Burgundy Boys on Loan, Week Three

Well that was exciting.

The loan contingent of the Colorado Rapids had a heck of a weekend and as the United Soccer League heads into the third week of the season, we are seeing some early excitement from the Burgundy Boys on loan.

Here is how things looked last weekend:

Charlotte Independence 2, Toronto FC II 0

Love me some Caleb Calvert. I should be objective about this, but clearly if you follow me on Twitter or know me at all, you get that I think he has a great deal of potential. And yes, I think he should be on the Rapids roster now over other players. His line from the 2-0 win over TFC II: One goal, one assist, three shots on target (out of three) and 90 minutes played as the loan striker in a 4-2-3-1 for the Jacks. Not too shabby. Does that mean he should be recalled to Commerce City? I don’t know enough about the new look Rapids (yet) to say if he should come, but this at least helps to make his case.

In addition to Calvert, Andrew Dykstra was in goal for the Independence. He played the full 90 and made one save. More importantly, he got his first clean sheet for Charlotte.

Sam Vines started again for the Jacks and put in 90 solid minutes whilst lining up as a left back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. That makes two full matches for the Rapids Homegrown player which is massive in his development. I know, I know, it’s early to say this...but have we found our left back of the future? Vines had 78 total touches with a 92% passing accuracy rating.

Ricardo Perez came on in the 87th minute for Yann Ekra as a defensive midfielder for his second appearance of the year.

Click here for match highlights of the second win in a row to start the year for Charlotte.

Phoenix Rising FC 4, OKC Energy FC 1

Phoenix made their home debut by thrashing Oklahoma City in front of nearly 7,000 fans and are now off to a 1-1-0 (4 points) start to the young USL season. Rapids defender Mike da Fonte started as a center-back in a 4-2-3-1 and played the full 90 for Rising.

Da Fonte had another good game for Phoenix with an 87% passing accuracy rating and 6 total clearances. He also got himself a shot on target—not too bad for the Rapids defender.

Highlights of this match can be found here!

These performances set up a pretty exciting weekend for both Charlotte and Phoenix:

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Charlotte Independence vs Atlanta United 2

Location: Sportsplex at Matthews (Matthews, NC) at 5:00 PM MDT

What to Watch For: It’s pretty simple for Charlotte...can they keep this up? They are off to a 2-0-0 (6 points) start and have shocked many USL observers. Now, they have beaten two of the weaker teams in USL, but wins are wins and they do nothing but build confidence. Calvert and Dykstra have looked good so far this year and I imagine they will want to continue that start.

How to Watch: All USL games are streamed on You Tube and this match can be found here.

Reno 1868 FC vs Phoenix Rising FC

Location: Greater Nevada Field (Reno, NV) at 5:00 PM MDT

What to Watch For: Phoenix is off to a solid start in the Western Conference and hits the road for the second time in three weeks. They take on a Reno team that is looking for their first win of the season, but Phoenix should have plenty of belief that three points should be there for the taking.

How to Watch: All USL games are streamed on You Tube and this match can be found here.