Week Twenty-two: End of the Road

Well, the Flyers don't have much left to play for but pride, but here they are all the same.


Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Subs
Jalil Anibaba (CHI)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

Week Twenty-one Lineup

Let's just call a spade a spade. The LF last week cost the Flyers three points and likely any shot they had left at the post season. The team's been good but a poor start and a rocky finish as most likely grounded the Flyers. To make matters worse, even now the team is missing two key contributors in Gordon and Chavez. Both are suspended, Gordon on accumulated yellows and Chavez for his ridiculous red versus Portland last week.

Starters
Jalil Anibaba (CHI)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

Week Twenty Lineup

Starters
Jalil Anibaba (CHI)
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Jaime Castillon (COL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)


Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

Week Nineteen: LIneup

Work calls, lets make this short.

Starters
Jalil Anibaba (CHI)
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Luis Robles (NY)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Subs
Rodney Wallace (POR)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)

Reserve
Zach McMath (PHI)

Week Eighteen: The Math Tightens

Week Seventeen was a bit of a let down. The Flyers really needed all three points and instead got a tie. The season's math is getting really tight incredibly fast. Conclusions about what worked and what hasn't this season are starting to be drawn. While the Boys in Red aren't by any means eliminated, they're going to have to find a way to win the last couple and have some other results go their way. It's gonna be a squeaker folks.

Finally, Gold Cup call-ups continue to plague the Flyers, making squad selection much more problematic than it otherwise would be.

Starters
Jalil Anibaba (CHI)
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Subs
Rodney Wallace (POR)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)

Reserve
Luis Robles

Week Seventeen: The Rebound

The Flyers were absolutely destroyed last week by the Commissioner's Own Union SC by a score of 9-1. It can't really be helped. The Union had been averaging 2.1 ppg for the season and suddenly, every role player on their squad found their form at the same time.

"It happens in this game," Rose City's manager said after the game. "It was impressive. I wish it hadn't happened to us in the middle of a playoff chase, but what can you do? You've got to keep your highs low and your lows high and focus on the game in front of you."

And boy what a doozy it is. This week's matchup against the Spartans is a six pointer for the Flyers. 1612 sits just one place above Rose City in the league table and while a win last week would have made this the go-ahead game, three points paired with denying the Spartans three at the same time would go a long way toward buying the Boys in Red a playoff spot for the second straight year. For that matter, Alamo City could have finished them off last week too, but no. Make no mistake about it, the results this week could make or break Rose City's drive to once again find the playoffs. In addition Majors Cup Qualifying has been tight this season and the loss last week did no favors there either.

Finally, expect something of a "B" squad from the Flyers this week. Sure, a lot of the top names are there, but Gold Cup callups and a couple of injuries have made things more awkward than they need to be.

EDIT: In addition, given league approval, the team would like to acquire Jalil Anibaba (CHI) and drop Eric Hassli (DAL). If the transaction is approved, Anibaba will hold Hassli's assigned spot in the lineup.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Eric Hassli (DAL)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Luis Robles (NY)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Subs
Martin Rivero (COL)
Rodney Wallace (POR)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)

Reserve
Zach McMath (PHI)

Week Sixteen: Flyers vs. Union

The boys are headed to Southern California to take on the Union for the second time this year in a game that could (if other results fall correctly this week) put the Flyers into a playoff spot for the first time this season. The Union have had dismal luck against the 2012 BSL Cup winners since their entrance into the league with Rose City owning the matchup 3-0-0 on an aggregate score of 10-6.

A few important guys are missing this week, mainly due to MLS byes. Some injuries could still be an issue but it's a pretty clear roster. That's good because the Gold Cup is about to mess with rosters big time, MLS and BSL alike.

Other league games are a big deal for the Flyers this week as well. Fourth place Spartans take on a number one Alamo City side that doesn't look to be losing any time soon so a win for the Rose City could put them even on points. 1612 will likely still have a slight apg advantage but a great week by the Flyers and a dismal one in New York could flip that as well. Six points hasn't been an uncommon score of the Flyers recently. In addition, Burud Town and Orange County, who are numbers three and two respectively go head to head this week and both of them continue to look catchable. Root for the OC in this one simply because the Stags are closer to the Flyers in the standings. Finally, MCQ standings are really volatile right now as well. APG is all that separates the 4th to 6th spots on the table while teams as far up as third and as low as ninth could realistically do a lot of moving there this week. Keep your eyes open and pull for your Boys in Red.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)

Subs
Eric Hassli (DAL)
Rodney Wallace (POR)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

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.

Week Fifteen: Back in Action

What a brutal stretch of games the last few weeks have been. The Flyers didn't make out with all the points but are definitely still in the thick of things. That makes this week all the more important. The team visits Alliance this week and there couldn't be a better time for a pick-me-up. The Lions sit near the bottom of the league table in eleventh place and have had trouble scoring all season. Their APG is just 2.0 and that's after last week's 6-1 drubbing of the Zodiac. In fact, those six points are Alliance's best performance of the season so far.

Most everyone is back from international duty but Flyers standout man Rodney Wallace won't be back with his Portland Timbers until this weekend. Everyone else is healthy and ready to go.


Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Teal Bunbury (SKC)
Eric Hassli (DAL)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

International Break Transaction

Drop Kekuta Manneh (VAN) for Teal Bunbury (SKC).

Pending league approval, Teal Bunbury will be joining fellow SKC teammate Aurelien Collin on the Flyers roster. Bunbury saw his first minutes this week in Sporting's hearbreaking 1-0 loss to Orlando City in the US Open Cup's fourth round. Bunbury's return is good for Sporting after an ACL tear in August last year left him off the field for nine-and-a-half months.

Rose City 1 - 2 Alamo City

The league's top club had a down week, scoring only two points and yet, Rose City couldn't take advantage. The only point for the Flyers came on an Aurelien Collin shot on goal. This is by no means the end to the Flyers aspirations but it does mean that every other game this season is that much more important. Draws by both Second City and Gateway keep the Flyers in the scrum but three points here would have been a big boost.

The poor play from Seattle (once again) has hurt Mauro Rosales' production all season and the full 90' from both Bernier and Di Vaio in the Canadian Championship midweek most likely effected their ability to put points on the board in MLS play. To add insult to injury, the Flyers regular output level would have been enough to top any team in the league save Alliance this week as everyone seemed to have a low scoring week. To pile on even more, Rosales did have a glorious cross that added a point for Seattle except it came off of a Chivas defender's head rather than one of his own attackers.

Regardless of the outcome, Rose City looks forward to a two week break and will be back looking to put points on the board again once the International games are all over and done with.

Week Fourteen: Battle for Playoff Position

This is the big one folks. Or one of the big ones. Depending on how the rest of the season shakes out, there could be a lot of them left. The Flyers dug themselves a big hole early in the season. Rose City's been playing well lately on a six game unbeaten streak but that could all come to a screeching halt versus the BSL's number one offense in Alamo City. The opponents are averaging 4.2 points a game which poses a problem. However, the Boys in Red have posted at least that many in every game for the past five weeks. It's time to see who's firepower shows up to what looks to be a gun show.

There are big implications in this match. The odds of the Flyers catching Alamo City for the Honors Trophy are pretty long, but three points could very easily put them within striking distance of a playoff spot. Both the third and fourth place teams sit on 25 points and a loss by either makes things very interesting. In addition, a Flyers win gives Orange County another look at reclaiming the number one spot.

Most everyone's healthy and only Rodney Wallace will sit out this week due to an MLS bye. Martin Rivero is questionable for his match against Dallas after picking up a knock against Chivas last week. However, the US Open Cup is in full swing and Montreal just finished the last game in the Canadian Championship as well so rosters for MLS teams might look a little strange. We're going to be on most of the heavy hitters at least starting if not going the full 90 anyway. Di Vaio and Bernier both saw 90' against Vancouver mid-week however so it's not totally unexpected to see one or both of them come of the bench or get subbed off the pitch around the hour mark.

Note: The questionable nature of both Castrillon and Rivero this week means that changes to the lineup may be made up to the deadline.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Eric Hassli (DAL)
Kekuta Manneh (VAN)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)

Subs
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Jamie Castrillon (COL)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

Shootout in B-Town

Rose City 5 - 5 Burud Town

This week's match turned out to be a track meet. Rose City jumped out quickly with a hat-trick from Marco Di Vaio. Contributions from Bernier and Rodney Wallace drove the score to five. Unfortunately, Burud Town got two points from their quebecois player as well in Andrew Wenger. Couple that with another strong week from Colorado rookie Deshorn Brown and some fancy footwork from David Ferreira and we were tied at five going into Sunday. Rose City had hope that Mauro Rosales would play the hero, but Seattle were undone dramatically in their own 4-1 loss to the LA Galaxy.

Hat-trick Hero.

The result isn't the greatest but one point is better than none. Other results this week put Rose City five points back of both third and fourth place and let Second City jump them on the table again. The good news is that Second City is only one point ahead and that next week's opponent is Alamo City who've been trading between first and second place all season. A win there could do some good in climbing into the playoff picture. Finally, the draw puts the Flyers in third place in Majors Cup Qualifying with a 1-0-1 record and a 4.5apg.

Week Thirteen: Cracking the Playoffs

The next two or three games are especially important in the Rose City. A strong showing now could shove the Flyers into the playoff positions if they keep racking up points and improving on their already solid APG. It all starts this week with the season's second match versus Burud Town who currently own third place. Add in the fact that there's just five points separating the two teams and this one has consequences.

The Flyers currently own the lifetime series 2-1 but the Stags won the last meeting 3-2 after an injury riddled Rose City team came storming back to tie most of the way through the week. However, a lot has changed in the Flyers camp since Week Five. Since then, Alan Gordon has returned (and left and returned again) to the pitch as have Marvin Chavez and Martin Rivero. Daniel Paladini, Danny Cruz, and the newest pickup Eric Hassli have all donned the Red for the first time since that week five match as well. Mauro Rosales and the Sounders have (re)discovered what scoring is. And finally, Rodney Wallace has begun receiving major minutes for the Timbers and has proven to be the potent weapon no one but he, the Costa Rican national team, and apparently Caleb Porter knew he could be. All in all, this is a different team than the Stags saw just a few short weeks ago and that's a good thing because playoff positions are starting to firm up and competition for the Majors Cup began last week as well.

In addition, pending league approval, the Flyers will be dropping Michael Harrington (POR) and picking up Jaime Castrillon (COL). If approved, appropriate edits will be made to the roster before game time.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Eric Hassli (DAL)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Jaime Castrillon (COL)
Kekuta Manneh (VAN)

Reserves
Luis Robles (NY)

Flyers 4 - 2 Second City

Flyers 4 - 2 Second City

Second City is now 0-4 versus the Flyers all time and the matchup is starting to look like one the Stars will worry about every time it comes up on the schedule. In a dramatic game this weekend, the Flyers faced down the Stars and jumped them in the league table as well, putting the Boys in Red in fifth overall. This is an especially encouraging result given that Di Vaio, Bernier, and Rosales all sat out this week due to MLS byes and minor injury. Points came from Rivero and Chavez along with Zach McMath's Clean Sheet/Save Point double.

Chavez goes 1 on 1.

"The club has really developed some depth in the last month or so and now that our injury issues are mostly in the past, we can take anyone, anywhere. We've shown that anyone on the team can score from Captain Rosales to guys like Wallace and Collin. Top of the table, here we come!" the Flyers coach exclaimed in an exuberant press conference after the match. Rose City started slow this year, sitting as low as tenth place in the league before the boys found their form and their health.

Now comes the hard part. The Flyers picked up nine points in the last three weeks off the backs of some of the league's less excellent teams as they needed to. Now comes back to back games against Burud Town and the league-leading Alamo City. If Rose City can find a way to get at least four points from those two games they should be contending for the playoffs and looking good in the Majors Cup standings as well. It's crunch time.

Edit: In addition, pending league approval, Rose City is dropping David Estrada and picking up Eric Hassli.

Week Twelve: Majors Cup and Second City

EDIT: 1:46 PM PST Marvin Chavez's suspension has been reduced by one game by Commissioner Don Garber making him eligible for this weekend's game vs the Colorado Rapids. Changes have been made to the lineup to reflect this.

The Flyers have been on a roll for the last few weeks. After starting the season painfully slowly most everyone is healthy and the goals have been showing up. That's been aided by big mid-season pickups in Rodney Wallace and Aurelien Collin but improved play from Mauro Rosales in Seattle has been a big part of the improved form as well.

This week sees the start of Majors Cup Qualifying and, as such, is a good time to be in top form. Second City is the opponent for this week and they have failed to top the Flyers yet in their first three tries. To add to the tumult, The Stars sit just two points ahead of the Flyers in the league table. A win here for the Boys in Red puts them in fifth place and just out of Playoff position.

Montreal has another dreaded bye and DiVaio and Bernier will be sorely missed. Alan Gordon is back and available for the lineup following his potty-mouth incident but fellow Quakes frontman and Flyers DP Marvin Chavez is now out on suspension. Finally, the question remains which keeper is better. Neither Robles, nor McMath seems to be consistent enough to always get the start and whoever ends up on the bench seems to manage the better performance of the week more often than not.

Starters
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Kekuta Manneh (VAN)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs

David Estrada (SEA)

Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Patrice Bernier (MTL)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)

Week Eleven: Midpoint

Rose City 6 - 4 CD Gunners

It's officially the midpoint of the BSL season.  Rose City is sitting on a 5-5-1 record and 16 points after a strong 6-4 win over the struggling CD Gunners. It took this team some time to get healthy and find their feet, but the last few weeks have shown how strong they really are. The Flyers are now on a three game winning streak and are undefeated in four headed into the important second half of the season. Sitting in sixth place with a decent APG and a good trajectory, it's entirely reasonable to see the Flyers having a strong second half and making both the playoffs and the Majors Cup.

"We're in this to win it. We've got a Cup to defend and we intend to do everything we can to make that happen," a joyous Mauro Rosales said after the match with the Gunners. Looking stronger than they have since the BSL Cup final last season, the Flyers could well do just that.

Wallace celebrates with teammates Johnson and Nagbe.

Aided in that goal are two post-draft pickups that have really delivered for Rose City in Aurelien Collin and Rodney Wallace. Collin has been undervalued on the backline for Sporting Kansas City and Wallace is playing like a different player up top for Caleb Porter's new look Portland Timbers. Both players have now had multiple point games exactly when the club has needed it from them.

Next week the Flyers face Second City in a battle for fifth place. "If we're going to move up in the standings and challenge for a place in the playoffs, we have to take care of opponents like Second City," the Flyers coach offered after the game this week.

Week Eleven

Late lineup submission. Apologies from the club.

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
David Estrada (SEA)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Luis Robles (NY)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Kekuta Manneh (VAN)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Alan Gordon (SJ)

Reserve
Zach McMath (PHI)

Rose City Strikes it Lucky

Rose City 4 - 3 Stoners

In a week where Marco Di Vaio failed to find the back of the net and Patrice Bernier saw only 17' on the field after playing the full 90' against Toronto in the Canadian Championship Semis earlier in the week, the Flyers hit it lucky. Rose City captain, Mauro Rosales produced his first two points of the season with a goal and an assist against the Philadelphia Union.

Rosales scores his first two of the season.

That wouldn't be all the fireworks out of that game however. Between Rosales' two points, Danny Cruz put two in the back of the net in the space of as many minutes. Left as the first sub this week, the front office for the Flyers wondered if those points would show up. As a final flourish to a game that ended 10 on 9, DeAndre Yedlin earned his first professional red card with a rough and pointless tackle on Michael Farfan automatically pushing Danny Cruz into the BSL field of play. Four points for the Flyers appeared in just ninety minutes on the field between two teams and three players.

The Stoners would valiantly battle back including a goal from the stone cold C.J. Sapong and an assist from his KC teammate Paulo Nagamura. Fortunately for the Boys in Red, the final goal wouldn't come. Robbie Keane wouldn't see the eighteen against Houston and neither Will Bruin nor Marcelo Sarvas could find the net.

Week Ten Lineup: Stoners

Week Nine was a good one for Rose City. They dropped six points on their opponent to grab a sorely needed win. We can't expect a hattrick from Aurelien Collin every week, but it looks like the roster is finding its stride. In addition, the lineup for Week Ten versus the slow-starting Stoners is as healthy as we've seen all season. In addition, this is the first time the clubs have met since the Flyers claimed the BSL Cup from them in the postseason last year.

 Alan Gordon is still sitting in time out so he can think about his mouth and Paladini is on a bye with the rest of Chicago. Barring that, we've got a full lineup folks! Took long enough...

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
David Estrada (SEA)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Kekuta Manneh (VAN)
Zach McMath^ (PHI)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Danny Cruz (PHI)
Daniel Paladini (CHI)
Alan Gordon (SJ)

Reserve
Luis Robles (NY)