Owain Evans

OPPONENT WATCH: Swope Park Rangers

Kharlton Belmar
Leading goalscorer, Kharlton Belmar, in action for Swope Park Rangers away to San Antonio earlier this month (Copyright: Darren Abate)
  • Swope Park Rangers (3W, 1D, 1L) currently sit one place behind Rising in the USL Western Conference on goal difference, and will provide a stern test this evening.
  • The most recent encounter between the two teams was a Western Conference Quarter Final last October.  A 150-minute weather delay at half time saw the post-season game played over two days.  Tied 1-1 after extra time, Rangers beat Rising in a penalty shootout, but lost to Louisville in the USL Cup Final.
  • Rangers’ 2018 squad includes 8 Sporting Kansas City Academy players: defenders Massimo McGuire and Kaveh Rad; midfielders Sebastian Cruz, Ryan Fessler, Sean Karani, Roman Knox and Jahon Rad; and forward Wilson Harris.
  • Midfielder Bryam Rebellon was Rangers first new signing of 2018, joining from Jacksonsville Armada (23 appearances, 0 goals).  The Puerto Gaitan-born 25 year old has previously played for the Colombia Beach Soccer National Team, and also featured for Los Dos in 2016 (25 appearances, 2 goals).
  • Homegrown player Gianluca Busio enjoyed a USL debut to remember on April 4 against the Switchbacks.  The 15-year-old set up the only goal of the game at Children’s Mercy Park for former Arizona United forward Tyler Blackwood.
  • Englishman Blackwood scored 8 goals in 26 appearances for Arizona United in 2016, and last year enjoyed a solid season with Sacramento Republic (34 appearances, 6 goals, 3 assists).  He joined Rangers in February 2018.
  • Rangers’ main goal threat this season is Kharlton Belmar.  The USL Player of the Month for March has netted 5 of Rangers 11 goals to date.  In 2015 and 2016, Belmar enjoyed a 15 goal/6 assist return for Timbers 2 in 53 games, earning him a USL Rookie of the Year award.
  • Guatemalan international midfielder Rodrigo Saravia is likely to feature in midfield.  He spent 2017 on a season-long loan at Swedish Superettan outfit IK Frej from Columbus Crew, scoring 1 goal in 11 appearances.  Saravia also made 12 MLS appearances for the Crew in 2016, and earned 2 of his 6 full international caps against the U.S. in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
  • Five of the 8 goals conceded by Rangers have been scored in the second half, including 3 in the first 15 minutes after half-time.

From The Ashes Prediction: 1-1 draw