Flyers Dismantle Alliance FC

Rose City 6 - 0 Alliance

The international break doesn't seem to have slowed down the Flyers. The team crushed Alliance 6 - 0 this week in what is starting to become a seasonal ritual. The winning goal was the first one from none other than Marco Di Vaio but the talk of the town this week will be the continually rising star of Rodney Wallace. After receiving a call-up from Costa Rica but seeing zero minutes on the field, the winger was only available for one of Portland's two games this week. He only needed the one, putting in an assist hattrick to earn himself Man of the Match. Those points are important too.

While the win squeaked Rose City to within three points of a playoff spot thanks to a Spartans loss to Gold Coast, the points pushed the team's APG to 3.0 for the season and 4.0 since Majors Cup Qualifying began. Those points appear more and more likely to matter as the last two BSL playoff places and all of the MCQ spots seem to be up for grabs during a rapidly closing BSL season. There are only seven weeks left to play in the regular season and the Flyers face some imminently beatable competition. Lets take a look.

 Current Standings:

• Week 16: Union Southern California 9th, 5-7-3, 2.1 apg
• Week 17: Spartans 1612 4th, 8-5-2, 3.4 apg
• Week 18: Gold Coast 10th, 5-9-1, 2.5 apg
• Week 19: Capital District Gunners 8th, 5-7-3, 2.9 apg
• Week 20: Orange County Zodiac 2nd 10-4-1, 3.7 apg
• Week 21: Pennsylvania Stoners 12th, 2-12-1, 2.5 apg
• Week 22: Gateway United 7th, 5-7-3, 3.3 apg

Five of the seven remaining opponents sit below the halfway line on the league table. Most of them have an APG of under three, and it doesn't appear to be improving. Meanwhile, Rose City has been clinging tightly to the fifth place spot for several weeks with an APG that continues to increase. As of the end of week fifteen, the Flyers hold a 3.0 APG and have been averaging 4.6 goals per game since week nine when many of the club's injured players started to return. Indeed, since that week nine game against Gateway United the Boys in Red have put up at least four points all but once and put up six points three separate times.

Our other two opponents, the Orange County Zodiac and Spartans 1612 sit above the Flyers in the league table and currently occupy playoff positions. While the Zodiac appear uncatchable with thirty-one points, the Spartans are on twenty-six and are only one win out of the Flyers' grasp. They face top-of-the-table Alamo City next week and then are under Rose City's own control in Week Seventeen. Look for the next two weeks to really define those playoff spots.

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

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