BIDDING WAR: Ilija Stolica

Clubs Involved: (2)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

GOLD COAST

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The NE Revolution have addressed their needs by bringing in Ilija Stolica and Roberto Linck through the transfer window. Although more than 2 BSL clubs requested Stolica, only Montgomery County and Gold Coast provided proof with their request to be eligible for him. It is important that BSL owners DO NOT just send in names, but follow the proper rules and add evidence. Meanwhile Gold Coast was the only club to provide a request and article for Linck, and therefore he will be joining the Suns roster.

MATCH PREVIEW: Game 15

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MONTGOMERY vs CD GUNNERS
The final meeting for these NECC rivals this season unless they meet up in the playoffs or Majors Cup. The last time both clubs played to a 3-3 tie. The Gunners are being chased by a whole pack of teams for the third place position that the club currently owns. The Monarchs need every possible point from here on out ot make the playoffs, but are sitting in 4th place for the Majors Cup.
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BURUD TOWN vs GOLD COAST
The Suns have owned this match-up so far. Now can the club go for the sweep? Burud Town has been very aggressive in the transfer market and the free agent market and will have Omar Cummings in this game. The Stags are only a single point behind the Gunners for third place and the Suns are only 2 points out of 3rd place. The winner of this match will have a huge edge for the last quarter of the season.
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UNION SC vs GATEWAY UTD
There is no holding back when these two clubs meet up. The Saints have expressed a deep love in defeating the Blues and the feeling is mutual on the other side. The last game was a 5-5 tie that went back and forth until the final whistle. Union S.C. is currently in 2nd place in the league standings.
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ST. LOUIS vs NEW YORK
The Cure can clinch a playoff berth with a win this weekend. It's the first step in the very lofty goals set forth by the Cure to win all the hardware for 2010. Standing in the way are the Greeks, the only club to have defeated St. Louis.

BIDDING WARS: Alvaro Fernandez

Clubs Involved: (5)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

GATEWAY UNITED

UNION S.C.

BURUD TOWN

GOLD COAST

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The 24 year old is coming. Several news articles have sprung up in the last 24 hours including the Seattle Times, which later got blasted by the Sounders for writing an article on it so early. How can you blame the writer. Fernandez himself has already told reporters that he is coming.

BIDDING WAR: Sal Zizzo

Clubs Involved: (2)
BURUD TOWN
GATEWAY UNITED
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The bidding war rule is only a few days old and already the league has its first one. Yesterday, at 4:33pm Burud Town made a bid for Sal Zizzo with information on his return to the United States. Thanks to the new rule, the Stags would have to wait 24 hours to see if Sal would be allowed to join the roster. Gateway United in that time span also emailed in such a request and the result is a bidding war. Both clubs now have until 7/21 - 7:00pm(PT) before the close of this process.

MATCH PREVIEW: Special Edition

Count them! 6 friendlies are scheduled this week from 5 BSL clubs. These are some excellent match-ups and well worth the leagues attention for a Match Preview Special Edition.

Union SC is having a fine season so far and will put its roster to the test when it faces one of the worlds most decorated clubs, Manchester United.
"This is the first friendly our club has ever taken part in and wanted to make it special. It will be exciting to see what happens" said the Union SC Owner.

The first BSL club to schedule a friendly for this weekend was Gold Coast FC when the club extended an invitation to play CF Pachuca.

Gateway United will challenge Puebla FC. The last time the Saints played a non league match, it was against one of the leagues clubs, the St.Louis Cure. The match resulted in a victory for the Saints.

Another BSL club no stranger to friendlies is Capital District. The Gunners had a friendly against the Seattle Sounders earlier this year and now has 2 others scheduled. One against Pumas UNAM and another against Tottenham Hotspur.

The last scheduled friendly for the week comes from Montgomery County who will play Fulham FC. This could be the debut of several new additions for Monarchs including Henry.

POWER RANKINGS: Week 14

The power rankings are reported between weeks 1 through 15. Can St.Louis claim all 15 weeks in the #1 position? One more week and the Cure will accomplish this. The Cure are once again are ranked #1. How dominating is it? Well, it is possible that St. Louis can clinch a playoff spot in the next match and even clinch the Honors Trophy as well. Although more than likely clinching first place would have to wait for another game.

Union SC is 1 win away from matching last seasons win total. Although the club is looking for much more than that. The Blues are looking at making the playoffs in 2010!

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No league games are scheduled for next week. There is however plenty of friendlies planned. A Special Edition Match Preview is scheduled for this weekend.

The trade deadline is also drawing near. BSL clubs interested in making a last minute deal better get a move on it.

GAME 14: Shorthanded Rosters Bring Close Scores

BOXSCORES ST.LOUIS 4 BURUD TOWN 2
The Cure continue their impressive onslaught over the league with the clubs 12th victory on the season. Brek Shea was the player of the game with a goal and assist. Chad Barrett got the scoring started before Ryan Smith tied it up for the Stags. Shea and Buddle built the Cure a 4-1 lead before Hernandez brought Burud Town a second score.

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MONTGOMERY 2 GATEWAY UTD. 1

The Monarchs moved back into the top 4 of Majors Cup qualifying after defeating the Saints in this game. Schelotto's assist gave Montgomery the early 1-0 lead that held up all the way until Sunday. Najar and Donovan exchanged scores to close out the match.

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UNION SC 4 CD GUNNERS 2

The Blues moved past the Gunners into 2nd place in the BSL standings. Montero gave the Gunners the games first score, but Sebastian LeToux propelled Union SC into the lead with a goal and assist of his own. Conor Casey and Davey Arnaud built the Blues a comfortable lead at 4-1. Renteria ended the scoring for the game for the Gunners.

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GOLD COAST 1 NEW YORK 1

The Greeks tied for their 2nd match in a row as the club continues to play spoiler in the league. This time it was not Nick Rimando that moved the needle for the Greeks, but Atiba Harris who got the score. Gold Coast was short several key players in this game playing without Ching, Braun and others. The many changes made in preparation for this match did not pan out and the club would have to settle for only a point in the standings.

Another Superstar on the Radar

The free agent transfer window has bloggers running amuck about possible stars coming to the U.S.A. to play. The latest rumor has sent BSL owners on a rampage. RSL Owner Dave Checkletts mentioned on a radio show that he believes a Brazilian that everyone knows will be coming to play in Los Angeles. He was no doubt talking about Ronaldinho. Did Checkletts let the cat out of the bag, or has he been dipping in the cool aid as well? As of right now 5 BSL Clubs have expressed interest in Ronaldinho. Sources from A.C. Milan say he still has 1 year left on his contract. So what does Checketts know that A.C. Milan doesn't?

MATCH PREVIEW: Game 14

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CD GUNNERS vs UNION SC

Quite possibly the most competitive match-up in the BSL. It can be argued that there are more heated rivalries, but few can prove better actual play verses one another. In the four previous meetings between Union SC and the CD Gunners, all the games have been tightly contested and down to the wire. Union SC won the first 2 match-up's even though the Gunners were a dominate force in 09'. However, the Gunners have since won the last two times. Is this a possible Semi-Final preview?

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ST.LOUIS vs BURUD TOWN

The Cure can inch closer to the BSL record for wins in a season with a victory over Burud Town. The Stags are in the thick of a very tight playoff race and could use the win to build some much needed momentum. Burud Town has added Anthony Obodai to the roster, but he will most likely miss this game. In the last meeting between these clubs, a whopping 13 points were scored on route to a league record.

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MONTGOMERY vs GATEWAY UTD.

The odds of both these clubs making it to the Semi-Final game again appear to be slim. But, a win for one of these clubs in this game could keep some hope alive. One of the Saints 3 wins this season has come against Montgomery County. The 5-1 victory was the best win of the season for Gateway United.

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GOLD COAST vs NEW YORK

The Suns have been busy in the free agent market adding 4 new players this week as the club pushes to make the playoffs. At 6-7-0, the Suns are the only team this season who have not tied a game and the 6 wins are equal to several other BSL clubs. Since the number of wins is the first tiebreaker in the standings, this could be a major benefit for Gold Coast as we near the end of the regular season.

POWER RANKINGS: Week 13

Barring a major turn of events, the St. Louis Cure are a few weeks away from winning the 2010 Honors Trophy. The club now has a 13 point lead for first place with 7 games remaining thanks to this weekends defeat of Union SC and the CD Gunners earning a tie in their match against New York.

The race for the other 2 playoff spots is every close. 2nd thru 5th place is only seperated by 3 points and Gateway United, which sits in 6th place is hanging around at 6 points behind 3rd place.

Moving up to #4 in the power rankings is Gold Coast FC. The Suns are showing improvement and sit on top of the Majors Cup standings. The owner has been active in the free agent transfer market as well.

Burud Town has dropped another position now to #5 in the power rankings. The Stags were as high as #2 only 3 games ago, but have really struggled to score since the break. The absense of Brad Davis hasn't help, but cannot be the sole excuse of this teams struggles. The other players just have not been scoring as of late.

GAME 13: Rough Play Highlights This Weeks Action

BOXSCORESST. LOUIS 3 UNION SC 1

The Cure got help from the officials on route to another win over Union SC. In the early moments this match, Robbie Findley was granted a penalty kick for his oscar winning performance on Thursday night. That set the tone for the game. Sebastian LeToux was mauled in the box later and recieved no call on Saturday. He would later come within inches of a score but no such luck. For the 2nd time the Blues have been kicked out of 2nd place courtesy of the St. Louis Cure.

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CD GUNNERS 2 NY GREEKS 2

The Gunners needed a last minute Fredy Montero goal to avoid defeat and earn a point in the standings. For the third game in a row Nick Rimando got the scoring started for the Greeks. Where would this club be without his stellar keeping? The Gunners would equalize with their own clean sheet by Frie. Fred would score a rare goal for the Greeks and regain the lead for New York before Montero finished off the game's scoring avoiding the upset.

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GOLD COAST 3 MONTGOMERY 1

It took a while for the scoring to get started in this match until Justin Braun lined up 2 goals and Pat Onstad netted a clean sheet for the Suns in a matter of minutes within each other. The Monarchs would have no answer for these scores until almost the final whistle when David Ferreira used his left foot to bring home a goal for the Monarchs avoiding the shutout.

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BURUD TOWN 2 GATEWAY UTD. 2

Landon Donovan sat this game out as well as Fredy Ljundberg, but still Gateway United managed to earn its 5th tie of the season. Burud Town continues to struggle after the break. Kelly Dube was the lone strike from the Stags in the starting lineup. Marco Perovic did find the back of the net, but was left on the bench. Both the Stags and Saints got contributions from their keepers preserving the draw for both clubs.

MATCH PREVIEW: Game 13

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ST.LOUIS vs UNION SC

If the Blues are to have any chance of winning the 2010 Honors Trophy the club is going to have to win this game. From a statistical standpoint, this should be a very explosive contest. Both clubs have combined for a total of 103 points scored this season and are averaging over 4 points a game. However, stats don't always hold true as was evident the last time these two teams played each other.

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CD GUNNERS vs NEW YORK

Some of the luster of the Empire Cup has diminished now that the Greeks are due to be contracted next year. However, a derby is a derby and the Gunners can take the Empire Cup with a win. Meanwhile, the Gunners can use this game as an opportunity to help solidify the clubs playoff position and Majors Cup position. That is assuming New York doesn't pull another upset.

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GATEWAY UTD vs BURUD TOWN

Both clubs come into this game in search of getting back on track. Burud Town was riding high at the World Cup break, but has since stumbled in the 2 games since the schedule resumed. Gateway United was starting to see improvement, but took a step backwards recently. All this puts quite a bit of importance on the result of this game.

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GOLD COAST vs MONTGOMERY

The odds makers will be hard pressed to figure out a betting line on this match up. On any given week, Gold Coast can play with the best of the league. The Monarchs are riding a resurgence, but are left with little room for error in the playoff chase. A win would do wonders for both sides.

POWER RANKINGS: Week 12

Buddle and Findley returned for St. Louis and both scored goals this week. The Cure were able to win without them and now have a full arsenal to close out the season. The club has an 11 point lead over second place in the standings with 8 games remaining and has a 12 point lead over fourth place.

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Capital District leap frogged Union S.C. to take #2 in the power rankings even though both clubs won this weekend. The reason? The Gunners had a more impressive showing and didn't need any late game heroics to win.

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Don't count out Montgomery County just yet. The Monarchs are on a 3 game unbeaten streak and have 4 points in Majors Cup qualifications. The recent signings like Najar for example, seem to be working and that just the guys who are already here. What's in store when the transfer window opens?

GAME 12: Friday Results Give Early Advantage

BOXSCORES

UNION SC 3 BURUD TOWN 2
For the second time this season Union SC came out victorious in this match up. Eddie Gaven of Burud Town got the scoring started with a wonderful assist. The Blues equalized with a Letoux assist closing out Saturday's action. On Sunday, Union SC took the lead when Casey scored, but Burud Town netted an assist from Michael Stephens an hour later to tie it up again. The game winner came off a Steve Zakuani goal to give the Blues the win. Union SC is now 2-0-2 in the last 4 games. The Stags have lost their playoff position with a second straight loss.

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ST. LOUIS 4 GOLD COAST 2

The league's top club put last weeks horrid performance aside and captured its 10th win of the season. St. Louis scored early and built up a comfortable lead when Espindola and Javier Morales combined for 3 points on Friday. Gold Coast countered with a Brian Ching goal. With the score 3-1, the Suns edged closer when Upiparipovic brought the score to 3-2. It would all come down to the final MLS game of the week. The Suns had a Cruz assist sitting on the bench and only needed 1 more Cure yellow card to tie the score up, but Edson Buddle was back and he wasted no time making his presence felt and brought the game to a close with his 10th goal of the year.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY 3 NEW YORK 1

The BSL Champ's avenged their earlier defeat to New York by reversing the 3-1 result in this meeting. The Greeks were coming off their biggest win in club history and started this one very similiar when Nick Rimando once again gave New York an early 1-0 lead. However, the Greeks offense was unable to help Rimando. Montgomery County got on the board with David Ferreira's penalty kick. Then minutes later took the lead off a Najar Goal. Then more good news for the Monarchs, Omar Cummings came out of his shell to put in a goal and give the Monarchs the win.

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CAPITAL DISTRICT 5 GATEWAY UNITED 2

The Gunners put together a solid all around performance to stay unbeaten against the Saints. Saborio had 2 goals to give the Gunners an early advantage and got 3 more contributions from 3 other players to make Capital District the highest scoring team for the week. Gateway United did get another goal from Danny Mwanga and saw the return of Landon Donovan, but still is without answers for the Gunners. Jeff Cunningham played with more guts this week but failed to score. Marco Pappa hit the cross bar. It was just that kind of game for the Saints.