Final Roster Forming as Deadline Approaches?

The Rapids return to Colorado today after not such a successful run out in the Arizona sun. Of the three games played against MLS teams, two were drawn and there was a 2-0 defeat at the hands of LA Galaxy. Hopefully, the trip helped Gary Smith solidify his thoughts on what to do come March 1 and the need to trim his roster down to its fighting weight of 24 players.
I'm not in Arizona and so have no idea of who is impressing, who isn't. What I can see from the line-ups is that some of the vulnerable players appear to be reacting in different ways. Mehdi Ballouchy, surely threatened by the advent of the two former New England players, Larentowicz and Thompson, appears to have impressed while Pat Noonan played very little. I wouldn't mind betting that Noonan is not much longer for Rapids' world.
There were also some unfamiliar names in there; Rolan De La Cruz and Andy Lorie. Devon Hodges, playing alonside fellow Jamaican international, Omar Cummings, seemed to get a lot of playing time. And what about notable absentees? Colin Clark is probably still rehabbing his ligament injury and so didn't make the trip. New signing Danny Earls wasn't in Arizona. There is no Pablo and big signing Larentowicz was also absent. Facundo Diz also appeared to not make the trip.
I'll try and get some updates on all this later this week. The Rapids fly out to London March 7 for another preseason trip to the homeland.

Rapids Announce Protected List Ahead of Draft

Press release today from the Colorado Rapids re the Philadelphia expansion draft. A few notable players not included in the protected list such as Jordan Harvey, Mehdi Ballouchy and Pat Noonan. Scott Palguta was another first team regular this season but his exclusion is more understandable given it was his rookie season. Only one player can be drafted by Philadelphia from each club.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Monday, November 23, 2009) – The Colorado Rapids announced their list of 11 protected players for the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft, which takes place this Wednesday, November 25 at 11 a.m. MT.

With the Philadelphia Union, the league’s 16th club, entering the league for next season, each team in MLS must make a certain amount of their players available for the draft.

Philadelphia may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS, and will select 10 players, meaning that five teams will not have a player taken in the Expansion Draft.

COLORADO RAPIDS PROTECTED PLAYERS

Goalkeeper: Matt Pickens
Defenders: Julien Baudet, Cory Gibbs, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor
Midfielders: Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni, Jamie Smith
Forwards: Conor Casey, Omar Cummings

In addition to this list, Rapids midfielder Ciaran O’Brien and defender Rob Valentino are automatically protected by the Rapids due to their Generation adidas status.

COLORADO RAPIDS PLAYERS AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION

Goalkeepers: Preston Burpo, Steward Ceus
Defenders: Ty Harden, Jordan Harvey, Scott Palguta, Michael Holody
Midfielders: Mehdi Ballouchy, Greg Dalby, Jacob Peterson
Forwards: Facundo Diz, Pat Noonan, Ross Schunk

Looking Over Their Shoulders

Dallas' game with San Jose on Wednesday could help decide the Rapids' playoff hopes. If the streaking Hoops conjure up another win against the also improving San Jose Earthquakes, they will still be in the playoff hunt. If they lose, they will be eliminated from the postseason, presumably making Colorado's trip to Texas October 17 a little easier for the Burgundy and Blue.
That is what it has come down to. Worrying about what happens to the other teams in contention. The Rapids, by only drawing their last four games and not scoring in open play during that time, are making things difficult for themselves. Gary Smith has been saying for some while now that 42 points should be enough but it increasingly looks as if at least one more point than that will be needed, meaning the Rapids have to win one of their remaining two road games. That is why this week's game between Dallas and San Jose appears so important.
Maybe the week off this week will help the team get out of its rut. It's interesting to note that Smith has called the team into practice this week as if there is a game this weekend. No time off at such a crucial juncture. As usual, he did not criticize the team's effort at the weekend but he did say they still have some way to go to create a consistent winning mentality. Not surprising given that the Rapids have not been in the playoffs for two years. This is severe gut check time and everyone will need to look at the example of veterans like Pablo Mastroeni to try and replicate the heart needed. The captain has been the best player on the field by far in the past two games since returning from suspension and everyone needs to follow his example in these last two games.
Two of those not able to follow Mastroeni will be Julien Baudet and Mehdi Ballouchy. Both of these players are out for the Dallas game, Ballouchy very unluckily, Baudet not quite so. Although Baudet clearly did not elbow Kheli Dube, it wasn't the brightest thing to do to raise his hand and Gary Smith wasn't too impressed with his central defender after the game. Fortunately, Cory Gibbs looks likely to be fit again in time for the Dallas game and could take Baudet's place.
In other injury news, Matt Pickens is making good progress but the most surprising news is that Jamie Smith may be able to play some part in the postseason. The winger is able to cross balls and so, presumably, could factor in some kind of training this week. Of course, if the Rapids fail on the road in Dallas or Salt Lake, that could all be a moot point.

Do We Know The Way to (Beat) San Jose?

The Colorado Rapids traveled to California yesterday to prepare for tonight's game against San Jose before, bizarrely, playing the same team again next Wednesday at DSG Park. What an important game tonight's game is. After losing at Toronto to record their fourth straight away defeat, the Rapids know that a point tonight against a struggling team will be the least they can come away with before, hopefully, picking up three points at home next week. If they can manage all three tonight plus a win next week, that would take them to 42 points, a figure that Gary Smith thinks now is the benchmark for reaching the playoffs.
If, if, if. The trouble with the MLS is that you can never tell what the results are going to be. If a contending team in the Premier League played a basement team, you are pretty much going to know the result, Burnley v Man U gloriously excepted. In the MLS, who knows? Yes, San Jose may be poor but they did beat Seattle 4-0 at home this season and I seem to remember the Rapids losing 2-0 to them at DSG Park last year. A point would be good, a win even better and a loss very disappointing. Point to me for stating the bleeding obvious.
My best guess on the line-up would be pretty similar to how the second half against Toronto started. Scott Palguta, who came on for a poor Pat Noonan after 45 minutes last week, is fully recovered from injury and illness and looks likely to start at left back. That would mean Jordan Harvey moving up more to left midfield as he did in the second half in Canada. Mehdi Ballouchy is back and will take a central midfield role with Greg Dalby whom Smith has praised on www.mlsnet.com for last week's performance. I think Noonan will pay the price for his form last week and drop to the bench. That's my guess, anyway. All I know is that Smith wasn't happy with Noonan's form and he doesn't have all that much patience with poor performances. Matt Pickens and Cory Gibbs continue to rehab from their injuries and will be out for at least the next two weeks.
The key to tonight may be how clinical the strike pairing is upfront. Conor Casey has been incredibly consistent all season and, if he can be at his bullish best, he could give a fragile San Jose back four all sorts of problems. So could speedster, Omar Cummings. We just need Omar to be on the type of finishing form he showed in Chicago rather than last week. I don't know how Omar gets into some positions to score. He is one of the best in the league at doing that. The downside is that he can still miss seemingly certain goals once he gets in those positions. He is so close to being a complete player. Let's hope he bangs them in tonight if he gets himself into scoring positions.
Kickoff is at 9pm Mountain Time with the official viewing party at Fado's.

Rapids Rely on What They Have as Window Closes

Gary Smith and the Colorado Rapids coaching staff don't look to have been able to snatch an extra player to add to their decimated ranks in time to beat the September 15th transfer deadline. It did seem a little bit of a stretch for the team to be able to secure a midfielder that would fit both short and long-term needs. Smith did say recently that he had narrowed it down to one or two MLS players but it doesn't look at this late stage that anything will come of it.
So, the Rapids will enter the final hurdles of the season relying on what they have. No Colin Clark and no Jamie Smith to help from the flanks. Pablo Mastroeni has to sit out one more game of suspension and so will miss this Friday's game in San Jose. Mehdi Ballouchy only has to travel to California this time so he will be available for San Jose after missing out on the Canada trip. From the looks of the Rapids' website, it will be Greg Dalby who makes way for Ballouchy in an otherwise unchanged side from the Toronto game. Pat Noonan was substituted at halftime in that game, presumably because of the danger Dwayne De Rosario was offering. Scott Palguta beefed up the defensive side of things in that game in tandem with a moved-up Jordan Harvey.
The Rapids play San Jose at 9pm Mountain Time Friday and will host the same team at DSG Park the following Wednesday. Gary Smith said before the Toronto game he wanted four points from the next three games. After the disappointment of the Toronto loss, a draw in California and a win at home with Pablo back in the line-up would be just what the doctor ordered.

Baudet Back With a Vengeance

What a difference a week makes. Last week's Colorado Rapids' locker room in Chicago was not a great place to be in as an outsider. This week, it was the Houston players slumped in their seats in frustration as the Rapids celebated a morale-boosting victory over the league leaders.
Yesterday's game, not exactly chock full of action and highlights, will be remembered for one thing and that will be Julien Baudet and a triumphant return to the team after a miserable start to his Rapids' career. Signed at the end of June, Baudet managed only a disappointing performance against DC United and a broken arm against New York before yesterday. Brought in as an early sub for an injured Cory Gibbs, the Frenchman immediately ran the back line as if it was his to run. He was much more vocal than anybody else in that back line and was a force of nature throughout the rest of the game, culminating in a strong header from a Mehdi Ballouchy corner that sealed the win for the recovering Rapids.
"It's wonderful for Julien," said head coach Gary Smith afterwards. "The fellow's shown enormous character."
This is the Baudet that Smith wanted to see and the coach will today be feeling a lot better about the signing. There is no doubt that Smith wants Baudet to be the leader in that back four and a first choice in the line-up. Maybe that raises questions about who his ideal partner would be (Ihemelu? Gibbs? Palguta?). If Kosuke Kimura and Jordan Harvey (both good games yesterday) should be shoe-ins at fullback, it is leaving the remaining defensive space a little tight if Baudet can remain fit and in form. Not to mention Ty Harden, Mike Holody and Rob Valentino.
This was such an important win for the Rapids as they approach the run-in to the postseason. The players and Smith were still talking yesterday about the defeat in Chicago and this result will have done so much to consign that skeleton to the closet.
"We were all so despondent last week and to come in here this week and for the players to respond the way they have against a team that not only knows how to get results but are winners, well hopefully today we have made a little bit of a statement," said Smith. Pablo Mastroeni said it was a testament to the defensive toughness of the team that such influential Houston players as Holden and Clark could not do the things they wanted to.
A tremendously important result after the bitterness of Chicago. The playoffs, a distant prospect in Illinois, now seem that much closer.

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.

Cummings Pulls Another One Out of the Hat

Omar Cummings did what he has consistently done over the last few games, saving the Colorado Rapids from losing their unbeaten streak yesterday with a well-taken goal just six minutes from the end of a frustrating game against a brave Dallas team. The Jamaican international calmly took a great ball from Mehdi Ballouchy just outside the penalty area, beat two defenders and shot past Dallas goalkeeper Burse. Up until that moment, it had been a tough night for Cummings who has now scored four goals in the three games since Conor Casey was called into the US national team. That is some stepping up to the plate.
Unlike Saturday's game, where Cummings basically decided the result, yesterday's game was about a strong team performance in terms of character. I didn't think they would pull off the draw amid increasing frustration at missed chances when there was so much dominance. This was somewhat typified by Ugo Ihemelu's header just minutes before Cummings got the all important goal. From a trademark cross by the energetic Terry Cooke, Ihemelu put in a seemingly perfect header that appeared to be flying into the corner but somehow missed by inches. The game appeared destined for a surprise 1-0 victory for the visitors before Cummings saved the team for a third game in a row.
As I say, though, this game was not about Omar. Ballouchy is playing his best soccer of the season and of his entire career with the Rapids. In the first half yesterday, in particular, he was the focal point for so much of the creativity in the midfield. For those who are critical of his apparent casualness, he was everywhere on the field in that first half. He looks confident, he wants the ball and he should be in this team from the start. Nick LaBrocca was also impressive last night, both defensively and offensively. It seemed that every chance the Rapids had in that first half fell to him. Props also to Pat Noonan who I thought played very well in the time he had and Jacob Peterson who had his best game of the season after coming on as a second half sub.
The Rapids continue this busy stretch with a weekend trip to Seattle. If they can get something out of that game, I really will start to be a believer.

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 Scratch Heads as Victory Eludes Them

That was some game. The overriding feeling from the Colorado Rapids players and coaches was higher than average disappointment but, as a spectacle, it was the best game I have seen this season in terms of good football and entertainment. Not great football for the Rapids in terms of letting slip the lead but there were times yesterday when it was a real pleasure to watch two teams playing attacking and attractive soccer. Let's discuss the disappointment first. Gary Smith, head coach, took a long time in the dressing room last night before emerging downcast for the press conference. Having talked to both players and staff afterwards, it is clear that there was some lack of communication about the gameplan in the final part of the game. Does the team press forward and secure the win at 2-1 up or does it hang back and ensure the victory? "We spoke about it in the changing room," Smith said. "There is a fine line between going for the third goal and leaving yourself vulnerable and we got it slightly wrong." Smith was clearly of the mindset that the Rapids needed to ensure victory at 2-1 rather than continue their attacking play but some of the players instinctively pressed forward. It allowed for continued attractive soccer but it proved the undoing in the end as a series of mistakes and ill fortune saw Nate Jaqua score the equalizer in the 76th minute. "Everything got shot down," said defender Cory Gibbs afterwards. From Colin Clark failing to appeal successfully for a handball to Scott Palguta getting cramp to Kosuke Kimura having to make a decision which of two men to go for, everything did indeed shut down and it was 2-2. But for a tremendous save from Matt Pickens in the last five minutes, it could have been even worse.
Clearly, there was some frustration all around, among both the players and the coaches, but hopefully the team can learn from it. In every relationship, there is a lack of communication at times and it would be surprising in any team not to have this crop up from time to time. You have to make the mistake to learn from it. What is most important overall is to recognize that this is a very good Seattle team, that the Rapids are extremely disappointed not to have taken all three points and that the team has the confidence to truly believe that they can beat any MLS team. That is a big step compared to recent times.
I could write so much more about this game as there are so many dicussion points but, in the interests of brevity, I'll mention just a few points quickly. Omar Cummings may be frustrated he is not scoring but he was putting in some beautiful passes yesterday and played extremely well. Mehdi Ballouchy has responded magnificently to being dropped the other week and worked incredibly hard yesterday, putting in a beautiful pass for Cummings which led to the first Colorado goal. Pickens is proving to be a goalkeeper of national team caliber (don't be surpised if he is called into either the Confederations Cup or Gold Cup squads). Ugo Ihemelu was out of puff last night, perhaps finding the right back position demanding a different level of fitness to center back, and asked to come off in the second half. Up to then, he had done a great job neutralizing Steve Zakuani so much so that the young Seattle flyer had been moved to the right side to focus on Jordan Harvey instead, a point noted by a relieved Seattle head coach, Sigi Schmid, afterwards. That explains why the substitution occurred because it seemed strange at the time to bring on an attacking right back in Kimura when the team was 2-1 up and comfortable. Pablo Mastroeni did what Pablo Mastroeni always does, working incredibly hard and getting into the heads of the opponents. The veteran capitain has been called into the US team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica but will be available for next week's Rapids game against New York. That's it. It's getting too long but at least there is a lot to talk about. Send me all your thoughts.

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.

Rapids Fail to Capitalize; Ref Can't Make Up Mind

This game turned on the ridiculous "red card that wasn't" decision. If this guy does not get hauled across the coals for his terrible refereeing, there is no justice. For what it's worth, the original "foul" was pretty clearly not a red card. But to go back on that decision, whether it was the right one or not, is just about the lamest thing I have seen on a soccer field for a while. The momentum changed abruptly, the wind went out of the Rapids' sails and it was almost inevitable that the LA Galaxy would snatch an equalizer. However, you can't really blame the decision on the fact that the Rapids failed to put this game away when they should have done. After a lifeless first half in which the energy levels of the team were very low, things started to turn in Colorado's favor in the opening 20 minutes of the second half which included a well taken goal from Colin Clark. The Rapids then needed to make the game safe but they failed to do so. The referee suffered an attack of extreme weakness, the life was sucked out of the Rapids' game and Landon Donovan netted a valuable equalizer for the visitors.
Red card or not, the Rapids still seemed to lack consistent creativity in the game. Terry Cooke, getting his first start of the season in his one hundredth game for the Rapids, created some good stuff on the flanks and Clark made some good runs but there wasn't a whole lot else. Mehdi Ballouchy is working very hard for this team but he can't seem to provide the offensive spark it needs. Sometimes last night, he was picking up the ball and doing what Pablo Mastroeni does in bringing the ball out of the defense. It wasn't necessarily his fault but it isn't really what he should be doing.
There is clearly a lot of work to do before next week's game against Real Salt Lake who somewhat soundly thrashed New England with six second half goals yesterday. I guess we can be thankful we are playing them at DSG Park and not in Sandy, Utah, where they have also rolled over the Columbus Crew this season.

Focus Shifts to Midfield as Rapids Travel to LA

Last week, I wrote a piece on Gary Smith discussing the need for the Colorado Rapids to have deeper options upfront (March 25 blogpost). The head coach has addressed that situation, at least for now, by signing Gregory Richardson and Ross Schunk as backups to Conor Casey and Omar Cummings. The focus now may be on other areas of the park. Smith has said the defense continues to be a work in progress and he was slightly alarmed at the vulnerability of the flat back four in last weekend's game. He is also concerned about the lack of creativity in the midfield, especially in the first half, a situation not resolved until Terry Cooke entered the game in the 65th minute and turned it on its head.
Much of the creative focus is on Mehdi Ballouchy and Smith believes the 25-year-old Moroccan has all the necessary qualities to play that role. He is just lacking consistency for now. “Mehdi is a very talented player with a great attitude and who is a really good team player,” Smith said after training today. “I’ve looked at the game again today and you can see he is working very hard for the group with the interceptions he makes and the moves he instigates.” Smith does concede, however, that Ballouchy is not yet the finished product. “In terms of creative play and in being a consistent goal creator, he still has some way to go. Sometimes, he is not just quite making the right choices.” Ballouchy, for his part, says he is under no more pressure than normal with his higher profile in the team. "I am happy with the way this team is going," Ballouchy said. “It is a team of eleven guys, not one, there is pressure on everyone and I am very happy with my role." Please do read more on the midfield situation over at www.mlsnet.com where I should have an article in the next day or so on this.
Expect few changes in the line-up for this weekend's game against LA. Pablo Mastroeni should be back but much will depend on the extent of his playing time for the US tomorrow against Trinidad and Tobago. The Rapids' coaching staff said they understand that Mastroeni will be playing in the World Cup qualifier tomorrow so they will see how quickly he can recover before Saturday. It is therefore not inconceivable that the club captain may not start in LA. Will Terry Cooke start for the first time after his scintillating performance as sub against Kansas City? Maybe, maybe not. But Smith said today Cooke will be instrumental in the game so we will have to wait and see. Minor injuries to Casey and Cory Gibbs after the weekend saw them miss training today but they are expected to be fine for the weekend.
The Rapids will stay on in LA after the weekend in view of the Open Cup game next Tuesday against the same team. Smith said the players on the bench for Saturday's game will likely play a big role in the cup game and they will be reinforced by calling in a couple of players who will be staying in town this weekend. Here is the projected line-up for this weekend's game according to the Rapids' website.
http://www.coloradorapids.com/TheMatch/Matchup.aspx

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.

If It's Thursday, It Must Be Dallas

Crikey! Didn't we just play a game? The Colorado Rapids have a very quick turnaround this week and will be off tomorrow for the game on Thursday night against Dallas. Unfortunately, that gives me no time to get up to training due to work commitments to suss out camp mood and get an idea of the line-up. Most of you are pretty depressed about the latest defeat away at Real Salt Lake. The Reserves fared no better the following day when they were thumped 4-0, all the goals in the first half. Clearly, things aren't working too well. Unfortunately, the Rapids are hamstrung, literally, by some major injuries. Terry Cooke and Pablo Mastroeni are still recovering from their hamstring problems and will not make the trip, at least according to the Rapids website. It wouldn't surprise me, however, if Pablo did at least get on the bench. That may be a bit ambitious but he appears a lot further along with the healing process than does Cooke. Mehdi Ballouchy and Ugo Ihemelu are still listed as out with concussions but I am trying to find out how updated that injury list is. Ugo, at least, was on the verge of making the trip to Salt Lake last week. In terms of international call-ups, Bouna Coundoul is in Senegal right now before the national team flies off for its World Cup qualifying game against Algeria on Friday. Omar Cummings does not appear to have made it into the Jamaican team for its games against Mexico and Honduras. The Reggae Boyz have had to switch their weekend game against Mexico to Mexico City after Hurricane Gustav damaged the national stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
So, what does that leave? You can't really make radical changes when so many people are out injured or are unavailable. But changes need to be made. Desperate times call for drastic measures. Surely, Christian Gomez must start and Kosuke Kimura deserves his chance. Tom McManus should maybe start upfront with Conor Casey. Thoughts?
INJURY UPDATE: According to the Rapids' press office, Pablo and Terry Cooke are listed as probable so they may play a small part in the game. Ihemelu, Greg Dalby and Ballouchy are all described as questionable.

Will The Real Christian Gomez Please Stand Up?

The Colorado Rapids go into Friday night's Rocky Mountain Cup showdown against Real Salt Lake with what amounts to a mini injury crisis. Pablo Mastroeni and Terry Cooke, two of the most influential players in the team, will not make the trip due to hamstring injuries. Mehdi Ballouchy joins Ugo Ihemelu on the concussion injury list after picking up a knock in the DC game last Saturday. That leaves a new look midfield for this weekend's game with much of the spotlight bound to be put on Christian Gomez. Gomez is the most expensive player in the team and his career so far at the Rapids has not met with expectations. According to Gary Smith on last night's From The Pitch radio show, Gomez is "chomping at the bit" to get his place back in the team. Friday night might just be his opportunity to shine. I personally could see opportunities for John DiRaimondo to partner with Nick LaBrocca in a midfield that also contains Colin Clark but Jacob Peterson could be more likely to start. Up front, given Smith's admission he prefers a 4-4-2 in the English style, I would see Tom McManus partnering Conor Casey with speedsters Herculez Gomez and Omar Cummings on the bench. I am aiming to get up to practice tomorrow and have a word with the coach so I will post again tomorrow with more details.

The Value of Hard Work; McBride for Colorado?

The value of hard work and the value of a deep roster. A week may be a long time in politics, as they say. A few weeks may actually be a very short time in professional sport. Last month wasn't looking great for two very skillful players on the Colorado Rapids team. At the beginning of July, both Mehdi Ballouchy and Herculez Gomez were wondering whether they would be able to find their way back into the starting XI. Now, they find themselves with great opportunities to establish their places. Ballouchy has played very well since the July 4 thrashing of the Red Bulls. With three successive games at home, he can cement his place in an attacking formation. Coach, Fernando Clavijo, spoke highly of the Moroccan's professionalism at fighting his way back on the From The Pitch radio show last night Fan favorite, Herculez, was frustrated at getting a few minutes here and there. But his hard work and his goals in the Reserves saw him in the starting line-up against Dallas and he grabbed the chance within five minutes. Now, with another fan favorite, Tom McManus, out for a few weeks having had surgery on a troublesome knee, Herc will surely get a good run in next to Conor Casey. Fellow striker, Omar Cummings, is with the Jamaican national team this weekend (congratulations to Omar) and will be lucky to make it to the sub's bench against Columbus this Sunday night so Herc looks set to start. We wish him and Ballouchy well just as we do Omar and McManus.
Veteran US striker, Brian McBride, was a guest on the From The Pitch show last night. Rapids coach, Clavijo, kind of joked that McBride would be very welcome at Dick's Sporting Goods Park if his dealings with Chicago and Toronto break down. Those two teams are in dispute as to claims on the striker who is out of contract with Fulham of the Premier League. It is very unlikely to happen but who would turn McBride down if the opportunity arose? I love the partnership of McBride and Altidore up front for the US Olympics team. A match-winning combination of exciting, speedy youth and sheer experience and nous?

Rapids Tie It Up Down Texas Way

The facts of this game? The Colorado Rapids managed a 2-2 draw, again showing that this is not a team that gives up easily, having gone down 2-1. In so doing, the Rapids extended their unbeaten run to three games in the MLS. The truth is that our attacking play was so much better than that of FC Dallas that we should have won this game. Unfortunately, some defensive errors let the Texans back into the game, which was eventually saved by a Conor Casey header with 20 minutes to go.
The start was inspired. Coach, Fernando Clavijo, deserves much credit for starting Herculez Gomez who scored twice for the Reserves last weekend. And the choice paid off handsomely, Gomez netting after just five minutes after some slick passing saw Mehdi Ballouchy slip a gorgeous pass over the back of the Dallas defense. Herc did the rest. Ballouchy is relishing this run in the starting XI. Altitude TV gave Herc the Man of the Match but, for me, Ballouchy was excellent. His passing and creativity were really top notch and his presence was far greater than that of fellow playmaker Christian Gomez who, admittedly, made a superb cross for Casey's equalizer. Ballouchy was also not shy at getting stuck in in the physicality of the midfield battles.
The defensive errors occurred in the second half and let Dallas back in and saw us in danger of losing. I'd have to see the action again but the penalty decision for the first goal looked harsh, to put it politely. Maybe Bouna did come too far out for the second goal but he did make up for it towards the death when he saved brilliantly from a Juna Toja scorcher from just outside the box. A few more nervous moments as Dallas scored a disallowed goal for a clear offside. Never fearing to lose, the Rapids eventually played out the remaining few minutes for a tough, well-earned draw. Now, three games at home on the trot. A time to turn this season around following the mini-momentum gained from two draws and a win in the last three games.

Rapids Confident Ahead of Texas Trip; Dalby Signs

There's a growing sense that the Colorado Rapids may be able to take advantage of a weakened Dallas side this weekend and further consolidate the good momentum which started with the July 4 victory against the New York Red Bulls. Contrary to the doubters out there, last weekend's 1-1 draw with San Jose was a point well won. For the first time this season, the Rapids saved a game in which they had gone a goal down. That is very welcome. If they can get something out of the trip to Texas, the team would be unbeaten in four games, including the Tigres match, and this would be followed by three games in a row at home. Good performances in those games and the season will turn around. It's a big if but the players are doing well in training, the team looks settled and Dallas, for one, are not the team they have been. Some of that may be down to the recent coaching change but there may be deeper reasons. Rapids' coach, Fernando Clavijo, talked on the From The Pitch show last night about how a second season may have found out the Dallas midfielder, Juan Toja, who was in the All-Star team last year. "They also have not been playing well for the past two to three seasons," he told me at training today. Let us hope that Colorado can get over their historically poor record against Dallas in the Lone Star state and come out with at least a point.
One player relishing his time in the starting XI is Mehdi Ballouchy. The team's good form in recent games does coincide with his presence in the line-up. Maybe Clavijo has found a way of playing Christian Gomez and Ballouchy together, not to mention Terry Cooke? "It is obviously great to be back in the team again," he said. "I think the coach was wary about playing so many attacking players together but he has found his faith in me and I think the three-man midfield of me, Christian and Nick LaBrocca is working well right now." As for his celebration with his hands tied/untied behind his back after scoring the second goal against New York? "I want to keep that personal," he said. It must have felt a great release to find the net in his first MLS start of the season.
In other news, the Rapids confirmed the signing of midfielder, Greg Dalby. Dalby, who played in the friendly against Tigres, could only sign officially with the Rapids after July 15. The Californian was a draft pick in 2007 and played last season in Belgium with FC Charleroi. Having driven through Charleroi once, he must know he has made the right choice when he trains at DSG Park every day.

Cynicism is OK But You Can't Win Without Goals

The relatively inexperienced midfield for the Colorado Rapids may have to inject a little more cynicism into its play to avoid making the kinds of mistakes that saw the team allow a similarly inexperienced Columbus player last week waltz through it and score the winning goal. Goalkeeper, Bouna Coundoul, said in this week's radio show, "From The Pitch", that Emmanuel Ekpo should have been fouled further up the field. After all, a yellow card is a lot easier to stomach than a goal. It looks as if he had been listening to coach, Fernando Clavijo, who said he had played that moment over in his head all week and, no doubt, had not let his players forget about it either. "We were punished again for our mistakes, both defensively and in attack," said Clavijo at training today. As has been the case in the past weeks, it is our finishing that continues to let the team down and we are being punished for that as well as our defensive errors. I understand the need for a little more cynicism, maybe, but that does not escape the fact that we need to score more goals.
Maybe some of the punishment is being meted out by some tinkering with the line-up for tomorrow's game against New York Red Bulls. You can expect Mehdi Ballouchy to start ("very positive with lots of energy this week," Clavijo noted), maybe in place of John DiRaimondo. Jordan Harvey may drop to the bench with a back three of Ihemelu, Erpen and Mastroeni. Christian Gomez looks to be back to full fitness so we should see an attacking formation tomorrow which includes Terry Cooke and Colin Clark on the wings/side of midfield. Conor Casey and Tom McManus will get the nod up front.
A quick word on poor old Justin Hughes. The goalkeeper had patiently battled back from a hernia injury and was finally given the all-clear this week to train at full pelt. On Tuesday, he managed to dislocate his shoulder. He will have an MRI next week but will surely be out for a few weeks at least. He is accepting his fate very philosophically but this is another tough break for the promising goalie. We wish him all the best for a speedy return. Mike Petke, another long-term absentee, looks to be very close to full fitness and trained hard today. Clavijo has said Petke could be back for consideration next week against San Jose.