A 2-2 draw may not have been exactly what Rapids fans were dreaming of, especially considering Sporting KC was riding a 3 game losing streak. But after a disastrous start, the Rapids showed considerable heart and a creative flair to claw their way back into a point.

First Half

Pickens was uncharacteristically shaky, 1st Half

The Rapids carried injuries into the game before 15,269 at DSGP, including Cummings, Mastroeni, Mullan, and Marvell Wynne. The makeshift back 4 had a nightmare start, giving up a goal just 71 seconds. Teal Bunbury made a run into the box, completely unmarked, and headed home a simple cross from Sinovic. The Rapids responded with some positive offensive movement of their own, but still looking vulnerable down the wings, in the middle…basically everywhere in the back.

Casey was open on goal in the 12′ thanks to sloppy passing by the KC defense. Uncharacteristically, but as might be expected from the long layoff, hit the shot directly DIRECTLY at the head of the goal keeper who made the easy save. His first touch let him down, but an “in form” Casey would’ve put it home.

Waiting to taste goal again

A minute later Pickens made a  huge save to deny a second KC goal off a Kei Kamara volley. But they he made an absolute mess of a throw from Matt Besler, not taking the long toss cleanly, and Bunbury calmly hit the ball into the open net.

Rapids down 2-0, just 14 minutes in. Sigh.

Casey tried a spectacular volley off a cross in the 19′, but didn’t hit it cleanly. In the 25′ Nielsen made a spectacular kick save after his own poor clearance on a set piece let to a Drew Moor shot. The Rapids continued to press, with Rivero and Castrillon creating, but there seemed an absence of understanding with the forwards about the where’s and when’s of their runs. Casey managed to make an absolute nuisance of himself in and around the box nonetheless (a foreshadowing of things to come), which was an encouraging sight for the Rapids faithful.

The final verdict in the first half: while the Rapids controlled most of the flow of play, and kept much of that possession in KC’s half. And while KC had just one more shot on goal than the Rapids (5-4), the chances they did have were clear cut and KC took them.

Second Half

The Rapids continued “keep away” in the second half, moving the ball methodically back and forth across the pitch. Rivero, as only South Americans can, made an shady tackle look like first degree assault. The result: a yellow card, and a free kick about 35 yards out. On the ensuing free kick, Rivero send a perfect…I mean purrrrfect ball to the edge of the 6 yard box, where Tyrone Marshall made up for some questionable defending with a gorgeous header; hard, low, and across the keeper into the net. Rapids now down only 2-1, 52′.

Forget SpaceX. Jeff Larentowicz's free kicks are the real rocket launch.

A picture perfect cross from “Rapids #9″ almost, and probably should’ve resulted in goal #2 off Castrillon’s head just feet from goal (Castrillon is having some issssues finishing IMHO). But it was another set piece that delivered the equalizer soon after. With three men lined up, Larentowicz sent a blistering, scorching low ball low and to the Nielsen’s left. He did well to palm the ball away, but the Conor Casey makes a living out of eating up messes in the box. Casey collected the rebound and sent a hard low pass back into the 6 yard box, which Kosuke Kimura side-footed home to level the match. Rapids 2 – Sporting KC 2.

Sporting KC began to press, setting up set pieces of their own which the Rapids defended much more aggressively. Sporting KC continued the pressure, getting their back four all the way up to midfield and forcing the Rapids to play from the counter which is not their strength. The game slowed down, and KC started lobbing in cross after cross. But the previously porous Rapids defense stood firm, and Pickens took to punching instead of catching the dicier crosses.

The game began to open up with just minutes remaining, with Kamani picking Rivero out in the midst of traffic. Rivero’s header had pace but was too centered between the posts and Nielsen saved without too much trouble. Sporting KC countered but couldn’t do anything with a generous free kick earned 25 yards out. The final minutes were frantic, but the score held for a draw.

Takeaways

The spine of the Rapids was the key to the Rapids success over the last 2 years. With Casey & Cummings up top, Larentowicz and Mastroeni in the midfield, and Wynne and Moor in the back, the Rapids were extremely difficult to break down. With injuries affecting all but Larentowicz and Moor, with Cummings’s inconsistency, and with a new style of play, we’ve lost some of that stability in the middle of the pitch.

Nonetheless the Rapids coalesced in the second half to prevent any further bleeding. And the offensive output showed there is no shortage of creativity on the pitch. Casey, Rivero, and Cascio all look dangerous every time they touch the ball. What we lack is that understanding built over several seasons; knowing the run a forward will make before he makes it.

The Rapids showed a lot of courage, and Marshall deserves a lot of credit for raising his game. Moor and Larentowicz were predictably strong, and Rivero showed that creative flair we’ve all been looking for throughout the match.

It may have only been a draw, but after a terrible start, most Rapids fans left considerably heartened by the boys in burgundy’s gutsy performance.

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.

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.

Rapids players were grateful in after the match interviews for the “W.” Fans’ frustration in seeing draw after draw is exceeded only by that of the players. And while a 2-1 victory over the bottom-dwelling Whitecaps isn’t scintillating, a victory is what you expect of champs at home and its what the boys in burgundy delivered.

Talk amongst yourselves

What did you think of the Cummings/Casey/Folan top three? An experiment worth repeating? How about Earls getting the start? Smith is obviously trying to mix things up..what would you do

Video Highlights

“Well once we get our strikers back…”

“Well once we get Mullan / Wynne back…”

I’ve been waiting for a variety of situations to resolve themselves, and then for the Rapids to make their charge. Last summer we had doldrums too. Then Smith found the magic XII, we hit a hot streak, and next thing you know a trophy was at DSGP.

We have Wynne back. We have Mullan back. We have Cummings and Casey back. We still look like a team destined to draw every match.

We have scored 20 goals and given up 22 goals, both middle of the pack totals, for a deflating -2 goal differential. This isn’t rocket science: we are in 5th place in the Western Conference and the teams above us have:

1. LA Galaxy: GD +10
2. FC Dallas: GD +9
3. Seattle Sounders FC: GD +7
4. Real Salt Lake: GD +9

In 2010, our goal differential of +12 was decidedly in the upper half of all of MLS. We scored 1.5 goals a game, and gave up 1 goal a game. Compared to last year, we simply need to score more goals. We have our strikers back, and I believe we will see the Casey & Cummings duo start to pick up the pace. However it is the midfield that concerns me. Pablo is a hero and a legend, but isn’t getting any faster. Paired with the uber defensive minded Larentowicz, there is almost no attack coming down the middle of the field. Without a change in the midfield, I think we’ll make a playoff run, but not a title defense. Without some new creativity in the midfield, I worry we’re just not good enough.

Home struggles continue as the LA Galaxy snap the Rapids nine game unbeaten streak. The Galaxy, who now bring their streak to nine games undefeated, beat the Rapids 3-1 at Dick Sporting Goods Park without the help of David Beckham and Landon Donovan. The Colorado Rapids played in front of a packed house Saturday night with the final attendance number at 18,277.

Because David Beckham was a “late scratch”, the seats filled up fast tonight with anticipation of getting the chance to see him play. However, an hour before kickoff, the clubs announced Beckham didn’t travel with the Galaxy. Out of all the years he has been in the league, he has only made one league appearance at Colorado. Disappointing for soccer fans in Colorado and even more disappointing for the paying fan at tonight’s match.

Beckham drama aside, the Rapids failed to make anything dangerous in the first half and headed to the locker room down 2-0. After a deflection off Drew Moor opened the scoring for the Galaxy, Juninho had a cracker of a goal from 25+ yards out which should easily find it’s way on the ballet for Goal of the Week. Omar Cummings reenergized the crowd with his half time substitution for Sanna Nyassi. Tonight was the first time since the opening match of the season that both Conor Casey and Omar Cummings were on the field at the same time. They connected on a goal (by way of goal post) where Cummings fired a shot at the lower left corner, which took a deflection to Conor Casey’s foot.

At the end of the day (along with more poor officiating on a questionable Caleb Folan ejection) the Rapids failed to impress at home. A packed house deserves better, whether that’s a win or better visibility when star power isn’t even on the plane. If you came to see the Rapids win at home for the first time since April 3rd or to finally get the chance to see Beckham in person, you left disappointed, a reoccurring theme at home matches.

JMH

“Winning.” The Rapids have done all but Charlie-Sheen their opponents, playing solid but without the (insert catchphase, e.g. cutting edge / killer instinct). We’ve avoided defeat, but also winning, and the honeymoon period with this particular streak is over. Currently at 5th place in the west with 19 points out of 14 games, the Rapids need to make a move.

Back on March 19th, the Rapids showed their champion form with a convincing 3-1 win. The Timber should again be a team against which the Rapids can control the flow of play. The question, as will all the previous 8 matches, is whether or not the Rapids can end those periods of possession with a goal.

The Timbers are coming off a streak of their own, dropping the last two games against Chivas USA and DC United. The Timbers are just two spots behind the Rapids, however, with three games in hand (19 points from 11 games). So going into this game, we are fairly even on points, highlighting how costly all these draws have been.

Omar Cummings is out, so the Rapids will again be looking to depth at striker. Will we begin to see the goal production we need out of our makeshift striker team? Casey is back in the fold, can he regain scoring form? The Rapids will almost undoubtedly dominate possession, but can they put points on the board, and gain points in the table?

It was a night and day difference since their last home match. A good 30 degrees warmer at DSG Park tonight since facing the Chicago Fire back on April 30th. In terms of the quality of soccer, it remained stagnant. You’d have to go back to April 3 versus DC United to find the last time we won at home. Yes, it’s true the Colorado Rapids are undefeated in their last 5, which sounds better than it looks. A team built around defense, the Rapids could not get anything going in the final third of the pitch. They managed to only put two shots on frame and never really challenged Toronto FC’s goalie and captain, Stefan Frei.

On paper it appeared the Rapids started with five defenders, however Kosuke Kimura got the start as a right midfielder playing in front of Marvell Wynne. Kimura’s quality has improved this season including his decisions making skills and he brings a defense first mentality to the team. He’s arguably the most fit player on the team, which allows coach Gary Smith to use him for a full 90+ minutes as a right midfielder. However, Kimura has defense on the brain and doesn’t quite have the skill to go one-on-one at opposing defenders. You can’t find fault in his work ethic, only the lack of offensive prowess.

In the end, Matt Pickens walks away with the Man of the Match award, having to come up with a couple big saves (with some help from the crossbar). The Rapids have another solid defensive team this year and only appear to be susceptible to goals from counter attacks. Even with a pile of injuries to our forwards, the Rapids are still getting points in large part to our stingy defense, the framework for our championship team last year. The match tonight might not have helped with the recent lull feeling but getting the chance to see our boys play at home has helped raise the spirits. The beauty with a team like the Rapids is that as long as we don’t lose matches, we should be playing in the post season for the MLS Cup and we all know how that story turned out last year.

We aren’t losing, but we aren’t particularly fun to watch right now either. Keep getting the points now and we’ll have a chance to defend the cup at the end of the season. A tough midweek game at New York versus the Red Bulls takes place Wednesday, May 25th at 6:00 PM MST followed by a home match Saturday versus last place Sporting Kansas City. See you then!

JMH

You’d have to go back to September 14th, 2008 since the last time the Colorado Rapids have beat the Chicago Fire. Last night’s match marks the third straight tie and a string of 5 games against the Fire, the Rapids have been winless. The final score line was 1-1 with goals coming from Marco Pappa in the 43rd minute and Andre Akpan in the 49th.

The best take away from the match was Akpan’s first start as a Colorado Rapid as well as his first goal in MLS league play. Akpan was the Rapids first overall pick in the 2010 MLS Superdraft (22nd overall) and came from Harvard as the all-time leading scorer with 127 points, leader in assists and tied for first with 47 goals. His first MLS goal came from the run of play when Omar Cummings drew in two defenders on the right side and laid off a pass to Akpan in the inside of the 18-yard box. Akpan gave a quick turn and buried the ball passed Conway. His immediate thought was to run over to the Rapids bench and celebrate with the crew he spends most of his time with. A great first goal for Akpan and an inspiring story for the subs he embraced in the 49th minute.

From the fan’s perspective, the refereeing was very tight at DSG Park last night with four yellow cards given. The referee, Jorge Gonzalez, slowed the game’s tempo down quite a bit which in turn hurt the Rapids from putting one more into the net. More of our woes came from our inability to score from set pieces. Six corners and a handful of good positions off twenty Chicago fouls failed to materialize anything dangerous. My opinion stands that Jamie Smith seems to be a touch off the majority of his corners and free kicks this season and Conor Casey is missed when the Rapids have these opportunities.

The Rapids, wanting the win last night, will now go on a three game road trip against Houston, the Revolution and DC United. Make sure to come out and support our boys in burgundy when they return to DSG Park on Sunday, May 22nd against Toronto FC. Here’s hoping for warming weather!

JMH

In a night where neither Omar Cummings nor Conor Casey started, the Rapids came away from the Home Depot Center with a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA. This was the first time in 63 games that at least one of them did not start. Omar was on national team duty with the Reggae Boys and Conor has had a troubled calf muscle this week. The lone goal came in the 32nd minute from always hustling, Quincy Amarikwa, compliments to a through ball from Jamie Smith. When I often question the technical ability of Amarikwa, he proved me wrong with a cheeky chip over a sliding Zach Thornton and finishing in an open net.

The 2-0 start is the first time in Rapids history beginning a season with two victories; a good indication that last season was not a fluke. Paired with Quincy for the night was the newest acquisition of the Rapids, Caleb Folan. The big man did well for his first MLS game and gave us a superb option while Conor works back towards match fitness. Once again our midfield and defense were solid and earned their first shutout of the season.

Looking back at the match yesterday, it had a tough act to follow. The US Men’s National team had a game against Messi & Argentina in a sold out Meadowlands Stadium. I do love the MLS but watching the Rapids play Chivas USA was a little rough after watching Messi, 2010 FIFA Player of the Year, exhibit his magic on the same pitch as our Comeback Kids. Also, I’m probably not the first person to say it, but Chivas USA is not an exciting team to watch. They are probably the one team I can’t wait till the match is over. We’ve dominated them in recent memory and last night’s match marked the fourth straight Chivas shutout. However, our Boys in Burgundy came away with a road victory and as well as a historic start to the 2011 season.