Monday, April 11, 2011

Rangers Drop Reserve League Opener

The Swope Park Rangers opened the 2011 reserve league season today down in Houston when they took on the Dynamo. The team has said this season that they like the depth that they have with this team, but all the injuries have piled up, as Sporting KC had to start two Juniors players (Nate Opperman and Wes White both from the U16s) up top due to injuries that have forced some reserves into starting roles. Scott Lorenz had the Rangers' best chance in the first half when he hit the post after getting in behind the Dynamo's defense. The only goal of the game came in the second half as Dynamo Francisco Navas Cobos played a free kick into the box that was headed in by Jason Garey. MISL MVP, Byron Alvarez was a second half substitute for the Rangers. Also coming on as a substitute, was trialist Gualberto Mojica. The 26 year old Mojica is a Bolivian playmaker currently on the roster of Club Blooming in Bolivia and has appeared 15 times for the Bolivian national team during his career.

Certainly a rough start to the season for the Rangers, but as players get healthy the reserve team will improve as well. And as a whole the purpose of the reserve league is to get these guys game time so that they can develop into contributors for the first team in the future. The Rangers' next game is on May 3rd at Swope Park against Real Salt Lake.

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