The Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL) recently hosted their 2020 Annual General Meeting, during which they made award presentations for the 2019-20 season. We would like to extend our congratulations to coaches Blaise Nkufo and Randy Samuel who were jointly awarded Coach of The Year for their efforts leading Rino’s to the 2019-20 VMSL Premier Division Title! Over the course of 22 matches split between the two coaches, the team recorded 16 wins, and finished with both the highest goals scored (63), and least conceded (21) in the division.
Coach Blaise started the team off on the right track, posting a dominant 8W-0D-2L record over the first 10 games of the season, while finding opportunities for some of the club’s talented young players to earn meaningful minutes and contribute to the team’s success as they continued their development. Blaise’s aspirations around player development then lead to his hiatus as he travelled to Europe and Africa to both strengthen his pro club connections and scout additional talent. At the time of his departure the Rino’s Premier team was entrenched at the top of the VMSL Premier division table, and well on their way to being crowned champions.
After a short transition period, Coach Randy took the helm and under his watch the team rattled off an equally impressive 8W-1D-2L record, including victories over two teams they had previously lost to. Randy had to navigate some significant turbulence during this period as several players departed the team to chase their dreams of playing soccer professionally. With a steady hand he guided the team forward, and if it weren’t for cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re confident they would have had another terrific Provincial Cup run.
Congratulations to both coaches, and the entire team on a memorable 2019-20 VMSL Premier Division season!