It's Now Official - Revs/Rapids Trade

The Colorado Rapids acquired the rights to midfielder Jeff Larentowicz and midfielder Wells Thompson in a trade with the New England Revolution, the club announced today.
In exchange, Colorado sent goalkeeper Preston Burpo, defender Cory Gibbs, allocation money and their natural third round 2011 MLS SuperDraft pick to New England.
Following the acquisition of Larentowicz’s rights, the Rapids agreed to terms on a new contract with him, officially adding the five-year veteran to their roster.
Larentowicz has established himself as one of the league's premier talents in the midfield. In five seasons with New England, he had climbed into ninth place on the Revolution’s all-time games started list (103) and minutes played list (9,305). Originally selected by the Revolution in the fourth round, 45th overall, in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft from Brown, Larentowicz has played in 111 career games and recorded nine goals and nine assists.
A three-year veteran, Thompson has played his entire MLS career with New England after originally being selected by the Revolution in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft from Wake Forest. He has appeared in 71 games, with 36 starts, scoring two goals and registering three assists. Thompson’s game-winning goal in the final of the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup gave the Revs their first cup championship in club history.
Burpo leaves Colorado after joining the club in May 2008. The six-year MLS veteran started in 24 games and made 60 saves with a 1.67 goals against average for the Rapids.
Gibbs appeared in 29 games and scored one goal for Colorado after being acquired in August 2008.

Jeff Larentowicz – Midfielder

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175

DOB: August 5, 1983

Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania

College: Brown

Last Club: New England Revolution

Roster Status: Senior

Wells Thompson – Midfielder

Height: 5-10

Weight: 155

DOB: November 25, 1983

Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

College: Wake Forest

Last Club: New England Revolution

Roster Status: Senior

Transaction
MLS

Rapids Set to Sign USMNT Midfielder; Gibbs Going

It all looks official now, barring the dotted Is and crossed Ts. This might be a move in the right direction with Larentowicz. The view on Thompson seems to be mixed. But the Rapids are in desperate need of a dominant, creative midfielder and the national team's Larentowicz might just fit that bill. According to the Boston Herald report, the Revolution will get Preston Burpo and Cory Gibbs in return, plus some money and a draft pick. Burpo has been nothing short of a model professional at DSG Park and a good guy. He looks as if he will get some good playing time in New England with Matt Reis injured. Gibbs was becoming increasingly expendable with Gary Smith looking to Julien Baudet and Drew Moor as his number one central defensive pairing. Look for a lot more Rapids' trades in coming weeks and months.
http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/soccer/revolution/view/20100121revs_ship_larentowicz_to_rapids_in_4-player_swap/srvc=home&position=recent

A Win And We're In

Even if Real Salt Lake win in Toronto (unlikely, but you never know), the Colorado Rapids can still clinch a playoff position tonight with a win in Dallas if New England fail to win their game. The beauty is that Gary Smith will know the results of both the Salt Lake and New England games before the kickoff tonight against FC Dallas. The team would know exactly what it has to do and their destiny would be in their hands. Even if they can't clinch it tonight, they will still know that a win almost guarantees them a place in the postseason. Smith said a win will mean he is smoking cigars and drinking brandy tonight in some Dallas hotel. The team is almost there but it will be a very tough game against a streaking Dallas who still have an outside chance at reaching the playoffs after a great run in recent weeks.
A draw would still be a good result. Perhaps as important would be some goals from open play. Offensively, the Rapids have been ineffective in recent weeks, relying on Conor Casey's penalty kicks to scrounge points here and there. Tonight, they will rely on service from the wings in the form of regular fullbacks, Jordan Harvey and Kosuke Kimura. I think you are going to see a back three (Gibbs, Moor and Palguta) with Pablo Mastroeni playing just in front of them. With Kimura and Harvey in midfield will be Nick LaBrocca and Pat Noonan (a huge game for Noonan tonight) as the team will miss Mehdi Ballouchy through suspension. Omar Cummings and Casey will be upfront. So, it won't be a 3-5-2 that Smith really doesn't like all that much, more of a 3-1-4-2. Width in attack but less vulnerability for the defense. Despite the dilemmas posed by a returning to fitness Matt Pickens, I think Preston Burpo will be in goal. Put it this way. It was Burpo training yesterday with the first team while Pickens worked separately with goalkeeping coach, David Kramer, and the other reserve goalies.
A huge, huge game. Let's hope the team gives the best possible account of itself and we gain something from the trip.

Don't Forget Your Passport; Rapids Head North

Players can be a little forgetful of the details and the Colorado Rapids are no different. On a whiteboard in the locker room, they are this week being urged not to forget their passports as they travel to Canada. More tellingly, there is also a note on that same board that reads "If you are healthy and not suspended, you are traveling." Just like Toronto last year on the road, the Rapids are down to bare bones in terms of bodies to put on the field.
Last year, a very inexperienced defense (Keel, Zambrano and others) were thrown into the fire that is BMO Field and did creditably enough but it was too much to ask and the Rapids lost easily. This year, thankfully, the defense for Toronto tomorrow looks a lot more solid. Expect an unchanged backline from last week. Minus the goalkeeper. Matt Pickens has injured his knee in practice and is out for at least two weeks. Preston Burpo, so patient all season long, will therefore get an opportunity tomorrow. The Rapids will also have the tandem of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings upfront. The availability problems are in midfield. Pablo Mastroeni will be curling up on the sofa at home watching the game because he is the suspended one. Gary Smith told me yesterday that Jamie Smith is out for the season to join Colin Clark on the dreaded season-ending DL. Take a look at the Rapids' website link on projected line-ups and you will see that Greg Dalby will get the start tomorrow. Mehdi Ballouchy is not listed as starting.
http://www.coloradorapids.com/TheMatch/Matchup.aspx
So, it may not be all that pretty tomorrow. Service will have to come from Jacob Peterson and assist king Cummings, it looks like. Maybe the big fella can get his pate on another couple of crosses and we could escape with something. Toronto will be a very different proposition at home tomorrow after being so poor last week. They will have internationals such as Guevara back after the World Cup qualifying schedule and they have a certain Canadian DP announced this week. Gary Smith has reiterated his desire to get to the magic 40 points and is looking at tomorrow's game plus the home and away series against San Jose to reach that. It would then leave four games to secure a playoff position.
Kick off tomorrow is at 2pm Mountain Time. The official viewing party is at GB Fish and Chips. See you there.

Pickens Wouldn't Rather Be Fishing

Matt Pickens is a big fisherman in his spare time but you sense he would be happy to have a car sticker this weekend that says "I'd rather be playing soccer." The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper is relishing the chance to swap his goalie gloves for some rods back home in his native St. Louis this weekend as the team enjoys some well-earned rest on a bye weekend. However, Pickens knows that he needs games under his belt as he seeks to consolidate the number one spot between the posts. "It is frustrating not to have a game," he said after training yesterday. "I really want to get consistent and I want to get that rolling by playing consecutive games." The 27-year-old knows he has a tough fight on his hands after he watched some impressive displays by teammate Preston Burpo while recovering from a back injury. Gary Smith, head coach at the Rapids, is grateful to have, as he terms it, two "first choice goalkeepers." Last week, Smith benched Burpo in favor of Pickens as he felt Burpo had slightly slipped on his own high standards. Pickens managed to keep the team's first clean sheet of the season in what was a professional and competent display by the team. "We played a very sound defensive game with a lot of discipline," Pickens said. "We knew each other's strengths and we played it simple." Such sound defensive work meant Pickens didn't really have to do a lot during the game. Now, he just needs more games to improve his own consistency and hold on to the position. "I feel it is my job to lose," Pickens said. "I love competition; I have had it through my entire career and so it is nothing new to me."
If he does develop some sort of consistency over the next few games, it is not inconceivable that Pickens could be called into the national team set-up for the upcoming Confederations' Cup and Gold Cup tournaments where the US is unlikely to field first-team squads as it concentrates on World Cup qualifiers. He's been there before, taking part in the training camp ahead of last November's World Cup qualifier against Guatemala in Colorado. All he can do for now is get a run of good games under his belt for his club, something he will no doubt be thinking about as he catches a few trout this weekend. The Rapids next play New England on the road May 16. More of this interview should be available at www.mlsnet.com.

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 Brace Themselves for Final Road Effort

Shades of last week for the Colorado Rapids as they take on Houston in the heat and humidity of Texas tomorrow afternoon. The Rapids will be taking on recent MLS champions who have struggled so far this season without a win to their name. Just like Columbus last week and the Rapids got a draw out of that. A similar result tomorrow would cap a very fine achievement for Gary Smith's men as it would mean five points in an undefeated three game away series plus the win against LA Galaxy in the Open Cup.
It sounds like Smith is preparing for a physical battle with not much pretty soccer going on. Last week, he bolstered the physicality of the back line by introducing Ty Harden into the mix, an experiment that did not work out too well given Harden's injury in the opening 20 minutes. His replacement last week, Scott Palguta, looks set to make an MLS start for the first time, especially considering Cory Gibbs is doubtful to make the team because of injury. It could be that Ugo Ihemelu will slot back into the center of defense to join Palguta with Kosuke Kimura playing at right back. The midfield would appear to be pretty predictable with Jacob Peterson and Terry Cooke unlikely to be starting so, as it has been for much of the season so far, the starting four looks to be Mastroeni, LaBrocca, Clark and Ballouchy. Conor Casey will need to be at his physical and opportunistic best upfront along with Omar Cummings. The big question is who will start between the posts. Smith has been keeping his cards very close to his chest on that one this week. Both Preston Burpo and Matt Pickens got on the coach going to the airport this morning at DSG Park. I get the feeling, though it's no more than a hunch, that Burpo will continue to start tomorrow to see off this road trip stretch.
It's going to be a very difficult game for the Rapids and a baptism of fire for the likes of Palguta who will have to keep an eye and the rest of his body on one of the best forwards in the MLS in Brian Ching. If the defense can neutralize Ching and control the midfield - much easier said than done - there could be opportunities for Casey and Cummings upfront. But I don't see there being much for the strikers to feed on. If the Rapids can come away with another gritty point, those next two home games, with temperatures returning to what we are more used to in Colorado, will look so much more appealing. Tomorrow's game kicks off at 1pm Mountain Time with the official viewing party at Fado's in downtown Denver.

Rapids Take Another Step Forward

Another big step on the road to playing with real confidence. The Colorado Rapids picked up a brave point away at Columbus, riding their luck against the defending MLS champions, especially in the closing minutes, but coming away with a precious 1-1 draw courtesy of a Conor Casey equalizer in the 82nd minute. Casey took his chance very well following a nice pass over the top of the defense from Pablo Mastroeni. Casey and Omar Cummings, who posed plenty of challenges all night for the Crew defense, are really establishing themselves as a very fine attacking partnership.
Coach Gary Smith sprung a surprise or two with the starting line-up, relegating Kosuke Kimura to the bench and playing Ty Harden in central defense with Cory Gibbs and moving Ugo Ihemelu out to the right. In truth, this was an option that Smith had readily discussed at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, it did not last long in this game as Harden limped out with an injury within the first 20 minutes and was replaced by the inexperienced Scott Palguta. Palguta did well, forcing Alejandro Moreno out wide in the second half at one point and cutting down the angle for the dangerous striker. It makes perfect sense to try the experiment at this early stage because you don't want players coming in solely in emergencies and not having had any experience during the season. Kimura will play many times more for this team, of that you can be sure. Harden may not have had much time on the field but at least it did give the opportunity to Palguta who will surely be called upon again. In another slight surprise, Preston Burpo maintained the starting goalkeeper spot ahead of Matt Pickens who looks to be recovering from his back injury. It will be very interesting to see who plays in goal against Houston next week.
The Rapids will be mighty relieved after their game against Houston because it will mean the end of a big road trip and two home games in a row against LA and Real Salt Lake. If they can get something out of the Houston game next weekend, those two home games will look increasingly appealing.

Confidence is Key as Rapids Trump LA Again

Gary Smith said on Fox Television's Football Fone-In program Monday night that the key to the Colorado Rapids doing well this season was true self-belief. Something obvious, you might say, but Smith's style and own self-belief seem to be working well on the players as witness an incredibly hard-fought victory over the LA Galaxy last night in the US Open Cup. Consider this. The team played practically a whole normal length game with ten players after Greg Dalby was dismissed for an apparently questionable offense in the 36th minute. There was no corner kick won until late in the second period of overtime. The Rapids also sustained increasing pressure from the closing minutes of normal time right through the first period of overtime. I was following the game on a match tracker supplied through the Rapids' blog via LA and it seemed that Chris Klein or Alan Gordon had the ball in the Rapids' penalty area for a consecutive 30 minutes or so. Then, with the LA players tiring and frustrated, momentum began to change and the Rapids gained, if not dominance, then at least the upper hand. They took that into the penalty kick stage and the belief came shining through. Not only a heroic peformance from Preston Burpo in goal, who apparently guessed right on all four LA spot kicks, saving two of them, but also the penalty takers. Colin Clark, Mehdi Ballouchy, Ugo Ihemelu and Omar Cummings all notched their kicks and the game was over. Now, you would expect a Rapids' press release to say they all calmly and confidently scored those kicks. But I had an LA-based friend at the game (the same friend who called into the Fox show and asked Smith what the key for the Rapids was) and he said there was something about the self-belief with which the players accepted their task. Ihemelu took just two steps to bury his chance for example. By contrast, Chris Klein looked like a deer in the headlights and his body language just shouted out that the LA Galaxy would be letting their fans down. He duly missed as Burpo saved. Real self-belief, so lacking in the Rapids of recent years, may be the key to success going forward. It can't replace talent and organization but it can carry you through difficult times and this is what the Rapids will have to face in a gruelling season.

No More Juice as Rapids Slim Roster

Justin Hughes, one of the unluckiest players for the Colorado Rapids, now has to rethink his soccer future after being waived from the club this afternoon. The Rapids had to make themselves roster compliant by today and decided to waive the unfortunate goalkeeper. Cesar Zambrano and Kwame Sarkodie were also waived. Hughes, aka The Juice, was out injured all last season. A badly injured groin initially kept him on the sidelines for much of the season. Just as he was about to come back, he promptly injured a shoulder in training and never made it onto the pitch. When you think of all the difficulties deciding between Bouna and Preston Burpo as to who would play between the posts last season, it would be reasonable to think that Hughes could also have made a strong case for inclusion if he had not been so injured. Now, he is deemed surplus to requirements after a season of inaction. The Rapids decided to sign draft player, Steward Ceus, as another goalkeeper. Maybe the decision is purely financial. Neither Hughes nor Ceus looked likely to get much action with Burpo and Matt Pickens apparently slugging it out as to who will start. Hughes was not on the greatest money but it might have been time to offer him something better and Ceus will undoubtedly be cheaper as a rookie. It's a great shame on a personal note. Justin is a top guy who always treated me with great respect and friendliness. I'll miss him as I know many of the players will. He was one of the most popular players in the squad. We wish him all the best for the future and hope he will comment occasionally on this blog which I know he reads. Good luck Justin.
I didn't know Zambrano and Sarkodie. Zambrano played once for the first team against Toronto last season and performed pretty creditably given the extreme inexperience of the defense that day. Sarkodie played in the Reserves last season as a midfielder. Good luck to them both in their futures. The Rapids now have 22 players on the roster leaving some space for future acquisitions. The Rapids beat San Jose 2-1 today in another preseason friendly - see www.rapidsundercurrent.blogspot.com for details. They play LA on Wednesday and I aim to speak to Gary Smith after the game for some insights.

Coaching Staff, Goodbye Reserves, Burciaga Going

These were the main subjects of discussion when I talked today to Gary Smith, Colorado Rapids' head coach. We talked about the search for an assistant coach and a full-time goalkeeping coach, the impact of the MLS decision to scrap the Reserve division and some of the anticipated player movements before next season. Here is a summary of our talk.
COACHING STAFF AND GOALKEEPING:
There was a bit of fuss and bother (and a major lack of communication) recently when the Rochester Rhinos announced their player coach, Steve Guppy, a close friend of Smith's, would be leaving to join the Rapids as assistant coach. Smith said today that the search was ongoing and that "it was not nailed on that Steve will be coming." "There are a couple of bodies that I want to interview," he added. One of those bodies will not be John Murphy, former assistant coach during the Fernando Clavijo era and currently Director of Player Development. "I have a great relationship with John," Smith said. "John needs to be in charge somewhere else because a move to assistant would be a backward step for him." "Rightly, he has aspirations to do bigger and better things."
On the goalkeeping coach side, Smith said there are still interviews to be conducted. David Kramer, currently acting as a part-time coach, is in "pole position." "He has good experience and the fact that he has already formed a relationship with the goalkeepers here," counts in his favor, Smith said. One interesting angle on this is what will happen to Preston Burpo next season. With the Rapids having to reduce their squad to 24 players because of the Reserve Division scrapping, Smith agrees that there won't be room for four goalkeepers at the club. With Mike Graczyk already signed up for next season and Chris Sharpe signed to a new MLS league contract, it doesn't leave room to have all of Burpo, Bouna Coundoul and Justin Hughes. "If we have three goalkeepers, we will be holding one more than other MLS teams," Smith said. With his emphasis on youth, it seems likely that Preston Burpo would be the one to miss out and Smith said he could foresee a player coach role at some point for the veteran goalie. "I know that Preston will be pushing for a team spot," he said. "He would be a good individual to have around as a player coach or goalkeeping coach." As for Bouna, who is clearly stalling on signing a new contract, Smith said they were close to coming to a resolution with the Senegal international and his agent. "He has been offered an extremely good contract," Smith added. "Bouna is a very talented young lad and he knows he is in front but we all know that people have dips in form and we need to have individuals who not only fill in the gaps but are also fighting for a first team place."
SCRAPPING THE RESERVES:
"This is probably the first poor decision and step backward that the MLS has made," Smith said. The squad will have to be trimmed down to 24 players which will mean some "very difficult decisions." Preseason will be key in making such decisions, Smith said. "The younger players will have an opportunity to push on and come into the first team but they will be fighting for fewer spots," he said. "It will be impossible to keep all the bodies and some of these boys will be moving to USL." If it hadn't been for the Reserves, players like Nick LaBrocca, Kosuke Kimura and Colin Clark would have found it far more difficult to get first team chances, Smith pointed out. The Rapids will be looking into organizing as many competitive fixtures for second tier players next season but it won't be easy to do so, Smith said.
ROSTER CHANGES:
Smith has made no secret of the fact that he would like to add two or three players to the current squad in an attempt to make the Rapids a genuine contender for the MLS Cup. One of the positions he is focusing on is another versatile defender, primarily a full-back. The talented but inexperienced Jordan Harvey and Kosuke Kimura look to be the starters right now but there will be no place next season for Jose Burciaga. The veteran left back, who joined from Kansas City at the beginning of last season, started off with a bang, scoring against his old team early on, but injuries set in and it looked as if all his confidence, not to say pace, had gone in later games. "Jose will be moving on to a new home so sadly it won't be here," Smith revealed. The back four of choice looks settled for now with Cory Gibbs and Ugo Ihemelu as center backs but Facundo Erpen, who also looked on his way out at the end of last season, may be revitalized since the departure of Mike Petke and could be challenging for a spot.
Upfront, Smith emphasised his desire to add a striker even with a reduced roster. "Four will be a competitive number," he said. "Omar (Cummings) will be called up, people will pick up injuries and suspensions and we have to have at least one striker on the bench."
Smith said he is spending his days watching a lot of DVDs of players and is keeping an open mind as to where they will eventually come from. The problem with the MLS, Smith said, is that, if you want a player, you also have to be ready to trade a player that you would ideally want in your first team. That is why he is using the relationship with Arsenal to tap into their scouting network. So far, he has seen players as far afield as Holland, South America and Italy that he likes the look of. Ideally, it would be nice to have players in place before preseason. "I don't want a poor personality in the locker room," Smith said. "It is more important for me to get the right person in than the wrong person at the ideal time."
Apart from watching DVDs, Smith will be returning to England at New Year and will be able to take in some real live soccer. The holiday period is a very busy one in English football with games traditionally played on Boxing Day, New Year's Day and any Saturdays around that time. Smith will then return to the US for the MLS Draft and Combine which take place in early January.

Rapids Lose Game in Ten Minute Spell

Two defensive errors in the space of ten minutes late in the second half and this game was over. The Colorado Rapids lost 3-2 to the Galaxy in LA for the second time this season and now the playoff hopes are dimming. The Rapids simply have to go to Chivas next weekend back in LA and win so that there is not too much pressure in that last home game against Salt Lake.
The Rapids started very well and dominated the first 15 minutes. LA were barely in the Rapids' half. Tom McManus, who hustled well all night, had the first of many chances in the opening 30 seconds but could not convert, the ball eventually finding its way to Kosuke Kimura who shot wide. LA then began to control the game more and took the lead in the 35th minute, a lovely pass from Franklin finding its way to the prolific Edson Buddle who shot wide of Preston Burpo. We went into half time with a lot more hope after Cory Gibbs buried one with a header into the corner from, you guessed it, a Terry Cooke corner.
The second half started brightly with McManus hitting the post from a Colin Clark cross but the crucial ten minutes saw Burpo missing a free-kick cross which curled into a desperate Ugo Ihemelu just yards from the goal and he could do nothing about it. Then, Jose Burciaga, who had just come on as a substitute, lost the ball carelessly in midfield which led to a fantastic strike from the LA player from well out. We did get one back from a McManus penalty but it was all too late.
We just seem to make too many mistakes at the wrong time. Last week, we did it at the front end of the game, this week at the back end when we were looking good for a possible road win. Burpo rescues us often when he is coming off his line to meet through balls on the ground and he also made one fine save early in the second half but he does seem to hesitate often when coming out to meet crosses. Burciaga's mistake was somewhat lazy. I'm sure Gary Smith will be reminding him that an experienced professional should not be losing the ball so easily just in front of the defensive line. That's not to pick on those players. It's just that we seem to make too many errors at such crucial times when we can't afford to be making them. We're still in it but our chances are somewhat dented and it will be an uphill struggle from now.

Bouna Off to Claim What Is His

When you are enjoying your Starbuck's double tall non-fat this Saturday morning, spare a thought for Colorado Rapids' favorite, Bouna Coundoul. Bouna is currently in his native Senegal preparing for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Gambia which kicks off at 10am Mountain Time. Senegal have to win to have any chance of progressing to the next round of the marathon that is African World Cup qualifying. Why Africa with the same number of teams competing as Europe for a spot in South Africa 2010 should only have five teams that eventually make it while Europe has 13 still beggars belief but that is for another day.
As we all know, Bouna has been struggling in his professional life both for the Rapids and for the national team. He has not played for Colorado for several games now having lost his place in goal to Preston Burpo. He is also still firmly the number two with the national team and you would have to say, that with such a crucial game this weekend, he is unlikely to see any game time against Gambia. He told me last week at training that he would be going to Senegal to claim the starting position. There had been much criticism of the current goalkeeper, Tony Sylva, he said. Reading through the Senegal newspapers online, it is clear that there are defensive problems with the Senegal team. However, the interim head coach has said he is unlikely to change much for Saturday's clincher. Added to this that Bouna has not been playing much competitively recently and it looks as if his admirable optimism may be somewhat misplaced, for now at least. This is one talented goalkeeper who has found himself in a tough spot. I watched him play against Dallas Reserves and I've seen him in training and his form is excellent. He told me it had to do with fasting through Ramadan and, while his faith is all important to him, you know that it also has to do with a burning desire on Bouna's part to be the number one both at home and for his country. This weekend's game against Gambia and the few remaining games for the Rapids may not be quite the right time for him to get where he wants to be which makes it all the more likely that we may not see him at DSG Park come next Spring.

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.

Blanco Blanked as Rapids Find Rhythm

The Colorado Rapids look a very settled team. Something has happened since the coaching change and the Rapids finally look like they have a rhythm and the personnel to keep that rhythm going all the way to the playoffs. The team emerged victorious yesterday, dousing the Chicago Fire with an own goal and a splendid individual effort by Omar Cummings, both goals coming in the first half. Despite some intense pressure from the Fire in the second half as they chased the game, the defense held firm and Preston Burpo had one of his best games in a Rapids shirt, including two vital saves in the dying minutes.
We certainly didn't dominate this game, especially in the second half, but we took our chances when we needed to and everyone on the team contributed well. Burpo was given the Man of the Match award and he fully deserved that but, for me, the key was in Pablo Mastroeni dominating Blanco. Pablo was fitter, quicker to the ball and more alert than his Mexican counterpart and was just all over him for the whole game. Blanco, cheered by the very large Mexican contingent at yesterday's game every time he touched the ball (and alternatly booed by many Rapids' fans) did play one gorgeous pass behind the defense from where a cross came that was driven too hard for Brian McBride, but he was largely outplayed by Mastroeni. Pablo was equally a contender for MoM. There are some good comments in an MLS article from Gary Smith on Mastroeni and others' contributions (see below).
Cory Gibbs is looking a very sound buy for the Rapids. He was terrific in defense yesterday with one game-saving block at a dangerous time of the game when Chicago were threatening to cut into the Rapids' lead. Mike Petke was very solid and the full-backs defended resolutely and also played some nice attacking stuff, including Jordan Harvey's great running which led to the first goal on a bad handling mistake by the Chicago goalkeeper.
I really liked the way Gary Smith used the subs. It was very good to see Ugo Ihemelu and Mehdi Ballouchy back after their layoffs with concussion injuries. Conor Casey also got on for the last fifteen minutes or so. It looks as if this group of players, barring injury, will likely play the crucial role in the final six games of the regular season. Not good news for the other squad members including the increasingly isolated Christian Gomez and Bouna Coundoul.

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080914&content_id=188050&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

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?

Rapids Go To War In Battle Formation

If you look at the Colorado Rapids website, you'll see this weekend's projected formation lined up looking like some Roman gladiators. The formation is listed as basically two lines of four and five in defense and midfield with lone striker,Conor Casey, up front. Here is the link to the website. Kind of scary, huh?
http://www.coloradorapids.com/TheMatch/Matchup.aspx
I apologize that I cannot offer any particular insight this week into what the exact formation will be. Because of the From The Pitch Radio show and other commitments, I just could not make it up to DSG Park again this week. I was hoping to bend Gary Smith's ear last night at staff soccer but the game didn't happen. It was a busy week for the Rapids and the staff were obviously a little preoccupied. I promise that I will be at training next week at some point to get some insights into camp mood and trends, especially after our rousing victory over DC United tomorrow.
What do we know for sure? Ugo Ihemelu will be out again with the concussion concern. It looks as if the back four will be the same as started against Kansas City. Changes look likely in the midfield. Christian Gomez and Mehdi Ballouchy are listed as probable starters along with the returning Colin Clark, Pablo and crosser extraordinaire, Terry Cooke. Mastroeni was taken out of the US game on Wednesday after 78 minutes and reportedly got a knock but the man is a beast and I am sure he will start. So, Jacob Peterson, who picked up a knock last week, and the unfortunate Nick LaBrocca appear to be on the bench this weekend.
What does surprise me is the probable inclusion of Bouna Coundoul. Preston Burpo performed well last week against Kansas and Bouna has been all the way to and back from Libya with the Senegal national team. He has not practiced all week with the Rapids and he did not get any game time in Tripoli. It would seem to me that Burpo would be the right choice for tomorrow.
Anyway, let's hope for a dramatic result under the new regime. The team should be fired up and competitive. Realistically, I think we would settle for a point but wouldn't it be spectacular to get all three? See you down at SoBo for the 5.30pm MT kick off.

It All Fits But Could It Work? Neville likes Starbuck's

Yes, it seems like a good fit but how do you get there? Colorado Rapids' skipper, Pablo Mastroeni, smiled at my idea of him playing for Everton next season. They have no players, they need to sign up to six new faces, he is looking to move to Europe and play and he wouldn't cost them as much as European players when there is controversy within Goodison Park about the transfer budget. All seems like a slam dunk, right? Well, life is more complicated. Clearly, it is too much pressure on one player to expect him to perform so brilliantly in one game that Everton coach, David Moyes, would sign Pablo on the spot. "I just don't think about the end of the season," Pablo said after training yesterday. "I'm thinking about the next game." And he has things to think about because it looks as if he may be back to a more accustomed defensive midfielder role with some changes in the defense which could see Mike Petke get a much welcome outing. More accustomed role, maybe, but Mastroeni has probably just got used to playing at the heart of the defense. Pablo revealed that he did have the chance of playing for Italian team, Brescia, two years ago, but that the MLS didn't exactly give him a free pass. This time, he won't have to worry about the league because he is out of contract at the end of the season. Moyes did say he is very well aware of American players. After all, he has national team goalkeeper, Tim Howard, to keep him aware of trends in the US player market and he did sign one Brian McBride to play for the Blues. Another point in Pablo's favor is that he wouldn't have to worry so much about the dreaded work permit in the UK because he has an Italian passport which should allow him to work freely anywhere in the European Union. See, it does all add up.
Moyes and team captain, Phil Neville, were very complimentary about the set-up at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and the overall health of the MLS. Moyes was lavish in his praise of the pitch at DSG Park, saying it was one of the best ones he had ever encountered and he had impressive words about the overall state of youth soccer in the US. "The youth teams here are much better than the ones in England and Scotland," he said. England international Neville, who said he was enjoying Cherry Creek and the fact there is a Starbuck's on every corner (there is one in all of Liverpool, apparently), said he was very much looking forward to the game tomorrow. "The quality of the football here is very high," he said."Chicago were very athletic and skillful and we are expecting a tough game on Sunday." Everton lost 2-0 to the Chicago Fire earlier this week.
A couple of other things to note. Moyes said that influential midfielder, Tim Cahill, will not be fit to play tomorrow. The upside is that the Australian walked up and down our co-ed game this morning and might just have noted my left foot rocket into the top corner. Well played, Class VI, great effort all around. Finally, don't be surprised if Preston Burpo gets a start in nets tomorrow.