Los Angeles Blues News Release -- www.labluesprosoccer.com
Friday, April 13, 2012
FULLERTON, Calif. – There has been an air of anxious anticipation about the Blues training sessions this week, with the Fullerton-based club opening its 2012 USL PRO campaign at home against the storied Rochester Rhinos on Saturday night. Following major offseason shakeups on and off the field, Blues players and staff are aware that their first official match at Fullerton’s Titan Stadium could go a long way in energizing their growing fan base and setting the tone for a successful season.
“Given that it’s our home opener, we really want to turn in a good performance for our supporters,” right back Bryan Burke said. “In training this week, we’ve just been working on getting everyone to function as a united and on getting sharp by fine-tuning all the little things that are so crucial in games.”
Despite never having taken the field in USL PRO, the highly touted rookie anticipates the task being made difficult by Saturday’s opponent.
“Since I’ve never played against Rochester, I don’t know in too much detail what their strengths have been over the years,” he said. “That said, several of the guys on our team have played them before, which helps tremendously. The one thing everyone agrees on is that they seem to have a very good team this year, so we know we’ll have to come out with a lot of energy and try to be at the top of our game.”
Of Burke’s teammates, the one with the most experience squaring off with the Rhinos is midfielder and USL veteran Brian Farber, whose career has included successful stints with the Minnesota Thunder, Portland Timbers and Carolina Railhawks.
“The Rhinos have a very good squad, so it will definitely be a battle.” Farber said. “That said, I think that if we can impose ourselves on them offensively early on, we’ll be able to get a rhythm and create chances throughout the game. Since it’s early in the season, both teams will have a few miscommunications, but I’m optimistic that we can be on the same page a few times and bury a couple of chances.”
A win on Saturday would be crucial in the Blues’ aggressive push to grow awareness and gather support in their new surroundings, following the recent centralization of all of the club’s operations in Fullerton.
Players and coaches moved into their new training facilities at Fullerton College in November and the front office settled less than a mile down the road. In another landmark decision, the club made Cal State Fullerton’s 10,000-seat Titan Stadium the sole home venue for 2012.
Parallel to the move to Orange County, the Blues have been undertaking a major rebranding effort that began in late January with the unveiling of a new logo paying tribute to the club’s Los Angeles roots while firmly reflecting its dedication to a successful future in Fullerton. The wind of change has blown on the field as well for the side led by the highly accomplished Head Coaching duo of Charlie Naimo and Shayon Jalayer, who completely revamped their squad during the offseason.
Among the most promising player acquisitions have been former Scottish Premier League striker Allan Russell, 2011 USL PRO scoring sensation George Davis IV, ex-New York Red Bull Irving Garcia and rising South Korean star Cheun-Yong Park, who previously drew interest from MLS side Seattle Sounders. Former Chivas USA defender Carlos Borja and former Galaxy attacker Israel Sesay are two of only four returning players from last year’s roster.
The meeting with the Rhinos marks the first opportunity for the Blues to present the new product to a larger public and increase their fan base for the season. However, Farber warned that attacking fireworks may not be easy to come by against the Rhinos.
“In our first game, it’s important that we show our fans what we have to offer offensively,” he said. “We’d like to think we’re dangerous going forward, but let’s not forget that their backline includes Troy (Roberts), Quavas (Kirk), Mike (Zaher) and Danny Earls, who all have significant MLS experience for a reason. It’s not a stretch to think that Rochester might be the best defensive team in the league this year.”
The 2012 Rhinos also feature veteran of the German first and second divisions as well as the Norwegian topflight, goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, and a potent attack led by former Colorado Rapids and Scottish Premier League striker Tam McManus and the team’s 2010 Offensive Player of the Year, Isaac Kissi.
Despite the prominent names on the opposition’s roster, the Blues coaches have been focusing mainly on their own team in preparing for Saturday’s match.
“It doesn’t make much sense to try and scout an opponent leading up to the opener, because preseason games usually don’t give an accurate idea of the way they will be playing,” Coach Jalayer said. “That said, we know quite a few of the Rhinos players and it looks like they have assembled a very good team. Between two quality sides, a lot usually depends on who can shake off their anxiety first and feel comfortable out there.
“As always, our emphasis will be on controlling possession. In the first 15 minutes of a game, that’s hard to accomplish because everybody’s going after the ball with so much energy. That only becomes a bigger factor with the anxiety of playing in the season opener. For us, finding a passing rhythm quickly is crucial. If we can do that, we’re in a good position to try and get in behind them and hopefully get three points.”
The Blues’ big USL PRO season opener against the Rhinos is this coming Saturday, April 14, at Fullerton’s Titan Stadium. The match is set to kick off at 7.30 p.m. PT and will feature plenty of exciting festivities as well as a bouncy castle and postgame fireworks. Tickets start at $10 and may be purchased by calling 714-738-8011 or by visiting http://lablues.ticketfly.com or www.labluesprosoccer.com.