Bell Finally Tolls For Rapids

The Colorado Rapids' press office must be working off a template for their post-match releases. My worst fears were realized when I again read that the Rapids had outshot their opponents for the tenth week in a row but had still lost. Just like the Rockies baseball team, a loss over the weekend finally nails it home what most have been thinking for a while. The Rapids will not make the playoffs. To lose successive league games at home, one to a very weakened team, and not score a goal in the process means we have failed when it was crucial to succeed. Yes, the West will always be tight because no one team can dominate and all the teams are similar in standard but we are slipping further and further down and there seems to be little chance of redemption. I hate to be negative but that seems the reality at this stage. May the team prove us all wrong, win all their remaining games at home and pick up wins in unlikely places but that scenario is, indeed, unlikely.
In this blog, I like to report and not apportion blame or give my opinion overly. I am a fan first and foremost and I want this team and organization to succeed. The players, coaching and front office staff have always been very pleasant and helpful to me. I found myself, however, watching the game on Saturday against Toronto unfold with an almost inevitable bad feeling. It's as if we had to score early otherwise we would concede and then be chasing the game. Conor Casey had a wonderful opportunity to score from a perfect cross from Terry Cooke in the second minute but his header went wide. That was the closest we came all game to scoring. We played hard, we passed well when building our attacks and we defended well enough, much better than against Columbus. But, unless it is a cross from mainly Cooke or sometimes Colin Clark, to Casey, we cannot score. We cannot seem to penetrate through the middle at all and are often reduced to long-range shots that aren't really going to go in.
A couple of other details on the game. Toronto's goal was an outstanding free-kick from new signing Chad Barrett. I doubt many goalies would have saved that. I don't remember Bouna having much else to do all game.
One other thing I dislike to do is overly criticize the officials. They are so often an easy target when your team is not playing well. However, this referee was one of the worst I have ever seen on a professional field. The sending off of Clark in the 70th minute perhaps typified the referee's inability to distinguish between a legitimate challenge and a bookable offense. Many referees seem less than stellar in distinguishing between an honest foul and a malicious one (the only type that deserve a booking). This official was incapable of distinguishing between a well-timed tackle and any kind of foul. Clark, who had already been booked for a somewhat obscure offense at the end of the first half, was chasing the ball to the corner flag with a Toronto player hot on his heels. They clashed in pursuit of the ball, the Toronto player fell spectacularly to the ground and clattered into the advertizing boards. Clark didn't even lay any part of his body on him apart from clashing in honest pursuit of the ball. It was a truly terrible decision and added to the somewhat self-induced pressure on the Rapids to chase the game in the final 20 minutes. There were other incidences including two to three tackles Ugo Ihemelu timed perfectly and was then penalized for. This referee needs to take a long, hard look at his performance on video.
However, we cannot blame the referee for our loss. We will need some changes in line-up for this weekend's home agame against Kansas City. Sometimes, things just don't gel and change is needed to inject new enthusiasm into the game.

Rapids Unchanged (Almost) as Canadians Go South

The Colorado Rapids face international opposition for the second time in six days at Dick's Sporting Goods Park tomorrow. OK, it is an MLS game against Toronto rather than the likes of the EPL's Everton but there is more than national pride at stake here. This is a very important game for the Rapids who really need to win here and against Kansas City next weekend to boost playoff chances. It may be very tight in the mild, mild West but it will get looser if we slip up in the next two games.
The line-up will be the same as started against Everton except Bouna Coundoul will be starting in goal. Tom McManus is fit again but, according to Fernando Clavijo, will only last about 35 minutes and so will be on the bench. Omar Cummings and Conor Casey will start up front. The perceptive among you will ask how Herculez Gomez fits into all of this. There is no doubt that Herc is as frustrated as hell not to be getting a regular starting place. True professional that he is, he continues to work hard and not complain. He did reveal to me that there was an opportunity for him to go on loan to a Mexican team earlier this season but the MLS obstructed that move. He clearly does not want to move. "I love it here," he said. "The locker room is the best one I have ever been in and I love this city. It's just that I feel I am in a bit of a no-man's land." Maybe he will get on this weekend and score. Herc is a popular player with both fans and his fellow players and everyone wishes him well.
Coach Clavijo said another unlucky player this weekend will be Nick LaBrocca. The New Jersey native has had an outstanding season and is the only Rapid to have started all MLS games so far. Tomorrow will see him relegated to the bench as Clavijo plays a more attacking formation with Pablo Mastroeni in midfield rather than in central defense and Mehdi Ballouchy combining with Christian Gomez to offer creativity going forward. "Nick is absolutely not out," Clavijo said. "He is just more conservative than Ballouchy and we have to attack at home tomorrow." LaBrocca provided a lot of energy when he came on against Everton and expect him to do the same at some point against Toronto.
Players such as Ugo Ihemelu as well as Clavijo admitted they showed far too much respect for Everton in the opening 20 minutes or so last weekend - the period, in effect, where they lost the game as Arteta was left unchallenged for too long before unleashing a great shot into the corner. No such respect should be shown tomorrow against a weakened Toronto team who will no doubt try and close the game down and score on the break. Columbus managed it but, if we make more runs into space than we did against the Crew, we will win. I don't want to read a press release on Monday that says the Rapids outshot their opponents but the scoreline reads 2-1 to Toronto.

Ugo Returns as Canada Move Turned Down

It turns out that Ugo Ihemelu won't be a Canadian international after all. Deep down in this press release from the Canadian Soccer Federation amid news of the team's recent victory in a pre-World Cup qualifier is the fact that Ihemelu is on his way back to DSG Park following a FIFA decision he cannot play for Canada in the next World Cup.
ttp://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=3218
Good news for the Rapids at least. We need his sturdy and quick presence at the back. Maybe the US national team awaits for Ugo? Not that they will need him against Barbados.

It's Not The Fear, it's the Finishing

The way the Colorado Rapids started this game, they certainly looked as if there was no fear. There was energy, purpose and some very clear chances in the opening ten minutes or so. Jacob Peterson, for example, had a glorious chance in the opening three minutes but was only able to offer a weak shot straight into the keeper's arms. However, the opening burst could not be sustained and the Rapids descended into some rather frantic play where they were barely able to keep possession of the ball for anything longer than a few passes. Toronto took advantage and eventually ran away with the game with some top-class finishing. And it was precisely the finishing where we lost the game. The Rapids were simply unable to finish. This was typified by a stretch of play in the 57th and 58th minutes when the game was decided. Tom McManus, captain for the day, put in a perfect through ball to Omar Cummings after some great build-up by Christian Gomez and Nick LaBrocca. Cummings, overly anxious, tried to hit the ball first time when he had all the time in the world to look up, maybe round the keeper and score. Instead, the keeper cleared with a long ball and a great shot by Rohan Ricketts made it 2-0 to Toronto. Game over. Christian Gomez got one back for the Rapids with a nice free-kick but we were already 3-0 down by then.
It was an interesting line-up with an enforced new-look defense including a first MLS start for Cesar Zambrano. What was even more surprising was that playmaker Christian Gomez did not start. There will obviously need to be some changes for the Houston game. Because of international call-ups, there will still be no Mastroeni (injured in the US thrashing of Barbados yesterday), Ihemelu or Coundoul. Herculez Gomez and Terry Cooke, unused in the Toronto game, are making obvious cases for reinclusion. The Rapids play Houston at DSG Park June 21.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid?

Let's hope there are stout hearts in those young Colorado Rapids players and that they don't get so afraid at BMO Field come Saturday evening. Those crazy Canadian fans, the difficult surface, questionable refereeing decisions. All these will no doubt come into play on Saturday against Toronto and the inexperienced players could be the ones tested the most. And there will be some based on a few conversations this morning at training. In a squad hobbled by injuries, suspension and national call-ups, there are a total of nine players missing. The Rapids' website still shows three at the back with Rafael Gomes just in front but you might see four at the back and these could include rookie, Cesar Zambrano, with the likes of Stephen Keel, Jordan Harvey and a fit again Kosuke Kimura. Jose Burciaga still looks unfit to play for now. The midfield may be familiar but there is a doubt that Conor Casey is fit to start so Omar Cummings or Herculez Gomez could get the nod up front. Whatever happens, it will be a major challenge for many of the players and they will have to show sufficient heart to deal with it. Coach Fernando Clavijo says the only way for the youngsters to build consistency and gain confidence is to play in such games. "There is no better environment in which to play football," he said.
Regarding the Ugo Ihemelu situation, FIFA is looking into it, according to the Rapids. It is one of the reasons why Canada is traveling with19 players, one more than is necessary, because they are unsure about Ihemelu's eligibility. He has Canadian citizenship (as well as US and Nigerian) but has already played one match for the US, apparently not in a full international however. It was odd to see his face staring down at me from one of those banners at DSG Park this morning with the word Nigeria written underneath.

Rapids Lose Ihemelu to National Call-Up

Colorado Rapids' general manager, Charles Wright, casually mentioned on the From The Pitch radio show last night that Rapids' defender, Ugo Ihemelu, had been called up to the Canadian national team. No mention of it on the Rapids' website which has been quick to point out that Pablo Mastroeni has remained in the US squad for this weekend's pre-World Cup qualifier against Barbados whom they also play next week. Anybody know if his sending off against Argentina will prevent him from taking part in the games against Barbados? Anyway, a quick check on the Canadian soccer federation website does reveal that Ihemelu is indeed in the Canadian squad for their game in a similar pre-World Cup qualifier series against St.Vincent and the Grenadines. Full details below.
Congratulations to Ugo who could theoretically play for Nigeria and the US as well. The DU soccer coaches were telling me a couple of months ago that the Canadian national team coach was looking at Ugo. The only thing is it leaves us a little short at the back for this weekend's game against Toronto. No Ugo, no Erpen, an unfit Petke and no Mastroeni to cover in front. I'll get the skinny tomorrow on the predicted starting line-up at BMO Field.
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=3209