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.

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!

Who goes where?

The Rapids enter tomorrow’s game with the New York Red Bulls without the grizzled central midfield pairing of Pablo Mastroeni (concussion) and Jeff Larentowicz (suspension). It is the first time at least one of those two has not been on the field to start an MLS game since Larentowicz moved West to join Colorado at the start of the 2010 MLS Cup winning season.

Game over? Well, MLSsoccer.com seems to think so. Six out of their seven pundits predict a Red Bulls victory even as Thierry Henry et al sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with two opening defeats and one goal to show for their efforts. No-one likes us, we don’t care!

They are certainly major absences for the Rapids, a perfect two and two so far. But it may well be something the squad will have to get used to, certainly in terms of Mastroeni. The veteran is having too many concussion symptoms for comfort and it would not be surprising if he plays a limited number of games this season in what could well be a retirement year.

So, opportunities abound tomorrow for the squad players. Players like Ross LaBauex could really put down a marker and get in Oscar Pareja’s face for the rest of the season, or more importantly the Colombian’s mind. LaBauex, who came on for Mastroeni in last weekend’s victory over Philadelphia, looks likely to start. The other part of the central midfield puzzle looks less clear. Wells Thompson, who has come off the bench in both games so far, could partner LaBauex or Joseph Nane may get the nod. Another intriguing option would be to put Drew Moor in a central midfield holding role, something that Pareja tried in training this week. That would allow Tyrone Marshall to play in central defense. Pareja may be tempted, however, to put Moor in his normal position up against his old friend Kenny Cooper who is likely to start alongside Henry with Juan Agudelo absent on US U-23 duty.

A tough game for sure given the circumstances in central midfield. But don’t write the Rapids off just yet. There is a resolve to this team and this will be an opportunity for them to show the much-discussed greater depth of the side in 2012.

With 2/3 of the votes, Drew Moor is ColoradoRapidsFan.com’s Man of the Match for the 2-0 win over Columbus. This comes just as Drew was ranked #1 in the Castrol Index, which is the MLS ranking of the top defender.

What do you think Drew means to this club? Leave your comments below.

It was the start of the Oscar Pareja era…but let’s to the boys in burgundy who took the pitch: Who was the best? Click “read more” and vote!

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

About every sportswriter in the building was about to submit the article they wrote in the final 20 minutes, where the Rapids and Timbers played an incredibly entertaining (but ultimately scoreless) draw. After a day of the USMNT losing to Panama, another draw…and to an expansion team…was not what I needed.

But then in extra time, Jamie Smith stepped up and delivered a trademark cross from 30-40 yards out, right into the danger area. It rattled around, Troy Perkins* (who earlier literally walked into his own goal post) made two great saves as the ball rattled around the 6-yard area. But then Drew Moor cleaned up the scraps, scoring another of his sneaky set piece clutch goals.

Here’s the Moor Goal

When I say nearly an exciting scoreless draw…it was truly a delight to watch. The Cascadia teams are developing a very attacking sort of play, and it is fun to watch. The Rapids looked just as likely to give up a goal, but in the end got their just rewards. It was not pretty, and the Rapids continue to struggle to create true chances on goal. Ever since the Casey / Cummings bromance got broken up, we’ve ever only been able to eek out a goal a game. Casey had his moments, as did Folan, but the attack is fairly underwhelming.

I’d like to say this win will break us out of our low scoring cavalcade of draws, but I’m not feeling quite that cheerful (US vs Panama hangover). Nonetheless, for tonight the Rapids pulled out a much needed win…Burgundy bleeds last minute victory tonight!

* I swear I only had one beer. I thought Joe Cannon came on for Troy Perkins, would’ve sworn by it at 11pm last night. Joe plays for the Whitecaps though (sigh).

Here we are, 10 days away from MLS First Kick 2011. There’s something in the air this year that feels different from past seasons. From the perspective of a Colorado Rapids fan, maybe it’s because for the first time, our boys in burgundy are defending a Championship title. Maybe it’s the thought that for the first time, we’ll get to see CONCACAF action at DSG Park later this summer. (It sure isn’t the Open Cup since we lost another coin flip for hosting matches… Again.) Or maybe it’s just because I see professional soccer gaining traction in Colorado. After all, the Rapids are the latest Champions in the Denver area since the 2000-2001 Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. Note: The Colorado Mammoth won the NLL Championship in 2006.

“Colorado! This is your Championship team!”

Outside of the things we get to look forward to at Dick Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids front office has been working hard to gain more traction in the area. Our supporter groups are steadily growing in size and the Rapids staff works very hard growing those relationships. I expect the supporter terrace to be filled with more fans this year and to give the north end of the stadium an amazing environment to cheer and celebrate. On top of this, being the reigning champions means every team is coming to play us with the mentality, that we’re the team to beat. From a fan’s perspective, the quality of soccer will be raised. It has to be in order to defend the title.

Sure there are still a few gripes with the front office, whether that’s not being able to own the new kits until June, the lack of star power without a DP (we’re down to the last few teams in the league without ever having a DP slot filled) or utilizing the Rapids official website in ways like Seattle and New York have been, like preseason match streaming, but slowly they’re improving. Just like in the case with Don Garber and his vision for MLS, I think he’s doing things the right way, even though there are plenty of little improvements that would help the league. Capping off at 20 teams for awhile, will give the league time to grow and put the focus on teams like the Rapids to ramp up soccer in the area and grow a larger fan base. The MLS 2011 season has much to look forward and with last year’s success, the Rapids have changed the winds of soccer in Colorado.

JMH