Lio DelPiccolo Celebrates Goal #1 in a 4-goal comeback!

Written by Marco DelPiccolo – Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

After failing to pick up any points in the last game of the regular season versus long time rival, Chivas, FC Denver Premier fell to 3^rd place at the end of the regular season and would face a strong Colorado Sporting Premier team that finished the season in 6^th place in the quarterfinal round of the CASL 1^st Division playoffs. These two teams met in week 5 of the season and battled the strong winds and each other to a 1-1 draw. Premier was looking forward to showing that they were in fact the better team and looked to prove it on a day when the weather looked to be much more cooperative.

Coming into the game, FC Denver knew they would not have a full bench but were further set back when learning just prior to kickoff that stalwart defender, Dave Kroening, would have to sit for yellow card accumulation dating back to the previous season. Luckily, Brady Yarletts surprised everyone and came back from his several week long injury before expected and was able to help out the team as the 11^th player at kickoff. Sporting’s squad had similar numbers but was not in similar shape, which would prove a difference make on the day.

Tyler Wilson (L) and Tom Marks (R) made it a tough day for Sporting

The game would be played by many players out of position and took some time for FCD to find some rhythm. Eventually FC Denver was able to find space for their outside midfielders who were able to take on some defenders and play the ball into the box but were not able to get a finish. The first dangerous opportunity of the game came as Sporting finally found their way into the FC Denver penalty area and hit a shot that quickly found the arm of a defender merely feet away and Sporting was awarded a penalty. Stepping up to take a penalty again Ian Campbell can be a daunting task and the Sporting player missed high a la Roberto Baggio World Cup ’94.

Amped with the confidence of missed penalty coupled with the arrival of star center back Joel Miller, Premier looked to take hold of the game. Unfortunately for them, Sporting had other plans. A free kick played in from outside the 18 found the head of a Sporting player and the rebound found a free attacker at the goal line that jammed it in past the defense. The first half would end with more chances by FC Denver but lacked the final finishing touches needed to find the back of the net.

After a rousing speech by skipper Luke Elbin, Premier knew what they had to do to come back and win the game and set out in the second half to do just that. After chances in the first half and more coming in the opening minutes of the second half, Lio DelPiccolo took it on himself to get FC Denver on the score sheet. He found himself open in the corner and was able to beat the defenders in the box and slot in a near post goal from a tight angle to get FC Denver level.

Brandon Best advances the ball

Not long after the goal did Lio find himself at the top of the box with a defender tightly marking him. A ball came across to Lio who deftly flicked the ball on to Marco DelPiccolo who one timed his shot into the corner for a 2-1 FC Denver advantage. Before they could start to pull away, FC Denver gave up a foul near the center of the field at the top of the penalty area. Ian Campbell set up his wall and the Sporting player lined up a low driving shot right to the far corner but Ian quickly got down and parried away the shot.

At this point, FC Denver could feel that their fitness was going to help them win the game as Sporting looked tired and gave a lot of space to the attack. Raul Elias took advantage of all the space and was able to beat several defenders in the box and finish another tight angle goal to give FC Denver a 2 goal lead with time starting to wind down. The persistence of the FC Denver squad showed again as Brandon Best was able to cut off a pass from the goalkeeper coming out of his goal and calmly slide in the 4^th goal of the half for FC Denver. Unwilling to let the previous goal celebrations outdo him, Brandon pulled off a double cartwheel to back handspring and stuck the landing leaving the judges on the sideline no choice but to put up 10’s. HA!

The team celebrates it's stirring comeback performance

The final whistle blew and FC Denver was able to overcome a first half deficit to win comfortably 4-1. With some time off before a semifinal matchup with Colorado Rovers (on May 20th), FC Denver Premier has some time to get some injuries healed up and be ready to defend their title as CASL 1^st Division Champions.

Man of the Match Award: This weeks game award goes to Curtis Greenley, whom played his first game as marking back for FC Denver. He made no mistakes and made one incredible defensive effort to sprint back 90 yards after a corner kick to stop a Sporting counter. He also got forward well and kept the opposition on their heels.

Coach Elbin’s Comments: “After the match, I was at a loss for words. It was an emotional game. I think I said the ‘F-word’ and ‘Awesome’ over and over again. I was really happy how we kept our composure and worked the ball with patience and purpose after we got up 2-1. It was an incredible effort or workrate, skill, and intelligence by our guys. We need to use this momentum and take this Spring CASL title!”

Chivas was the stronger team on the day

Written by: Brandon Best – Pictures by: Destiny Fernandez

The headline for this article should be “FC Denver gets punched in the nuts!!” as it would be both a figurative and actual description of FC Denver Premier’s game against league rival Chivas.  The Goats would end the game with nine men on the field for their rough and tumble play.  However it was the 2-0 loss that snapped Premier’s 2 year league undefeated streak that hurt more than any low blows that Chivas could throw.  On a day when the wind finally settled down and FC Denver could look to play an attractive style of soccer against an able opponent, they came up short of their lofty goals and expectations.

Tom Marks rises to the challenge

From the word go, it just did not seem to be clicking for FC Denver.  They were able to control the ball a bit, but were not incredibly dangerous going forward.  They also found themselves playing quite a bit of defense against a very proficient Chivas attack.  Despite having a skill advantage in the middle of the park, FC Denver let Chivas dictate the play to go wide where on the day they were able to make the game very predictable.  Chivas would score their first goal after a bit of misfortune for Tyler Wilson.  Facing goal and running down a long ball, Wilson tried to head the ball back to keepr Dade Smith, but did not get enough power on it.  A streaking Chivas player was able to intercept the back pass and slot his shot into the back of the net.  Chivas second goal would come a short time later on another long ball that was misread by the FC Denver defense.  Looking to play the ball before it bounced, Dave Kron went forward to try and collect the long pass from Chivas, but the ball carried just a little further than he planned and bounced over him.  The Chivas player that ran onto the ball had an excellent first touch toward goal, before smashing his shot past Smith.  Now up two-nil, Chivas would look to slow the game down and take FC Denver out of the mindset of playing their style of soccer.  Unfortunately, their plan wasn’t simply to hold the ball and knock it around, but rather to practice their MMA moves on their opponents.  Chivas was able to kill off the first half down a man, simply by fouling and gamesmanship that had FC Denver taking themselves out of the match.

This was one of the more physical Men's league matches

The second half would go much as the same, with another Chivas player seeing red, after he hit Dave Kron in his naughty bits.  It seemed though that Chivas could have had two more sent off, and it might not have made a difference as FC Denver was lured back into playing predictable attacking balls that were never really a threat on the Chivas keeper.  The closest opportunity came from Marco DelPiccollo, when he got on the end of a cross, but his header was comfortably handled by the goalie.  FC Denver was able to get out of the game without any close opportunities by Chivas, but they were not able to escape without the injury bug biting yet another member of their already depleted roster.  Jesse Woodworth went down right before the final whistle, with what appeared to be a potentially serious knee injury.

Raul Elias stayed active the entire match

The loss dropped Premier back to third place and into a playoff match this next weekend likely against a Colorado Sporting side that tied FC Denver in a wind fueled game two weeks ago.  FC Denver will need to regroup and find their style of soccer if they are going to achieve their goal of winning the Spring title.

Pictures by the amazing Destiny Fernandez

FC Denver Premier faced off this past Sunday against a struggling Real Colorado side that needed a win to keep itself out of the relegation zone. FC Denver Premier was looking to bounce back after a disappointing result (1-1 tie on an amazingly windy day against an inferior Colorado Sporting team). The boys came out strong and never let up in this biggest a**-whoppin’ of the season. I’ll let teh pictures do the talking for this review.

The exciting thing about this game is that we’ve (as leadership of the team and club) have been preaching that we need to get goals. hat we need to press forward and get numbers in the box. We saw that this game. In previous seasons, we would have played these guys to a 3-1 win, this season, we dominated.

The team now prepares for the most important 3 weeks of the season as they play the only other team to win a league championship the past 2 years, Chivas Guadalajara, this weekend, and then likely again in 3 weeks for the championship. This weekend is poised to set the tone for the upcoming playoffs, so expect a season-defining performance this weekend.

Curtis Greenley finds space out wide

Man of the Match: The entire team! A beautiful day and an even more beautiful scoreline. Everyone deserve praise for a truly dominating performance.

Dicks was packed for the Rapids v. Galaxy Match!

Written by: Ian Campbell – Pictures courtesy of ColoradoRapids.com and Corbin Elliott Photography

The LA Galaxy came to DSG Park on Saturday looking for their first away win of the season and the Rapids entered looking to create some momentum after two straight losses. It seems like the draw of the night was the star-power for the stacked LA Galaxy, with some fans choosing to wear their Beckham jersey underneath a Rapids Supporters scarf. The draw was great enough to record the second largest crowd at DSG Park, with 19,152 soccer fans lining the terraces due to the new “standing room only” tickets that were issued. And for the first time in 4 years, David Beckham managed to get over whatever ailment he was suffering at the time and started for the Galaxy. The Galaxy star was accompanied by other signature names like Landon Donovan, Juninho, and Edson Buddle.

LA was able to get off to a fast start and in the 20^th minute a David Beckham free kick was headed back across by Mike Magee and inadvertently directed goalward by Marvell Wynne, leading to an own-goal and a 1-0 deficit for the home side. In addition to the free kick assist, Beckham was spot on all night with his distribution. Even as a Rapids fan, it was hard not to appreciate the skill with which he was placing the ball exactly where his teammates needed it. Surprisingly, the Galaxy’s second goal did not come through his distribution, but was a nice bit of overlap play by Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan, which found Donovan running unmarked at goal inside the 18. Donovan’s shot made it by a sliding defender and squeaked under Matt Pickens for a 2 goal lead right before half.

The second half saw the Rapids play some of their best soccer of the season, creating chances and showing off the attacking style that Oscar Pareja is trying to foster. Omar Cummings was able to find the back of the net on a left-footed screamer to the far post in the 63^rd minute, setting the stage for a hotly contested finale. As the Rapids continued to dominate possession and press, the Galaxy began to succumb to the altitude and feign injury. It was great to see our boys put the press on the league champs and force them out of their comfort zone. As play got more direct, the fitness of the Rapids kept the ball exclusively in the LA half and in the 90^th minute a lofted pass from Jeff Larentowicz intended for Andre Akpan lead to a penalty call as Akpan hit the dirt stretching to get a toe on the ball.

Landon discusses free kick call with ref

Omar Cummings lined up to complete the brace and play the hero, but was interrupted multiple times by the supporter’s terrace throwing beers onto the field. When Omar was finally able to hit a shot, he stuttered up to the ball and hit a mid level shot to the right, which pushed wide by Josh Saunders. As soon as the ball touched Saunders’ hands, the crowd went from near-riotous to church-quiet. The last minutes held a few chances, but nothing spectacular enough to bring the Rapids back for a deserved tie. The game finished 2-1 for the Galaxy, but the Rapids held the edge in shots (14-11) and possession (62%). Though the loss was disheartening, the silver lining is that we pushed last year’s champions to the brink on our home turf and deserved more. Luckily, the Galaxy will return to DSG on September 30^th in a game that will likely have playoff implications. Next up for the Rapids are Chivas USA, in a game where the loser will share the basement of the Western Conference with Portland. This can safely be considered a must-win game if the Rapids expect to perform up to expectations.

George Marchant narrowly escapes the slide tackle

Written By Brandon Best – Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

First all, this week’s game recap needs to start with a correction to lasts week’s entry.  Dave Kron has never and would never score an own goal.  The credit for the own goal last week belongs to Mario Burstein.  Apologies to Dave, his family, his players, and his supporters.

Curtis Greenley approaches goal

Now on to this most recent Sunday’s matchup for the FC Denver Premier squad, which saw them take maximum points and take charge at the top of the table.  Playing a Baxterboo squad in it’s 2nd season in the top flight, Premier had an opportunity to put together a top notch performance that they have been searching for all season.  That is if they refused to play the physical kick and run game that Baxterboo was hoping to pressure them into.  From the word go, Baxterboo, looked to apply pressure all over the field with the hopes that FC Denver’s midfield and back line would either cough up the ball or be content to try and play over the top where their defenders could win the aerial battle.  This initially gave FC Denver fits, as they had trouble finding feet in the central midfield and even when they did, the options tended to be limited.  Has the game wore on, Premier’s superior fitness and poise on the ball began to pay dividends.  In the end there were so many goals that it was difficult for this writer to keep track.

However, it wasn’t until late into the first half, when Tyler Imbrogno broke free in on the Baxterboo keeper, only to see his effort deflected off of the crossbar.  Fortunately the hero from last week’s game, Lio DelPiccolo, collected the rebound and put the ball into the back of the net.  Also, in the first half, Chris Harrison resumed his scoring streak after taking a week off, by Harrison’ing the Baxterboo defense before putting his shot past the keeper.

Brady Yarletts alludes defensive pressure

At the half, FC Denver Premier knew that they needed to come out early and put the game away.  They did just that, with a brace from Mat Haager, and goals from Marco DelPiccolo, Tyler Imbrogno, and George Marchant.  Adding two assists was Vitor Bravo, who was playing his first game of the season.  All in all, it was a satisfying win heading into the Easter break, when Coach Elbin plans on eating lots of ham and eggs.  An interesting side note, is that Premier’s primary rival Chivas Guadalajara, struggled to a 2-2 tie against El Alamo on the next field over, thereby propelling Premier to the top of the table.

Tyler Imbrogno advances the ball

MOTM: Coach Elbin states: “Tyler Imbrogno wins the man-of-the-match award. He was dangerous all game and had a real nice finish to open the flood gates.”

COACHES THOUGHTS: Coach Elbin stated, “Fun game for all. We took care of business and put up a big number in the process.  Let’s keep this momentum going into the stretch run of the season.”

Written by Daniel Valenzuela – Pictures courtesy of AP Photo

This week the US U-23 side was painfully eliminated from the Olympic Qualifying Tournament by El Salvador in an exciting 3-3 draw on Monday night.  Although the US was the favorite to win the tournament, Canada and El Salvador exposed the US’s many weaknesses.

In itself, the loss doesn’t mean much. But when coupled with the US’s failure to earn a spot in the Confederations Cup and failure to qualify for the U20 World Cup, US soccer fans can’t be blamed for feeling a bit uneasy about the development of the program.

Believe it or not, this is a sign of progress. Despite some lackluster results and frustrating performances by the US national team at all levels, a new chapter in US soccer is emerging.  The U23 squad highlighted a few of the positive developments in US soccer.

In particular, the U23 squad attempted to do things the right way by playing the ball on the ground, attacking with numbers, and scoring goals in the run play.  Moreover, players with talent are not only getting a longer look but seem to be more abundant than ever before.

In the big picture, the US is transitioning into the next level the soccer hierarchy.  There was a time when the US could pull a majority of its better players for any international match. That is no longer the case.  Players like Jozy Altidore, Alfredo Morales, Timothy Chandler, and Daniel Williams were all age eligible for U-23 squad but could not attend because of club commitments. Similarly, Joshua Gatt was recalled by his club team after being called into camp. The same was true of the U20 squad that was eliminated from the U20 World Cup Qualifiers. In the end, fans are left to wonder, “what if these players were available?”

As frustrating as it might be, it means that we are starting to have the same problems as some of the bigger teams in the world, i.e.,  Brazil, England, Argentina, Spain, Germany, etc.  Who regularly field youth sides without the best players in that age group.  Needless to say, that is the only similarity we have to those countries at this stage of US soccer’s development.  Considering that the US didn’t have all the best players in the age group, the team was still full of professionals. That, in itself, is a sign of progress.

In some, for too many years the US has rallied behind result oriented soccer.  Winning games was more important than playing the game properly.  Nonetheless, the flaw of that manner of thinking is clearly evident as the US has failed to win anything of any real significance. The new system will take time to learn, but in the end the US will be playing a style that isn’t designed to win games, but to win trophies.

Joel Miller watches Lio Delpiccolo's game winner trickle in off the GK

Written by Brandon Best – Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

Having not played Colorado Rovers in over three seasons, Sunday’s match for FC Denver Premier offered the rare opportunity to play a somewhat unfamiliar foe in league play.  It was also a chance for Premier to play another squad that was enjoying the rarefied air at the top of the table.  The outcome of this past Sunday’s match could end up having major implications when the post season rolls around.  However, none of that was as important to FC Denver as showing up and continuing to try and take their game play to another level.

Tom Marks focused on the loose ball

It was a wonderful afternoon to be out at the park, after last Sunday’s game in the wind.  Right from the opening whistle FC Denver did well to control play and were really able to splay the ball around the field, keeping possession while trying to find a weakness in the Rovers defense, who had yet to concede a goal on the season.  Tyler Wilson and Adam Keller did well in the beginning to keep the ball moving from side to side and to break up most of the Rover’s attacks before they could into the final third.  When it came time for a change, Matt Haager also did well to come in and create good opportunities with some excellent vision.  Unfortunately for FC Denver, their first goal would be on themselves.  The own goal came when a Rover’s striker chased the ball down on their left flank and was able to get a cross off, which more than likely would have been put in by their player streaking into the six yard box had Dave Kron not beaten him to it and put it off his chest and past keeper Ian Campbell.  Going down 1-0 against the run of play was definitely disappointing for a side that has higher expectations for this season, but the breaks won’t always go your way and there was still plenty of soccer left to play.

Juan Gonzalez closes down space

FC Denver would pull even before half time, when Tyler Imbrogno’s cross floated across the box and Marco DelPiccolo looped his header back up and over the keeper and into the far side netting.  The goal would allow FC Denver to avoid coming out in the second half panicking that they were playing from behind.  Regardless of the score at halftime, FC Denver knew that the first half was disappointing and that in order to win the game and take the club to the next level, they would need a better effort after the break.

The team’s character would definitely be tested in the second half, when Kevin Bourland was sent off around the 60 minute mark for his second yellow.  Down to 10 men, FC Denver would not only have to limit the Rover’s opportunities but would also have to create their own against the stingiest defense in the league this season.  It was a tall order, but great individual efforts at all positions really allowed FC Denver to prevent Rovers from mounting a dangerous attack on goal.  When Rovers did manage to get a chance on goal, Campbell strained every muscle in his body to just get enough on the shot that it hit the cross bar and bounced away from goal.  With time winding down and the Rovers looking the more winded of the two teams despite being a man up, FC Denver knew they had to push hard if they were going to find a winner.  On a quick counter, Imbrogno did well to hold off his defender and turn the corner on the end line.  His cross was looking to pick out Joel Miller, who had made a 110 yard sprint from box to box to try and put in a goal.  The cross made it past Miller and onto the head of a Rover’s defender who did poorly to head his clearance right to the top of the box.  Lio DelPicollo had followed the play and was waiting at the top of the box, where the ball settled at his feet and he powered his shot past the outstretched Rover’s keeper for the game winner.

Lio DelPiccolo and Kyle Burns battle over possession

Coming back from a goal down and coming up with a winner after playing down a man for a long stretch of the half will definitely go a long way in building the character of the FC Denver Premier squad.  However, they will need to start putting together complete games from the word go, if they hope to dominate league play like they hope to.  Also, they will need to do better if they hope to keep pace with league leaders, Chivas, who have hung 10 goals in their first two games this season.

MOTM: Tyler Wilson. Coach Elbin States, “It’s hard to look past the 2 goal DelPiccolo (Marco and Lio) special, but Tyler played perhaps his best game yet for the club. He dominated the midfield with ball winning and effective distribution. We relied heavily upon him and he stepped up big time.”

Coach Elbin’s Thoughts: “This was a memorable match, full of dramatic moments. I loved how we dictated the pace of the game through clever possession. Rovers had to chase quite a bit in this match, and it allowed us to overtake them in the final 20 minutes of the game, even if we were a man down. I am so proud of the effort our guys put in.”

Pictures courtesy of ColoradoRapids.com/Getty Images

After a strong start to the season, Colorado entered Sunday’s game against the New York Red Bulls hoping to string together a third straight win. The Red Bulls had lost two straight and were in their home debut, eager to make a statement and get their season on track. With the second highest payroll in Major League Soccer, a three loss start to the season would have raised a number of calls for coach Hans Backe to make dramatic changes. Colorado began the game without starters Jeff Larentowicz (red card suspension) and Pablo Mastroeni (injury), forcing Oscar Pareja to field a squad including Ross LaBauex and Wells Thompson in the midfield alongside new player Jaime Castrillón. The Red Bulls were bringing back Rafa Márquez after his 3 game suspension during last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs.

The provisional midfield moves turned out to be disastrous for Colorado. It only took three minutes for an intercepted backpass by Ross LaBauex to give Thierry Henry a chance that he put by Matt Pickens after beating Drew Moor on the 1v1. It seems that the midfield wanted to prove this was no fluke and an errant pass by Castrillón three minutes later allowed Henry to perfectly slot Kenny Cooper into the box for an off balance finish against Matt Pickens from an awkward angle. Down 2-0 in the first six minutes put the Rapids on their back heel and they never recovered, though they did not concede again in the half and produced some exciting attacking soccer that nearly brought them back into striking distance.

The start of the second half saw the Rapids making more mistakes in their own half. On a standard free kick from midfield, Wilman Conde was able to find a free Thierry Henry after Drew Moor failed in his attempt to execute the offsides trap. Henry beat Pickens to the far post on the breakaway and the Rapids’ hopes for a 3-0 start were dashed.  A consolatory goal by Omar Cummings brought one bright spot to the game as he chipped New York’s keeper from 20 yards out and opened his scoring tab for the 2012 season. New York added one late goal as they passed around a static Colorado defense and found Kenny Cooper open in the middle for an easy slotted finish. The game finished with a depressing 4-1 scoreline for two sides that for long stretches seemed evenly matched. Only mental mistakes doomed the Rapids and gave New York an easy win.

So far Oscar Pareja’s focus on attacking soccer has produced some exciting games. Already this season, the Rapids have produced some excellent opportunities and pretty goals. While the goal total through three games is identical to last year, there has been more sustained pressure on the opposing goal. Especially nice has been the tendency for Kosuke Kimura to join the attack from the right side and hit crosses onto attacking players in the box. With the additional attacking mindset, Colorado has already conceded five goals in three games, and needs better defensive communication between Matt Pickens and Drew Moor, as they seem to be on different wavelengths at times. This will likely improve as the season draws on. The next game for the refocused Rapids is on April 1^st at 5pm at DSG against the well regarded Chicago Fire. The game time coincides with FC Denver Premier’s game against Baxterboo at Broomfield Commons. Hopefully both sides can come away with a win!

Man-of-the-Match Chris Harrison & Kevin Bourland take center stage

Written by: Brandon Best Pictures by: Destiny Fernandez

There are few if any enjoyable activities to do outside when the wind gusts are topping out around 50 mph.  That did not stop FC Denver Premier from coming out to asset their league dominance against newly promoted side FC BIHCO.  The run up to the game had the full potential to see FC Denver let points slip.  The wind made playing conditions, less than ideal, the opposition started the game with eight players before adding several more throughout the match, and it was the day after St. Paddy’s day; in the past this most certainly would have meant a game where Premier would probably have had to settle for a tie.  The current iteration of the squad though has built up their expectations, so that anything less than a convincing win would be seen as a disappointment.

Joel Miller heads the ball out of trouble

Right off the bat FC Denver Premier came out swinging and as in the previous week, was quick to punch the ball into the back of the net.  Chris Harrison played a low driven cross through the six yard box, which Kevin Bourland comfortably tapped in for the early lead.  Not long after, Harrison decided to take matters into his own hands and dribbled his way into the box.  When he found himself one v. one with the keeper, he did not hesitate to run up his tally to three goals on the season.  With two quick goals and the wind at their back, FC Denver Premier made wholesale changes in personnel up top.  Despite creating many good opportunities, Premier was unable to finish the business and put a third and almost certainly back breaking goal in on FC BIHCO.  This gave the opposition the hope that they still had a chance in the match and were able to make the most out of some uncharacteristic confusion in the back, to pull a goal back shortly before halftime.  Heading into the break only leading by a goal and the prospect of playing into the wind in the second half, meant that the squad had not played up to their own expectations.

GK Ian Campbell parries the ball away

Now facing a team with a full 11 players and a stiff wind, the start of the second half was a nervy affair for FC Denver.  The wind has a way of neutralizing superior talent and there is always the fear that a half chance on goal will go in with a little help from Mother Nature.  So it was not really that surprising when FC BIHCO tied the score at 2 a little way into the second half.  It would have been easy at that point for Premier to panic and look to force a goal, rather than to continue looking to play their style of soccer and letting the goals come to them.  Luckily for FC Denver, the squad chose the latter and continued to look to pass the ball around and was able to create several half decent chances on FC BIHCO goal.  Once again though, it would take an individual effort from Chris Harrison for FC Denver to go ahead for good in the match.  Starting out again on the right side and dribbling into the box, Harrison took his season tally to four.  Sensing that one more goal would put the game away and possibly taking advantage of their superior fitness,  FC Denver Premier were quick to strike again.  Curtis Greenly brought the ball down the left side before it found its way to Kevin Bourland in front of an open net, who was only too happy to bookend Harrison’s brace with one of his own.

Marco DelPiccolo sizes up the defender

On the day, FC Denver Premier took care of business, but will have to do better if they hope to take the club to the heights they have set out for themselves.

Timbers Army out in full force for #FirstKick2012

Written: By Daniel Valenzuela – Pictures Courtesy of MLSSoccer.com

Fourteen teams opened their season this weekend. As expected on opening weekend, the play was more energetic than precise. Nonetheless, fans were treated to some spectacular moments and teasers of what awaits us in the coming months. Here are five thoughts from this weekend’s matches.

1.       The attacking central midfielder. It is refreshing to see that a majority of the winning teams this weekend played with a central player dedicated to facilitating the attack.  Colorado Rapids (Castrillon), Sporting Kansas City (Zusi), Vancouver Whitecaps (LeToux), San Jose Earthquakes (Wondolowski), FC Dallas (Villar), and Real Salt Lake (Morales/Gil) all play with an attack minded central player.  Houston and Portland were the lone 4-4-2 winners this weekend.  The attacking midfielder isn’t new to MLS but it’s good to see that teams dedicated to attacking soccer are getting results.

2.       West dominates. The Western Conference convincingly dominated the weekend. Granted, the West enjoyed home field advantage. Nonetheless, the teams in the west look good . . . or at least better than their Eastern Conference counterparts.

Rookie Attacking Center Midfielder Luis Silva Celebrates his gaol

3.       New York is terrible.  They are flat out bad. New York put on a pathetic performance in their 2-1 loss to Dallas. Not to take anything away from Dallas, but New York lacked urgency, precision, and movement.  I blame the coach, Hans Backe. His job is to make sure the team is ready and motivated to play on day one. His team is too good and too expensive to play as poorly as they did on Sunday. If there is justice in this world, I hope Henry slapped Hans Backe in the tunnel after the game. For the sake of the Red Bull fans, Backe needs to get it together.

4.       Sebastian Velasquez. The kid can play. Velasquez’s start against the Galaxy was a great end to the fairy tale rise of the young midfielder this preseason. However, things are just beginning. Velazquez showed that he not only has the individual technical ability to be a difference maker but also the discipline to defend. He’ll do well in Real Salt Lake’s possession game and will be one to watch as the season progresses.

Rapids Celebrate after Q. Amarikwa's Goal

5.       Oscar Pareja breathes a sigh of relief. The Colorado Rapids earned a victory but they were less than impressive against an awful Columbus Crew.  The players don’t recognize the timing, decision making, and pace necessary play in Pareja’s system.  Clearly, the team is a work in progress and isn’t ready for the likes of Real Salt Lake or the Los Angeles Galaxy.  However, they aren’t far away. Coach Oscar Pareja needs a few more pieces for his vision to be realized in Colorado. Luckily, the Crew were so bad that Pareja pocketed three points, some easy credibility for his system, and confidence for his team.

Share your thoughts below on this weekend’s games.