2024 BAS Cup Preview

The stage is set for the most electrifying showdown of the BAS Summer Season with the 2024 BAS Cup installment as 20 fierce Brampton Soccer contenders gear up for the ultimate prize. Since its inception in 2002, the presitigious BAS Cup has become the crown jewel of the BAS trophy case, awarded to the Men’s Outdoor Inter-Divisional Tournament Champions every October. But this is no ordinary trophy – it’s a grueling challenge, where champions are forged after battling through an intense 18-match season, often in the challenging weather of October.

What makes the BAS Cup truly special? It’s the thrill of the underdog. Lower-division and 35+ teams go toe-to-toe with younger, stronger opponents and the unpredictability adds a level of drama that keeps fans on edge. The clash of styles and generations creates an unmatched atmosphere, making every game a must-watch and the 2024 BAS Cup looks set to offer just as much drama as seasons past.

Now, after weighing every advantage and disadvantage, we bring you our lightning-fast breakdown of each contender’s odds of hoisting the BAS Cup – it’s anyone’s game, and the stakes have never been higher!

The 2024 BAS Cup “Longshots”:

UKS Masters +13750: With just 2 points in 12 matches, UKS Masters will have an uphill battle just to make an impact in their play-in match. Despite the odds, this squad is stacked with BAS veterans who are no strangers to tough challenges. Their grit will be tested, but they’re not ones to back down easily.

FC Bolas +5000: Entering the Cup as the lowest ranked Div B team, FC Bolas will have their work cut out for them. Unbeaten in their last three contests and boasting one of the division’s top scorers in Leroy Graham, all the momentum is on their side and they’ll need every bit of it to make a run into late September.

GBC FC +2200: Miracles do occur in the BAS Cup – just ask GBC. In last year’s Round 1, they stunned everyone by upending Div B Champs, Santa Clara, ending their perfect season. Repeating that feat will be tough, but facing FC Bolas in the play-in round might just give them the start they need for another surprising run in the 2024 BAS Cup.

Freebandz FC +1875: Just two seasons ago, Freebandz were a dominate force competing for the Div B title. However, inconsistent play has seen them miss the playoffs for two consecutive campaigns. While defeating UKS in the play-in round should be straightforward, the real test will come soon after as the competition heats up.

GNFC +1500: On a cold and grey October Sunday 10 years ago, GNFC hoisted their first BAS Cup after two previous unsuccessful attempts. This stat alone makes them one of the most successful teams in Cup competition. Those glory days are over, however and GNFC will have a tough slog in this highly competitive environment. “The world is a drama, staged in a dream”, but drawing Div A Champs, 905 FC, may just be GNFC’s nightmare.

G-Torino Masters +1450: Making their first Cup appearance, the newly formed Masters extension of the 2023 BAS Cup holders, G-Torino FC, finished 4th in league play, but struggled against more seasoned opponents. A first-round draw against a Div A team will likely make this debut a short-lived one.

K&L Armada +1100: Armada is a name that’s been synonymous with BAS competition for 20 years. Known more for indoor prowess, this team lifted the Cup back in 2005. Currently, they’ve only lost once since June, but a tough draw pits them against Ebony SC in the first round, one of the most dangerous squads.

Jinky’s Nighthawks +975: Jinky’s wallowed in the basement of their division at the season’s midpoint, having won only once. An abrupt about-face thereafter certainly turned heads as the squad rose to 2nd place by the end of the campaign and lost by a single goal in the Playoff Championship. If perennial scoring champion, Blaine Salmon, is on his game, the Nighthawks could see the light of day, but a deep Cup run is improbable.

NRNA Canada +800: Rounding out the last of the Div B longshots is NRNA Canada, representing the Nepali diaspora in our community. Another first-year BAS upstart, this team impressed from the get-go, but faltered mid-season finishing the campaign winless since July. To advance, they will need to find that early season form again, but to their credit, they have bested their first round opponents, Hot Grabba FC, earlier this summer.

JJD Strikers +725: After a hiatus in 2023, seasoned Div M mainstays, JJD Strikers make their triumphant return to Cup competition. An impressive entity that lost only twice all season and outscored their opponents 25-2 in their last 5 matches, JJD comes in as our “best longshot”. But before anyone gets too giddy, they should temper their expectations as JJD had the tragic misfortune of drawing 5-time (not a typo) BAS Cup Champs, VSFC, right off the bat.

The “Just Maybes”:

Dashmesh FC +650: When this squad wasn’t gallivanting around the province winning tournaments this summer, they were taking care of business here at home, impressively starting the season with 8 wins and ending in 2nd place in a tight Div M. Like all Masters teams, tired legs may be their undoing when the going gets tough, but perhaps their greatest counter to this is scoring ace, Parminder Marara, who scored more goals than any other male this summer, regardless of the division.

Hot Grabba FC +600: The highest seeded Div B team, Hot Grabba, is one of only two teams still eligible for a rare BAS treble this summer; winning the division, the playoffs, and ultimately the Cup. Scoring more goals and giving up fewer than any of their rivals has been their recipe for success, but just like their namesake, they’ll need the right blend to ignite or their hopes just might fizzle out.

Paragon SC +600: If it’s true that “defence wins tournaments”, then Paragon SC cannot be overlooked. The stingiest team in all of BAS this summer conceded only 10 times in 12 contests, winning the Masters division in the process. That’s where the good news ends unfortunately as Paragon has exited the Cup in the first round, 3 years in a row and hasn’t scored a goal in the last 2. Drawing Heepy FC in Round 1 of the 2024 BAS Cup won’t make it any easier.

Dashmesh Lions FC +550: It would be impossible to accurately assess Dashmesh Lions. The team spent the best part of the first half of the season of their inaugural campaign running afoul of the rules, so results are less meaningful. Their relatively high rating in this preview is due to the head-turning they’ve created in the last month, running well with some BAS juggernauts. If their troubles are behind them and their latest version of the team shows up, they may continue to turn heads.

G-Torino FC +500: The current holders will be hard-pressed to repeat their splendid success from a year ago. With nearly a 40% turnover in the roster from last year, you might say the team is “rebuilding” and the result on the pitch confirms it: out of the playoffs with a 4-5-3 record and only 17 goals to show for it. Still, no one can discount experience as the majority of this crew has gone the distance 1 short year ago.

VSFC +425: It’s astonishing to reflect upon the fact that VSFC once held the Cup Crown for an incredible 2 500 days. No other team comes close to matching their depth of experience in Cup competition, and their legacy remains revered among the knowledgeable BAS community. However, with the squad’s average player now in his thirties, the days of competing at the level required for a deep Cup run may be fading. For the first time in memory, they failed to make the playoffs, and while this alone doesn’t make them easy prey, their era of feasting on the competition might well be behind them.

“One Hand on the Hardware”:

Black Lions FC +350: Playing their most impressive football in their BAS history, the Black Lions gave up the fewest goals of any Div A team with a solid 2nd place finish in the table. They rose to the occasion in last year’s Cup, vanquishing some stiff opposition, but ultimately losing 2-1 in the semifinals to VSFC. Will “the lions sleep tonite?” If their fleet-footed league-leading scorer, Andrew Mowatt, hits his stride, they won’t go down quietly.

Heepy FC +250: Heepy were 1½:1 favourites and were picked to win it all last season by the panel of BAS experts. But drawing Ebony SC and having their top scorer sidelined with an injury was a tremendous disadvantage and the squad exited in the first round. It also didn’t help that our predictions are almost always wrong; the “BAS Jinx”. With Paragon SC waiting for them this time ’round, their path may be no easier, but if both of their leading scorers, Mark Sannzzarros and Daniel Lazzaro, are game-ready, we expect to see them in the hunt for much longer this year. They’ll also need to find their mid-season form when they went undefeated in 6 contests, rather than what they’ve exhibited lately, dropping 4 of their last 5.

905 FC +200: No team in BAS has a deeper bench than 905 FC and for that reason, Fall fatigue will never be an issue. Sporting the best record in Div A and scoring the most goals to boot are what 905 brings to the table. They lost 4 times in 13 contests this year, which may not seem all that impressive, but each of those defeats were by a single goal, so they’ll always be in contention. Moreover, if agile super-striker, Jordon Smith, has unfettered access to opponents’ goals, 905 will have few rivals.

The “Favourite”:

Ebony SC +150: Don’t be deceived by Ebony’s 7-4-1 regular season record; this team has exploded into form, netting 20 of their 28 goals since mid-July, transforming them into an undeniable force. Last year, Ebony entered the tournament as a longshot with 10:1 odds, but defied expectations, fighting their way to the semifinals before narrowly falling to the eventual champions, G-Torino FC. This is a squad that thrives under pressure, consistently raising their game when it counts. Their 3-0 domination of Heepy FC in the Div A playoff final proves they’re a rising titan. With nearly 50 years of legacy, a 30-man deep roster brimming with talent, and Richard West, one of BAS’s most prolific scorers, Ebony SC is the powerhouse ready to claim the Cup this October. Jinx? What jinx?


Gotcher own take on how the end of the season of soccer in Brampton is gonna play out? We’d love to read all about in the comments below.