By Ian Campbell and photo by Cam Vassallo
The 2014 season was a mix of highs and lows for FC LONDON. Unfortunately, many of the lows included losses early in the season, largely due to an irregular lineup caused by injuries. On a positive note, FC London finished 7th of 64 teams across the PDL in ‘Goals For’ with 32 in 14 games. And despite not making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the team finished the season strong.
“Like I said to the boys before several games, at this point we are playing for pride,” said coach Martin Painter. “We believe that we can be the best team in this division. While it didn’t happen this summer, we still wanted to go out with the best record that we could.”
FC London treated fans to a 2-0 victory over the division-leading Chicago Fire U23 in their final home game of the 2014 PDL season. The local community made a strong showing of support, gathering the largest attendance of the year for their last match at Cove Rd.
“We love seeing a crowd of this size in the stands,” said President Ian Campbell. “We are happy that the sport of soccer continues to grow in our community and that we can play a part in that growth. What a great way to thank the players, coaching staff and sponsors for their efforts this season.”
German Yannis Becker ended the regular season ranked 3rd among points leaders (27), 1st in assists (7), and 4th in goals scored (10). A highlight of Becker’s season was scoring the first five goals of the season for the team, including a hat-trick on June 4 against the Toronto Lynx on the road.
Italian James Pucci was definitely a crowd favourite for London fans this season. He finished 1st in the league among shots leaders (46). He was also 4th in goals scored (10) and 6th in points (23). FC London fans unanimously agreed that Pucci’s bicycle kick goal on June 13 vs. Pittsburgh at Cove Rd (make sure to check out the video on YouTube) was their most memorable moment of the year.
The FC LONDON management team now looks over the horizon to the 2015 season, which includes continuing to monitor the local youth landscape. FC LONDON looks to lead a common vision for local clubs in the search for on-field excellence.
