“I didn’t come here to sit on the bench.” New daddy Hunter Freeman is no stranger to competition, and shows the competitive fire we fans all love to see. He wants on the pitch, and is committed to getting to full match fitness and playing for our club. He’s obviously thrilled to leave the (awful) humidity of Houston behind, and is looking forward to introducing his wife and new daughter to the mountains and sunshine of Colorado.

Kosuke talks about the rebuilding in Japan, and building a new style for the Rapids under Pareja. A perennial fan favorite, Kosuke talks about enjoying relaxing Colorado summers and taking vacations back to his homeland. Unsurprisingly he takes little time off, devoting the off season to training! That’s called “work ethic” boys and girls!

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grendades. However, the Rapids very nearly rescued a point at the death when Omar Cummings was denied his second goal on a 91′ penalty. Coach Oscar Pareja said

“If I have a team that fight, and have that pride that we showed today, I can go and sleep well. And I think so far, it is the game I can see all the hard work we’ve put in all this time…Obviously it’s a tough one, and it hurts…and we deserve much more than that.”

Pareja talks about his pride in the squad, the incredible crowd, and building on the quality we showed.

Calling in Sick

The good news is that David Beckham is coming to town for the first time in four years. The bad news is that three of the biggest Rapids players are still out with various illnesses and injuries.

While Becks saw it fit to proclaim to the Denver Post this week that he will be here in Colorado for the first time since 2008 – the 4-0 spanking that day must have really scared him (remember Terry Cooke’s goal?) – the Rapids’ own Conor Casey looks unlikely to play any part even as he targeted this game for his first one since last July when he limped off against Seattle with a season-ending injury. Ironically, it is a simple case of a throat infection which seems likely to stop the big striker from even making it to the bench. The Rapids said today he wasn’t able to finish practice because of his lingering illness. Surely, he won’t be risked for this game even if he does perk up after a good night’s sleep.

With Jamie Smith and Pablo Mastroeni still out for what looks at least a few weeks, there seems little chance of any major changes to the line-up for the game against Goldenballs, Landycakes and the rest. That may be a shame because some of the players may need a little more competition to stir them up a bit.

While the Rapids failed to create anything offensively in the second half, the first half forward combination of Omar Cummings, Tony Cascio and Brian Mullan did a great job and managed to carve out some decent chances. For that second half lack of offensive creativity, we might want to blame the fact of Seattle’s soft goal. It was far too easy for the Sounders to score and then they closed the game down, restricting the Rapids’ chances.

And for that goal, and other situations in the game, there must be some serious concerns for Oscar Pareja about the defensive abilities of some of his midfielders. And I’m not talking about Jeff Larentowicz. It’s nice to have Martin Rivero to spray passes around and create as a playmaker but Pablo Mastroeni he ain’t. The bigger concern right now, though, may be Jaime Castrillon as a defensive midfielder. The Colombian was billed as a box to box midfielder but far too often in last weekend’s game, he wasn’t to be seen on the defensive end of things, and I’m not talking just about the goal where Cascio may have done better too in defending the corner. Maybe it’s too early to make any judgement but such weaknesses in such a crucial position may have cost the game last weekend and there were signs of this too against Real Salt Lake. Catsrillon is no doubt gifted offensively but his defensive play is not up to scratch yet in the MLS and we can only hope it improves. Pareja took him off last weekend in the 65th minute. Honestly, Wells Thompson would have been a more reliable bet defensively even if he does not have the talent going forward that Castrillon has.

BAN THE HERBALIFE IMPOSTERS

In the corresponding fixture last year, there was a whole section of apparently paid “fans” who lifted Herbalife (LA sponsors) placards every time the Galaxy did something half decent. It took the home crowd out of the game and can only have boosted LA. Seemed wrong at the time that LA could fiddle things like that to give them an advantage away from home and still seems wrong now. Let’s hope the apparently sell-out crowd drowns those imposters out if they attempt to repeat such nonsense tomorrow.

HENAO STILL ABSENT

New signing Harrison Henao has not yet touched down in Colorado and the Rapids said today they are still not sure of exactly when he will turn up. The 25-year-old midfielder is staying in his home country until his International Transfer Certificate and visa are ready for him to make the trip to Denver.

Pareja talks about Omar’s goal performance filling in as a lone forward, Rivero’s command of the midfield, and more in this post game interview filmed 4/1/12. Pareja is creating a new system for the Rapids, and thus far has produced both tremendous success and some notable failures. We are all excited to be in the Pareja era, and our man at the helm talks about where he’s taking the team.

I guess everyone has to get back on the horse at some point but,  if you were in Brian Mullan’s shoes, would you go to Seattle? I mean, why put yourself through all that? CenturyLink Field with 40,000 baying Sounders fans is not the easiest road venue to play at in the first place and it will be one hell of a hostile reception for the veteran tomorrow if he does make the trip.

I say ‘if’ because it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he doesn’t go at all. After all, nobody has confirmed he will make the trip. Last year, Mullan was a late scratch from the corresponding game. Maybe he was carrying a slight knock at the time but Mullan isn’t one to back down with a slight knock. Maybe I’m wrong but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t make the field tomorrow. Who would really blame him? Apart from irate Sounders fans of course.

Onto the matter at hand. The Rapids have shown too much vulnerability on the road in the last two games. Maybe it’s the new formation, maybe it’s the absences of key players, but the team has looked a bit like the Rapids of a few years ago when away from home. No real offensive punch and too leaky in defense of the ball. They really need a better performance tomorrow, not least in the first half of the game when they looked especially vulnerable against New York and Salt Lake.

It won’t be easy in Seattleland and they will really need to take it to the hosts to try and take the fans out of the game, especially if Mullan does play. A bit more of that Philadelphia Union game approach rather than the last two games away.

No Pablo again but we are used to saying that by now and the Rapids won’t be using it as an excuse. It seems unlikely Oscar Pareja will use the Drew Moor as midfielder experiment again in a hurry, so expect a fairly predictable line-up with a normal back four, a midfield trio of Rivero, Castrillon and Larentowicz and a front three of Cascio, Cummings and Mullan (?). If Mullan doesn’t play, there may be a chance for Wells Thompson to play and perhaps repeat his first minute goal from last year up there. Ross LaBauex (hernia injury) and Quincy Amarikwa (family commitment) did not make the trip.

Whether Mullan plays or not, the Rapids will need a lot of guts, as Pareja said in Spanish this week. Is that cojones? They’ll need it in spades and in even bigger spades if the veteran starts and gets booed incessantly. It sure won’t be much fun to watch as a Rapids fan.

So, we’re five games into the wacky reign of the delightful Oscar Pareja, a name which, when pronounced by those in the know, sounds a lot more exotic than when pronounced by an ignorant Brit like myself. I thought this would be a good opportunity to write some unstructured ramblings on how much I’m enjoying the season and how I think we’re doing so far. Strap yourselves in…

Rapids 2 – 0 Crew – The game against the team we always beat.

I love Drew Moor. I love him more than anything. More than Crumpets, more than Game of Thrones, and even more than Mountain Dew. A goal means more than a goal to me when he scores. It was a unstoppable bullet header from my man crush which put us 1-0 up, and an equally brilliant ‘goal of the season contender’ strike

from Amarikwa sealed the points. Pickens and his beard also had a fabulous game. Some say that Pickens stores all his powers in his beard. I personally believe that underneath his beard is another fist for saving shots with.

So a good First Kick win and then we went on to…

Union 1 – 2 Rapids – The game where we only needed 10 men.

To start with, this game proved that even refs love Drew Moor. Because it was clearly a foul which should have had him sent off in the first 30 seconds. But he’s Drew Moor. No one sends off Drew Moor…errr anyway…this was a brilliant win. We showed against Red Bulls how vulnerable we are without Our Lord The Ginger, so to win the game with not just 10 men, but 10 men who didn’t include him, was a fantastic team effort. It was nice to see two new signings get on the scoresheet as well, especially the boy Cascio. I don’t know much about the college soccer system in America, but it would be delightful if we could pick up a few more like him in the coming drafts. Looking at his UConn Huskies record, he scored 19 in 60 appearances, which is a tasty little record for a midfielder. Let’s hope he keeps banging them in.

So we were 2-0-0, but then…

Energy Drink 4 – 1 Rapids – The game where Ross LaBauex wasn’t Jeff Larentowicz.

First things first, Energy Drink goalkeeper Ryan Meara looks about 8 years old. Why are 8 year olds allowed to play in the MLS? Anyhow, this game was over after the first 6 minutes, when Ross Labauex seemingly forgot what team he was playing for and passed the ball straight to that French guy to open the scoring. Cooper The Giant then made it 2-0 before this writer had even found a stream in which to watch the game from his English townhouse. A glorious finish from Cummings only slightly masked what a poor performance this was. Ah well, at least the 20 odd thousand Red Bulls fan who pretend that they actually care about the team, and are definitely not just

there to watch Henry, went home happy. That’s if it is actually possible to be happy living in New York. At least they gave us Friends.

So we managed to escape down the beanstalk away from Cooper The Giant and went on to…

The Ginga Ninja and His Massive Shorts

Rapids 2 – 0 Fire – The game where Jeff Larentowicz wore massive shorts.

Seriously, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the highlights from this game again. Ginga Ninja is wearing absolutely massive shorts. Must have been from the same batch that Kamani Hill’s came from, as they were also massive. So big, I didn’t know who had scored our 2nd goal, Hill, or his shorts. This was also our first chance to have a look at some guy called Rivero, who lots of people have been making a noise about and my it was worth that wait, the most exciting player at the Rapids since the legend that was Terry Cooke.

Rivero is our new poster boy (sorry Drew) and I’m now starting to see what all the fuss was about. Still early days, obviously, but I can’t wait to see how this guy works with Conor Casey. Also, 60% possession, you were well and truly doused Chicago. Chicago Candles. Chicago Ashes.

So things were looking bright again, surely we would regain the Rocky Mountain Cup…

R**L S**t L**e 2 – 0 Rapids – The game where Espindola cheated. Again.

I’m refusing to talk about this game because I hate Stupid Name FC so much.

Despite our most recent game against those who shall not be named, I’m actually loving this season and our new style of play. Rivero is a very exciting talent and with Casey coming back very soon, things will keep looking up for the most amazing team in the MLS

Until next time. COYRapids.

Another brilliant article from Tommy Newbold, who writes from a quaint townhouse in England and bleeds burgundy too!

The Colorado Rapids etched another 2-0 clean sheet victory at home last weekend onto the 2012 season canvas but a far bigger test awaits them tomorrow night in Sandy, Utah.

The first of three Rocky Mountain Cup games this season, two of which are in Utah (how does that work?), will be a major test for some of the newest players to don the burgundy. Rookie Tony Cascio has shown plenty of fight to go along with skill in the four games so far but this will be one of the bigger matches he has played in in his young career. And I am sure the South American games that Martin Rivero and Jaime Castrillon have played in in their time have been no picnic but this will be a step up in terms of crowd hostility and physicality than they have experienced so far in the MLS.

The team looks likely to be unchanged from the starting XI last weekend with Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni out for several weeks with ongoing concussion issues. The bench may also be largely unchanged from the Chicago game. Ross LaBauex, who had been on the bench in the opening two games and started against New York, was not present last weekend for both the first team and reserve game. Even though he is not listed on the official injury list for tomorrow night, he is suffering from a sports hernia injury and is expected not to see any action for about ten days. That means the midfield options are again likely to be Wells Thompson and Joseph Nane. Andre Akpan, who scored twice for the reserves last weekend, could be  a tasty striking option off the bench while Tyrone Marshall, for most of last season a starter, seems to be getting used to coming on as a defensive sub while Drew Moor moves into a defensive midfielder position.

Conor back?

One interesting piece of news that comes a little late for tomorrow’s game is that Conor Casey is targeting an April 21 comeback for the Galaxy game. How the Rapids could do with his nous and toughness against Salt Lake tomorrow. Instead, Rapids fans will have to hope that Omar Cummings’ encouraging scoring form can continue with the help of the feisty Brian Mullan and Cascio upfront to take advantage of the no doubt very few opportunities that will come his way. Plus another clean sheet of course. Or at least fewer goals than were let in against New York, especially in the opening six minutes.

Tony Cascio is a revelation

Oscar Pareja said the Rapids have had time to put the New York Red Bulls game out of their system. Let’s hope so because that was painful to watch. The coach used the word “distraught” to describe the opening. Seems about right.

The game was over in those first six minutes as the Rapids turned the ball over in crucial areas of the field and were pounced upon by one of the better strike partnerships in the MLS in Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper. It’s easy to pick on Ross LaBauex for the first goal, as many have predictably done since last Sunday, but it was Jaime Castrillon who turned the ball over for that second goal and it was the Colombian again who inexplicably let Roy Miller coast deeply into the penalty box to gift Cooper for the final goal. That’s not to take away from Castrillon’s performance offensively which was one of the better parts of the game. He stole the ball off Rafa Marquez for Omar Cummings to score a beauty and he also came close with a great header in the first half. While we are at it, we can equally say that midfielder Wells Thompson  was largely ineffective in the game.

The point, surely, is not to apportion blame on individuals. Everyone makes mistakes and has bad games. It was an overall bad performance defensively by the Rapids and they will have to be a lot sharper tomorrow with the likes of Pappa, Pardo and Oduro to deal with.

PABLO OUT AGAIN

Once again, team captain Pablo Mastroeni is unavailable. I feel we will be writing a lot of that this season. The veteran has been reported as saying he is only one bad concussion away from retirement and he clearly is not right just now. This may well be a recurring problem throughout this season and the Rapids will have to get used to it.

The good news is that Jeff Larentowicz is back. He may well be partnered by Martin Rivero in the midfield as the young Argentinian has now received his transfer certificate. But, what message could that send to LaBauex? You made one mistake and that is that? If Pareja wants to instill confidence in his young midfielders, some of whom will no doubt be called upon regularly this season, surely the best option tomorrow would be to plunge LaBauex back into the starting line-up, tell him to forget last week and get him back on that horse. Thompson is much more established in the squad and will be a good option off the bench while Rivero is unlikely to be game ready and would be a better bench option too.

The front three of Cummings, Tony Cascio and Brian Mullan look likely to start their fourth straight game. Cascio has been a revelation. His attacking  threat last week was one of the few bright spots in the Rapids game and he is looking like a great pick. Maybe he will take a plunge later in the season as most first year players seem to do but we should all be enjoying his contributions right now.