Pre-game: Match week 1

Joe Cannon gets the start against
the Gunners

The BSL season is about kick off and everyone from the players to the management to the fans could not be more excited for Second City's inaugural matchup against Capital District.  The Gunners had a so-so 2010, but that doesn't mean you can count them out.  After all, they won the BSL Cup as recently as 2009 and have a roster loaded with talented players like captain Freddy Montero and Guatemalan international Marco Pappa.  Fans may be a bit surprised with the manager's decisions for the lineup this week, given that a few of the later-drafted players are starting ahead of the higher-drafted players. 


The most notable surprise is Joe Cannon getting the nod between the posts ahead of a relatively early pick, Bouna Coundoul. Coach Weimers explained, "The great thing about this team is the depth. We can play or sit guys based on how we feel about their week-to-week performances and aren't scrambling for replacements in the case of an injury scare like we have with Sal and Ousmane. Not to mention, having two rock solid goalkeepers is a huge plus as we can take each week's conditions into account."  The added emphasis on goalkeeping in the scoring system this season may make holding two keepers all the more important. Here is the lineup:


Goalkeeper
Joe Cannon


Position players
Brad Davis
Patrick Nyarko
Dax McCarty
Jamie Smith
Diego Chaves
Davide Chiumiento
Michael Stephens
Teemu Tainio


Substitutes
Josh Wolff
Sal Zizzo
Chris Tierney


Reserves
Bouna Coundoul
Ousmane Dabo