Looking Forward

By all accounts, the Flyers have had a dream season, especially as an expansion franchise. However, the team's failure to qualify for the Majors Cup means that football season is over in the Rose City. Is it too early to start thinking about next season? Never. Let's take a few moments and look at what next year's team might look like.

Positives

First lets look at a few things that Rose City did right this year. Primarily, the strength of this team was in having a large number of strong, young players who could put up points during any game. The team wasn't one dimensional, relying on one or two players to provide all of the offense. The Flyers had eight different players add at least five points over the season and Mauro Rosales added thirteen all by himself. Marco Di Vaio's six looks like it could have been a similar total had he played MLS all season. This is the type of offense this team wants to continue building next year, looking for strong contributions across the lineup so that missing any one player doesn't prove to be a problem.

The keys to achieving this will be twofold. One, retaining the top performers from last year including Rosales, Chavez, and Di Vaio will be of prime importance to the continued success of the team. Two, retaining or acquiring dangerous young players who can, at any time, have a breakout game will also be important. This year that included Darlington Nagbe and Mike Magee. Adding more players like this to the lineup while avoiding players who show promise but fail to deliver will be important.

The Flyers also capitalized on being a team that drew very few cards this year. While their opponents racked up a total of 27 cards (red cards count as two), the Flyers were only responsible for 18. Though stats for the whole league haven't been compiled, it's fair to say that this was a big contributor to the Flyers winning as many games as they did while scoring relatively few points in the early going part of the season.

Not So Much

We've discussed what went right for Rose City but just as important, if not more for a team is looking at what went wrong. Far and away, there are two things that the Boys in Red need to get better at if they want another successful season next year. The first is an issue that only the Front Office can work on, and that is Lineup Failures. The Flyers started out the season with one in Week One and, though it didn't cost them the win, it did set a poor precedent. Lineup Failures are like spotting your opponent points before the game even kicks off and sooner or later, you'll get burned by one. The Flyers expect to see ZERO LFs listed in the box score during the 2013 BSL season.

The second issue that needs work was much more widely discussed this season and that is Rose City's low PPG. The average number of points the team scored was a point of league discussion as early as halfway through the season. The early middle part of the season was dominated by wins with scores like 2-0, 2-1, and 1-0. That's luck and while it's good to have, it's no replacement for skill. The Front Office addressed the issue and it did get somewhat better by the end of the season with Rosales returning from early season injury, the addition of former La Liga player Marco Di Vaio, and the heating up of Darlington Nagbe. However, it's almost impossible not to improve on 2.2 PPG for the first half of the season. The team finished at 2.5 PPG for the regular season and 2.7 for all games played. The one bright spot here is that the team was only shut out once all year (and that was the result of a Lineup Failure).

Improving the PPG issue is part luck and part science. Finding and acquiring players who regularly put points on the board is easier as a second year team. The expansion system leaves a front office with limited options before the draft and poor draft positions. Having a roster to choose DPs from could potentially have a big impact on this statistic. It is worth noting that the team's regular season average is well within the norm for expansion franchises. It's also considerably better the the 1.0 displayed by fellow 2012 expansion franchise KC Quest. The other teams that made the playoff cut had strong DP choices like Theirry Henry, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper, David Beckham, and Robbie Keane. Above and beyond that potential, increased planning immediately before the draft (especially with a low draft position once again) will be required to solve this issue.

With all this said, it goes without saying that Rose City is fully expecting another strong season next year. Major club goals include defending the BSL Cup and qualifying for the Majors Cup. As of this moment, the club intends to acquire the maximum number of allowable DP slots and trade aggressively to build a club with just as much luck, but much more consistency for its second season. The Front Office is happy to entertain any and all trade offers in the off season.

Flyers Win! Flyers Win!

Rose City 4 - 2 Pennsylvania

Rose City wins! The Flyers claimed the BSL Cup this weekend through their trademark combination of good play and good luck. There was No Pity on the Stoners this time as the Boys in Red doubled up for a score of 4 - 2. Points came from all sorts of places including goals from Marco Di Vaio and Mauro Rosales, an assist off of the streaking Darlington Nagbe, and a clean sheet for Josh Saunders. Pennsylvania got a Save Point from Gspurning and an assist from Robbie Keane but players who are normally dangerous like Kei Kamara and Emilio Renteria were strangely quiet.

This is the second playoff game that Rose City has dominated against a team they failed to beat in the regular season. Both Pennsylvania and the vanquished Gateway United got maximum points off of the Flyers during regular season play. Rose City remains undefeated in Playoff play at 2-0-0.

It truly has been a dream season for the expansion club. The Flyers went all season without losing two in a row and finished 15-7-2 including Playoff play. The club got started slowly following a 3 - 1 loss and a lineup failure in week one but strong play and even stronger luck to finish the first half of the season with several 2 - 0 and 1 - 0 wins kept the Flyers in the midst of the Playoff hunt the whole time. It's hard to say which half of the season was better. The team ended the period before Majors Cup Qualifying in first place. Ultimately the team's APG would be much stronger in the second half of the season but stronger play by the rest of the league as well would deny Rose City a spot in the Majors Cup. They're the first team since the BSL's inaugural 2009 season to win the BSL Cup while not qualifying for the Majors Cup. Asked about it, the teams coach had this to say:

"We went out this weekend and did what we could. Are we disappointed that we didn't qualify for the Majors Cup? Sure. Everybody wants to play as much football as possible and now our season's over. We would have liked to win the Honors Trophy too. But to come into an established league like this and win a major piece of hardware in your first season? That really speaks to the quality of the organization and the types of players we have playing for this team. I'm proud to coach them. I'm proud to lead them. Thanks."

The team also wanted to make clear that they're very open to trade talks and negotiations on the off season. The coach and front office insisted that there was still room for improvement in the Rose City and that this year's champions would be back even stronger next season.

"We know what it takes to play in this league now. We're not just scrabbling in the dark like we were at the beginning of the year. You can be we'll be back and back with a vengeance," the coach offered when asked. "We made do with the tenth spot in the draft order last season. Something tells me we'll make it work again."

BSL Cup Champions - Rose City 2012

BSL Cup Final Lineup

What it's all about.

As much rollicking fun as the semifinal game was this week, it's really a means to an end. This team has been after one thing since their inception into the BSL at the beginning of the season, and that's hardware. One more win for a team that already has fourteen this season and they can put that star above the newly redesigned badge. However, there's one big hurdle before that. That hurdle's name is the Pennsylvania Stoners.

The Stoners are a club that has given everyone fits all season. With twelve regular season wins of their own and a 5-1 win over Alamo City in the semis that was almost as convincing as Rose City's own semi result, this club doesn't give up. Past history (what little of it there is for the Flyers) doesn't look good either. Pennsylvania won both regular season meetings between the clubs including a brutal Week Seven 8-0 thrashing. But that sort of hurdle is one the Boys in Red are familiar with clearing already. Gateway United won both of their regular season meetings with the Flyers this season too. It didn't help them much in last week's semifinal.

Keeping all this in mind, you wouldn't expect too many changes from last weeks killer starting squad. You'd be right.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Marco Di Vaio
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong
Josh Saunders (Keeper)

Subs
Adam Moffat
Justin Braun
Hamdi Salihi

Rose City Crashes Honors Trophy Winners' Party

Rose City 7 - Gateway United 0

The Saints may be holding the 2012 Honors Trophy, but the Flyers were on a quest for some hardware of their own this week in their Semifinal match. Not only did the Boys in Red put up a season record seven points, but the usually potent Gateway offense laid a goose egg. In what can only be described as  an overt romp, Rose City put the hurt on a stumbling and unprepared Saints team.

"We've been telling people all season that we're the real deal," the Flyers' coach offered at the post game press conference. "Everyone goes on and on about how we don't put up enough points. But truly, we've got it when and where it counts. I couldn't be prouder of the team. Now excuse me. I have to go wash some Powerade out of my hair."

Saunders dives for a Save

For Rose City's offense, it started early and didn't stop. Marco Di Vaio, the most recent big addition to the squad, put up a point early in the week. Little did he know it was already the game winner. Later that same night Mauro Rosales came alive offering three assists in Seattle's own 6-2 romp over MLS side Chivas USA. Darlington Nagbe came in for his third point in as many games after that. Finally, Josh Saunders put the cherry on the top of the sundae with both a Clean Sheet and five Save Points versus an FC Dallas offense that couldn't seem to find the back of the net. With the win, Rose City has officially pushed past a Semifinals game that has been a stumbling block for many BSL teams.

Next week is the Finals and the Flyers will face a Pennsylvania team that is rapidly becoming a natural rival. Like Gateway before them, Pennsylvania managed to down Rose City twice during the regular season including a first time meeting even more lopsided (8-0) than the Flyers' win this week. You can bet that Rose City will be looking for a little retribution. But more importantly, they'll be looking for some hardware.

Lineup: Semi-finals vs. Gateway

This is it. The Semis kick off tomorrow and Rose City will have another go at Honors Trophy winners Gateway United. They lost both games this year to the club so there's no doubt it'll be a tough road. However, there are some things on the Flyers side. As the Commissioner so kindly pointed out, the boys in red haven't lost two games in a row all season. Granted, week 22 was a win so that might not mean anything. Likewise, Honors Trophy winners are 1-2 all time in their campaigns to take the BSL Cup as well. The really important statistic here however is APG. The Saints average roughly two points more per game than Rose City. It's really going to come down to what sort of night the Flyers have. Will they score one or two points, like they so often have? Or will it be the five or six we know they're so capable of? A lot of that comes down to contributions from middle of the pack guys. In order to snatch a win from the league's top team, Rose City will need production from guys like Mike Magee, Darlington Nagbe, and C. J. Sapong who've been spotty at best all year.

"We've got to put up points, and lots of them. There's no way around that," the Flyers coach said after Monday practice. "We've done it before this year. Six points in week four, five in weeks fifteen and nineteen. We can't leave any points on the bench or allow anybody to come on for the other guys. One thing we've been this year is a pretty clean team. I think we can take this with a lot of effort and a bit of luck."

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Marco Di Vaio
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C. J. Sapong
Josh Saunders (Keeper)

Subs
Justin Braun
Adam Moffat
Hamdi Salihi

2012 Year in Review

It's the end of the 2012 BSL regular season, and what a season it was! Rose City started the season off as one of the new kids and now they're a respected club, vying for the BSL Cup. The club struggled to put points on the board at times but seemed to have it when it counted. A season average of 2.5 points per game is well below the other playoff clubs but the Majors Cup Qualifying standings indicating that the club is inching toward 3 points in the second half of the season. The Flyers ended the season a respectable 13-7-2 with 41 points from regular season play. It's good enough for fourth place in the BSL and that final coveted playoff spot.

Many different players contributed to the success of the club over the long season but several stand out. Both captain Mauro Rosales and standout Marvin Chavez tallied nine points over the course of the regular season. Dan Kennedy provided six during his stint with the club; and Mike Magee, C.J. Sapong, and Darlington Nagbe all added five of their own. Late comer Marco Di Vaio tallied four himself. You'll find the total for all club contributions below. The club would have finished even better but for a few lineup failures throughout the season. Clearly the club's Front Office has some work to do to improve itself in the off season just as much as the players. Speculation is already running rampant in the Pacific Northwest as to who might stay with the club for next season as its first Designated Players.

Marvin Chavez - 9pts

Given point totals and performance when the club needed it the most, the Flyers Front Office as well as the owner and general manager are proud to announce Marvin Chavez as the first Rose City Flyers FC Most Valuable Player this year. Chavez's handiwork at feeding other player for assists made him invaluable to Rose City. His name is being discussed both inside and outside the organization as a possible 2013 Designated Player.

Mauro Rosales - 9pts

The club's captain was hurt for a good portion of the beginning of the year but more than made up for it with his prolific goal scoring and assist creating abilities. Mauro combined with just about everyone else on the Sounders roster it seems to put points on the board. His creativity on the field is a big reason why he ends the BSL regular season with nine points . He holds the captain's armband well and is also in discussion as a potential 2013 Designated Player.

Dan Kennedy - 6pts

Dan spent only part of the season with Rose City, joining the club when Bill Hamid took off for international team duty. With Hamid injured coming back, Kennedy picked up the slack and provided the team quality points when they sometimes were few and far between.

Mike Magee - 5pts

The Galaxy striker was solid if not outstanding for the team the entire season. He provided a boost to the scoreline regularly while not putting up over the top numbers. The front office suspects that Mike would put up bigger numbers on an MLS team that needed him more. The Galaxy simply have too many big names for a solid but not flashy striker to stand out.

Darlington Nagbe - 5pts

Nagbe had a hot and cold season. He started off with a point in week two and followed it up with a brace two weeks later. Then the Timbers striker/midfielder seemed to go cold. His next points come in Week 22 where he managed a goal in both games that week. The front office remains convinced that the young player has a future in both MLS and the BSL. The question remains though, will he meet his potential? The BSL playoffs and potentially next season are the only way to know for sure. 

C.J. Sapong - 5pts

Another young striker who seemed on and off this season. Sapong scored several times in the early going and then seemed to go dead. The front office would like to see Sapong again next year. Who knows whether it will happen or not?

Marco Di Vaio - 4pts

The Italian striker looks to be the real deal in both MLS and the BSL providing four points in a few short weeks for the Flyers. He's currently under investigation in Italy for any part he may have played in the ongoing match fixing scandal. Conviction could result in a one year ban but it's unknown whether that would extend to MLS play or not. If that's cleared up in a positive way, he might also be DP material.

Josh Saunders - 3pts

The club's current keeper came in when it was needed. Here's hoping he adds to his total during the playoffs.

Maicon Santos - 3pts

Santos initially appeared to be the biggest mistake Rose City could make in the early going. He was dropped from the roster in order to pick up a player who made no impact. Scoring a hat trick in his final game, he went on to add several points to games for other teams before seemingly drying up. This might still be the biggest mistake the Flyers front office made all season.

Kosuke Kimura - 1pt

The one time Colorado backline man had more points than this. The coach always seemed to put him on the bench at the wrong time.

Alejandro  Moreno - 1pt

This was the biggest disappointment of the season. The Chivas striker was supposed to be a prolific scorer for the Flyers, driving them past their competition. Instead, he turned out to be a big flop.

Bill Hamid - 1pt

A good keeper who's schedule just never seemed to line up with the Flyers. He's done well and the team wishes him all the best.

Steven Beitashour - 1pt

Adam Moffat - 1pt

Justin Braun - 1pt

Week 21 Lineup

It's all about the Majors Cup Qualifier now that Rose City has qualified for the BSL Playoffs. And that's where we get to the lineup this week. In order to qualify for the Majors Cup, the Flyers need to win their last two games of the season. They also need either the Stoners or the Gunners to lose both of their final games. It just so happens that the CD Gunners will be in town this week for another Match of the Week to battle our boys in red. This is the best chance Rose City has to make this happen. Everything else is out of their hands now.

In other news, Hamdi Salihi has been picked up in place of Dan Kennedy barring approval from the BSL Commissioner. Until approval, this lineup could change. Kennedy is a strong keeper, but the weak Chivas back line prevents him from putting up the best numbers. We thank Dan for all his hard work for the club.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Marco Di Vaio
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
Hamdi Salihi
C.J. Sapong
Josh Saunders (Keeper)

Subs
Justin Braun
Darlington Nagbe
Kosuke Kimura

Rose City Clinches Playoff Spot!

Rose City 2 - 2 Gold Coast

Rose City clinched the third BSL playoff spot with a tie this week versus Gold Coast. It came down to the wire, but with many of the Flyers major players sitting out for one reason or another, Mauro Rosales delivered with two points in the final MLS game of the week.

The Flyers move into fifth in Majors Cup Qualifying, but are five points off of the CD Gunners and the Stoners. Someone is going to have to have a very bad two weeks for Reds to slip into contention there.

"I thought we played pretty well for having most of our big name guys sitting out this week," the Flyers coach pointed out. San Jose had a bye week so no Marvin Chavez or Steven Leinhart and Marco Di Vaio had returned to Italy to answer questions in the ongoing match fixing scandal there. It came down to Rosales.

"Obviously we'd like to have a stronger all around team next year," the coach said when asked about next season. "Being able to get points from anyone on the field isn't something we've excelled at and several players who were supposed to be big have been a bit of a let down. But we got the job done. It's our first season in the BSL and we'll be in the Playoffs."

Next week the Gunners come to town for another Match of the Week and provide the best opportunity this team will have to squeak into the Majors Cup as well. Either the Gunners or Pennsylvania need to lose the last two of the season and Rose City needs to win both to make it happen. Beating the Gunners in Week Twenty-one would be the way to start.

Week Twenty Lineup

Rose City is just one point from clinching a playoff spot in their first year in the BSL. Standing in their way is Gold Coast who come into the game sitting at 6-10-3. But don't be fooled. With San Jose and Chivas taking the week off, every member of the squad will have to contribute if the Flyers are to get that point.

Starters
Justin Braun
Marco Di Vaio
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong
Josh Saunders (Keeper)

Subs
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy

Week Nineteen Wrap Up

Rose City 5 - 3 Second City


Rose City finished the week with an impressive win over Second City. Marco Di Vaio scored his first MLS goal and got two points in the BSL with the goal and an assist. Bringing Di Vaio in is starting to look like a really smart move from the Flyers front office. He's producing, helping the club's still low APG and will be a genuine threat all next season if the club can hang onto him. Three more points came from Rosales, the Captain, Mike Magee, and a clean sheet from Josh Saunders.

More interestingly is what's shaping up at the end of the season. Alamo City and Pennsylvania are tied in the standings with 40 points but they appear along side one another next week in the Game of the Week. This could give Rose City some room to slide into a position to threaten the Honors Trophy, but no one seems to be talking about it! It's true that these two excellent teams would need to show some bad form for the final three weeks of the season, but Rose City isn't out of it yet!

Continuing the post-season implications, a win or tie next week should clinch a playoff birth for the boys in red. They currently sit in 3rd in the Standings with 37 points and 6th in Majors Cup Qualifying with 13. The last three weeks of the season could make all the difference for the Flyers both for the Honors Trophy and a chance to participate in the Majors Cup. To that end, we look to Week Twenty.

Gold Coast visits in Week Twenty, carrying a record of 6-10-3 and 21 points. While they're not contending for a playoff spot, pride is still on the line and the team has scored at least two points in each of their last four outings. Tune in here for all the news, scores and lineups.

Week Seventeen Recap

The Flyers were done in by the Battle in week seventeen 3-1. It's a painful score for Rose City who were looking to maybe top the standings again with a win. The only point on the board was a score from Saunders who kept the net clear for his first start. Once again the coach underestimated Kosuke Kimura, leaving him on the bench when he scored for the second time. To make matters worse, he would have come in had he been placed higher on sub list thanks to Bill Hamid's straight red.

The rest of the season is more or less downhill, with Rose City simply defending their playoff position against would-be spoilers like Spartans, Second City, and the CD Gunners for the last five weeks. That doesn't mean the team isn't taking the end of the season seriously though. A string of well placed wins here, paired with a few lucky shots to the Battle and Stoners could still hand the Flyers the Honors Trophy. Come back for all the rest of the action.

Week Seventeen Lineup

Okay folks! This is where the rubber hits the road. Rose City is sitting squarely in third place and has a chance to make it even better. They're playing the first place Battle in the Match of the Week and a win means moving up at least one (maybe two) places in the standings. It looks like they're a lock for the playoffs barring some sort of implosion. Now's the time to push for the Honors Trophy and win first place in our first BSL season.

The Battle lost the first meeting 4-3 this year and they surely will be coming for revenge. Rose City needs to hold out, put a good number of points on the board, and probably get a little lucky to pull this one out. Cross your fingers for the Suns to down Pennsylvania as well and you might see the Flyers back on top.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Marco Di Vaio
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong
Josh Saunders (Keeper)

Subs
Justin Braun
Kosuke Kimura
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)

Lineup has changed as of 3pm PST. Bjorn Runstrom has been dropped. Josh Saunders will start at GK. Dan Kennedy will take the bench.

Week Sixteen Wrap-up

Rose City Flyers 3 - 0 KC Quest

Rose City demolished the bottom-of-the-table Quest this week 3-0 after lineup failures from both teams. What's most encouraging (aside from keeping the Flyers in the playoff hunt) is that this is the third time in three weeks that Rose City has scored three or more points. That might not sound like much but for a team that averaged 2.5 ppg before this week, it's encouraging. Rose City remains the only club with no ties in BSL play this season.

"Yeah. We talked that topic to death," the team's coach agreed in the post-match presser. "We've been working on getting more balls in the back of the net and it's finally starting to show." In particular, Marco Di Vaio scored his first BSL goal this week after the MLS transfer window opened up and he took the field for Montreal.

Next week features another Match of the Week for the Flyers, this time against the Battle. The teams have played only once before with Rose City sneaking a 4-3 result versus the current number one team.

"These two teams have been butting heads all season. We picked up that first result against them and jumped into first place. Another three points next week could really help things along," an upbeat coach added. "they're a really strong team with a lot of different angles of attack so we'll have to be on our toes." A win would definitely move the Flyers back into second and could mean the top of the table again if Gold Coast can tie or beat Pennsylvania.

Lineup Week 16

Strange things going on in life means late lineups.

Week Fourteen was big for the Flyers. They'd been talked down to for weeks about their weak offense and the number of points scored every game. They came out of nowhere to drop five points on a helpless Alliance team, all from assists. Marvin Chavez was Man of the Match with a pair.

Week Fifteen features a matchup against the KC Quest and, speaking from the future, the Flyers have a hill to climb. Their lazy GM managed to post the lineup late.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Justin Braun
Marco Di Vaio
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Mike Magee
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Adam Moffat
Kosuke Kimura
Bjorn Runstrom

Lineup Week 15

Last week was a 6-3 loss to Gateway. At least we scored more than our average. This week Marco Di Vaio makes his first start for Montreal! Allez!

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Justin Braun
Marco Di Vaio
Marvin Chavez
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Bjorn Runstrom
Dan Kennedy
Adam Moffat

Lineup, Week Fourteen

So Rose City has managed it again. Say what you will about this year's hottest new team, they seem to get just the right amount of points. Most of the time. The Flyers finished off the Blues in week thirteen in a tight 2-1 win. Adam Moffat found the back of the net and C.J. Sapong put up a point for the first time in several weeks. But are they going to put up enough points down the stretch to stay where they are? Or is there an inevitable crash coming? Will Marco Di Vaio prove to be as strong a pickup as the team hopes when he arrives after the transfer window opens next week? Only time will tell.

Week fourteen is an exciting rematch with Gateway in another game of the week. The Saints gave Rose City a startling jolt into the BSL with a 3-1 win in the Flyers first ever league game at the beginning of the season. Let's see if Rose City can turn the tables this time.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Justin Braun
Bjorn Runstrom
Marco Di Vaio

Week Thirteen: Lineup and Recap

After a long break in MLS play, week thirteen is here. Let's recap!

The Flyers currently sit in second after a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to Pennsylvania in week twelve. That was also the first week of Majors Qualifying so, even in second in the standings, the boys have some work to do. Still, with 24 points they seem to be in a comfortable position to make a playoff appearance  assuming nothing untoward happens in the meantime.

Week thirteen is against the Blues who lost the first meeting of the season 6-4. Still, Rose City hasn't put that many points on the board since then. Look for this to be a close match. Lineups are still tricky. Rose City dropped onetime captain Alejandro Moreno a week ago for lack of production and both Marvin Chavez and newly aquired Steven Beitashour will sit out while San Jose takes another week break. Marco Di Vaio has arrived in la métropole but won't be making his first MLS appearance for another week at least. Still, things look good.

Starters
Justin Braun
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
Bjorn Runstrom
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Marco Di Vaio
Steven Beitashour
Marvin Chavez

Week 12 Linup: Majors Cup Qualifying Begins

It's another Game of the Week here in week twelve and it's never felt quite like this. This game is as close as it gets to "for all the marbles" when we're only halfway though the season. A win will move the Flyers into a very comfortable first place, a loss will definitely hand that spot back to this weeks' rival, the Stoners. Can Rose City come out on top against a team that put eight points on them just a few weeks ago? Either way, this one is starting to have rivalry written all over it.

Starters
Steven Beitashour
Justin Braun
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Kosuke Kimura
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
Bjorn Runstrom
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Marco Di Vaio

Alejandro Moreno was dropped mid-week for Steven Beitashour. He's been pairing strongly with Marvin Chavez and Chris Wondolowski in San Jose.

Keep on keepin' on!

Rose City 2 - 0 Gold Coast


The Flyers managed a win once more in the Week 11 Match of the Week over Gold Coast. The question remains though, averaging only 2.2 points per game, can they keep doing it? That's been the talk in the league as the team jumped into first in both standings and the power rankings this week.

"It's certainly not a number that I'm happy with," Rose City's coach said when asked about it. "We left another point on the bench this week with Kimura and that one's on me. He'd been getting minutes and not producing so I sat him down. In hind sight, he should have at least been the first sub. He would have made it onto the pitch then. But it's still an issue we're working on. With Di Vaio coming in in the next week or so and Rosales getting his feet under him finally, I still think we're a team that's going to get better over the next few weeks rather than worse."

Several members of the team have been underperforming as of late. Alejandro Moreno has tallied only one point all season during a week five loss. C.J. Sapong hasn't scored in several weeks either after proving central to the team's early progress. Justin Braun was also expected to provide more offense than he has, tallying a single assist so far.

So the question remains. Is Rose City the real deal? The club improved to 8-3-0 and first in both the standings and power rankings this week so for the moment it looks to be the case. That said, the Majors Cup kicks off next week providing every club a fresh start.

Look to see the Flyers try to continue their dominant streak as they once again take on the Pennsylvania Stoners in the Match of the Week. Four weeks ago, Rose City took an 8-0 thrashing by this same team and a win by the Stoners this week would put them back into first in the standings on APG alone.

Week 11 Lineup

Whew! Rose City squeaked it out last week against Alliance in a tight 1-0 victory. Dan Kennedy proved to be the deciding factor.

"We still need to get more consistent at putting points on the board," the Flyers coach offered up after practice mid-week.

Week 11 looks to be interesting with the rising Gold Coast coming to town in another Match of the Week.

Starters
Justin Braun
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Alejandro Moreno
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales (Captain)
C.J. Sapong

Subs
Bjorn Runstrom
Kosuke Kimura
Marco Di Vaio