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.

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