Herc Gunning for Rapids at Season Opener

The Colorado Rapids will play the Kansas City Wizards in their home opener at the end of March and a former DSG Park favorite is looking to spoil the celebrations. I caught up with former Rapid, Herculez Gomez, around Christmas time and he said he was very much looking forward to that game in Commerce City. "I have nothing but good memories of Colorado but I would love nothing more than hurting my old team," he said. Always combative, Gomez said he felt the move to Kansas during the season last year had really helped him. He started every game bar one since the trade and he likes the cohesion of the Kansas City team and his role in it. "I am in a neat position there as a right-sided midfielder," he said. "I feel I have good attributes for that position." It does help a player's confidence if he can get a regular start, something that did not happen last season in Colorado. But Gomez bears no grudges and thinks the team will do well under Gary Smith. "I have nothing but the utmost respect for him," he said. "He is very honest with all the players and he is smart enough to know that, if a player is not happy, he will not get the best out of him." The trade to Kansas was handled with great respect by Smith, Gomez added.
So what has Herc been doing to keep fit during the close season? Training a lot with his brother who is a professional martial arts fighter. That has helped strength and cardio fitness. By now, Gomez will have reported for preseason. Unlike the Rapids, Kansas are due to go abroad and will be visiting Guadalajara as well as Bradenton in Florida during the preseason. Gomez is in his last year of an MLS contract and said he would not rule out Mexico as a possible soccer destination for him. He does hold a Mexican passport as well as a US one. But, for now, he is enjoying life in Kansas City and would like to stay there if the next season works out well for him. "I like the direction this team is going in," he said. "This is the first time in a while that I feel like I am playing in a team with a strong identity." One of the things he did enjoy last year was linking up with former Argentine star, Claudio Lopez, who has re-signed with Kansas. "I kind of meshed with him," Herc said. "He is not the youngest but he is very smart and makes excellent runs."
You are always said to see good players and good people leave your team but the move to Kansas seems to be working out well so far for Herc. We wish him well for the season except, of course, for the DSG Park opener.

Bouna to Follow Herc Out The Rapids' Door?

There's a nice write-up about Bouna Coundoul in the Denver Post (link below) and how he is caught between a rock and a hard place both at home and with the Senegal national team. He's saying all the right things about being happy as a deputy to Preston Burpo but it is clear how frustrated he is at being on the bench both for the Colorado Rapids and Senegal. According to the article, Burpo looks set to continue in goal for the game on Sunday against Chicago. Burpo is a highly competent goalkeeper and arguably deserves a run in the team but I can't help but feel that this is a similar situation to the one with Herculez Gomez. Granted that both sides in the Gomez case wanted out in the end but there is a strong argument that it should never have got to that position. Gomez was left for far too long on the sidelines. He got frustrated and it became a fait accompli in the end that he would go elsewhere. The same will happen with Bouna if we are not careful. It's no secret that his ambitions are elsewhere, probably in Europe. He wants to become the number one choice in goal for Senegal and he is not going to do that in the Rapids' Reserves. When I discussed about how we could not afford to ignore Bouna in a previous post, that is no reflection on Burpo. It is simply the case that we cannot afford to underuse and eventually lose highly talented players. It's happened before with Herculez, I hope it does not happen with Bouna.
http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_10441200

I may be dogged but I could not get up to training today given the awful weather conditions. I write just as the sun is coming out. From Bryan Forbes' article, it looks a pretty much unchanged team from the one that beat Dallas other than that Conor Casey is out injured. Christian Gomez looks likely to remain on the bench. Talking of underusing talented players?

Where Are All The Good Guys Going?

Kansas City in this case. The Colorado Rapids today traded Herculez Gomez to the Kansas City Wizards. I am personally gutted because Herc was always approachable and a damn fine footballer to boot. I understand why he is making the move although it is still unclear just how much say he had in it. There is always pressure in professional sports, obviously, to perform but I don't think that I am alone in thinking that Herc had been put under too much pressure with the limited amount of gametime that he was getting this season. It can be unfair sometimes to expect someone to perform at their best consistently when their opportunities are so few. He had expressed his frustration to me a few times this season. We heard how he was still battling back from last season's ACL injury even though the player felt he was among the fittest members of the squad. He just wanted a good run in the team to prove he still belonged and he never really got that. I shall personally miss him both on and off the field but I wish him only the best.
Interim head coach, Gary Smith, said the following about the trade: "We certainly wish Herculez all the best and appreciate everything that he gave to our club. We wanted to give Herculez an opportunity where he could be productive, while we look for the right combination of players up top for us. I think adding several draft picks allows us to add some spice in the future as well." We shall see. Right now, I would rather have the tried and tested than the promise of something unknown. But sometimes things have to move on and maybe it was just one of those things. Everyone knows it was not personal and just another professional decision. But the Rapids have lost a fan favorite and that will take some time to replace.
As a token of respect, I am adding the link to the matchup for the game tomorrow night as per the Rapids website. It will be the last time you see Herc lining up for us. http://www.coloradorapids.com/TheMatch/Matchup.aspx

Rubbing Salt Into Wounds

Confession. I only saw the last 20 minutes or so of this game due to other commitments and a need to change shoes. It's a long story. Suffice it to say I have very little intelligent to say about the game. I arrived when it was already 2-0 to Real Salt Lake, saw a bit of honest running from the likes of Omar Cummings and very little actual shots on goal. So, please do respond by sending in your observations on this latest Colorado Rapids' defeat.
I had the line-up almost right but Christian Gomez must be wondering what it takes to get into the team. The midfield is pretty much decimated and he still has to wait until the second half to get on. On the other hand, I do like the fact that all of McManus, Cummings and Herculez Gomez got gametime. I have always thought that Herc can play as an attacking midfielder rather than an out and out striker. Unfortunately, I missed the first half so please do comment on what you thought of his performance. I also liked the fact that Kosuke Kimura finally got on the field. After starting out so well this season with former coach, Fernando Clavijo, saying he had tied up the right back spot, Kimura was mysteriously subsequently left out and did not seem to be able to make it back into the team. He did put in one lovely cross for Cummings who headed well from a difficult position. Jose Luis Burciaga was another who started off the season very well but his recent performances have not been consistent and Kimura can state a case for making a start. The Rapids, sinking ever faster in playoff contention, face FC Dallas in hot and humid Texas next Thursday.

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.

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.

Reserves Win as Herc Nets Twice, Petke Plays 90

Some good news on the Reserves front. The Colorado Rapids Reserves beat their San Jose counterparts 3-1 yesterday despite being a man down for much of the game after Jose Burciaga was sent off in the 34th minute. In terms of individual players, there was good news for Mike Petke in that he completed the whole match, building on his midweek second half performance against Tigres. Another very notable performance was from Herculez Gomez who scored two of the three goals, set up the third for Nico Colaluca and also hit the woodwork twice. Clearly, the pecking order for strikers at the club sees Herc lower down than he would like with McManus and Casey above him. He and Omar Cummings are very similar players. All he can do is score lots of goals, show willing and maybe he can work his way back into the starting XI.

Gargoyle Blanco Helps Fire to Win Over Rapids

Do you want the good news or the bad news? The bad news is that we lost. The good news was that this was so much better than last week. The Colorado Rapids certainly bounced back from last week's poor performance against San Jose. They played with far more intensity and better creativity. The nagging doubt in the head is that, when they go down a goal, it always seems so hard for them to get back in the game. We did it against Kansas City but there remains a question as to how consistently we can do that.
The line-up was different. One forced change with John DiRaimondo out with an ankle sprain. Pablo Mastroeni made his first start of the season and played with great intensity as usual. It was almost a relief when he was subbed because he looked like he may get a red card. The Rapids were incensed at the end of the first half with Chicago's number 25 and Pablo baited him throughout the second half when he was on. Tom McManus came in for Omar Cummings and continued to play with great heart just as he had done against San Jose. Congrats to him for his first goal in the burgundy and blue. Kelly Gray, who had impressed in last week's reserve game, came in for Kosuke Kimura. A little tough on Kimura who seemed to be making the right back spot his own.
We made some poor defensive errors and the defense was practically non-existent on the second goal. But I think we lost the game in the midfield. Blanco may be one of the ugliest of people (we thought he looked like a gargoyle - Blanco is a gargoyle, Blanco is a gargoyle, la la la la, la la la la; maybe we can get a song going when he visits DSG Park?) but he was more creative than his counterpart on the Rapids, Christian Gomez. His pass was instrumental in the first goal and he made a number of creative moves to make chances for his teammates.
To be honest, a draw might have been a fair result and we almost clinched it in the end with Herc putting the ball just wide and Bouna almost creating the greatest moment in Rapids' history when he came up for a last second corner and just headed over. Can you imagine if that had gone in? He would never have stopped talking about it. And neither would the fans. But it wasn't to be. We move on to a big game next weekend against DC United who seem to be getting back to the form we all know they have.

Rapids' Injury Updates; Established Players to Fight for Places

The good news is that many of the injuries of the Colorado Rapids players are healing in time for the game this weekend against Kansas City. The bad news, for them anyway, is that it won't be that easy to regain their places. In reality, the performances of the younger players in the demolition of the Galaxy at the weekend give Fernando Clavijo a better dilemma than most. Apart from long-term absentees Mike Petke and Connor Casey (out for at least another month) as well as Ugo Ihemelu, the rest of the squad is either close to or fully fit. One exception to this is the very unlucky Justin Hughes. The young goalkeeper told me this morning at training that he injured a groin muscle in the Reserves game at the weekend due to probable overcompensation on an existing injury. He will probbaly be out for four to six weeks which is very tough on him given he has clearly established himself as the number two goalkeeper in the club. Maybe he will be able to cheer himself up if North Carolina take the basketball. Clavijo will make a decision on which one of the two league goalkeepers to take on the trip to KC closer to game time. Both of them looked very impressive along with Bouna in training this morning. Other players solidly on the mend include Dan Gargan and Herculez Gomez. Gomez reckons he is about 80% there. Gargan played his first full 90 minutes since injury in the Reserves on Sunday.

Rapids Reserves Draw 1-1 With Galaxy

Herculez Gomez continued his way back from injury with a good run-out for the Colorado Rapids Reserves as they tied with their LA Galaxy counterparts Sunday. Having played a small part in the first team game the night before (enough time, however, for an entertaining bit of argie-bargie with David Beckham, he played for 64 minutes in the Reserves game and managed to score the team's only goal. This is good news for all Rapids fans as the team struggles with a mounting injury list. The other notable fact about this game? The Galaxy started it with only ten men. I don't want to read too much into this but doesn't that seem like a club team? Could it be symbolic of a lack of organization in the organization? This is the second team of a professional MLS outfit, not a pub side. It's almost unbelievable that they would start a man down. I wish them well because I want to see Beckham do well this season for the sake of the game but it isn't exactly an auspicious start.