribute is probably his fitness which he'll admit isn't at its peak right now, though if he's playing CB he can likely keep the tank from running out.

Liya D'Souza: A new player to the tournament, not much is known about Liya but we've heard she did used to play 11 a-side games so is going to be at least comfortable on the ball. She has admitted her fitness might not be at the level she is looking to be at for the tournament though, so likely her weakness right there.

Admin Lopez Villedas: Extremely calm under pressure defender who can also play on the wings. Admin is a team oriented player so expect her to link up play well up and down the wings as they will likely play a wing back type role given their experience. I could see some good link up play happening with Jordan Mant, given a small period of playing together before. The weakest part of her game would be shooting, while not a major issue given she will be more of a defender, it might hinder her being able to push too far forward.

Abhishek Sharma: Passionate defensive midfielder who will likely play a bit in defence too this tournament. All in all he can pretty much play anywhere and will be comfortable taking a penalty if needed. He likes to create link up play with the midfield and go on dynamic runs while still being mindful of defensive duties. His biggest weakness is also a strength at times, is his passion - he can sometimes get carried away and frustrated which leads to him making mistakes.

Midfield:
Craig Lindsay: Versatile player who is comfortable anywhere but in goal. Played 11aside for a while and has more recently been playing small-sided games so should be prepared for this tournament! Outside of this not much is known so we can't comment too well here.

Jordan Mant [C]: The captain of Netherlands, Jordan will be hoping to be the first ever captain to an Indoor & Outdoor invitational championship! Jordans strongest feature is his tenacity to win the ball all over the pitch. He's a player who can score goals and defend which makes him a really valuable asset in midfield. Not to mention he has a pretty decent engine on him - even if he looks like a tomato after running for 5 minutes (good ol Irish skin). The biggest negative for Mant is that he gets frustrated with himself pretty easily and can sometimes stay on the pitch too long without taking a sub.

Replacement: 
Jack McDermott: Jack is more of a winger than a behind the striker player, but given how centralized this team looks with all of their players being more central I figured he would be a perfect fit just behind one of the strikers. As a winger I expect him to be comfortable running at defenders, with the size of the pitch he will have the space to do that here. We're not sure quite how good he is, but as a Div 2 VMSL player we think he'll be comfortable holding his own here.

Forward:
Sam Dean: Going to be one of the highlight players based on reviews we've heard! Sam could be a potential top goalscorer or top playmaker with the forward thinking team he has. He has excellent movement off the ball, and an eagle-eye to pick out a pass. His biggest weakness is that he's not much of a long-range shooter, so don't expect to see many worldies from him.

Toby Moffat: A definite contender for top goalscorer award. Toby is a tall, stocky guy who loves to dribble with the ball. This makes it extremely difficult to knock him off the ball. He can also play CB so if this team is lacking a little defensively, and the likes of Jack & Sam are banging in the goals, expect Toby to drop back into defence. His fitness is probably his biggest issue, being such a big guy he does gas out after 5/6 games and a reach stint of Covid will not have helped his preparations here.

3/1 Odds - The 2nd favourites for me. Though Argentina are now making a case for that after doing these writeups. That being said, a team with elite strikers Moffat & Dean, along with a brilliant goalie, a solid defence and an energetic midfield is going to be hard to knock off one of the top spots. 

In fact, some would probably say they could be the number 1 team, which I guess given the equal odds they kind of are. I think it comes down to how Moffatt recovers from Covid and how the team gels with a lot of different types of players in the team. Not to mention, the last female spot yet to be filled.

 Chocolates, we love Belgium Chocolates, and Waffles. But we also love their soccer nation! Captained by first-time Invitational goer Pavanjit Guraya. One of the smaller nations in the tournament but with some massive names in the team, they could be a real powerhouse.

Goalie:

Ben Morgan: One of the top keepers in the tournament on paper will be coming in with two functional goalie gloves (that usually match!). One of his biggest strengths is his complete lack of self preservation, willing to throw any part of him on the line to stop the ball going in the net. This team is strong, but even stronger with him as the goalie. On the flip-side, he has the foot skills of a goalie, so don't expect any Courtois-esque passes.

Defence:

Jake Wilkinson: The epitome of defence, we'll start with the weak here and obviously it's that if you're the epitome of defence, your attack is not so great. Don't expect Jake to get many, if any goals. But what he lacks in scoring, he makes up for in stopping goals on the other side too. Jake is a lanky defender who will go into any 50/50 challenge. He's got a decent engine on him, so even as a sole center back he will do well. I could see him notching a goal due to his height if he can get up for some corners.

Roubadeh Rah: One of the newer players in the tournament, Roubadeh brings an extremely positive outlook and will bring morale up for any team she plays in. Her biggest strength though is that she is able to implement new techniques extremely quickly. This leads to her being able to adapt to the game extremely well, whether that's taking a step back off a particularly quick player, or getting tighter to those players who you need to give less space. Her biggest weakness is that she does get dragged into a more central position a bit when playing as a wing-back which does leave gaps.

Carl Moulton: Another newbie to the tournaments, Carl primarily plays 5 aside so I'm expecting a shifty player who can get up and down the pitch and create a lot of link up play. We're not sure his exact position, so we went with wingback for now as that gives the best of both worlds.

Midfield:
Chris Mah: Enigmatic midfielder. Mah is the definition of a "classy mid". Don't expect Chris to bomb forward and take a 30 yard long shot, or a diving run into the box. Instead, he's going to be box-to-box, playing passes all over the shop while controlling the flow of the play. Defensively he's going to break things up, and look to play the ball fast on the counter. He's a real contender for MVP and people should keep an eye out on him. Weakness wise, there really isn't much to write home about, I'd say his shooting ability lacks a little but that's about it.

Juliana Edwards: A real box-to-box midfielder here. Edwards is a top notch striker of the ball, and a very good defender as well, so I fully expect a real Marie Minnaert style of player with Edwards. Willing to do the dirty work, but the technical ability to show off some flashy footwork and beautiful goals. Her downsize is she is very strong on the ball, sometimes a little too strong which can lead to fouls - she'll be a major piece of this team so she doesn't want to end up in the sin bin.

Scott Shannon: Relatively unknown player here, we're not even sure what position he plays so we're going for more of a central midfield role. He originally signed on as a goalie, but something didn't feel free so after double-checking I confirmed he is a player. Maybe his weakness is that he has low-concentration.

Giovani Casanova: A midfeidler who relies on his relentless tenacity. A true buzz of energy in the midfield for Belgium. Giovani really excels when he's able to move quickly, that includes reading the play and making quick give and gos and just hounding the opposition 24/7. He also is decent in the box, so expect a box-to-box type midfielder who might chip in with a few goals. His biggest downside is that he can be a little heavy on the first touch which can lead to losing the ball in midfield, usually this would be an issue but given the amount of CMs this team has, they should be able to cover.

Gustavo Villegas-Ibarra: A shifty midfielder who can play on the wing also. I think he'll end up just behind the striker given the lack of goals in this team. As a former 3rd division in Mexico player, we're expecting some fancy footwork and fast runs from Ibarra. With that being said, we think he might lack a little defensively, though we could be wrong on that.

Forward:

Pavanjit Guraya [C]: Last but not least we have Pavanjit. He's what I would describe as a real false 9 striker. He will come deep to get the ball before turning and running at defenders. That being said, he won't be afraid to make those last minute runs into the box either, if he sees his team is playing creatively, he will be that focal point needed. His biggest weakness is likely his finishing, while not bad in any sense, for a striker he might not be quite as clinical as some others.

3/1 Odds - The top team! We all know how close these tournaments end up being, and a lot of the time I'm wrong on these. But the last 2 times I have been right, so let that sink in team Belgium.  Captained by first time Invitational player Pavanjit Guraya, he'll be looking to provide the goals, and likely assists too as the spearhead of this diamond formation team.

Ultimately, this team is going to be good because of there solid all-around ability, and because they are all able to play multiple positions. I think the midfield is going to be the best in the tournament, with Chris Mah running the show in an underrated way.