Club news items and stories are listed below. To view a listing of MUFC Staff & Directors please see – MUFC Staff & Directors
MUFC – Euro Tour 2013 – Day 10 & 11
Day Ten
During the morning, the boys once again trained at the grounds of FC Kaiserslautern. Their guest coach for a brief tactical session was former German International and Arsenal player, Stefan Malz. His session essentially centered on player movements utilizing a 6 v 4 structure. In the afternoon, it was off to Frankfurt for a Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. The atmosphere in the stadium was really something as the traveling Dortmund fans were plentiful and in good song. The match was of a very high standard with some great players showing their technical and tactical qualities. It ended 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund which made for a celebratory departure for the dozens of Dortmund buses leaving the city. Following our return to Kaiserslautern, the boys were treated to a very nice traditional German dinner to conclude a busy day.
Day Eleven
With the final day in Germany, the boys will be having a bit of fun at a local swimming pool in the morning. Following lunch at the hotel, our group will travel up to Frankfurt for the flight home. The inaugural MUFC Euro Tour has been an exceptional experience for the participants. The soccer and cultural events have provided many memorable moments and our players will reflect fondly on the experience. The Club extends its gratitude to Justin Thompson and Dr. Andreas Kirsch for all of their efforts in putting together a wonderful tour for our players. Danke schon!
MUFC – Euro Tour 2013 – Day 8 & 9
Day Eight
A morning training session at the grounds of FC Kaiserslautern was a light one with a six-aside mini tournament featured. The group then traveled to the town of Rudesheim for a beautiful tour of the Rhein River. The many acres of vineyards along the river banks spotted with small villages and castles made for some incredible sights.
Day Nine
The day began with a brisk walk into the center of Kaiserslautern. The group then took a route through the forest and several small towns before arriving at Neiderkirchen. The town was hosting a weekend festival and included a soccer tournament. Two games were arranged for our boys against Regional Select teams as a part of the festivities. Our younger squad played well particularly as they lined up against a team of 1998′s. In the end, the boys went down 2-1 but showed some good qualities. Special mention to our three 2000-born players, Lorenzo De Bei, Gerardo Villavicencio and Jamie Marshall who more than held their own against much larger boys. Lorenzo was unlucky not to level the game as he struck the crossbar on a beautifully taken free kick late in the match. Our older boys came out strong against a team of 1997′s and went ahead by two goals at the half. Devon Jones with the first on a nice individual effort before setting Marko Dackovic up for the second. Our opponents pulled one back late in the game but the boys held for a 2-1 victory. The group was treated to some local cuisine before heading back to the hotel in Kaiserslautern.
MUFC – Euro Tour 2013 – Day 6 & 7
Day Six
The day began with a nice walk through Kaiserslautern up to the Walter Fritz Stadium. This stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 World Cup. Our group was treated to a very nice tour of the facility with access to some restricted areas such as the media centre and private suites. A walk along the sidelines and bench areas provided perspective on the size of the stadium and the atmosphere that would be present during matches. This stadium hosted several important matches in 2006 including the quarter final between Italy and Australia. Our tour guide was still upset on the penalty call that allowed Italy’s Francesco Totti to put them through to face Germany in the semi-final. Next to the stadium at the training field, our boys were able to take in a training session of FC Kaiserslautern’s first team. An added bonus was a Q & A session with Canadian International Olivier Occean folowing the training. An interesting sideshow was the access to the head coach by some of the local supporters as he left the grounds. Some of the discussion appeared quite animated as the coach is under some heat for recent results and overall performance. He was fired the following day. In the evening, our U16 group played against FC Kaiserslautern’s U16 team on an absolutely immaculate grass field at their training ground. Our boys conceded two goals in each half for a 4-0 defeat to an exceptional team. The German boys really demonstrated superior technical and tactical abilities. Our boys did well to create a few chances but the pace of the game was something they would never have been exposed to. It was a distinct privilege for our players to play against such a quality team.
Day Seven
The group once again made the trip up to the city of Karlsruhe where the U16 boys had another tough match. This time with the FC Karlsruhler ’98 team who are current legaue champions with a phenomenal goal difference. On the heels of the difficult match the previous night, our boys found themselves chasing early against another fantastic opponent. MUFC held for the first 15 minutes or so, but the extraordinary tactical movements of the Germans began to expose our players and they eventually cruised to a 5-0 win. While the last couple of matches have been humbling experiences for the older boys, they have come away with a true perspective on the standard of the game in Europe. Again, we considered it a privilege to line up against such quality.
MUFC – Euro Tour 2013 – Day 3, 4, & 5
Day Three
The Boys participated in another full training session at the grounds of FC Kaiserslautern this morning. This was followed up with a visit to the historic and beautiful city of Heidelberg. The visit included a guided tour of its remarkable ancient castle. The rain on the day was a reminder of home but the sights were seemingly a world away. A late dinner and a couple hours of down time concluded the day.
Day Four
The Boys were given some rest time to start the day but found their legs when visiting a large sporting goods store. Later in the day, the U14 Boys played SV Wiesenthalerof, a feeder Club to FC Kaiserslautern. The locals were clearly overmatched with the MUFC team coasting to an easy 9-0 victory. The hosts were gracious and impressed with the abilities of our players. Up the road, the U16 boys were matched up against FK Pirmasen. A winding climb up the mountainside made for some pleasant scenery but there was a significant drop in the temperature making it feel more like a November in BC. The Pirmasen team showed considerable technical ability and were very effective in counterattack. They were able to establish a 2-0 lead before the MUFC boys rallied back on a goal from Willem Kok. With six minutes to go and with MUFC pressing by going with three at the back, Pirmasen found a way to score three late goals to finish it at 5-1. A disappointing scoreline and certainly not one indicative of the game overall, but a lesson in determination and competitiveness for the MUFC players.
Day Five
The group traveled to the beautiful French city of Strasbourg. The canal tour provided some incredible visuals of the architecture and historic buildings. This was followed up with an opportunity to walk the cobblestoned streets and a quick visit to the extraordinary Strasbourg Cathedral. Later in the afternoon, the U14 Boys played a team from the town of Obernai, about 20 minutes from Strasbourg. The local team was essentially a replacement group to the originally scheduled Strasbourg team and did not match up to our boys. MUFC cruised to a lopsided victory and again, the hosts were extremely friendly and impressed with the quality of our play. A 2-hour bus ride returned the group to our base in Kaiserslautern.
MUFC – Euro Tour 2013
Day One
Twenty-eight Mountain United players have arrived in Germany for the Club’s inaugural Euro Tour. Following the long flight to Frankfurt and bus ride into their base, Kaiserslautern, the boys and staff were treated to a fabulous welcome dinner and a walk in the beautiful Bavarian town. It was then off to bed for some much needed sleep.
Day Two
This morning the players took part in their first training session at the grounds of FC Kaiserslautern. Always difficult to work out the weary legs and make the adjustment to the European time zone, so the session was very beneficial. Following training, the group was treated to a Bundesliga match between Mainz and Wolfsburg. The atmosphere in the beautiful stadium was truly electric accentuated by the cheers of the home crowd as Mainz prevailed 2-0. The day was still not complete as the group quickly boarded their bus for a ride to Karlsruhler where the U14 boys played their first match versus a very impressive Academy team. The Karlsruhler Club is famous for producing some of the best young German players. The MUFC boys competed well in spite of their fatigue but a couple of careless possessions led to both opposition goals. MUFC was able to level the game at 1-1 on a terrific through ball from Gerardo Villavicencio to Dallin Akune but in the end the match ended in a 2-1 defeat. All things considered, a very good performance by the players.
Provincial Premier Cup – Finals
Mountain United FC is very pleased to have qualified six teams for the Provincial Premier Cup Finals to be held at South Surrey 
Athletic Park on June 29/30. During an incredibly busy weekend of semi-final matches, three of our Girls teams and three of our Boys teams punched their tickets to the Finals. Congratulations go out to the U13, U15 and U18 Girls along with the U14, U15 and U17 Boys. Well done and best of luck in the Finals.
Here are three informational documents regarding this weekend’s Premier Cup Finals, we hope to see a great turn out in support of our MUFC teams!
- Provincial 2013 Premier Cup Results & Finals Schedule
- Provincial 2013 Premier Cup Finals Schedule
- Provincial 2013 Premier Cup Finals Information Package
Grouse Mountain – One Climb June 22nd
Grouse Mountain / Whistler Water is hosting a brand new event called One Climb, set for June 22 on the Grouse Grind. The event is a challenge out to Lower Mainland youth, community members and business leaders to dress in blue and “flood the Grind,” all to raise funds for Free The Children water projects in Kenya. It will be an awesome way to celebrate the start of summer and make a difference in the world!
There’s no registration fee, and instead, we’re asking people to raise a minimum of $25. Hard to believe, but this is enough to provide clean drinking water for one person – for life. Event day is going to be a blast with a pre-climb rally at the base of the Grind, blue-it-up stations, fun animation along the Grind including African Drumming and high-five stations. At the After Party there will be a DJ dance party and also feature an inspirational talk by Spencer West, Me to We motivational speaker who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last summer despite losing his legs at the age of five.
It’s easy to register by visiting www.oneclimb.ca Just follow the prompts to register and set up a fundraising page. Plus there are tools on the website to help with fundraising efforts and more information on One Climb.
Posted on: June 2nd, 2013MUFC Welcomes Whistler Water!
Mountain United FC is very pleased to announce local glacial spring water brand Whistler Water as a new Premier Sponsor to the Club. Whistler Water, a sister brand to Grouse Mountain, is locally sourced from Place Glacier just north of Whistler and a great supporter of community events and organizations. Whistler Water’s bottling facility is also located in Burnaby, not far from the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West; a facility used quite extensively by MUFC, helping them and their staff to be even closer supporters of the Club.
“As huge soccer fans, and supporters of youth engagement in local activities here in British Columbia that focus on health and well-‐being, a partnership with Mountain United FC is a natural match-‐up for Whistler Water”, says Public Relations Manager Sarah Lusk. “Our entire team is thrilled to be able to support this great organization and we look forward to watching their players grow and succeed both on and off the field in the coming years”.
As a part of this new sponsorship agreement, Whistler Water will be providing product to help hydrate players at all MUFC Home Match Days. In addition, MUFC players will each receive a Grouse Mountain Youth Annual Pass, which provides them with unlimited Skyride access and other great benefits allowing for enjoyment of outdoor activities such as ziplining and hiking. MUFC coaches are looking forward to putting the players through their paces on the Grouse Grind. As a contribution to fundraising initiatives, MUFC will also receive two premier gifts annually as an added feature of the sponsorship.
“We’d like to extend our thanks to Whistler Water for engaging with MUFC as a sponsor,” replied Mark Berry, Chair of the Club. “We are grateful for their generosity but also recognize the importance of aligning our Soccer Club with responsible organizations. We see this as a very good partnership and hope to grow the relationship going forward,” he added.
Mountain United FC is proud to be associated with British Columbia’s Whistler Water and looks forward to many great years of partnership ahead. For further information on Whistler Water, we encourage you to visit Whistler Water.
Posted on: February 4th, 2013Soccer Express / MUFC Club wear store
Mountain United FC and Soccer Express are pleased to announce the launch of their virtual on line soccer shop. Please visit MUFC / SX Club wear store register and then browse the store for selected Team Wear products. Shop online and save!
Posted on: February 4th, 2012
BC Premier League Announced
The BC Soccer Premier League consists of 8 franchise Club members. Each Club enters 5 Boys and 5 Girls Teams* for competition in a 21 game League schedule which commences in March 2012 and continues through November (with a short mid-summer break).
BCSPL will focus on player development while providing the highest level of competitive League play. Planned Rest & Recovery periods and a clear development pathway that removes conflicting obligations for elite players are features that set this new league apart from previous attempts.
Note: To transition from current League schedules, each BCSPL Club will participate in a short 7 game Mini-Season / Exhibition Series for all U13 to U17 Teams. The Mini-Season will run from September through November 2011. Following the winter break, the first Full-Season BCSPL schedule will commence in March 2012.
*In addition, Boys and Girls U18 teams (1994’s) will compete in a modified full season schedule running from September 2011 to July 2012.
BCS Premier League Clubs
- Abbotsford Soccer Association
- Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club
- Lower / Upper Vancouver Island
- Mountain United Football Club
- South Fraser Soccer Club
- Surrey United Soccer Club
- Thompson Okanagan Football Club
- Vancouver / Richmond.
Please read the full BCSA HPL League press release for further information.
BCS Premier League – Divisions / Age groups
- U13 (Initiation) – Players born in 2001
- U13 – Players born in 2000
- U14 – Players born in 1999
- U15 – Players born in 1998
- U16 – Players born in 1997
- U17 – Players born in 1996
- U18 – Players born in 1995
MUFC Player Evaluations
Our evaluations page details requirements and lists the dates and times of any MUFC player evaluations. MUFC Technical Staff and Team coaches will be running the evaluation sessions. Players are expected to attend all evaluations sessions as required.
Please note: The BCSPL is the highest level of League play in BC. The train to play ratio will be 3:1 as per the CSA LTPD Model. Training will include a Speed, Agility and Fitness Program delivered by qualified instructors. Prospective players must understand the high level of commitment expected of them.
Player Registration Costs for BCPSL
Includes the following:
- League Registration Fee
- Club Administration
- Website Support
- BCPSL Technical Director Staff
- Coaching Costs
- SAQ training
- Travel Costs (expect 2 trips to Island & 2 to Okanagan in full-season)
- Referee Costs
- Equipment, Balls & Cones
- Uniforms, Training Gear, Track-suits, etc.
- Game Day Miscellaneous Costs
Players Registration Fees:
2013 Season: $2,400.00 (Feb. – Nov. 2013)
*U18 Season: $1,600.00 (Feb. - July 2013)
Posted on: February 25th, 2011
