Mastroeni tied a Rapids record 170 starts tonight, and did it in style with a lovely finish on a one-two with Ballouchy. Ultimately it was deja vu all over again, as the Rapids continued their slide.

By “outclassed,” I don’t mean to imply that the Crew are high class. However, they were up to the task, and finished the chances they had.

I had to force myself to write this article, because at this point there isn’t a lot to say. The boys in burgundy play their asses off week after week…and week after week they come up short.

We have a few injuries, but no where near the insanity of last year. Smith continues to tinker with the lineup, but  we simply can’t manufacture more than one goal a game. Not only that, but our defense showed some real vulnerability this game (exception Wynne who deserves to be MVP at this point).

Could it be we simply lack the class? As long as Kroenke treats us like the class nerd, we aren’t going to be making any major signings, so we have to make the best of it.

I still believe Lopez is the only player in burgundy to play that Xavi or Paul Scholes type role, dictating the attack with pinpoint passing. Smith came on as a sub, and was superior in his touches than Wells, though Wells put forth excellent effort.

Sorry this article blows, I really don’t know what else to say. I’ll be with the Rapids until the end, but that end looks more and more like another early end to the season.

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Claudio Lopez, Columbus Crew, Pablo Mastroeni, Stan Kroenke

Monday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m. the Rapids will introduce the signing of the club’s first-ever homegrown player.

This is an important step for the development of our club and MLS in general. It will be interesting to hear who it is an how the player came through the system.

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis

Hometown boy Jeff Larentowicz scored an absolute top class volley, a wide smile breaking his usually subdued demeanor.

Rookie sensation Danny Mwanga put another ball into the back of the net to equalize, as Baudet once again found himself culpable on a goal. In fairness, it was an excellent piece of play by Sebastien Le Toux.

Coach Gary Smith continues to experiment with formation and personnel, seeking a unit that can actually outscore our opponents. He started today with the 4-4-2, with Amarikwa getting another nod up top alongside Omar Cummings.

Backtalk

• Do you think Amarikwa is the answer for another attacking threat?
• How do you think Conor looked in his first game back?

Major League Soccer (MLS) Danny Mwanga, Jeff Larentowicz, Omar Cummings, Philadelphia Union, Quincy Amarikwa, Sebastien Le Toux

For the second season in a row, the Rapids have lost Colin Clark to a torn ACL. A more cynical perspective might be that we never got him back, as he struggled to regain his dangerous form from 2009.

When an athlete gets back to back injuries of this type in the same knee, it begins to build concern about his long term prospects. He’s young, though, and I certainly hope he will make a full recovery.

More troubling for me is the absolute dearth of attacking options this leaves us in the midfield. I was a proponent, despite Clark’s hesitant appearances, to continue to use him and get him back to making those dangerous runs down the left.

With just a couple days left to grab another, there is a collective cry coming out of Colorado for Kroenke to do right by the fans and get us another attacking option; either an offensive midfielder or a striker to pair with Casey while Omar drops back.

Here’s the full press release from the club

Colorado Rapids midfielder Colin Clark has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, the club announced today.

Clark suffered the injury on August 7 in the second half of the Rapids’ 1-0 win against San Jose and will miss the remainder of the 2010 season.

Surgery to repair the injury is scheduled to take place next week.

This marks the second straight season in which Clark has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. In 2009, he missed the team’s final 10 regular season games after the injury occurred in a training session on August 11.

Clark appeared in 16 games this season, with nine starts, playing 866 minutes.

Main Colin Clark, Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Stan Kroenke

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thingover and over again and expecting different results.”

The last two winless months have confirmed: we need to create more chances through a different formation and different midfield personnel.

I’m working with a few obvious assumptions

• We aren’t giving up too many goals. The Rapids defense led by Matt Pickens and Marvell Wynne have a 1 goal allowed average, putting us fifth in MLS, down from 2009’s average of 1.24
• We aren’t scoring enough goals. We have a 1.125 goals scored average through 16 games, 11th in the MLS, and way down from last year’s 1.4

The insanity for me is that we continue to field a defensive minded midfield with the likes of Larentowicz, Mastroeni, and Ballouchy. Well…Jeff and Pablo intend to be defensive; Mehdi is forced to be defensive when his errant passes turn the ball over.

Coach Smith has begun to see what we all see, that Jamie Smith needs to be starting every game. What he doesn’t seem to see is that Ballouchy simply isn’t effective, while Lopez makes an immediate impact every time he comes in the game.

It seems simple: reverse the typical substitutions. Start Lopez, let his pinpoint passes and creative distribution START the game, then bring in Ballouchy for a different flavor in the 60th minute.

One thing is clear: if the Rapids want to make the playoffs, we need to end this insanity.

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Claudio Lopez, Jamie Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Marvell Wynne, Matt Pickens, Mehdi, Pablo Mastroeni

Omar Cummings scored a sure nominee for goal of the week, but it wasn’t enough. For the last Rapids win you have to look back seven weeks to a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew. Since then the Rapids have lost their way, and tonight was no exception.

The game stormed out of the gates with easily the most exciting first 20 minutes I’ve seen this season. The typically stout Rapids defense had no answer for the combination of Nyassi, Montero, and especially Zakuani. The Congolese-Englishman made enterprising use of a loose ball (7′); his shot hit the post but ricocheted off a terribly unlucky Matt Pickens and in.

Less than a minute later Omar made the most spectacular individual effort of the game, lacing a left-footer into Kasey Keller’s upper right 90. It was a great stretch of play from a neutral standpoint for the next ten minutes, culminating in Zakuani’s second goal (17′) off a great run by Nyassi. Conor nearly tied the game with a header two minutes later, then the game settled down for the rest of the first half.

View Omar’s Spectacular Goal

The second half was not to be anywhere as mesmorizing as the first. Smith stuck with his starting 11, who unlike the first half looked more organized on defense, but lackluster on offense. Looking for a spark, in the 65′ Lopez and Kimura came on for Smith and Earls. Other than a sitter that Cummings sent over the bar, the Rapids second half offense primarily consisted of sending headers 10 feet over the crossbar.

I’m really at a loss for words right now. Smith seems to be throwing darts a bit with his starting XI. Ballouchy…was typical Ballouchy. Lacks the grit of a holding MF, the bite of a defensive MF, or the class of an offensive MF. All in all, he’s had his chances the past two seasons and hasn’t taken them. He’s first vote off the island, and I’ve got other voices in the chorus.

Defensively Earls is bright and brings the coveted left foot, but Kosuke has much more pace and physical strength. Baudet is a commanding presence in the middle, but the Rapids defense was gashed more times than just the two goals.

El Capitan’s substitutions brought pace to the game, and in the case of Lopez some much needed distribution. Amarikwa hustles his ass off, but has he ever actually put a shot on Goal?

The sad reality is that the Rapids are lost at sea. Our work rate is good, our individual talent more than adequate, but as a team we lack cohesion. We are good for a few good body blows but seem to no longer have the knockout punch. There are many theories, but I proffer two conclusions that are becoming more iron clad with each game.

1. Ballouchy is in their to create, and he isn’t up to the task. We have to find another option.
2. Cummings and Casey up top is the best tandem, sans Henry and Juan Pablo Angel. Cummings wants to cut inside, rips defenses up when he goes inside, and is limited when he is a winger.

Another disappointing night for those who Bleed Burgundy.

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Claudio Lopez, Fredy Montero, Kasey Keller, Kosuke Kimura, Omar Cummings, Quincy Amarikwa, Seattle Sounders

Rapids Nation has spoken. Those who bleed burgundy hereby decree:

• Smith (despite his pooch) is the #1 choice, with over 80% of the vote
• Ballouchy is no longer in the top 5 midfielders
• Only 20% of respondents thing midfield is the right position for Cummings
• Wells Thompson is about as popular as Congress right now

Talkback

Leave your comments below…

• Are you surprised Smith was the strong #1?
• Lopez is working his way into the hearts of fans, will he finally get a start?
• Despite the unpopularity of the position, will Smith still start Cummings at winger?

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Claudio Lopez, Colin Clark, Jamie Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Mehdi Ballouchy, Omar Cummings, Pablo Mastroeni, Wells Thompson

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Claudio Lopez, Colin Clark, Jamie Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Mehdi Ballouchy, Omar Cummings, Pablo Mastroeni, Wells Thompson

In a moment that encapsulates the annual Rapids summer slide, Conor Casey found himself mano a mano (89′) with bleach blonde Jimmy Nielsen of the Wizards (see photos above). Rather than exchanging hairstyle tips, Casey did what any good striker should and (as deftly as the big man can) went around the left of the goalkeeper to face a yawning net. Time stood still. The stands rose to their feet. Helpless Wizards defenders looked on from 10 yards away. A chance to secure a comeback win versus an inferior opponent…(cue the music) “wah, wah, wah.” When a left-footed touch pass would’ve dribbled in, Casey chose power and drilled it off the post.

“If you’re not appalled, you’re not paying attention” goes the bumpersticker. As a Rapids fan, if you weren’t appalled by the first 60 minutes, you weren’t paying attention. Against an inferior regional rival, we were tepid and stagnant. The recently creative Ballouchy was back to his old self, alternating between looking lost and sending passes 10-20 degrees off target. Mastroeni was pedestrian. He was neither the sheriff of the midfield (a la the Dutch Van Bommel), nor a creative force up the middle causing the defense to release off Casey/Cummings and close him down.

Clark was 20% fire, 80% ice. The slashing Clark of ‘09 made occasional and encouraging appearances, but the chilly and tentative Clark of 2010. It’s heartbreaking to see such a talent over thinking every touch of the ball, rather than letting his skill and talent lead him. It’s painfully obvious he’s afraid to take defenders on one on one. Nonetheless, he showed signs of his old brilliance as the game went on, especially as Lopez began to become the creative force and Clark could just react.

A strange thing happened in the 62′. An old hand named Claudio Lopez came in, the Rapids went back to a 4-4-2, and became as dangerous as a De Jong kung fu kick. Nearly every Lopez touch was perfect, and nearly every touch was FORWARD. With Jamie Smith the solid holding midfielder he is, Lopez was free to roam the pitch and paint beautifully. His was the pass that put Casey on goal. To be fair to Casey, had Lopez been in the game longer than 30′, Casey would’ve had another chance and would’ve made it count.

Bummer:

• A Mehdi Ballouchy led midfield that strands Casey up top and wastes Cummings speed
• Smith can’t seem to decide who he wants at left back

Bonus:

• A Claudio Lopez led midfield (4-4-2) that allows Larentowicz and Smith to hold midfield and pushes “Thunder & Lighting” (Casey/Cummings) towards goal
• Smith looks like he pairs well with Lopez in midfield
• Pickens and Wynne are absolutely at the top of their game

Bottom Line:

• We need to start our next game with the personnel and formation we ended this one. Period. The Larentowicz/Mastroeni combo with Cummings and Clark as wingers doesn’t work.
• Did I mention we need to score more goals?

Main Claudio Lopez, Colin Clark, Conor Casey, Jeff Larentowicz, Kansas City Wizards, Marvell Wynne, Omar Cummings

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis New York Red Bulls