2012 Year in Review

REGULAR SEASON

The 2012 season was the league's most competitive to date. Unlike previous seasons, the Honors Trophy race lasted until the final week of action with 3 clubs in contention up until the final days of play. In the end Gateway United would capture the Honors Trophy winning the original member its first league title. A high of 12 teams participated in the schedule in 2012. Instead of the usual 20 games with 2 bye weeks, the schedule was changed to 22 games. Nine of the previous 11 clubs returned, and three new members were added. Two of these new additions made an immediate impact. Spartans 1612, based out of New York, established itself quickly as a tough club to beat. The expansion side recorded a record setting 10 ties before the season was up completely detroying the previous record of 6 ties. Overall the Spartans finished with an impressive 8-4-10 record, but would not qualify for any post season action. Another new club, Rose City FC, made an even bigger splash into the league. Rose City finished in the top 4 of the league standings and then took care of its opposition in the playoffs to win the BSL Cup. Last years trifecta champion, the CD Gunners, began the year off slow, but got hot in the 2nd half of the season to post another winning season and qualified for a BSL best 3rd Majors Cup. Ofcourse not all clubs can claim success. With winners there must be losers to balance things out. Clubs like Gold Coast, Alliance and Second City, that saw post season action in 2011, finished at the bottom of the standings in 2012. 

PLAYOFFS

The four clubs that qualified for the playoffs were Gateway United(3rd time), Alamo City(2nd time), Pennsylvania(1st time), and Rose City(1st time). Rose City defeated Gateway United in the first Semi-Final game. Gateway United is now 0-3 in BSL playoffs. Pennsylvania defeated Alamo City in the other Semi-Final game. Rose City won 4-2 over Pennsylvania in the BSL Cup Final. 

MAJORS CUP

The four clubs that qualifed for the Majors Cup in 2012 were Gateway United(2nd time), CD Gunners(3rd time), Pennsylvania(2nd time), and Alamo City(2nd time). Alamo City and Pennsylvania were the two BSL clubs to advance out of the group stage and would eventually meet in the Majors Cup Final were Alamo City would claim the championship by a 6-1 score. Pennsylvania would end up losing in both championship games of 2012.

MINOR TROPHIES

Once again certain BSL clubs faced off in derbies. Gateway United won the Barium Cup once again over Alliance FC. In the California Cup, Union SC defeated the Gold Coast. The CD Gunners took another BSL Classic from Alamo City. The CD Gunners also captured the Empire Cup over Spartans 1612. The 4 BSL original clubs created the Founders Cup in 2012, with the CD Gunners capturing the first title. Alamo City was the best of Texas and won the Brass Cannon.