Week Three Lineup and Chat

UPDATE: Rose City put in the winning bid on Patrice Bernier of Montreal who will be suiting up for the Boys in Red this week! Having fresh, healthy bodies is important and Bernier put up 17 points last BSL season. Unfortunately, this means Jack McInerney will be leaving the Rose City almost as soon as he arrived. We thank McInerney for his effort and wish him all the best.

Rose City fell again last week to a team they would normally have been able to punish. The 2-1 scoreline versus the Spartans was painful. Anytime you get a line like that, getting a point is possible, but as it is, too many guys are injured right now. Mauro Rosales didn't play last week because Seattle had CCL commitments and that hurt too. I found myself almost wishing that Donovan Ricketts hadn't had such a spectacular save versus Di Vaio in the Portland/Montreal game. In any case, we're continuing to move forward. Guys are getting closer to game fitness, and in the mean time, the team is doing things to address the thin roster. In addition, Rosales plays this week in a fiery game versus Portland. On the Portland side of the equation, Frederic Piquionne has arrived and may get some late game minutes.

The Boys in Red host Second City this week who are sitting on 6 points. It'll be a tough match but not one that's out of reach. They scored just two last week after a Mike Magee hattrick vaulted them to a
5-1 win over the Union in week one. Every Rose City fan knows just how clutch Magee can be, but don't expect that sort of performance from him again this season.

The posted roster is not final until game time. Several discussions are happening, including the bidding war for Patrice Bernier. Keep your eyes open and watch this space.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Hector Jimenez (LA)
YP Lee (VAN)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Sanna Nyassi (MTL)
Frederic Piquionne (POR)
Mauro Rosales *(SEA)
Raphael De Sousa (DC)
Chris Tierney (NE)

Subs
Kwame Watson-Siriboe (RSL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Alan Gordon (SJ)

Reserve
Martin Rivero (COL)

Week 2 Lineup

Last week was a tough way to start off the season. Scoring only one goal is definitely a shadow of last season and it looks to get no better this week. The front office employed a strategy during the draft that, while expected to pay off in the long run means that several high profile players are unavailable in the immediate term. Martin Rivero, Alan Gordon, and DP Marvin Chavez are all unavailable due to injury. Frederic Piquionne, expected to do major damage for Portland before the end of the season is still sorting out visa issues, and Mauro Rosales and the Sounders have no action in MLS this week due to CCL commitments. This is where the rubber hits the road. Guys like McInerney, Lee, and Tierney are going to have to step it up and help Marco Di Vaio carry this team until the rest of the heavy lifters return to the lineup.

Starters
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Hector Jimenez (LA)
YP Lee (VAN)
Jack McInerney (PHI)
Zach McMath^ (PHI)
Sanna Nyassi (MTL)
Mauro Rosales* (SEA)
Raphael De Sousa (DC)
Chris Tierney (NE)
Kwame Watson-Siriboe (RSL)

Subs
Frederic Piquionne (POR)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)

Reserve
Martin Rivero (COL)

Week One Lineup

It's official! We're hours from game time for the BSL's fifth season. The title defense is on for the Flyers and first up is the Game of the Week versus Alamo City who feels like an old foe at this point. The series between the two clubs is tied and has been high scoring thus far. In the two games last season, the teams combined for eleven points. The Boys in Red will be headed up by the familiar sight of Mauro Rosales at captain while some of the squad get settled in and get fit. Some strategic decisions were made during the draft to acquire players who may be unavailable for an early game or two.

Starters
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Hector Jimenez (LA)
YP Lee (VAN)
Jack McInerney (PHI)
Zach McMath^ (PHI)
Sanna Nyassi (MTL)
Mauro Rosales* (SEA)
Raphael De Sousa (DC)
Chris Tierney (NE)
Kwame Watson-Siriboe (RSL)

Subs
Frederic Piquionne (POR)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)

Reserve
Martin Rivero (COL)

As you can see, the club had some good pickups in the 2013 draft. There are undoubtedly guys still in camp who won't make it very far into the season, but there could be diamonds in the rough too. Can Frederic Piquionne see significant minutes with the Timbers after getting picked up today? So far the gamble of signing the then trialist with the 107th pick looks good. But he'll need to score goals. How will the new Defender rules work out? Rose City spent a good amount of time evaluating guys who play in the back but will that work be enough? If it is, it will likely be thanks to the work of guys like Chris Tierney and YP Lee. Finally, how long will it take to get injured DP Marvin Chavez back up and running? How long will Martin Rivero take for that matter. These are both players capable of scoring on any given week.

For now more questions are available than answers. Stick around to find out.