Burgundy Boys on Loan, Week 13

The mark of any quality team is how they perform against lower quality opposition (looking at you Colorado Rapids). The Charlotte Independence were tasked with taking on a truly dreadful Ottawa Fury team who had yet to win a match. And what did the Jacks do? Grind out a crucial victory on the road.

Here is how the Burgundy Boys on Loan fared in the last week:

Ottawa Fury 0:1 Charlotte Independence

Don’t look now, but your Charlotte Independence has a very green form guide:

L W W W W

And it is never easy to play a struggling team on the road, but the Jacks were solid enough to pick up a 1-0 win, to notch their fourth win in a row. (If you are curious, Charlotte had nearly 69% of possession in this one).

Andrew Dykstra started and player the full 90 in goal, making three saves for Charlotte. Sam Vines, the Rapids Homegrown, started and went 90 as well as a left back in the 4-1-4-1 formation. Vines had 58 passes with an 81% passing accuracy stat and 82 total touches.

Las Vegas Nights FC 4:1 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Ooof-dah. Yikes. Damn. All work here as the Switchbacks got run in Las Vegas. The only saving grace was that there were not any Rapids loanees on the pitch.

But hey. Freddie Adu scored, so that’s something!

Saturday, June 9, 2018

New York Red Bulls II (4-3-5, 17 Points) vs Charlotte Independence (6-3-2, 20 Points)

Location: MSU Soccer Park—Montclair, New Jersey—5:00 PM MDT

What to Watch For: Charlotte has won four in a row. Read that again: The Jacks have won four in a row. The Independence are in the middle of a four-game road trip and do not return home until next Saturday (which yours truly will be in attendance for). The fact that Charlotte has six points already on the road makes this a successful trip, but you have to imagine that Charlotte is hungry for more. Vines and Dykstra have featured significantly in this winning streak and there is nothing to indicate this changing.

How to Watch: This match, and all USL matches, can be streamed at ESPN + (subscription required)

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (5-7-2, 17 Points) vs Swope Park Rangers (5-3-4, 19 Points)

Location: Weidner Field—Colorado Springs, Colorado—6:00 PM MDT

What to Watch For: Sam Hamilton, currently on loan in the Springs, was on the bench for the Rapids in their putrid and horrific display in the US Open Cup. (But no other loaned player, but whatevs). Niki Jackson and Hamilton will be looking to help Colorado Springs climb the table against an SPR team that is beatable (and also hired Chris Martinez, formerly of the Rapids Academy, as an assistant coach).

How to Watch: This match, and all USL matches, can be streamed at ESPN + (subscription required)

Sacramento Republic FC (7-3-3, 24 Points) vs Phoenix Rising FC (7-3-3, 24 Points)

Location: Papa Murphy’s Park—Sacramento, California—9:00 PM MDT

What to Watch For: The Republic, coming off a solid US Open Cup victory, will be looking to slow down a Phoenix team that is playing good football. This may be the match of the week as both teams sit high in the Western Conference table. So if you need a match to drown your sorrows after the Rapids lose to Houston, this would be the one. And yeah, Mike da Fonte is having a hell of a year. (He still leads Phoenix in minutes and has started every game this year)

How to Watch: This match, and all USL matches, can be streamed at ESPN + (subscription required)