Written by Brandon Best – Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

October 14^th, 15^th, and 16^{th  –} Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City)

This past weekend, FC Denver Premier took part in the USSSA National Championship tournament.  The team had earned the right to compete for the national title and $2,000 by coming in a heart wrenching second at the state cup tournament this past July.  Fresh off their dominating season in the CASL first division, the squad was feeling confident of their chances in the 4 team round robin tournament.

The first game, FC Denver took on the Broomfield Rovers, who had somehow managed to dodge them all season in the CASL.  Knowing that a fast start would be crucial in the compressed time format for the matches, FC Denver immediately started to control the tempo of the game.  Many excellent opportunities were created toward goal, through the work of Vitor Bravo, George Marchant, Kyle Firebaugh, Michael Ogletree, and Curtis Greenley.  Despite their efforts, the first goal of the tournament for FC Denver would actually come out of the back.  Joel Miller, did his best Maradona impression and took on pretty much the whole rovers squad on the dribble.  His cuts and spin moves allowed him to work the ball past the keeper before slotting the ball in for a one goal advantage.  Alas, the lead would not stand as Rover’s was able to come out of half time much more dangerous and get a quick goal off of some nice combination play. But FC Denver would not be denied the victory.  Tyler Imbrogno tracked down a ball on the right hand side of the Rover’s 18 yard box and sent in a dangerous cross that found the head of Vitor Bravo.  Bravo’s header, appeared to be cleared off the line, but due to the spot on work of the assistant referee the play was ruled a goal since it was judged that the ball had crossed the line before being headed out. From that point on, the stingy defense of Miller, Tom Marks, Mario Burstein, Dave Kroening, and Kevin Bourland would keep the Rovers from finding an equalizer.  FC Denver 2 – Rovers 1.

The Next day, FC Denver Premier found themselves’ squaring off against a familiar opponent in AC Legends.  AC Legends is a dangerous squad when they have numbers, and they had enough players to fill their bench.  Both teams came out looking for a result, but it was FC Denver who showed their mettle and controlled most of the game.  The squad continued to play team defense all over the park, which made it difficult for AC Legends to get much of a rhythm.  Once again the first goal of the game for FC Denver would come from the defense as Tom Marks, looking to make a long diagonal pass, hit a ball that bounced in the 18 and over the keeper’s head.  The goal came from about 45 yards out and seemed to catch everyone by surprise.  From that point on it was just a matter of continuing to impose their style of play for FC Denver and avoiding injury where possible.  Ian Campbell did well between the sticks to keep the clean sheet and see FC Denver into the final on Sunday.

Game three was against FC Real Austin (TX).  Needing a victory to secure their spot in the finals, Austin came out and scored 3 goals against a forward looking FC Denver squad. Even with the meaningless result, the game left a sour taste in the teams’ mind and the club was happy to know that they would get a chance to redeem themselves the following day against the same opponent in the final.

On Sunday, FC Denver Premier once again took on FC Real Austin for the second time in less than 24 hours.  With $2,000 on the line and the right to call themselves national champions, FC Denver’s focus was spot on throughout warm-ups and again after the first whistle.  Having just played FC Real Austin, Denver knew how dangerous several of their players could be around goal.  Unfortunately, about seven minutes into the match, they once again got a firsthand view of how dangerous FC Real Austin’s strikers could be when one of them took a ball across goal off of his chest and put a sidecycle around Mario Burstein and just past the outreached hands of Greg Hengeli.  It was an impressive display of individual skill.  After the goal, FC Denver had roughly a 65% to 35% advantage in possession.  George Marchant was a work horse, playing tenacious defense and then sparking many of the offensive movements. Tyler Wilson and Jesse Woodworth combined well with Brady Yarletts to swing the ball from side to side, and find outside mids and defenders with large amounts of room to exploit.  One beneficiary of the extra space was Curtis Greenley who abused the outside marking back for FC Austin, before getting off a cross that found Michael Ogletree lurking on the far post.  Ogletree was able to head the ball down off the cross, but could not sneak it below the crossbar.  The next close chance by FC Denver came late in the first half and will forever be shrouded in controversy.  Tyler Imbrogno was able to get on the end of a slotted ball and find himself 1v1 with the FC Real Austin keeper.  Imbrogno’s shot was partially blocked by the keeper but the ball continued to roll toward the empty net.  Eyewitness accounts from people actually on the goal line, saw the ball roll all the way past the line, but unfortunately the assistant referee who was still at the 6 yard box when an FC Real Austin player kicked the ball out of the goal, ruled that ball had not actually crossed the line.  It was a tough break for FC Denver as their dominating style of play was starting to wear down FC Austin.

After the break, FC Real Austin came out fast looking to put in an insurance goal, as they knew FC Denver was imposing their style of play on the game and that after 3 games in two days at altitude, their legs would be tired at the end of 90 minutes.  Despite some good opportunities, the FC Denver defense and Hengeli remained solid and withstood the initial 10 minute press by Real Austin after the break.  The possession and work rate by FC Denver was phenomenal in the second half, but the squad continued to struggle in the final third of the field.  Some decent opportunities were created, but FC Denver Premier was unable to pull the rabbit out of their hat as they had all season.  As the final whistle blew, it would be fair for FC Denver to consider themselves the unfortunate victims of a cruel game.  One in which they showed that they were the stronger side and are capable of some beautiful soccer, yet still one in which they were unable to find the net.

For now, the squad is on sabbatical.  Next up, Winter indoor off-season training and preparations for the 2012 Silver Mug Soccer Tournament in Vegas in the spring.

Sunday October 9^th, 2011 – Commerce City, CO (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park)

Starting XI: Campbell, Marks, Miller, Burnstein, Harrison, Wilson, Woodworth, Greenley, Firebaugh, Marchant, Bravo

Subs: Best, Bourland, Yarletts, DelPiccolo, Gonzalez, Burns, Imbrogno

The 2011 Fall CASL Division 1 season was the apex of a number of years of hard work within the FC Denver organization.  The group of players that make up the core of the FC Denver Premier squad have played with each other for over a year for the most part.  Additionally, the club structure has allowed the team to add some talented individuals to the fold while offering a chance for players on the fringe to play meaningful soccer with the United squad.  The two groups of players continually push each other, so that over time the overall level of play within the club has risen quite significantly over the past 3 years.  This structure also offers stability to the quality of play, especially for the Premier team, so that as individuals move on from the club the team is still able to perform at a high level.  These past two seasons have been a testament to this as a number of quality players have moved away from the area or have been injured, but FC Denver has continued its streak of championship appearances.  There have been two full years, where FC Denver has had a team in the top division championship.  That is in addition to having two full squads playing first division amateur soccer.  This is just as much a testament to the organization and the leadership shown by Eric Fulton, Danny Valenzuela, Kyle Firebaugh, and Luke Elbin, as it is to the individuals that comprise the Premier and United squads.  With the enthusiasm, vision, and passion that each member of the club displays, one has to wonder how long it will be before we see a championship without FC Denver involved.

This past Sunday was Championship Sunday for the CASL Division 1.  El Alamo had overcome some early season disappointment and were fortunate to have Rovers lose their last game, to storm in as underdogs in the championship game.  FC Denver, riding a multi-season winning streak, had to overcome a determined Rush side a week earlier to book their semi-annual trip this match.  Both teams were familiar with each other, as El Alamo featured a number of Chivas Denver players.  As they say, familiarity breeds contempt and El Alamo seemed loath to play against a determined FC Denver Premier side.  The first half saw a number of tough fouls and complaining from the El Alamo squad.  FC Denver did well to shake off the cleat marks and Indian burns dished out by their opponent, to try and play to their ability.  For the most part, it seemed as though El Alamo’s desire was to hoof the ball up to their large and talented (Chivas) striker and have him either body up and turn or lay the ball off to a streaking player out of the middle.  This was a good tactic for their personnel, but they seemed to forget that they were playing against the top defense in the league and the combination of Joel Miller, Tom Marks, Mario Burnstein, Juan Gonzalez, Tyler Wilson, Marco DelPiccolo and Jesse Woodworth did well to limit the opportunities El Alamo had on Ian Campbell in goal.  When called upon though, Campbell was the rock he had been all season.  On the flanks, Curtis Greenley and Chris Harrison were dogged in their efforts to play on both sides of the ball and covered a tremendous amount of space before being replaced by Kyle Burns, Brady Yarletts, and Brandon Best, who all kept up the effort and limited the ability of El Alamo to play down the flanks.   The strike trio of Vitor Bravo, George Marchant, and Kyle Firebaugh, seemed a little out of sorts in the early going, but the addition of Tyler Imbrogno to the mix helped the connection from the midfield to the offense and led to a number of dangerous situations and fouls around the box.  Despite some good free kicks to the head of Joel Miller from Vitor Bravo, and a couple of opportunities to slot through the El Alamo defense, FC Denver Premier found themselves scoreless at the end of the first half.

In the halftime talk, it was stressed that FC Denver Premier had controlled the match for the first 45 minutes, but that a goal early in the second 45 would be essential to putting away their opponents.  To say that FC Denver came out inspired for the second half would be an understatement.  Within the first five minutes off of a corner kick, Vitor Bravo swung in a low hard cross that an El Alamo defender had glance off of his foot after being pressured by Firebaugh.  The ball then spun to the far post of the goal as the keeper could only watch.  The own goal by EL Alamo would prove decisive as from that point on; it was mostly all FC Denver. The play through midfield by FC Denver Premier was fantastic and the combination with the outside mids, lead to a number of good opportunities in front of goal.  The defense continued to play a solid match and did well to clean up some messes made by an over eager midfielder losing the ball in an inopportune area of the field.  Rarely did El Alamo get the ball past the half way line, and when they did, they could not sustain possession.  The soccer that FC Denver played should be an encouraging sign for nationals this coming weekend.  Trailing 1-0, some frustration on the part of El Alamo eventually led to an ejection as their defender made a poor challenge as FC Denver was attacking.  Down to 10 men, El Alamo never really had a chance and FC Denver was more than happy to kill off the game and claim their second championship trophy in two years.

Thank you to all of the club members, wives, girlfriends, parents, children, and fans who made it out on a chilly Sunday afternoon to cheer on the club.  It was a rewarding outcome for many of the players, who have spent a considerable amount of time and effort to build a successful team.

Coach Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

I felt really good about the day. Sometimes you just know things are going to go right on a particular day, and I felt that on Sunday. I knew our guys were going to be prepared. I knew that we were hungry for this victory and focused on the task at hand. I was real excited going into the match, and even more excited afterwards.
I thought we dominated El Alamo. I don’t think there was ever a time during that game where I doubted our ability to win, and I don’t think I was ever nervous about them putting up a goal against us. Possession had to be 60/40 at least in our favor. Dangerous chances had to be 5 to 1 in our favor.  When we all show up and do our thing… we can be REAL good.

Man of the Match: Congrats go out to…the entire team. Coach Firebaugh states,  “I’m not even going to pick a Man of the Match this week… I have too many good things to say about everyone. It’s absolutely True what they say – Defense Wins Championships. We undoubtedly have the best Defenders and Goalkeeping in our league. The comfort level that you have as an offensive player on our team is almost too-good-to-be-true at times. We relied on these guys a lot this season and they answered every call. Our midfield is relentless. We have so many options to our style of play because of the guys we have across the middle of the field. Its what makes us dangerous as a team. Our Forward line was so depleted this season. We added a fantastic player to our attack but injuries set us back. Apparently we were dangerous enough and you can see that by looking at our scorelines and who was doing the goalscoring this year. This team is damn good. Our players are so receptive and can take on any role or challenge we give them. They adapt and they succeed. When we have players this committed to being the best in the state, we cannot lose. I could go on for awhile about how I think this team dominates the region, but I will save it for after Nationals.“

Sunday September 25^th, 2011 – Broomfield, CO (Broomfield Commons)

Starting XI: Fulton, Burstein, Miller, Gonzalez, Woodworth, DelPiccolo, Burns, Ogletree, Greenley, Marks, Bravo

Subs: Best, Harrison, Kroening, Yarletts, Elbin, Imbrogno, Wilson

Despite not having lost a contest all season and being on a 15 – 0 goal differential through the past five games, FC Denver Premier came into their final regular season match without an assured spot in this upcoming weekend’s championship match.  It would take a full 90 minutes of effort before FC Denver would know if they could book their tickets to the clubs fourth consecutive CASL League 1 championship game.  With a place in the ‘Ship on the line, FC Denver Premier would have to take on a talented Rush side that is capable of beating most teams (when their player’s show up).

FC Denver would start the match without having their safety blankets of Ian Campbell and Greg Hengeli between the sticks.  Fortunately, club founder Eric Fulton was able to clear his schedule and fill in as the anchor to the finest defense in all of Colorado armature soccer.  From the first whistle, Rush showed that it was not afraid to pass the ball around and try to find the seams in FC Denver’s formation.  Unluckily for Rush, FC Denver had come to play and every player was getting behind the ball and cutting off passes before they could build into an attack on goal.  With the small ball cut out, Rush looked to hoof it up to their speedy talented striker.  This too would prove unsuccessful as FC Denver’s superior aerial prowess would cut out most opportunities for a Rush squad that was somewhat out of answers.  After winning the battle on defense, FC Denver Premier did a decent job of working to get the ball out wide and attack from the flanks.  Also working hard were the player’s in the middle of the field for FC Denver who not only played hard on defense, but also worked hard to give options for balls worked out of the back.  With the pace and intensity of the game, it was important for Coach Elbin to keep fresh legs on the pitch and the pressure on the opposition.  Now some would call it luck, but I will mark up to tactical genius the first goal, which was made through the combination of two substitutes.  Tyler Imbrogno, who was making his first appearance since the second week of the season due to an ankle injury, would puncture the Rush defense off a pass from Chris Harrison.  Imbrogno tracked down Harrison’s through ball on the right hand side of the goal and bounced his shot off of a Rush defender to make the score 1-0.  After the goal, FC Denver kept the pressure on and was able to come close on several corner kick opportunities and a well placed free kick, with Vitor Bravo providing the service on both.   However, it was all for naught as the half ended with the score still 1-0.

Half number two would provide some of the most exciting soccer that FC Denver had played all season.  Despite being down a goal and only having a couple of subs, Rush looked to make a go of it in the second half and would force FC Denver to win the game.  FC Denver Premier would have multiple opportunities to put the game away, but were stifled by the Rush keeper, who made multiple highlight reel saves.  It was good soccer though that FCD were playing, working the ball around, making runs, and tracking back on defense.  It was only in front of the net where the play refused to translate into goals.  Rush to their credit continued to play hard and worked to get their small game going again.  After a couple of missed opportunities by FC Denver Premier, Rush was able to break the almost season long shut out, with a quick combination of passes that ended with a Rush midfielder hitting a low shot across goal that just barely beat Fulton to the far post.  Tied at 1, FC Denver did not let go of its game plan, rather it increased its pressure on Rush and find more opportunities on goal.  The combination play of Tyler Wilson, Kyle Burns, Bravo, and Harrison would lead to the go ahead goal around the 80^th minute mark.  The four aforementioned players did their own impersonation of short quick passing and moving that led to Harrison getting in on the keeper one v. one, before slotting the ball below him.  In the final 10 minutes, FC Denver was all over the field  working to cut out attacking movements by Rush before they could happen.  After their goal, Rush had almost no shots on net, which is a testament to the team regrouping and finding their defensive chops after a momentary lapse.

This next week is the championship game.  Time and place TBA, but it will give FC Denver the chance to correct the only blemish on their record this season, when they play FC Alamo.

Coach Elbin’s thoughts on the match:

It was great to see everyone focused and ready to play (I think some of the guys discovered DVR technology over the week and realized they could watch football after our game). Rush brought everything they had in the match. Their defensive pressure on our backs forced us to play more direct, and we did so with some great success. After Rush scored to bring the match to a draw, we quickly regrouped and showed our character by scoring maybe my favorite goal of the season. The match felt like a semifinal, and was an excellent tune up for the final this coming week. Thanks to Eric for filling in in goal. And thanks to the guys for being flexible with the line up. If we approach the final with the same intensity, we will surely see Coach Firebaugh drinking cheap champagne from a trophy next week. 

Man of the Match:

Congrats go out to Tom Marks. As coach Elbin states, “(h)e contributed up top. He contributed in the back. His pace and energy got everyone going right from the whistle he was unfortunate not to have a couple of goals to show for it. His defensive work helped seal the deal at the end of the match. Oh yeah, he also kept his cool, and let his play do the talking. Just an admirable all around effort for the club’s most tireless and flexible player. “

Written by Brandon Best - Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

Sunday September 25^th, 2011 – Broomfield, CO (Broomfield Commons Park)

Starting XI: Campbell, Marks, Kroening, Ogletree, DelPiccolo, Woodworth, Burns, Bravo, Greenley, Firebaugh, Marchant,

Subs: Best, Elbin, Bourland, Yarletts

This past Sunday, FC Denver Premier found themselves squaring off against one of the better recently promoted squads; AC Legends.  From previous experience, FC Denver knew that the Legends players were skillful and could be dangerous if they let them stay in the game.  Additionally, a greater goal differential could also potentially help out FC Denver United, who is jockeying for position with AC Legends in the table.  The FC Denver Premier players would have no lack of motivation as a late arrival by their opponents seemed to indicate a lack of respect for the top team in the league.

From the start though it would have appeared that AC Legends was the more motivated side as they applied early pressure on FC Denver players and had some success finding open men in the middle of the park.  Fortunately for FC Denver, their defense shut down any opportunities within the final 30 yards and AC Legends was unable to produce anything that could be Ian Campbell from that far out.  Once Premier found their legs and began to switch the point of attack, they began to find greater success getting the ball forward and creating opportunities on goal.  Having worked the past couple of weeks on finishing crosses, it would only make sense that FC Denver’s first goal would come from out wide.  A pass out of the middle from Marco DelPiccolo to Curtis Greenley, found the outside midfielder with a good amount of space to dribble into and hit a pass on the ground to Vitor Bravo, who was good from 6 yards out for a right footed finish.  After the goal, FC Denver continued to switch the point of attack and look for opportunities coming from the widths.  It was a job made easier, by the fatigue of AC Legends and the continued dominating play of the FC Denver defense.  It was only off a long attempt from an AC Legends player that Campbell had to do any real work to tip a shot over the crossbar.  The first half would end with a disappointing 1-0 score line, but the belief that more goals were on the horizon.

It would not take long after the break for FC Denver Premier to increase their lead in the game.  A long diagonal ball was being contested by Curtis Greenley and an AC Legends defender, when the defender used his forearm to introduce himself to the face of Greenley.  The ensuing penalty kick was calmly slotted home by Bravo for his second goal of the day.  As is a common occurrence with tired legs and a sense of impending defeat, the game became a bit chippy and players on both teams were shown cautions as the referee tried to settle the game down.  It probably would have been more effective to get the calls right, but that is more of an editorial.  Either way, with the game opening up even more and the chances on goal for FC Denver Premier increasing, it was only a matter of time before a third goal would be scored.  Bravo would complete his hatrick by beating a defender or two down the sideline, trying to cross the ball, only to have it bounce off of a defender and back to him, before he slotted home his shot from a tough angle.  Soon after, in a bit of controversy, FC Denver had the chance to go up by four, but an AC Legend’s player who was not the goal keeper, denied Greenley a goal by punching the ball with his hand.  The foul was deemed to only be a cautionable offense by the center referee, because I guess it was not apparent that the shot was going in the net six inches from goal.  From the penalty spot, the shot was put just to the side of the net.  A fourth goal would come in the dying minutes of the game off of the boot of Kevin Bourland, who beat the keeper to the near post with a 25 yard knuckler.  At the final whistle it was 4-0 for FC Denver Premier against a side that really could be in the top four each season.

Next week, FC Denver Premier will take on the Colorado Rush at 3 PM at Broomfield commons.

Coach Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

Truthfully, there was little to like about the game on Sunday. I think the best thing that comes to mind is how Dave, Tree, Tom, and Marco played a little out of position in defense and really succeeded. It’s nice to know that we have that type of versatility in our roster. I also thought Ian made a few brilliant saves on shots that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Let’s talk about the things I didn’t like starting with our own efforts: 1) I thought we were lazy in our ball pressure. 2) Our positioning and recovery from offense to defense was bad. 3) Our creativity around the box was shocking. 4) Our ability to show up to games on-time seems to depend on if our NFL teams are on TV. 5) Our attitudes toward the refs were shit. All in all, I really hope our guys left the game doing exactly what Luke and I said, “whatever we did today, forget about it and don’t do it again.” Simply said – We stunk and we won 4-0.

Now if the league wants to proportionally fine me $10 for my comments – I thought the refs were absolutely atrocious Sunday. It’s unfortunate that our league can have these type of people working games. Lastly, I thought the other team and coach were an insult to what a successful league should be about. Showing up late, arguing every single call, kicking at our ankles from behind, etc.

Man of the Match: Congrats on this weeks man of the match goes to Vitor Bravo and Dave Kroening. Coach Firebaugh says, ” I honestly don’t like to give it to Vitor and Dave because they showed up noticeably late to the pregame… but Vitor did put up some nice goals and Dave solidly anchored a depleted defense.”

Written by: Brandon Best – Pictures by Destiny Fernandez

Sunday September 17, 2011

Starting XI: Campbell, Marks, Miller, Burstein, Wilson, DelPiccolo, Ogletree, Yarletts, Greenley, Marchant, Firebaugh

Subs: Best, Elbin, Hengeli, Bourland, Burns, Gonzalez

Commerce City, CO (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park) –

Good teams can often find themselves in trouble when playing lesser opponents, especially ones that are sitting at the bottom of the table.  Great teams may struggle a bit against these types of teams, but in the end they always find a way to prevail.  This past Sunday at the Dick, FC Denver Premier showed that they have gone from a good team to a great team in their game against cellar dwellers Saprissa. It was only within the past couple of years that a 9 man Saprissa side was able to beat FC Denver Premier, after the Green and Gray had failed to finish their early opportunities.  With the influx of talent to the FC Denver program and a culture of winning that has been cultivated by the club’s leadership, the outcome of this past Sunday’s match was rarely in doubt.

At kick off, Saprissa looked to be the more organized of the two clubs as they had good numbers on the bench and had actually put in a decent warm-up.  However, after the whistle blew, it was all FC Denver for the next 90 minutes.  Rarely did Saprissa get a dangerous forward movement going, before the FC Denver defense was shutting them.  The continued steady play of the Ian Campbell, Tom Marks, Joel Miller, Mario Burstein, and Juan Gonzalez, would stymie any attacking efforts Saprissa made, long before they could threaten the goal.  About the only hope Saprissa had on the day was that they could hit a long ball up top to a streaking forward, but that would prove fruitless as the FC Denver defense was dominating in the air.  It was only on the rare occasion when Premier failed to win the second ball that Saprissa could gain possession past their half of the field.  With the defense solid as usual, it would be up to the FC Denver offense to prove that they were a class above the competition.  For the majority of the game, Premier was able to possess the ball on all parts of the field.  Numerous dangerous opportunities were created both out of the middle of the park and on the flanks.  FC Denver players were running at Saprissa one on one, looking for quick combinations, hitting dangerous crosses, and generally running amok.  The one thing lacking was a ball in the back of the net.

The first goal of the day would start with an impressive individual effort by Michael Ogletree just past the halfway line, to dribble out of the tackles of three Saprissa players in short succession.  His pass up top to Kyle Firebaugh was also spot on.  Once the ball found its way to the feet of the Skipper, he popped it up over the defender on his back and into the path of the speedy George Marchant, who was able to convince to Saprissa defenders to jump up with him, before coming down first, collecting the ball and slotting a shot to the left of the goalie.  Soon after the goal, FC Denver Premier had a couple of good opportunities set up by Curtis Greenley and Firebaugh to go ahead by even more goals, but both opportunities went wanting.

The second half saw more impressive combination play between FC Denver players, in particular Brady Yarletts seemed to be controlling the strings as an attacking midfield player and did well to create some decent opportunities.  Kyle Burns was also a terror for the Saprissa defense while playing on the flanks.  Off of a free kick near midfield, Burns back heeled the ball to Joel Miller who sent the ball out wide, where it then found its way back into the middle of the park and to the feet of Marchant.  His low hard shot just squeezed between the keeper’s legs before sitting up in front of goal , where he could run on and finish the deal, putting FC Denver up 2-0.  At this point in the game FC Denver could sense the frustration growing on the Saprissa squad and continued to pressure their players.  Kevin Bourland would put the game out of reach for Saprissa when his high pressure up top, would lead to a poor back pass from Saprissa’s central defender.  Bourland was more than happy to show his attacking chops by intercepting the pass, pushing the ball around the keeper, and keeping it cooler than Fernando Torres when putting the ball straight into the back of the net.  With his haircut and tattoos, the only difference between the two, may be that Bourland has shown he can actually score and the 175,000 pounds a week Torres is receiving.   There would be no surprise upset this weekend as Campbell was only called on once in the second half to make a save.

Next week FC Denver will take on AC Legends at 3 in Broomfield and this author will see if he can terrorize them for a full 90 minutes rather than the 20 he was allotted the last time these two squads met.

Coach Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

Saprissa is a team that has given us fits before. They don’t have great talent or a star player. They just work hard to frustrate you. After 25 minutes of being frustrated I walked over to George on the field and told him that this is one of those games that we are going to scrap to get the first goal. Two minutes later, we netted the first.
We stuck to our game plan and style. We knew that we needed to dominate the center of the park and win 1st and 2nd balls in the air, and I thought we did that in the second 45. We know that we should have scored more times and done better in the final third. Its something we will continue to work on and get better at over the next few weeks if we want to be champions of this league.

Man of the Match:

Congratulations to Tyler Wilson!  According to Coach Firebaugh, the Metro State student is, “finding his niche on our team. I think we had him a little out of position early in the season and now he is starting to progress and be dangerous for us in the middle of the field”.

Sunday September 11^th, 2011

Starting XI: Campbell, Gonzalez, Miller, Marks, DelPiccolo, Woodworth, Greenley, Firebaugh, Ogletree, Marchant, Bravo

Subs: Best, Harrison, Elbin, Burns, Bourland, Kroening, Yarletts

FC Denver Premier was anxious to take on the Rapids “Development” squad at Broomfield Commons Park this Sunday.  The players were hoping to see how they stacked up against team representing the local MLS club.  When they arrived at the field they were surprised to find themselves against players whose parents had to drive them to the field.  While the age of the Rapids Development team was somewhere south of 18, they had signed up for a men’s league and their first test would be against the best men’s league team in the state.

The start of the match would see the youthful exuberance of the Rapids Development team catch FC Denver Premier a little unprepared.  While no chances ever threatened goal, the pace of the game led to a very fragmented affair for the first 10 minutes.  With neither side able to establish themselves offensively in the early going, the importance of having an organized defense and a strong effort on all parts of the field became abundantly clear.  The effort of FC Denver on both sides of the ball began to pay dividends about midway through the first half and high pressure that the Rapids Development squad had displayed in the early going, subsided to their half of the field.  With the recessed pressure, FC Denver was better able to impose their style of play and had the better chances going forward.  Michael Ogletree was unfortunate to not open up his scoring account for the season when his shot beat the keeper but was unable to beat the post.  FC Denver was unfortunate on several occasions not to open the scoring in the first half.  The stats would show that FC Denver was the aggressor as the Rapids Development team had zero corners to FC Denver’s 6 and had Zero shots to Denver’s 5.

One of the real positives to having a consistent group of players that are willing to work hard and that have a firm belief in each other is that even when a game hasn’t gone exactly to plan, there is never a sense of panic.  So it was in the second half that FC Denver took the field with the full belief that they would prevail when the final whistle blew.  As they had in the first half, FC Denver’s defense was a rock that completely took the Rapids Developmental forwards out of the equation.  Out of the back, FC Denver were able to start running at the Rapids Developmental defense and began to make better use of the wide lanes that had opened up.  Unable to keep up with the “old men” of FC Denver, the Rapids Developmental squad had to rely on their ability to grab and hold their opponents to try and stay in the game.  Too bad for them that they weren’t able to hold on to George Marchant when he unleashed a wicked shot from just outside the 18 yard box that left the keeper flailing at air.  Sensing blood in the water, FC Denver Premier kept up their pressure and absolutely closed down their opponent everywhere on the field.  This was most apparent in the midfield where Jesse Woodworth and Marco DelPiccolo were busy busting up any attack before it had an opportunity to materialize.  When you are able to hold the ball so far up the field, you are able to spring quick attacks and it was from just a situation that FC Denver’s insurance goal came.  A through ball from the FC Denver midfield looked like it would be gobbled up by the Rapids Development keeper, but the strong pressure from Kyle Burns made him wet his diaper and bumble a routine save.  Burns knew what to do when he found the ball at his feet and put the game away.  From there it was only a question if FC Denver could make it three.  They couldn’t.

Skipper Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

“I think offensively we struggled a little bit. Our starting front line had trouble breaking through the center of the field because the outside defenders pinched so far inside and broke up plays going through the middle. We are so lucky to have players available with such a different style of attack. When we make a substitution, it’s not only a change of players, but a change in the style of play. I think Kyle Burns, Chris Harrison, and Brandon Best make us so dangerous from the outside when they come into the game. Defensively, that’s the best I’ve seen us play in awhile. So composed and so organized. It makes the entire game easier when you have that kind of confidence in your defense. Well played gents.”

Co-Coach Elbin added:

“We forced the opponent to give us time on the ball by going at guys early and beating them. This made it a lot easier to move the ball around and get the ball into some dangerous wide situations.“

Congratulations to this season’s first co-Man of the Match recipients:

Jesse Woodworth and Marco DelPiccolo

According to Skipper Firebaugh:

“I think going into the game against a brand new league opponent can be difficult. No one has seen their players, no one knows their style… you can only assume so many things. In soccer, you can’t be too one dimensional in your attack. Especially if that one style is not working! Our opponents today did their best to play the long ball on us and it just doesn’t work when you’ve got an experienced backline like ours. The workrate of Jesse and Marco was amazing. Their defensive coverage in the middle of the pitch forced the other team to play the ball long right into the hands of our defense. I can count on one hand the amount of times the other team strung together more than 2 passes in the middle of the field. Amazing.”

Written By Brandon Best – Pictures By Destiny Fernandez

Match day: Sunday August 28^th, 2011

Starting XI: Campbell, Marks, Miller, Burstein, Yarletts, Woodworth, DelPiccolo, Elbin, Greenley, Marchant, Firebaug

Subs: Best, Harrison, Wilson, Bourland, Burns

Commerce City, CO (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park) -

This past Sunday’s Match against an always motivated Aguilas squad, was a dangerous affair.  As is often the case after a big win and with a high profile match up next, there was a real possibility that FC Denver Premier would let points slip against an Aguilas side that has punished Premier in the past for overlooking them.  With a strong breeze out of the north, FC Denver won the toss and hoped that the wind would help them put away their opponents early enough that they could enjoy the music coming from the Rock the Range concert out at the Dick.

From the kick off, it was apparent that Captain Luke Elbin had chosen wisely when selecting to go with the wind in the first half.  FC Denver Premier was the obvious aggressor early on as they kept Aguilas pinned into their half of the field.  Rarely did a ball find its way past half field line without defenders Tom Marks, Joel Miller, or Mario Burstein collecting it and ramping up the attack again.  The first real opportunity of the match came as Skipper Kyle Firebaugh found himself wide open in front of goal looking to head in a cross from the left side of the field.  Unfortunately for him, his head back across the goal went just wide, fortunately for him though, Mrs. Firebaugh was not there yet to witness it for herself.  The disappointment of a missed opportunity would not last long though, as George Marchant would lash home a goal soon after.  Marchant beat the Aguilas keeper with a worm burn which he unleashed from just outside the 18 yard box.  As sometime happens though, Premier was unable to put their foot down on the throat of their competitor.  The longer the first half went along, Aguilas was able to do a little better finding their forwards and having a couple of shots on goal.  Nothing would ever seriously trouble Ian Campbell, except for a through ball that caught some wind and looked like it might just sit up for an onrushing Aguilas striker.  The Aguilas striker would never get his chance though as Campbell was quick off his line and made the clearance just outside the 18.  After their goal, FC Denver Premier would have trouble finding their midfielders and gave more than a few goal kicks away as the wind helped the ball over the end line.  The first half would come to a close with another great opportunity for Marchant.  Marchant was able to beat his defender and from an angle hit a shot that the Aguilas goalkeeper did well to save and knock out of bounds, as Kyle Burns was waiting in the center of the box for any type of rebound opportunity.

In the second half the wind was dying down and so was the pace of the game.  Much like in the first half FC Denver’s defense rarely allowed a dangerous opportunity on net.  In fact the biggest threat seemed to be that Campbell might miss a trap in his box and let the ball go out for a goal kick.  FC Denver’s midfield did a good job of matching up with their Aguilas counterparts and won a good majority of the individual battles in the second half.  With that said, there was rarely a dangerous opportunity created by FC Denver either.  Most of the second half was a grind, with neither side able to produce much in front of goal.  Firebaugh did on one occasion though find himself in on the goal, before having his opportunity squashed by the Aguilas keeper.  In a way the second half was a good showing for FC Denver as they were able to keep their focus and not allow Aguilas to slip back into the game as they had done in the past.  Perhaps this was an opportunity for FC Denver to show their character and resolve when playing a lesser opponent.  The insurance goal scored late in the second half would serve as a great characterization of the rest of the match.  Kyle Burns was played through and battled with his defender before hitting a shot that jumped off the defender’s shin and sailed up and over the keeper who was caught in no man’s land after coming off his line.  The ball would bounce into the far side of the goal and deflate any hopes that Aguilas had of coming back for the tie.  The game would end with all 22 players still on the pitch and FC Denver Premier’s unbeaten streak in regular season games extended.

Labor Day weekend has no games, but the week after FC Denver Premier takes on a Rapids squad that is a new addition to the league.  Thanks to all of the FC Denver United players and their families that stayed to BBQ after the match.  Also, congratulations to the United Squad who put up their first win, beating Saprissa 2-0 on Sunday

Coach Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

We were missing some players and that limited our playing style. When every player is available, our attack can be so diverse. I thought we were not as creative as we could be. We have some things to think about before making a line up for next game. Players are pushing one another for playing time at this point and players that are subbing in the game aren’t just filling gaps, they are providing fresh legs and a completely unique change in our style of play. It’s keeping us dangerous around the goal for 90 minutes. That’s exciting to me.

Man of the Match:

Congrats to Kyle Burns on winning this week’s  Man of the Match Award, largely based on securing FC Denver’s second goal to wrap up the hard-fought win.  As coach Firebaugh stated, “No matter what the goal looked like, we F’ing needed it. Kyle’s tenacity on offense and defense was a real pick-me-up for the team.”

Written By Brandon Best – Pictures By Destiny Fernandez

Match day: Sunday August 21^st, 2011

Starting XI: Campbell, Gonzalez, Kroening, Burstein, Yarletts, Firebaugh, Woodworth, Marks, Greenley, Marchant, Bravo

Subs: Best, Harrison, DelPiccolo, Elbin, Imbrongo, Wilson, Bourland

Broomfield, CO (Broomfield Commons Park) -

After a disappointing week one draw against El Alamo, FC Denver was slated to take on the recent winner of this summer’s Vail Adult League Tournament, Colorado Sporting.  In the first week, Colorado Sporting dismantled 3-0 a Pars America squad that has had a recent resurgence.  The FC Denver squad knew that they were going to have to improve on their effort from a week prior, if they were going to get the result they desired.

Coaches Firebaugh and Elbin decided that a more aggressive formation would work best with the personnel available on the afternoon, and that it would help stymie Colorado Sporting’s strengths.  Right after kickoff, it appeared as though FC Denver had erred, as they were under immediate and sustained pressure for about the first 10 minutes.  Colorado Sporting though, were unable to capitalize though as most of their shots were from distance and off target to boot.  The individual efforts of Juan Gonzalez, Dave Kroening, and week one MVP Mario Burstein were all key at one point or another in keeping a clean sheet through the first portion of the match.  Eventually, FC Denver’s players were able to better understand their roles in the new formation and Tom Marks and Jesse Woodworth began to close up Colorado Sporting’s opportunities through the midfield.  With the defensive battle being won, FC Denver’s offensive trio of Vitor Bravo, George Marchant, and Skipper Kyle Firebaugh, were allowed to show their creative chops and started to find seams in the Colorado Sporting backline.  The initial goal would not come from the creative play of the attackers though.  It would come off the head of the mighty Juan Gonzales (correction), whose streaking run into the box on a corner allowed him to test the tensile strength of the net nylon.

The goal energized the proceedings as the intensity of both squads picked up, which would lead to a slew of hard challenges and some greater pressure on the FC Denver goal.  Ian Campbell was able to marshal the backline and clean up any opportunities that Colorado Sporting created.  However, he would need the help of the cross bar as a Colorado Sporting player was able to rock the woodwork with an impressive donkey kick while running at a good clip.  It was about this time that FC Denver began to bring on their bench, and to once again create some decent opportunities on the Colorado Sporting goal.  A run into the box by sub Tyler Wilson would actually be the catalyst for the 2^nd FC Denver goal, but instead of scoring himself, he was fouled in an area the referee deemed to be inside the penalty area and awarded a PK.  Brandon Best was selected to finish the business, which he eventually did after following up his blocked PK shot and putting the rebound underneath the Sporting Colorado keeper.   The rest of the half would go by without much fanfare; except for injuries sustained to Gonzalez as he was trying to hit a cross field pass and Tyler Imbrongo who was injured during a nice American football open field tackle from a Colorado Sporting Defender.  The injury to Juan would give Kevin Bourland his first minutes of the season.

Having the most dangerous lead in soccer to FC Denver’s advantage, the players knew that coming out and establishing themselves would be vital to securing 3 points.  It didn’t take long for FC Denver to establish their style of play in the second half, as Firebaugh was able to increase the lead shortly after half with a shot from inside the goal box.  Firebaugh was the beneficiary of some hard work in the corner by Marchant, where he beat two Colorado Sporting players before hitting a low cross into Firebaugh for the goal.  With the third goal against them, Colorado Sporting knew that their chance for a comeback was slipping away and all but made it official when their central midfielder was sent off for his second yellow.  The additional caution coming after a run in with Kroening, who did well to squash an attacking play, draw Sporting’s player into picking up his second yellow, all while avoiding receiving his own early exit.  That my friends.. is what I call a trifecta.

FC Denver was able to completely kill off the match when Marchant, blasted in a fourth goal from a quick turn and shoot from about 12 yards out.  With a score line of 4 nil, the only things left to do was to try and avoid injury from the hard tackles that were taking place and to perhaps try and better the 8-0 score line laid against Colorado Sporting by FC Denver United in the Spring season.  Fortunately, most everyone was able to avoid injury in the second half, but unfortunately the game ended with no more goals for FC Denver.

Next week, FC Denver Premier will take on Aguilas at the Dick at 3 pm.  FC Denver United will be the game before at 1.

Coach Firebaugh’s thoughts on the match:

“That was the Vail Tournament Champion?  I thought we were real creative offensively. We attacked from the flanks. We attacked with small touches centrally. We even stretched them defensively using the long ball. It kept them off balance for most of the game. After the first 5 minutes we were organized and tenacious defensively. Sometimes it’s about looking at the player opposite you and thinking – I’m gonna shut this guy down today; and I think we did that”.

Man of the Match:

Congratulations to Curtis Greenley for being the smartest player on the field with a simple off season choice to join FCD.  He also did a great job of tormenting Colorado Sporting on the wings all day and kept his head when some hard tackles were directed at him.  Revenge is sweet!

Written By Brandon Best – Pictures By Destiny Fernandez

Match day: Sunday August 14th, 2011

Starting XI: Hengeli, Gonzalez, Miller, Wilson, Burstein, Yarletts, Randquist, Elbin, Greenley, Marchant, Imbrogno

Subs: Best, Harrison, Schramm, Burns, DelPiccolo, Marks, Bravo

It is only midsummer but the Denver areas most competitive and fun men’s soccer team, FC Denver Premier, was back in CASL league 1 action this past Sunday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.   Their first contest saw them match up with an El Alamo side that had shaken up the league’s power structure in the previous season.  The numbers for Premier were good, with Kevin Bourland and Kyle Firebaugh forced to sit as the game day roster is limited to 18.  With the advantage in numbers and confidence high from a summer which saw FC Denver qualify for nationals, the squad seemed certain that they would be able to raid El Alamo for three points to start the season.

From the first whistle, FC Denver enjoyed a majority of the possession with El Alamo getting few real chances at goal.  However, Premier’s defense was still active and it was actually from defense that the first tally of the year came.  As Juan Gonzalez stepped up and hit a shot which was deflected past El Alamo’s keeper by a defender.  With an early goal and having a man advantage, FC Denver became a little too lax behind the ball and El Alamo, was able to retain more possession and move play into their offensive third.  From there, all it took was a bit of inspired dribbling from Alamo’s center mid and some lazy tackles by FC Denver, for the score to be leveled at 1.  Not long after, Alamo was able to go up after FC Denver was slow to pressure an Alamo player who found himself alone at the top of the 18 yard box.  From there, he was able to blast a shot which beat Greg Hengeli to the near post.  Trailing 2-1 FC Denver started to use their greater numbers to their advantage and made personnel changes in most areas of the pitch.  With the fresh legs, FC Denver was able to once again apply more pressure and enjoy greater control of the ball.  With the higher pressure Denver was able to draw a penalty kick, when Kyle Burns was taken down after running through a loose ball in the Alamo box.  Vitor Bravo neatly went about his business to send the game to half tied 2-2.

With the momentum of the penalty, FC Denver took to the field in the second half looking to put the game away.  There were a number of decent opportunities, but the breakthrough came about when George Marchant tore down the left side of the Alamo penalty area before cutting in and finding Brady Yarletts crashing the front post.  Yarletts was able to redirect the cross off his head and past the Alamo keeper (who may also moonlight as the El Tapatio mascot during the week).  With the lead and little to no offensive pressure from El Alamo, FC Denver took their foot off the gas and failed to get a crucial insurance goal.  The soccer became bogged down when the game through the middle of the park became chippy and the referee was felt the need to insert himself into the proceedings of the game.  Perhaps it was a lack of fitness or a lack of urgency brought about by the seeming inability of El Alamo to connect more than two passes past the half mark, but whatever the reason, the solid second half that the FC Denver defense had been having seemed to crumble in the last few minutes of the match.  After a decent save by Hengeli, El Alamo was able to rebound a shot and feed a runner in the box, who tied the score at three.  A goal against the run of play is definitely an understatement, but hopefully it will be a small matter when the season ends.  The goal seemed to shake the sleep from the eyes of the FC Denver players, but alas it was too little to late as the Referee ended the game at about the 88 minute mark.

With one game gone, FC Denver is left with one point and a strong belief that they had definitely under performed.  A feeling definitely reflected in Coach Firebaugh’s post match comments:

“I thought we were weak through the center of the pitch. The goals we allowed were real soft and were all avoidable. We need to be decidedly more aggressive in our play. We hit a rhythm and can be effective in our play, but sometimes it’s only in 3rd gear. We need to press on both ends of the field and play the entire 90 minutes without mental lapses. Whenever your offense puts up 3 goals, you should be winning your league games. This week we will be re-evaluating and focusing on a tough match against CO Sporting this Sunday”.

The match this next week will pit Premier against a resurgent CO Sporting side that won their first match 3-0.

Man of the Match:

Congratulations to Mario Burstein!

According to Coach Firebaugh “He played a full 90. He was our best player defensively and real close to our biggest threat offensively too.  The kid works incredibly hard”.

Jeff Larentowicz and Drew Moor close down on Sounders attack

Written by: Ian Campbell – Pictures courtesy Karl Gehring/Denver Post

Well that was quick. In the third minute of Friday’s game against Seattle, Brian Mullan put the Rapids down a man with a reckless challenge on Steve Zakuani. Zakuani was stretchered off with his leg in an air cast, so it seemed fairly serious. Because the stadium didn’t show any replays, we could only assume it was gruesome, and Youtube was able to confirm that later in the evening. I wouldn’t recommend looking up the video if you have a weak stomach. Zakuani underwent emergency surgery in Denver for a broken fibula/tibia and should recover, though the timeline and extent are still unknown. Mullan is expected to receive a suspension for the challenge, but the extent is still unknown.

Unfortunately, the Rapids took an eternity to recover from the initial shock of going down a man in the opening minutes. The entire first half was dominated by Seattle, and the Sounders were able to strike in the 19^th on a finish by Fredy Montero. The play found Tyrone Marshall lost in no man’s land, forcing Marvell Wynne to cover two players in the middle of the field, and as he stepped in to Mauro Rosales, Montero was left wide open. With a first-time placement shot from the top of 18-yard box, Montero was able to put the ball between Matt Pickens’ legs for the game’s only goal. Pickens could have done much better with this chance to keep the game tied at 0-0.

A worried look on coach Smith's face after a three game plunge

The second half started with more of the same for Colorado as they struggled to create scoring chances while still splitting possession with the Sounders. Colorado’s ability to move the ball in the second half never seemed to be affected by playing a man down, which was a far cry from the first half so Gary Smith deserves a tip of the hat for his halftime chalk-talk. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until the subs started coming on in the 65^th minute that the game started to get even remotely interesting. Pablo Mastroeni was taken out in favor of Wells Thompson, Tyrone Marshall was replaced by Anthony Wallace, and Jamie Smith was removed for Sanna Nyassi all in the span of 5 minutes. Mastroeni’s extended injury break left him a bit short on fitness, so it was natural to see Thompson come on, though still disheartening to see the captain leave right before the final push for a result.

Omar Cummings trying to spark the offense

In the end, the best chances were created by Kosuke Kimura combining with Sanna Nyassi on the right side, yielding a few shots on goal and a few deflections for corners. The shots were generally comfortable saves for Kasey Keller and nothing seemed to really bother the Seattle defense.   In the end, the Rapids were not able to overcome Mullan’s red card and couldn’t atone for the defensive collapse. Luckily for fans, we can erase the memory of this disappointment with a home game against the Chicago Fire on April 30^th. Chicago is in 8^th place in the Eastern Conference after 6 games, so they might just be what the doctor ordered to get Colorado back on track and stop the skid.

Please see all game photo’s at the Denver Post Website: http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2011/04/colorado-rapids-vs-seattle-sounders-april-22-2011/#name%20here