Post Match Quotes

Quotes from last night's 1-1 tie with San Jose Earthquakes:
Pablo Mastroeni:
"It would have been nice to get three points, obviously. We can't sit and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to show up and be the team we are capable of."
Conor Casey:
"It was a good point given the circumstances but it was a terrible game from us. Just got to be a lot better going forward. To come out with a point is fortuitous. A little sloppy finishing, a bit off today. Unfortunately, it happens. When that's the case, it's hard to win games."
On reaching the season goalscoring record:
"It feels good but it will feel a lot better when we are in the playoffs. This is crunch time and we have to get in the playoffs."
Nick LaBrocca:
"It's huge (to get the point). We just need to keep picking up the points right now and, with our schedule, if we can keep picking them up, we can make our way into the playoffs."
Gary Smith:
"Disappointing to lose Jake so early. All of our wide players are lost now. I would think it's too quick a turnaround (for the weekend) for Jake given how he hobbled off."

"We've relied heavily on those guys (Casey and Cummings) all season. Goals around the team have been very hard to come by and those two have borne the brunt of pretty much everything we have created and scored from and, tonight, we fell just a little bit short. The front two are just not quite clicking as they did early on and when you are reliant on a pair as we are and they don't click, it's a big loss."

"In the end, we are fortunate to get a point again after a lot of possession and disappointed we didn't get all three."

"The reality is we are getting down to the nitty gritty of the season and our own game is obviously the most opportunistic to get three points and we have failed to do that. The balance is not good on the schedule but it's still four points from 12."

"I think we are now putting a lot more pressure on to not concede because the creativity in the group is slowly but surely starting to wane."

"If any of them are feeling a little bit sorry for themselves, then they need to quickly snap that and get themselves together for the weekend."

"If anybody was expecting a rest, they ain't going to get one. If they're fit, they're playing."

"With the lack of pace and cutting edge out wide, we're not quite getting what we want out of the team. So, it's not going to be easy. I'll make no bones about that. We've lost three important wide players who give us something different. They can turn a mediocre attack into something special. We've got to look to other areas to produce that and only time will tell if we can."

"They'll work it through to the final breath of the game. We've got two points out of six but we could have had zero and, maybe, in other years, we might have had zero and those two points could be very important."

On Mastroeni's return:
"He was great on the ball. On a night where two or three of our midfield players just fell short. Nick being shuffled to the right, he was out of the game a bit. Mehdi found if difficult. Kosuke has been a livewire and I felt his service fell short from where it was before. Pablo was one of maybe two or three players who really tried to make something happen, to light a fuse, create a spark. He did his utmost to keep the ball moving quickly, find a little angle, get it into feet a little bit sharper and just drive the lads on quicker. It was great to have him back."

"Drew was terrific again at center back and also, Julien, in the first half, defensively. The pair of them did very well."

On Facundo Diz:
"He will certainly benefit from wide service because he's a big strong guy, he attacks crosses. The fact is, we don't have the right personnel to really bring him out of his shell but he's a very genuine and game individual and we will see a lot more of him. At some point,we may have to call on him to come up trumps for us. This may be the time."

"Our conversion rate has to be clinical because we are not going to be as freely getting sights of goal as we were because we have lost some very influential players. What we need are some cool heads, we need some confidence and some real edge in front of goal. That will be the difference and every team will be asking for that. The teams that can produce that will be in the last eight, no doubt about it."

Rapids Seek 40 Points Against Familiar Opponents

Same opponents, different day. The Colorado Rapids face another vital game tonight against the San Jose Earthquakes, a team they played in California only this past Friday, somehow escaping with a crucial point thanks to Conor Casey's 95th minute penalty.
That vital point after such a tough game will no doubt boost the Rapids as they seek to secure three points against the basement team in the Western Conference and reach the long-discussed 40 point watershed. Kansas on Saturday will look a much nicer place to travel to if the Rapids do get to the 40 point mark tonight.
The Quakes are also without a long list of first-choice players, particularly offensively.
But, home advantage and current league positions notwithstanding, this will be no pushover. Gary Smith was highly respectful of the performance of the San Jose team on Friday, describing the game as a very tough physical battle that was largely won by San Jose, particularly in the opening phase of the game. The Quakes should still be smarting from the result, viewing it as a game that should have been won, and they will have a lot of pride to fight for. Let us also remember that San Jose, in one of their first games last season as a new team, came to DSG Park and won 2-0.
It's also going to be a cold one (will Omar be wearing his gloves?). Autumn chill has set in in Denver these past few days. It will also be wet, making life difficult with regard to the fast-flowing football the Rapids would like to play tonight.
However, let's not forget the record of San Jose away from home. No wins and only two draws on the road all season. Most importantly, the Rapids are a better team this season than last, not least in their perseverance. Gary Smith may have been praising San Jose for last weekend but he didn't forget to praise his team. "To come out of there with a point was testament to a lot of determination and energy," he said at training Monday.
The Rapids will be fielding the strongest team they can tonight. There is no question of resting any tired bodies at this stage of the season. Very importantly, they will welcome back Pablo Mastroeni after his suspension. I would see Mehdi Ballouchy partnering Mastroeni in the center of midfield with the excellent Nick LaBrocca moving out wide and Jacob Peterson on the right hand side. The striking duo picks itself and the back four is likely to see Kimura coming back into right back with Moor and Baudet in the center and Harvey on the left. Preston Burpo will continue in goal as Matt Pickens continues rehab on his knee.
It won't be easy but I do see the Rapids carrying this one off and carrying that momentum into Kansas at the weekend. But, then again, I never make predictions. Kick off is at 7.30pm MT.

Rapids Escape With Point From Cow Patch

Well, that was pretty scrappy and crappy. But the Rapids escaped with a point. Conor Casey continued his amazing run of goalscoring with a penalty kick in almost the fifth minute of injury time to get the equalizer after San Jose had scored one of the softer goals the Rapids have conceded this season in the 8th minute.
The game suited the pitch. How can MLS players really be expected to play beautiful free-flowing soccer on a cow patch like that? I've seen better pitches in Denver rec leagues. There really wasn't much to notice in either half and the Rapids really didn't create too many chances in the whole game. The highly debatable penalty (aren't most MLS penalties that way?) gave the team their only realistic chance all night and Casey took it, albeit Joe Cannon got a hand to the shot.
There isn't all that much to say about this game. It was generally poor. The best thing to say is that the Rapids got the point and can now come home and play some soccer on a decent pitch and get three points Wednesday against the same opposition.
I thought Gary Smith would start with Scott Palguta and push Jordan Harvey up more as he had done in the second half against Toronto. I was right about Palguta but Smith pushed Kosuke Kimura up on the right rather than Harvey on the left. And I liked the experiment. Kimura combined well all night with Omar Cummings down that right hand side and it was there that most of the few attacking chances did come.
Nick LaBrocca deserves an honorable mention for running a marathon last night. He was everywhere on the field, particularly in the first half. Somewhat surprising not to see Greg Dalby get any playing time after Smith spoke highly of his performance in Canada last week. But it was good to see Facundo Diz get some more playing time, especially as he came on as a third forward for the last 25 minutes or so. Gary Smith could sense that San Jose were there for the taking but, in the end, it was down to the solitary penalty kick to get the point the team needed.
Thank God for DSG Park on Wednesday night.

Rapids Give It Their All But Fall Short In Canada

Well, they tried. A banged up Colorado Rapids gave it all they got against a Dwayne De Rosario-inspired Toronto and almost came up with the goods in Canada. Instead, they return home defeated for a few days to regroup before a vital home and away series against San Jose.
Conor Casey, with his 13th goal of the season, equalized early in the second half after some rubbish defending from Toronto made Kosuke Kimura's floating cross much more dangerous than it should have been and Mike Holody, in only his second MLS game, notched a crucial goal very late on to give the Rapids some hope but it wasn't to be. De Rosario had scored a beauty in the first half to give Toronto the first half lead and it was also his bit of sublime skill that led to the second Toronto goal as he chipped a great pass into the penalty area for substitute, O'Brian White, to run onto and score with a neat lob. A third goal soon after appeared to have ended the game before Holody's very skilful late strike. If only Nick LaBrocca had put that one in from point blank range just minutes before Holody took his chance, the Rapids might have escaped with a point.
In truth, it was hard to expect the Rapids to get anything out of this game given injuries, suspension and other absences. The midfield was depleted with Mastroeni out through suspension, Jamie Smith and Colin Clark out for the rest of the season injured and Mehdi Ballouchy unable to travel because of immigration issues. Such absences meant a rare start for Greg Dalby as a defensive midfielder. The Rapids were also without Matt Pickens who is out injured for at least two weeks. Preston Burpo got his chance in goal and could not be faulted for any of the three Toronto goals.
Bright spots? Many, to be honest. LaBrocca had a powerful game in central midfield and it would only have been fair for him to have scored on that late opportunity. Omar Cummings was his usual menacing self and he will be disappointed at scuffing a golden opportunity in the second half when he carved an opening out of nothing. Jacob Peterson, quiet in the second half, had a good first 45 minutes and almost scored after creating an opening with Cummings and taking the Jamaican's return pass. It was good, too, to see Facundo Diz get a chance in the last ten minutes or so. He pushed himself around powerfully and wasn't afraid to get in the mix.
Gary Smith said he wanted four points from the next three games including today's. The home and away series against San Jose looks increasingly important to reach the 40 point nirvana.

Kimura Steps Up to Plate as Do Others

When your star players are away on international duty, you need the ones left behind to step up to the plate. Omar Cummings did it big time when Conor Casey was away in Chicago and South Africa. Now that Omar and Colin Clark are away for the Gold Cup, Kosuke Kimura chimed in with an energetic performance that won the game on Saturday for the Colorado Rapids. Long before the right-back lashed one into the top of the net in the 79th minute, he had been in top form during the game, contributing to the attack consistently and saving the defense when needed. Kimura, fast becoming a fan favorite, is a coaches', teammates' and supporters' delight. He tries his heart out, he never complains, he loves this game and he is as modest as he is hard working. "My aim is to be aggressive all the time," he said after the game. "I knew a goal was coming; I just didn't know I was going to score." All the media was, rightly, focusing on Kimura after the game. But it would be easy to overlook the significant play of others. The midfield of Mehdi Ballouchy, Nick LaBrocca and Pablo Mastroeni were rightly picked out by coach Gary Smith after the game for their unsung work in the unusual 4-3-3 formation employed Saturday. I swear LaBrocca ran about 10k just in that second half.
Coach Smith acknowledged the vital nature of this win, coming as it did after the team's worst performance of the season against Chicago and before a tricky trip away to DC United on July 18th. "We are a side that are lacking a couple of players that make a big diference for us," Smith said about the absence of Clark and Cummings. "The most important thing was to get three points today." Thankfully, Cummings will be back to play in the DC United game as Jamaica crashed out of the Gold Cup. Clark will remain with the US team and so will miss that game. In the meantime, fans can be thankful that the rest of the squad continue to perform well, the blip against Chicago the exception rather than the rule.

Rapids Given Wings as Swallow Up Red Bulls

Pablo Mastroeni grabbed Conor Casey in a bear hug at the end of yesterday's game because he knows how valuable the striker is to the Colorado Rapids and he was grateful to the big fella that he can go and attend MNT camp knowing that his team are very well set after yesterday's victory in New York. Mastroeni will miss next week's game against Real Salt Lake on US duty but he can have some confidence that the Rapids can go to Rio Tinto and get something next week. It's hard to overstate the importance of Casey and everyone is praying that his good health and good form continue because the Rapids are still shallow when it comes to forward depth. What if Casey does get called up for the US? Surely, he must be in consideration for the Confederations' Cup or Gold Cup squads, at the very least. Matt Pickens is another who has no doubt been in national team coaches' minds and let's hope yesterday's almost inexplicable error that led to the second NY goal will not be overstated. Let's not forget his great save in the opening minute that could have seen Angel give the Red Bulls an immediate lead.
I think the Rapids played much better against Seattle last week, at least in terms of attacking football. But they made the most of not a great defensive opposition yesterday to deserve the 3-2 victory. Yes, the penalty was a bit debatable but so was the one given to NY. A return yesterday to pretty poor officiating. I loved the tenacity of the second goal which saw Colin Clark and Jordan Harvey battling for the ball when it seemed lost and Harvey delivering a nice pass to Omar Cummings who planted a great cross onto Casey's head. Cummings continues to struggle in front of the net but his assist play is so good this season and his time to score will come. Expect large smiles on that Jamaican face when he does. I can't really think of a better strike partnership in MLS right now.
I talked yesterday and last week of the problems in communication about how to protect a lead. Gary Smith then shocks us all with using Terry Cooke as a sub when the Rapids are 3-2 up only to return to form by replacing Cummings with Greg Dalby who is really the equivalent of a closing pitcher in baseball. Just comes on at the end to wrap everything up.
Other notable happenings included another solid performance from Mehdi Ballouchy - good to see him get the penalty. He does do a lot more work than people generally give him credit for and fully deserves his place in the team. More of a burden will fall on him next week when Mastroeni will be absent. Nick LaBrocca ran everywhere and was in the penalty area thwarting a last minute attack from the Red Bulls as they tried for an equalizer.
An impressive victory that leaves the Rapids just a point behind Seattle with a game in hand.

Rapids Professional Without Being Dominant

Real Salt Lake came to Colorado trying to solve their conundrum of blitzing everyone at home and struggling on the road. After a dramatic first half in which they went 1-0 down to an early goal, lost their goalkeeper to a hand injury and had a player sent off, it wasn't about the conundrum anymore. As Salt Lake's coach, Jason Kreis, said afterwards, it was then about the character of his players. "All evaluation went out of the window," he said. In the end, the Rapids had control of the game throughout the second half, solidifying the very large upper hand they had gained after that first half. They stroked the ball around calmly, exhausted their ten-man opponents and added a second goal from, of all people, Kosuke Kimura, who slammed a great shot home from the edge of the area after Terry Cooke laid the ball off to him. I think he was rather pleased. Gary Smith, Rapids' head coach, was pleased with the result without being excited. That is part of his make-up anyway but it is the right reaction because, while we should be pleased with the result, we are still some way off dominating a team at home. The reaction of Ugo Ihemelu maybe sums the performance up. He was delighted with the shut-out, partly because it was his self-confessed mistake last week which led to LA's equalizer. But it also shows satisfaction at a professional performance rather than delight at a dominating one.
The line-up was interesting. After a run of a few games between the posts, Preston Burpo was left out in favor of Matt Pickens, the original number one choice at the start of the season. Mehdi Ballouchy, who has been a constant in the midfield, was dropped to the bench with Nick LaBrocca, scorer of the first goal, getting the start. Both Burpo and Ballouchy had not quite lived up to their own high standards in recent games, Smith said. It was time for a change. The Rapids have a bye next week before going on the road to play New England.

Smith Reaching For Stars With Feet on the Ground

Well, it was Wednesday rather than Monday but I did eventually manage to talk with Gary Smith, the head coach of the Colorado Rapids. Here are some of his thoughts less than a month away from the start of the season.

Gary Smith, head coach of the Colorado Rapids, wants 40 points to make the playoffs. That is the first priority of the team. If the Rapids do make the postseason, then aims can be modified and priorities reset. For some, aiming for just 40 points may seem a little light on ambition but Smith is realistic enough to know that he is still working with a relatively inexperienced core of players and that it is vital for the team to make that stage first having missed out in the past two seasons. "I am excited but realistic and we have to make sure both inside and outside the club that we don’t get too carried away," Smith said. For Smith, there is now a core group of players recently signed to multi-year contracts that are the future of the club. Aside from veteran club captain, Pablo Mastroeni, Smith sees the likes of Nick LaBrocca, Colin Clark, Ugo Ihemelu, Omar Cummings, Jordan Harvey and Kosuke Kimura, as the mainstay of the club in the coming years. But many of those players still have not typically played much more than a dozen games a season and are still developing their talents. Clearly, Smith is not just thinking about this season but the next few too.
The opening six games of the season will have a big say on the probability of reaching that target of 40 points. The Rapids will play four of those six games away, two of those being at Houston and Columbus. "Any away game is tough in this league and to have games against the current champions and the champions of the previous two seasons makes it even tougher," Smith said. His aim is for the team to get something out of both of those games. "If we can come out of the pack from these opening games, we are going to be in a good spot," he added. There then follows a long stint with a majority of games at DSG Park before more road games towards the end of the season.
The team is now just one or two players away from finalizing the 24-man roster which has to be in place March 2. Smith has been very public about bringing in one or two extra forwards to back up Conor Casey and Cummings. One of those could be a big name forward from Europe, probably in the summer once the seasons finish there. It may also be possible to bring in a player of good caliber from either South America or Africa in time for the season opener. Smith said he had been working on this for the past six weeks and admitted to some frustrations with the players he is targeting. One of those is the much-discussed English striker currently with Southampton, Jason Euell, whom Smith is talking with on a regular basis. There are problems with financial discussions, he said. Clearly, this is a problem with European players used to much higher salaries. The Rapids do have their Designated Player spot available again after trading Christian Gomez but I wouldn't hold your breath they will be able to fill that slot with a big name player based on what Smith is saying.
If strikers are added, clearly one or two more players would have to go. Only one triallist remains at the club, Ivorian Serge Wawa. Expect one of the developmental players to be moving on in the next week or so as the March 2 deadline approaches. The team heads to California to play San Jose on Friday followed by more preseason training and a game next week in Los Angeles.

Rapids Trio Make It Into US Roster

Pablo Mastroeni, Cory Gibbs and Conor Casey are among the final roster for this week's US World Cup qualifying game against Guatemala. The Colorado Rapids trio made it into the final 20 man squad with teammates Colin Clark and Nick LaBrocca, in the US training camp for the first time, just missing out. Clearly, they will be better for the experience of just being in the national set-up. The US squad will train tomorrow and Tuesday before the game on Wednesday at DSG Park which kicks off at 6pm MT. Here is a link to the full squad. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_11370500.html

Five Rapids Players Called Into US Camp

Nick LaBrocca and Colin Clark will be joining veterans Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey and Cory Gibbs in the US national team training camp this week ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at DSG Park taking place November 19. This is the first time Clark and LaBrocca have been involved with the senior national team. I'll try and get some response from them later this week as this is a major achievement on their part and great reward for a very hard-working season. The selection of Gibbs, Mastroeni and Casey also makes a lot of sense given their sterling performances over the season and their local knowledge, less so in Gibbs' case, admittedly, as he has only been with the Rapids for half a season. US coach, Bob Bradley, will announce the final roster for the game after initial training, which starts tomorrow and ends Saturday.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Big, big game tomorrow for the Colorado Rapids. Having played in an unforgettable epic last weekend, thoughts must turn now to MLS big guns, Houston. The Texans visit DSG Park tomorrow night for the second time this season having drawn 0-0 back in June. Gary Smith, head coach of the Rapids, acknowledged how tough this game will be. "We are up against the most efficient and most organized team in the league," he said after training today. There may be some weaknesses to probe, however. Houston have played four games away from home in the past two weeks and could be fatigued. They will also be without Bobby Boswell, a player whom Smith rates highly. "Maybe their rotation may give us some options up front," he said, adding that Houston's defensive depth was not their strongest point.
The Rapids will make just one change. Terry Cooke, rested because of persistent hamstring problems last week for the game against New York, will return to the starting line-up at the expense of Nick LaBrocca who will be on the bench. Smith admitted this was tough on LaBrocca who had a magnificent game against the Red Bulls. "Nick was fantastic," he said. "It's just that Terry will help the balance of the team more at home with his delivery." So, despite murmurings over some recent defensive lapses, the back five will be unchanged. Mike Petke is trying to shrug off an injury but will be fit for the game. Smith defended recent criticisms of mistakes by Cory Gibbs, one of which gifted the Red Bulls an equalizing goal last week. "The trouble is that people forget about all the good things and focus on the bad," he said. "Cory has come on so much in the past few weeks given all his injuries over the past two years." I have to say I agree with him. It does not make any real sense to make changes at this vital stage of the season when the team is unbeaten in four games and playing well together. Here's hoping for a packed crowd tomorrow night. Kick off is at 7.30pm. Together we rise, indeed.

New York Score Four and We Still Win?

Everyone got their breath back? The final whistle blew almost 24 hours ago and I can't seem to shake this game out of my mind. The image of Mehdi Ballouchy's fantastic cross onto Conor Casey's outstretched boot in the final minutes of the game remains largely fixed. It was not that the defenses were so poor on both sides. It just seemed that, after a crazy opening ten minutes when three goals were scored, both teams threw caution to the wind and devoted themselves to playing carefree attacking soccer. Even when the Rapids had to pick themselves up off the floor when conceding the equalizer in the 75th minute to make it 4-4, the boys in Burgundy refused to tighten up and continued to go all out for victory. The Red Bulls, God bless them, did the same and it made for a fantastically exciting game culminating in Casey's poke into the corner in injury time.
Honorary mention must of course go to Casey for his fine, aggressive hat-trick but praise also to his partner up front, Omar Cummings, who not only pounced in the second minute to score the opening goal and set the tone for the match but also probably played his best game in a Rapids' shirt. I hope former England star, John Barnes, was watching Cummings in his new role as Jamaican national team coach. In midfield, Nick LaBrocca and Pablo Mastroeni were everywhere. LaBrocca also caused the penalty which Casey converted to equalize at 3-3 and almost scored twice in a minute in the second half. Mastroeni performed his usual heroics defensively and was unfortunate to give the penalty away. The defense, as you might expect with four goals, was maybe not at its best, but two of the goals came from a penalty and a poor backpass. Preston Burpo, and rarely can this be said for a goalkeeper who conceded four, was absolutely heroic in goal, especially in the second half when he came out time and again to pick up the final ball behind or over the defense. This was truly a performance of great heart. Well done boys! With Chivas and Salt Lake both winning, the Western Conference remains as tight as ever with just four games to go. The Rapids return home next week to play conference leaders, Houston, October 4. Kick-off at DSG Park is 7.30pm.

Rapids' Relief as Team Finally Tastes Victory

Acting head coach Gary Smith punched the air as the referee blew for the 90 minutes. It sure was mighty relief for the Colorado Rapids organization and their fans that the team finally managed to score some goals and eke out a win against a frequently dangerous Kansas City side. This was not a match the Rapids dominated in any shape or form but the defense was sound, the midfield created more chances than of late and Conor Casey worked his socks off to help secure the win with two priceless goals. One of these, naturally, came from a perfect Terry Cooke cross. Cooke crossed absolutely perfectly about three of four times in the first half and a goal could have come from any one of those crosses. As it was, the Rapids went into half-time a goal apiece having played the offside trap fairly poorly and finally allowing Kansas to get behind the defense and equalize. A combination of poor Kansas defense and strong play by Casey saw the big striker net a second right after the break but the Rapids failed to push home their advantage and Kansas could have scored two or three times later in the second half. Thankfully, the Rapids held on to their lead to secure their first win since July 4.
It was a curious line-up. Preston Burpo started in goal so maybe Smith was resting Bouna Coundoul who is probably now close to Libya with the Senegal national team. Bouna is expected to be back for the DC game next week. Burpo, apart from the occasional problem with crosses, played very solidly and could do little with the Kansas goal. Thankfully, he pulled off a great point blank save immediately after the Rapids had opened with Casey's header, a crucial save at that juncture of the match. There was no Christian Gomez (out injured?) and Smith appeared to start up front with Ballouchy and Jacob Peterson playing just behind Casey. As expected, Mike Petke and debutant Cory Gibbs made up the central defense in a back four. The midfield just seems stronger when Pablo Mastroeni and Nick LaBrocca are working in tandem. They were both dominant last night, particularly Mastroeni who barely put a foot wrong, seemed to win every 50/50 ball and almost scored from one of those Cooke crosses in the first half. That would have been a nice birthday present for the midfelder who will be with the US national team in Guatemala this week for a World Cup qualifier.
There is still a lot to work on. We cannot seem to make enough penetrating runs into space to get behind the defense. Our main route to goal still looks like Cooke to Casey. And our defense can look very vulnerable to such penetrating runs from the opposition. However, a win is a win and hopefully it will give the team some confidence going into a tough three-game stretch away from home.

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.

Do You Know The Way to San Jose?

Well, the logistics department of the Colorado Rapids probably knows how to get the team there but do the team know how to win aginst the struggling Earthquakes? Thoughts must now turn to a vital game next weekend in California after yesterday's dismantling of a poor New York Red Bulls side. We have been here before. On opening day, most people got a little too excited about the 4-0 drubbing of Beckham's Galaxy. Suddenly, the Rapids were going to win everything. Now, we win 4-0 again at home and we have to carry it through at this halfway stage of the season. The key at San Jose must be to score first. When we have scored first on the road this season, we have won. When we score second, we have lost. It is that simple.
The game started very slowly yesterday. Apart from a Christian Gomez header over the bar, there was little to show in the opening quarter until Tom McManus finished a very nice build-up out of defense. Did the Rapids players agree on some special celebrations for July 4? The Scotsman proceeded to take the corner flag out of the ground and pretend he was walking a tightrope. Mehdi Ballouchy, starting for the first time this season in a league game, put the game further under control with a simple finish following a hard, low cross from Terry Cooke. Not sure what his celebration was but he lay on the ground for a while with his hands behind his back.
It was vital that the Rapids didn't let New York back into the game from this position. Bouna Coundoul certainly did his bit with a fine save from a great goalscoring opportunity at the end of the first half and, within minutes of the restart, Colin Clark put the game beyond reach with a rifle shot after some strong dribbling and persistence. In truth, it could have been a far higher score because other chances were missed but Omar Cummings wrapped it up from good work with McManus in the 68th minute.
Why do the Rapids sometimes look so convincing and then take a few games off? I can't answer that. What I did notice yesterday was that there was some great counterattacking play. The passing was slick out of defense, through the midfield and up to the front boys. If I could watch video replays of the whole game, I would probably say also that our midfield generally stifled any New York creativity. Credit for this, among others, must go to Nick LaBrocca who is turning into a very sound player indeed. He works tirelessly and appears to be everywhere on the field. He is not afraid to get upfield either and almost added to his goal last week with a shot over the bar in the second half. I think he is the only player to have started all regular season games this year and he fully deserves that. He was my personal Man of the Match.
I very much like the way the substitutions were handled. It made perfect sense for a still not fully fit Christian Gomez to come off after the game was safe at 3-0 and let John DiRaimondo play almost a half. DiRaimondo was unlucky to have lost his starting place after a good game last week against Columbus. On the other hand, it was good to see Ballouchy play a full 90 and play well. You have to be happy for Herculez Gomez that he finally got decent playing time after he came on for McManus with 20 minutes to go. Gomez has been frustrated by a lack of first team action but he is an important player for this club. Injuries and lack of form can turn things around in no time and that is why it is important he gets some good gametime under his belt.

It's Mighty Pretty But It Ain't Got What We Got

Chicago that is. I'm sure Chicago is a great city but when you are at Dick's Sporting Goods Park looking at the snow-capped mountains on a sunny morning and playing soccer for a living, Denver sure looks good. I watched the squad in training yesterday and what I would give to be 25, as fit as a butcher's dog and playing on the carpet that is the Rapids' training ground.
The San Jose debacle is behind us and we move on to the Chicago suburbs. Colin Clark told me yesterday that nobody for a minute underestimated San Jose but also that everyone was equally surprised by the way the Earthquakes came at them last weekend. They weren't prepared for that. Kosuke Kimura admitted that everybody had a bad game but it is now behind them. It could be a good lesson for everyone. There are no easy games just as there is no team that the Rapids cannot beat. We must play attackingly against Chicago as we did in all our games so far bar San Jose.
The boys looked sharp in training which included a scrimmage against the University of Denver team. Nearly all the squad got some playing time in the scrimmage with what looked like a possible first team, more or less, coming out in the last 30 minutes or so. It was noticeable how the Rapids dominated that last half an hour even though the DU team manfully managed to keep them out and there was no score in the end. The DU coaches were very happy with that result. You should check out the DU games at Pioneer Field sometime. The current Spring schedule sees them taking on the Colorado School of Mines this Sunday at 2pm.
So, who will be playing this weekend? Kimura told me there could be a little tinkering with the team but, if you look at the Rapids website, the formation seems to be pretty much the same with Pablo Mastroeni coming in for the injured John DiRaimondo (link below).
http://www.coloradorapids.com/TheMatch/Matchup.aspx
DiRaimondo is out for a couple of weeks. He said he is grateful because he really thought at the time that he may have broken his ankle. It is just sprained. Justin Hughes continues to work back to fitness and is hopeful of playing in a scrimmage against the University of New Mexico next week during training. Ugo Ihemelu, who looked dominant and impressive in the scrimmage yesteday, is back in contention but would seem unlikely to start this weekend. Nick LaBrocca looks like he has been 12 rounds but showed no effects from last week's bloodied nose.

Rapids Hustle to 1-0 Victory Over Revolution

This wasn't pretty but it more than got the job done. A second half goal from Nick LaBrocca from a Jose Burciaga cross was enough for the Colorado Rapids to gain a priceless victory on the road in New England. I know it's only three games into the season but the performances of the Rapids so far give much reason to hope. Yes, we stuffed the Galaxy on that opening day but it is the performances in two tough road games in Kansas and Massachusetts that give most cause for optimism. Like last week against the Wizards, the Rapids were on the offensive for the whole of this game, barring the closing minutes, against tough opponents. This was the only way to contain the dangerous New England attack. There were some anxious moments to be sure, not least the last few minutes when it seemed New England would inevitably score. But the defense held out very well this week with Bouna making some crucial saves. There were playing chances also for new signings Tam McManus and Kelly Gray. This is a notable victory so early in the season. Let's hope the Rapids continue their excellent form and passion into next week's home game aginst MLS newboys, San Jose.

Rapids' Italian Stallions Controlling Midfield

I like this MLS.net article very much about LaBrocca and DiRaimondo. Can you only play in the center of midfield now for the Colorado Rapids if you have an Italian surname (Mastroeni?) with a capital letter in the middle? It raises some very good points not only about the sterling performances of these two youg guys but also the dilemma as to what to do once Pablo is fully fit as he now appears almost to be. If you check out the Rapids website, the planned formation includes Mastroeni in the starting line-up at the expense of LaBrocca for this week's game against New England. I know some of you will have some thoughts on that.
http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080407&content_id=148279&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp