FC Denver is looking for a few talented and committed soccer players as they continue preparations for the fall 2010 season. FC Denver is an organized and competitive adult amateur football club. Besides success on the field, the club believes that football is about building a community of people who love the game.  If you are passionate about soccer and want to play with on one of the best teams in the state, please come out to our tryouts in the coming week.

Tryout Schedule:

Tryout Day #1 - Thursday (08/12) @ 6:20pm-8:15pm
Tryout Day #2 Sunday (08/15) @ 9:30am-11:30am. Both at Harvard Gulch fields north of Iliff. (MAP)
All Players will be informed of Roster positions on Sunday/Monday Night

Here is a message about the club and tryouts from club President Eric Fulton:

FC Denver is one of the most successful adult amateur soccer clubs in Colorado. Our club is focused on creating the best amateur teams in the state. We strive to reach our team, club, and player potential, while providing a fun and enthusiastic environment to meet people and share the passion of the game. We are looking for talented players that want to be a part of a club that is organized and exciting to play for. We value top class football and people with enjoyable and agreeable personalities. We are gearing up for our Fall ‘10 tryouts and are looking for new players to add to the terrific team(s) we currently have.

For the Fall 2010 season, we will have 3 men’s teams. Our Premier team, which is one of the best amateur teams in the state; our United team, which won the 2nd division and is moving up to join our Premier team in the 1st division, and our Men’s Over-30 team which also won its 2nd division and is moving up to the 1st division of the Over-30 league. If you are an interested player, please do your research on teams to play for; our teams consistently play at the top level of amateur soccer in the state (and have a great time in the process).

If you are interested, please review our website at fcdenver.org to get more information and either fill out our information form online and/or send me an email at efulton@fcdenver.org and we’ll get you involved. We have a few more weeks of weeknight drop-in scrimmages before our tryouts in mid-August. Thanks for your interest in our growing club. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers!

Our club thrives because of the skill and commitment on-the-field, and the camaraderie and communication off the field, of each of our players. We work to prove that every week.

Premier Game Review by: Brennen Randquist -  Pictures by: Destiny Fernandez

FC Denver was in action once again last Sunday. It was a gorgeous Denver morning for soccer. FC Denver played one of the lower teams in the division, and Denver was feeling pretty good since many players returned from injury or travel.

The match started, and it started quick. FC Denver scored early off a corner kick. Dave delivered a tap in header for the lead. FC Denver owned the first 15 minutes of action and quickly put in another goal. Tom Marks sent home a tap in after a scramble in the 6 yard box.

Then things turned sloppy, and very sloppy. For FC Denver the rest of the half was really back and forth, with no real rhythm that FC Denver displayed in the first 15 minutes. I am sure it was frustrating for all, as FC Denver just couldn’t figure out the style of play that landed them a two nill score.

After a floated pass to the left side was misjudged by an FC Denver defender, the other team tucked away a goal to make it 2-1 right before the half. FC Denver had a chance to go up 3-1, but a penalty kick was missed and it was 2-1 at half.

The second half was a little more of the same, FC Denver settled down and started having some really good possession and combination play. Unfortunately, they got countered off a corner and the other team shot the ball from about 25 yards out and tucked it in the near post to even up the score 2-2. Things would only get worse.

With possession being about 85-15 in favor of FC Denver in the second half, the other team was awarded a corner kick, which some how managed its way into the goal. FC Denver was losing to a much inferior team with about 25 minutes to play.

Luckily, the team woke up, and Kyle Firebaugh slotted home a great cross from Tree, beating the offsides trap. About 3 minutes later on a corner kick Tree was able to tuck in the fourth and game winning goal for FC Denver.

It was a sloppy win for FC Denver, but a result is a result. If anyone watched the previous days Champions League final, it wasn’t a pretty victory for Inter, but a trophy is a trophy. That is what FC Denver will continue to strive for.

Man of the Match: Kyle Firebaugh

Coach Kyle gets the award this week for putting in a game tying goal and providing the game winning assist. His general play was one of the few highlights of a rather disappointing performance by the typically dominant FC Denver Premier side. Special mention goes to Michael Ogletree for his assist and game winning goal.  Kyle edged Tree for this week’s award because of seniority.

Vitor battles for possession

Premier Game Review by: Ben Jackson - Pictures by: Destiny Fernandez

It was a sunny afternoon at Dicks Sporting Goods Park that saw a top of the table FC Denver Premier Team take on the fourth place challengers Pars/America. A win for Pars would catapult them up to a deadlock with FCD for first in the standings. Denver was missing more than a couple of players due to injury and work obligations but carried on with a nearly full side thanks to some noteworthy call-ups from their United team.

The game got under way and it didn’t take long to see that Denver was going to dictate most of the action. They maintained a majority of the possession throughout the first half, only having to put off a few small spurts from America. An FC Denver fan base of 20 or so (including but not limited to United players) was clearly frustrated, as the great ball movement and possession was not rewarded with a goal due to the dismal finishing efforts up front.

Kyle watches his through ball

The second half brought more intensity from Denver as they began to put a great deal of pressure on the opposing defense. This however, did little to deter the fans chattering about their team’s lack of ability to find the back of the net. With the offense struggling, the Denver defense tightened up and did a great job keeping Pars/America’s offense quiet. The Denver backline consistently maintained possession after winning the ball. They continued to work things forward into the attack, focusing on exploiting the wings. This brought a good deal of space and time to the Denver midfield, which was finally able to break through the opposing back line after what can only be referred to by the fans, as an eternity.

Roy Tewell, playing extremely confident all day, took it upon himself to win the game for FC Denver. After receiving a ball out of the back, Roy made a run down the left touchline, beating the first defender in space with his speed. He closed in towards the corner of the box and took on an oncoming defender towards the goal line. With the keeper making the decision to come out and cut the angle down Tewell made a lighting quick assessment of the situation and came to the conclusion that the team’s best chance of scoring would be a soft chip over the approaching keeper. He wasted no time in calmly slipping the ball past the outstretched hands of Denver’s gloved foe and gave Denver the lead.

Juan shows no mercy

After Denver went up 1-0 the result never seemed much in doubt as Pars/America did little to threaten the one goal cushion. 15 minutes later the center official called full time and ended a frustrating match. FCD earned a victory but never quite played to their full potential.

From the fans perspective it could have been much more entertaining had Denver put away just a few more of the many opportunities in front of goal. Hats off goes to the Denver defense for winning the shut out against a team that had produced 7 goals in their last 3 matches.

This moves FC Denver Premier to 5-1-1 and keeps them on top for another week.

Man of the Match: Roy Tewell

Roy receives the award for his work rate and confidence on the ball which not only produced the lone goal of the match, but pestered a stingy Pars/America defense all day long.

Premier Game Review by: Brennen Randquist - Pictures by: Juan Gonzalez

FC Denver was back on the field on Sunday, looking to come back from a 1-1 tie the week before.  FC Denver sat in second place, tied with Chivas, who they were battling on Sunday.  The game had a different feel from normal, due to many of the FC Denver regulars being out of action.  FC Denver was missing key members, including Tom Marks, Kyle Firebaugh, Jesse Woodworth, Danny Valenzuela, and Chris Honeker.  Thankfully FC Denver United members Roy Tewell, Matt Martinez, and Langston Anthony were able to fill in.

Within the first 5 minutes of the match, FC Denver’s defensive anchor Joel Miller felt a hamstring become tight, forcing him out for the remainder of the match.  FC Denver was undermanned but they all knew how important this match was and fought hard to ensure victory.

FC Denver came out fast with their new 3 center mid formation.  FC Denver owned Chivas during the first 15 minutes; passing, linking up with one another, and combining for many scoring opportunities.  However, Chivas was able to send a few long balls over the FC Denver defense to create scoring chances.

After an FC Denver corner kick, Chivas cleared and sent a long ball to an oncoming forward who neatly slid the ball past Greg Henegli into the back of the net to make the score 1-0.  FC Denver kept pressing, knowing they had the better of the play. Finally, on a set piece taken by Vitor, Juan Gonzalez headed home his first goal of the season to even up the score.

The second half was much of the same.  Late in the half, after a questionable no call by the referee, FC Denver broke on a dangerous counter.  Tree slid a ball to Vitor who tucked in a left footed shot past the Chivas defense to make the score 2-1 in favor of FC Denver.

The second half saw many cards as both teams received one red card, and a brawl almost broke out after Ben Jackson and the Chivas goalkeeper went in on a 50-50 ball.

It was a great win for FC Denver, who now sits first in the standings.

Man of the Match: Vitor Bravo

Vitor provided the game tieing assist and the game winning goal for FC Denver. His leadership, passion, and ability to control the tempo of the game with his passing was key to FC Denver’s victory.

Jesse works hard to keep possession

Premier Game Review by: Brennen Randquist - Pictures by: Destiny Fernandez

FC Denver Premier played on Sunday again in another tough league match. The weather was gorgeous and it was a perfect day for a soccer game. The game started off in a furious pace, with both teams attacking each other from the get go. The first 15 minutes were dominated by FC Denver, with some quality chances coming from Tom Marks and Chuy Flores. Tom Marks narrowly missed the goal on a left footed strike from the top of the 18 yard box that sailed just wide of the goal.

Unfortunately for FC Denver they had trouble solving the midfield and the rest of the half they had to hunker down and play defense. Thanks to the FC Denver defense anchored by Joel Miller, Vitor, Dave, and Juan Gonzalez they score remained nil - nil.

In around the 35th minute mark FC Denver had a free kick called against them, and the free kick was beautiful as it sailed just over the wall and into the upper corner, making it 1-0 not in favor of FC Denver. The rest of the half was back and forth with FC Denver still remaining to have little possession.

Juan Gonzales makes a strong challenge

After a stern talking to at halftime by coach Kyle Firebaugh, FC Denver came out in the second half as the aggressor. The second half was 50-50 with both teams having possession but little scoring chances. Finally midway through the second half FC Denver was awarded a free kick from about 30 yards out.

Vitor sailed a ball into the opponents 18 yard box where Joel Miller skied over the defenders and headed the ball to Tom Marks who out jumped all defenders and the goalkeeper heading the ball home. This evened up the score line to 1-1.

With both teams being fatigued the game became a little chippy and there were very little quality chances coming from both sides. The game was hard fought and the match ended in a 1-1 tie.

Tom Migchelbrink charges ahead

Coaches MOTM: Chuy Flores-Guerra. Chuy played extremely hard all match and was tough to get off the ball. He did a great job controlling the ball in our attacking third. Good on ya Chuy!

Another terrific year for the club is over. In tru end-of the year spirit, I’ve browsed through our pictures from this year and will be listing the top 5 photo’s, one per day, over the next several days. Today, we start with the 5th best picture of 2009…

There is a 3-way tie for 5th place in the Best Pictures of 2009 . There were just too many interesting pictures to exclude Any of these three. Give em’ a look:

TIED FOR 5th

Matt Martinez rises to meet the oncoming cross. Matt is one of the only players that can volley a ball with his eyes closed! Pretty talented. Don’t remember if he scores or not, but the picture is great either way. This pic was was taken in Spring 09 when our Premier team played Colorado Crimson.

FOR 5th

Who’s gonna catch Chris Honeker? I’d be willing to bet that this keeper is not. Chris breezes by this unsuspecting keeper on the way to another goal. This picture was also taken in Spring 09 in the Premier vs Colorado Crimson game.

TIED FOR 5th

A great team picture for a great awards party. Thanks to all the guys that joined us @ Seriouz Pizzeria.

Tomorrow will be Picture # 4 as we continue to count down the best pictures of 2009.

Cheers!

By Eric Fulton

The Spring Men’s 11v11 Indoor League at the Foothills Indoor  Arena kicked off last night with 3 of our mens teams participating. Not only do we have 3 of our men’s teams in the league, but all of our men’s teams are represented by players on the squads. Our very own FC Denver Green Team won the Season-record Championship last season.

Here’s the results from last nights action:

FC Denver White vs. First Bank: 2-2; Our boys battled in a fiercely compettive game and got a tie. Good to get a result.

FC Denver Green vs. Happy Feet: 1-0; Our boys only had 10 men and got the result by playing smart counterattacking soccer. The team relied on the will and passion of the backline and the skill and elusiveness of their attackers.

FC Denver Premier vs. Corrosion: 6-1; Our Premier groups first game at Foothills was a good one. The guys displayed aggressive defense and  sharp passing to easily dismantle their opponents.

Our Coed Team, FC Denver ALPHA, kicks off their season tonight. Good Luck to them!

Another weekend filled with exciting soccer.  All our teams played on Sunday and represented the club well.

White team won 2-1 against Denver Revolution, full report to follow.

Green team won 3-1 against Reietto, and has moved up to third in the table. Full report to follow.

Premier team won 3-0 against 3 Lions.  It was a game of firsts.  Our first win in the 1st division, our first shutout, and David’s first goal.  Chris turned his defender twice and beat the keeper with a floater over the top and a dipping blast into the corner.  Everyone played well and came together in a must win game.

Masters lost their last game of the season 4-1, and ends with a 4-3-1 record, placing 4th in the league.  The team pulled together and played a good game but just couldn’t find the net, but once.

Women’s team won, full report to follow.

Upcoming Games:

White at Dicks #3 @ 9am
Premier at Broomfield @ 1pm
Green at Dicks#3 @ 3pm

The Premier team suffered its second loss of the season against a very good America side. The final score was 5-2, but they were definitely not 3 goals better than us. Langston scored a booming 45 yard strike over the goalie’s head to put us on the board. Langston also slipped in Raph for his 3rd goal of the season. The premier team was guilty of making mistakes on both sides of the ball. The offense missed several chances to get us back in the game, and their attackers were able to capitalize on a few defensive lapses. Nonetheless we kept our spirits up and played valiantly for the full 90. I’ve always believed that it isn’t about whether or not you make a mistake, but how you react to it that really matters. Our team reacted in the best manner possible, we never put our head down and pushed forward.

The Green team tied CO Sporting Select 4-4 in hard fought and dramatic game. Full match report with pictures will be posted later.

The FC Denver White team lost 6-0 this Sunday. It was a strongly contested midfield battle. They played a quick Chivas team that got the drop on them early and raced out to a 4-0 lead at halftime. The White squad fought really hard in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. There was some fantastic play from midfield by Drew, Roy and Todd. Our forwards fought valiantly as well, and Max and Kemar came close on numerious occassions. The FC Denver White squad has a had to deal with some tough growing pains, but are really starting to come together as a squad and show a lot of promise! We look forward to good things from them and for them to finish the season strong!

The Masters team, beat one of the top teams in their league this Sunday.

The Women did not have a chance to play this weekend, but be sure to get out and support them at their next match. They are very talented and fun players to watch play.

THIS WEEKS GAME SCHEDULE:

PREMIER = Dicks #19 @ 3pm

MASTERS = Dicks #7 @ 1pm

WHITE = Broomfield Commons @ 9am.

GREEN = Dicks #19 @ 11am.

Women = TBD

Sorry for the late updates, but here is how the weekend went for FC Denver.

Green Team suffered their first lose of the season, falling 5-3 to Sefton FC.  Full game report to follow.

The White Team led by the Ninja Assasin, fell to a very good Rush team.

The premier team tied 3-3 against a solid Ex-Jesuits team.  In every game so far, the Premier team has improved but has yet to find their first win of the season.  The premier team out hustled and, for portions, out played their opponents who are a CASL powerhouse.  Dustin came up big with 2 assists.  Slipping the ball through for Chris early in the game to put us up 1-0.  We were down 2-1 in the last minute of the first half, when a well placed corner kick met the head (or shoulder) of stopper Matt Kasck to tie it up 2-2.  Dustin again showed his vision, when he played in JC to put us up 3-2.  We gave up a goal a few minutes later, but JC, active all day on the flank, saw our best chance in the dying minutes get deflected over the cross bar.  Newcomers Eddie and Marinko(SP??) made their debut for the Premier team.  Both made a great impact on the team.

Masters Team????? Word on the street is that the old fogies lost, but were short handed.

In the big news for the weekend our Two Women’s teams facing off head to head in the first ever Women’s Green v. White game. The game was a blast by all accounts. Our Green team had a dominant first half and the White team came back strong in the 2nd half to fall just short of the victorious Green team. They’ll play eachother again before the season ends, so we’ll all look forward to that.