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)

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 Six Lineup

This week's gonna take some work; that's for sure. Montreal has a bye week in MLS which means no Marco Di Vaio and no Patrice Bernier. Sanna Nyassi's out of the question as well. Seattle too is not playing this week due to CCL commitments so you won't see Mauro Rosales either. That means that, once again, the Boys in Red are looking a little thin. Not everything is bad news though. Alan Gordon got limited minutes last week and is expected to see even more (maybe even starting) this week with San Jose. Winning this game would continue a great trend for Rose City, leaving the team at .500 and in a good position to head up the table as more of the injured players return to their respective lineups. Alliance is at the same record and, generally speaking, has had issues scoring this season so it's not impossible to see the Flyers come out with a "W".

Starters
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
David Estrada (SEA)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
Michael Harrington (POR)
Frederic Piquionne (POR)
Martin Rivero (COL)
Luis Robles (NY)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Subs
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
Sanna Nyassi (MTL)

Reserves
Zach McMath (PHI)

Week Four: Rough One

There's no doubt about it. The early schedule hasn't been kind to Rose City with regards to their injured players or which MLS teams get early season breaks. This week, it seems that half the team won't take the field anywhere. Portland and Philly have bye weeks leaving the team without Harrington, Piquionne, the newly acquired Wallace, or keeper McMath in addition to the already injured guys. At least it looks like no one else has received a National Team call-up.

"We've just got to go out and set up the guys who will be on the field to make the plays," the Flyers Coach offered when asked about the situation. "It seemed to work out for us okay last week. Bernier came in, played off Di Vaio and helped us put some points on the board. Rosales ought to see more minutes this week too. We've got some heavy hitters available."

In addition, the Flyers are announcing now, pending league approval, the waiver of Kwame Watson-Siriboe (RSL) for David Estrada (SEA).

Starters
Patrice Bernier (MTL)
Marvin Chavez (SJ)
Aurelien Collin (SKC)
Marco Di Vaio (MTL)
David Estrada (SEA)
Alan Gordon (SJ)
YP Lee (VAN)
Zach McMath (PHI)
Sanna Nyassi (MTL)
Mauro Rosales (SEA)
Chris Tierney (NE)

Subs
Michael Harrington (POR)
Frederic Piquionne (POR)
Rodney Wallace (POR)

Reserve
Martin Rivero (COL)

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.

Rose City Announces Two DPs

The Rose City Flyers are proud to announce that they're tentatively marking Marvin Chavez and Mauro Rosales as two of this upcoming season's Designated Players. Both players were key in the club's success last season and they don't appear to be going anywhere either for Rose City or their respective MLS teams.

Chavez

Rosales

Obviously, should something happen to either of these players (injury or transfer) before the BSL DP deadline, the club could choose someone else. However, it looks good to see both of these outstanding players suiting up for the Boys in Red again this season.

"Having a significant part of our offense back wearing our colors again this season is a truly great place to start," the Flyers coach said when asked about the announcement. "Both Mauro and Marvin put up numbers last season and were always a threat to score at any moment. Nothing about how they're being played in MLS seems to indicate that we should expect anything different from them this year."

Working on Next Season

It's still early in the offseason but if you ask the Flyers Front Office, it's never too early to get to work. The biggest problem the team suffered last season was inconsistency. Sometimes the team would go off  like in their 7-0 BSL Cup Semi-final stomping of Gateway United. Other times, the whole team would fizzle like in the numerous games in which they scored only one or two points. This is the reason that the Flyers finished what was an otherwise impressive first season with only a 2.5 APG. So what can be done to improve the squad overall while solving this problem as well? Let's break it down.

Step One - Improve the overall quality of the squad.
The big names on the Flyers' roster definitely delivered this season. First and foremost, Mauro Rosales put up 13 points through the regular season and BSL Cup play. Marvin Chavez put up 9 points of his own.  Finally, Marco DiVaio managed six points from his first start during week fifteen onward.

On the other hand, the squad had several regular contributors who either failed to score, or only found the back of the net once. Guys like Steven Beitashour, Adam Moffat, Justin Braun, Alejandro Moreno, and Kosuke Kimura regularly took up starting spots but never seemed to put up points.

This is the big rub. Having stars who put up major points can send you far in this league. But it doesn't get you far enough. Stars get hurt, they don't make their MLS team's lineup because of CCL play, or their MLS team simply has a bye week and you have to make do without them. That's where overall squad quality comes in. Having a whole roster of guys who can score on any given week, even if they don't score every week, makes the difference. They win you games your stars aren't playing in. And they win you games against teams who can match you star for star, but don't have the squad depth you do. Darlington Nagbe scored five times during the regular season and added two more during the post season. Mike Magee put five on the board as well. These types of journeymen players do the hard work behind the scenes.

Step Two - Stay Spread Out
One of the ways a team's stars don't play is if their MLS team has a bye week. Nobody from that team's playing. Sometimes this plays to a team's advantage if they get to dodge the opposition's big star. Sometimes it goes the other way. In any case, when combined with an all around quality squad, making sure the team doesn't take a major hit from any given bye week a team can put up more points than its opponents. Generally, having more than a couple players from a single MLS team on the roster is a poor idea. As a result, not only is putting together a BSL winning squad about finding quality for your full squad of players, it's about finding it among many different MLS teams so that you have access to that quality all the time.

What it boils down to is learning how to evaluate players at all levels of the game. How much playing time can they expect with their club? How often do they score? Are they assist machines and so, score in BSL play as often as many of the top level strikers in MLS? These are all questions that budding managers for BSL clubs would do well to pay attention to. Sometimes it's hard, but spending time to become a great talent evaluator is one of the best ways to end up at the top of the table.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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 10 vs. Alliance

The boys from Vegas are in town this week to face down Rose City who currently has more wins than any other team in the BSL. However, Alliance is currently 10th in the standings and only a touch higher on the Power Rankings. Can they shake up a Flyers team that looks to be rock steady? Only time will tell.

"We're doing pretty well right now," the Flyers coach admitted when talked to during a mid-week practice. "Most wins in the league isn't something to sniff at, but we still have room for improvement. We'd be in first but for our APG. That's where my concern is right now."

The concern is warranted as Rose City is currently only averaging 2.4 points per game. That's not as many as a team that'd be capable of staying at the top of the standings should be putting out. However, help is on the way. The team played without Mauro Rosales until last week and Italian Marco Di Vaio should begin making an Impact (pun intended) in the next week or two himself. With their newfound firepower, can the Flyers keep their grip on a playoff spot? What's to come with Majors Cup qualifying just around the corner?

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

Subs
Bjorn Runstrom
Darlington Nagbe
Marco Di Vaio

Bill Hamid was dropped this week for the incoming Di Vaio. The captain's band has been captured by Rosales after poor performance by Alejandro Moreno.

Mauro Returns!

Rose City 4 - 3 Alamo City

The Flyers did what some considered impossible in the Game of the Week this week, taking down a strong Alamo City side 4-3. Without the red-hot foot of Thierry Henry, the Battle were unable to put quite as many points up and Rose City took advantage. A strong performance from the whole club was required including three points from the field and the Save Point from Kennedy in the net. The big story however, was the return of Mauro Rosales. Averaging one point on the week from two separate games, there can be little doubt that the club did the right thing waiting for the big man to get healthy and return to the lineup.

"Yeah, there was some chatter both online and around the league that we should drop him to try and up our APG," the Flyers coach admitted. "Some even speculated that he wouldn't really return to form after he got back on the pitch. We've been really happy though, with his effort in the recovery and his work rate from the beginning. We were content to wait this one out knowing that he'd contribute big time when he came back."

And boy did he. Without Mauro this is a tie game and Rose City doesn't end up where it is in the tables.

"We're in a great place looking at heading into Majors Cup Qualifying," the coach said. "I'm really very happy with how the team is shaking out. They're gelling on the field and making great plays. If anything, I think we could be putting a few more in the back of the net." With Rosales back and gaining full strength, it's expected that that's just what the Flyers will be doing.

To add to the feeling of moving forward and making more strikes at goal, it appears that Rose City has won the bidding war for Marco Di Vaio, adding another dangerous pair of legs to the pitch. Di Vaio is the leading scorer for Serie A club Bologna and should quickly make his presence known in MLS and the BSL.

With this win Rose City moves to 6-3-0 and 2nd in the league tables. No other team has as many wins. Time will tell how this win effect the club's place in the BSL Power Rankings.

Week Nine Lineup

Week 9 is here and boy is it a doozy. Rose City will be facing the ever-strong Alamo City Battle in the Match of the Week. But how strong are they really? They're coming off of a two game losing streak which is sure to give them a reason to fight. But how hard a fight will the team give without the steady presence of captain Thierry Henry? In any case, the Flyers look to make Henry's absence a moot point this weekend.

Mauro Rosales got almost an hour of playing time last week and should be up for a more complete performance than that this time around. Bill Hamid is in fine shape, but continues to warm the bench as Joe Willis does all the work in DC. Still, this is a club that's in better shape than it has been in several weeks.

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

Subs
Bjorn Runstrom
Bill Hamid (Keeper)
Adam Moffat

Week Eight Lineup

Well, it's week eight and after an 8 - 0 showing versus Pennsylvania last week, Rose City is happy to see it. They're still only a point out of fourth place (and a playoff spot) and we're still four weeks from beginning Majors qualifying. Anything can happen. This week the Flyers face Burud Town who have only one win in seven games. If there's a match that a playoff type team should win, this is it.

By now, Rose City is starting to feel the bug that is injuries, players being missing and so forth. It is however looking like it's about time for Mauro Rosales to be making his big return. He's listed as probable by the Sounders. Bill Hamid on the other hand is match fit, but it seems that DC United feel more comfortable with Joe Willis in the net.

Starters
Justin Braun
Marvin Chavez
Dan Kennedy (Keeper)
Kosuke Kimura
Mike Magee
Adam Moffat
Alejandro Moreno (Captain)
Darlington Nagbe
Mauro Rosales


Subs
Bjorn Runstrom
C.J. Sapong
Bill Hamid (Keeper)