FCD Fall 2019 Gameweek 9 Recap

Premier vs FC Boulder Harpos. Photo: Ben Tarver

CPL Premier Division:

Premier vs FC Atlas Colorado (2-2)
•Recap: FC Denver Premier fought tough odds heading into their 7 regular season match this Sunday. With any hope of Fall 2019 playoffs on the line, the depleted squad faced an undefeated Colorado Rovers squad, which seemed a recipe for a challenging afternoon. To bolster the team, three reserve U23 players were brought up. Carlos Martinez, Malek Abusina, and Alex Frith all played their 1st Premier match after they played full 90's for the U23's earlier in the day.
The squad played with great heart and resilience to earn a deserved 2-2 result, keeping the teams playoff hopes alive ahead of Thursday's regular-season finale. The first goal was a PK earned by combination play between our U23 reserve players, Malek Abusina and Carlos Martinez. Abusina got fouled in box and LB Sam Klos stepped up and converted the PK. That got us up 1-0. Rovers got a goal late in first half to go into halftime 1-1. Rovers scored again around the 60th minute, at which point it looked difficult to see an FC Denver comeback with limited subs and Rovers had more possession, but Andres Delgado scored a hell of a gritty goal as he held two players off and from a limited angle got a shot off that careened off of the goalpost and into the net. That lifeline reenergized the team and allowed for the squad to hold the result til the final whistle.
•Goals: Klos, Delgado
•MVP: Brian Sheehan, who captained the team against his former squad and played his best match yet in an FC Denver uniform. His play, leadership, and communication was paramount in us getting the result. An honorable mention goes to Alex Frith, our U23 standout who started for Premier as full back after playing 90 minutes in CB for the U23's. His determination and athleticism were huge for the backline.

CPL Women’s League:

FC Denver vs FC Boulder: (1-3)
•Recap: We lost 3-1 to a strong FC Boulder squad. Disappointing to not proceed in playoffs after being regular-season champs, but the women battled until the end. The team has developed a new standard of achievement and culture.
•Goals: Grover
•MVP: Grover

Colorado Super League:

United vs Olympiacos FC (6-0)
•Recap: United made quick work of their opponents this weekend, putting six goals past their opponents in the first half. Their opponents this week started the game with 10 players, 3 of which were not wearing the team jersey and had to be told to put pennies on in order to match the rest of the team. None of this phased United as they controlled to game, and scored their first goal 5 minutes into the game. This patterned continued as Olympiacos had very few touches on the ball in their attacking third, and stand-in keeper Joe Esrock didn't touch a ball with his hand the entire half. After United put 5 more goals in before halftime, Olympiacos decided they had enough of the onslaught and forfeited the game at half time.
•Goals: Daadi (3), Woolly, Chavez, Verstegen
•MVP: Elyas Daadi for scoring a hattrick on his FC Denver debut.

CPL Elite Division:

U23 vs Denver West FC (4-2)
•Recap: With only ten players, twenty minutes until match time and Head Coach Peter absent the future match looked a bit bleak vs 2nd place Denver West. Fortunately, two more players showed up in time and we were able to have one substitute. We lined up with a 4-4-2. Our "small goals" that I (Assistant Coach Morgan) stressed were to hold our formation, play two touch soccer and attempt to get a total of fifteen crosses. Essentially, what Coach Peter talks about at every practice and game. At half the guys were up 3-0, with goals from Luis Fierros, Evan Wolfson & Grey LaPiano. Denver West began the 2nd half with a high line and high pressure using their bench which got them two back to back goals around the 75'. Fatigue did set in, however, the guys powered through it which was a monumental moment in the season. With only fifteen minutes left and our season on the line, the team went back to simple soccer using our outside wings. Wolfson scored on a fantastic through ball which was called offside, a few minutes later he finished off the game with another goal. The game finished 4-2, keeping our playoff dreams alive! Everyone is deserving of man of the match with twelve players vs a top team. Often overlooked would be Osvaldo Luna who stepped up to be our right-back having never played the position in his life & our guest goalkeeper Joseph Esrock who had a hell of a game.
•Goals: Wolfson (2), Fierros, LaPiano
•MVP: Luna & Esrock.

Masters vs Longmont Toros FC (1-0)
•Recap: FC Denver Masters won a hard-fought match against Longmont Toros FC, 1-0, to secure the #1 seed for the Elite Division play-offs. After the postponement of the game last week due to snow, each team showed some rust in the attack in the first half. Toros had the better of the play, but Matt Burford held command of his box well to intercept many through balls and make some nice saves to keep things scoreless into the half.
Masters would come out much stronger to start the second half, as Nic Wilson had two great chances from 25 yards out, with the first just sailing over the bar and the second clanging off the crossbar. A few minutes later, he played Kane Lawson in, but the Toros keeper made a great save to keep the score level at 0-0. Mid-way through the half, Josh Rubinstein had a diving header and then minutes later a right-footed shot parried off the post by the Toros keeper once again. With the game destined for a draw, Masters' fortunes changed as Carlos Regalado found space on the right-wing and dribbled into the edge of the box and was fouled while shooting with 5 minutes to go. Grahame Fitz stepped up to tuck the ensuing penalty kick under the keeper's left side to give Masters a deserved lead. Toros received a red card for dissent and Masters did well to hold possession and run out the remainder of the match.
Masters move to 6-0-1 (19 points) for the season and now await the remaining results from Toros FC and FC Denver U23's to determine who they will face in the semi-finals. Union Jerez II currently sits in 4th with their season complete, but either of the aforementioned teams could leapfrog into fourth depending on how the remaining matches play out.
•Goals: Fitz
•MVP: Carlos Regalado with more late-game heroics to earn Masters points at the end of a match, following his game-tying goal against Union Jerez II earlier in the season.

CPL Over 30 Division:

Legends (BYE)
•Recap: N/A
•Goals: N/A
•MVP: N/A