2014 Year in Review

The 2014 BSL Season is over and now, it's time to take a look at how things shook out for the Rose City Flyers. In many respects the season was a success, but there are certainly areas that could be improved upon. The team finished the regular season 11-10-1 for a 34 point total and just outside the playoff places.

The Flyers continued their unfortunate reputation as a usually low-scoring club finishing the regular season with a Ppg of 3.0 and Majors Cup Qualifying with a slightly higher 3.5. Once the postseason commenced though, things became better. Over the five game Majors Cup competition, the team averaged a Ppg of 4.6. This is in keeping with, or a slight improvement over the last two seasons for the team and hopefully a positive trend. However, it's considerably behind the top performing clubs who averaged much nearer to 4 or slightly over it.

Players combined well this year to leave the team with five field players with double digit BSL points along with goalkeeper Jaime Penedo on ten of his own. Beyond that, there were several other players who managed to contribute a few goals of their own. However, a few issues might be mentioned as well. Marco Di Vaio, worth nearly 20 BSL points on his own last season hauled in only 11 points this season on his way to a well deserved retirement. Add to that the fact that the offseason's premier acquisition, New England's Diego Fagundez, who was supposed to bring some youth to the squad and hold over long term as a new DP managed only 10 himself and you'll quickly see that it took almost two players to do the job of one last year. This by no means means that Fagundez won't be back for the Rose City next season, but he's by no means the slam dunk that was hoped for. Several field players might have had a few more but for some lingering lineup failures that the Flyers front office can't seem to shake off. There's always a couple it seems.

Giles Barnes - 11pts; 6 goals, 5 assists

Drafted in the third round, Barnes seemed to be the first indication of a significantly improved draft from the Flyers. He's lived up to his billing and performed similarly or better to many players drafted at similar slots including besting former Flyer Mauro Rosales by several. He's performed well enough, especially given the Dynamo's slide to the bottom of the league all season that retaining his services is worth considering for next season.

Marco Di Vaio - 11pts; 8 goals, 3 assists

We've already discussed Di Vaio and it's clear that he's not performed to the level he did last season. Retaining him also appears to be out of the question unless he changes his mind about retirement. Let's just say that this is about the minimum performance that a DP should provide to seem like they were worth it and we wish Marco the best as he heads back to Italy to be with his family.

Lamar Neagle - 11pts; 6 goals, 5 assists

Drafted 74th at the beginning of Round 7, Lamar Neagle's point total has almost certainly been helped along by the general good form of the Seattle Sounders attack this season as well as, specifically, his strike partners in Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey. However, that doesn't mean he wasn't criminally under-drafted. He shouldn't have been available any later than something like 40th and the Flyers have appreciated his contributions.

Eleven points doesn't happen by accident in the BSL however. He's scored a few goals but dishes to his friends as often. Guys like Neagle are clearly the backbone of any healthy BSL club. A couple of Robbie Keanes or Dom Dwyers don't get your team there on their own. You need some guys like Neagle. Underappreciated, drafted in the mid rounds, and willing to show up when your big name DPs don't necessarily.

Does he have the makings of a DP selection? Well, he's already beaten his personal record for BSL points and expecting the Sounders to contend for the Supporters' Shield again next year seems like a coin flip at best. It might be worth thinking about, but don't expect it.


Diego Fagundez - 10pts; 4 goals, 6 assists

Compared to Neagle above, Fagundez was acquired at pretty high cost. In order to acquire his rights the Flyers dished out a very valuable Round 1 pick and were unable to sell the DP slot he occupied on the open market. That DP slot is potentially worth a Round 1 slot itself along with a small amount of allocation cash. Players also acquired in that round include Jermaine DeFoe, Blas Perez, and Kelyn Rowe. These guys compare similarly or more favorably. That said, Fagundez was picked up in part because he was worth 20 BSL points in the 2013 season and he very well could be again. But he has to find the field again in New England for that to ever end up happening again. DP next season, possibly.






Jeff Larentowicz - 10pts; 3 goals, 1 assist, 6 shots on goal

Larentowicz makes Fagundez seem like even more of a bust. Mostly viewed as older and a bit washed up, he was picked up as late draft filler in Round 12 and outstripped all expectations. He spent the first part of the season in the midfield for the Fire putting a few things on frame and generally looking okay but then adapted quickly when called into action as a converted centerback. Only then did he really started putting shots on goal which is a bit amazing if you know anything about how the Fire's season went. This sort of transformation is as likely to be a bust as a boom so the team's really glad he worked out. Still, he's 31 and on the back end of his career.


Jaime Penedo (GK) - 10pts; 4 save points, 6 clean sheets

Choosing a GK in the BSL is a tricky proposition. Last year, the team ended up stuck with Zac McMath when every reasonable keeper was grabbed in between two Rose City picks. Even more tricky, since roughly half the points your keeper will earn are from Clean Sheets instead of saves which means there's a tension between having a keeper who plays for a team likely to get a lot of sheets or one who's back line is just porous enough to allow for a lot of potential saves each game. The preference of some BSL teams for keeping a backup keeper in the reserve slot as well makes this even harder. Penedo is a reasonable keeper for a good team with a solid back line. Just that made him worth ten points this season. But it's definitely possible to do better. Still, you never know when a solid league GK will turn sour as with guys like Tally Hall and John Busch this year.

Eric Alexander - 7pts; 2 goals, 5 assists

Alexander was a solid pickup in Round 9 who had been overlooked by other BSL owners less familar with him. No longer playing for the Portland Timbers, it was still clear that Alexander was talented and getting time in the midfield for the Energy Drinks. At that point in the draft it seemed like a no brainer just based on the fact that he'd regularly see the field. Many other picks from a similar range can't say the same.

Maxi Urruti - 7pts; 5 goals, 2 assists

For every Round 7 or Round 9 steal, there's a guy that you're over-hyped on. After spending our Round 1 grabbing Diego Fagundez the first actual pick in Round 2 was used to pick up the Argentine Urruti who's definitely talented but spent a good chunk of the season sharing the starts with the Timbers new DP Fenendo Adi. Both have proved to be dangerous for the real Rose City but the shared play time has cut into the potential for Urruti to really score it big with the Flyers. He might be worth a DP pickup but only if something truly shakes up the duality of his relationship with Adi in Portland.

Drew Moor - 6pts; 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal

Drew Moor was the third to last pick in the 2014 draft. That makes his six points look especially good and it gets even better when you realize that he rode the Flyers reserve slot for the entirety of the Majors Cup after picking up a season ending injury in Week 22.

Aurelien Collin - 4pts; 4 shots on goal

This guy, behated by many an MLS attacking corps, was the Retention Player for the Rose City for 2014. He didn't perform as well as the previous year but he did put a few points on the board and, without something crazy happening, that's exactly what you want your RP to do.

Rodney Wallace - 3pts; 3 goals

Wallace was a revelation for the Flyers lasts season. In fact, he was one of the few bright spots. He opened up the attack on Portland's left wing after Caleb Porter saw fit to drag him from the darkness of his play at left back. He poured on both the goals and assists and, when his ACL popped in the Timbers' final game of the postseason versus RSL, the Flyers were sad to know that he wasn't a wise choice for RP going into this year. That said, most teams have some chaff that doesn't quite work out and, when Wallace began looking like he was ready to get back to playing the Rose City grabbed him for Marcelo Sarvas who, while he put some points on the board later in the season had been a big snooze until then. The upside, Wallace will be the frontrunner for the 2015 Retention Player assuming nothing changes about his position with Caleb Porter's squad.

Jordan Harvey - 2pts; 2 shots on goal
Ned Grabavoy - 1pt; 1 assist

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