Kick-off

Intro and home thoughts from abroad:
Welcome soccer (football) fans. This blog may be primarily targeted at supporters of the currently not so mighty Colorado Rapids and for those following "O Jogo Bonito" in the Rocky Mountain region but all those interested in soccer stateside and elsewhere are more than welcome to chime in.
As the great Johan Cruyff famously said: "Football is a game you play with your brain." This blog will therefore strive never to be a rant but approach burning soccer-related issues using said organ. This is already proving hard to do given England's dismal exit from European Championship qualifying this week. When Steven Gerrard scores screamers like he did earlier today for Liverpool and Frank Lampard causes havoc in every Premier League defense, the inevitable chorus of "Why can't they do that for England?" is sung the length and breadth. The truth is that England has not had a decent manager for a long time. Eriksson was well past his sell-by date by the time we got to the World Cup last year and McClaren should never have been appointed. Out of his depth at Middlesborough, how could he even think about doing the national team job? I hear the cries of what do people outside of English football know about management but every fan in England would pretty much say the same thing and the fans matter. Did you notice today how every England player playing for Chelsea was booed by the Derby fans? 'Nuff said. Anyway, therapeutic rant over.

The Rapids:
It was a poor season overall, every honest person would admit. But there were many bright spots, not least the splendid surroundings. Dick's Sporting Goods Park truly is a wonder and just perfect for an MLS team. I invite all those English fans out there kneejerkingly dismissive of all things US soccer to come to Colorado and see how a stadium complex should be set up. Now, we just need a team to fit it. More specifically, we need someone to put the thing in the back of the onion bag. We have a fantastic goalkeeper who is adored by all the fans (Best of luck in the Africa Cup of Nations, Bouna), a strong defense, the beating heart of the team in US national player Pablo Mastroeni, the never-say-die attitudes of Conor Casey, the silky skills of Terry Cooke and Colin Clark, the solidity of Jovan Kirovski, the excitement of Herculez Gomez, much-missed for much of the season through injury. All we need is someone who can score on a regular basis, a Taylor Twellman type who can notch closer to 20 goals a season. No offense to Jovan but six goals, most of them penalty kicks, cannot be the team's leading scorer. From what I see, it is clear the ownership realizes this so it is with not too bated breath that we wait for announcements in that area.
That's it for now. I truly do welcome constructive thoughts/criticisms. Please check back soon for further posts.