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).

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Drew Moor, Jamie Smith, Joe Cannon, Troy Perkins

After dominating the first 3 games of the season, the Rapids got a major case of the skids. We were crushed by FC Dallas, suffered an emotionally draining loss at Fake Salt Lake, and then managed a tepid tie with the Fire. The Rapids rebounded on the road tonight with one part guts and one part luck.

The first half was…yawn…huh? Oh, sorry. The first half was…well fairly uneventful. The Rapids kept the Dynamo and their dynamic Will Bruin largely in check, but didn’t generate a shot on goal in the first (that I can remember).  The teams looked fairly evenly matched, and the Rapids looked even less likely to break the stalemate when Cummings went down late in the first half with an ankle sprain. No attack and a star striker going down…poor delivery from Smith on pieces…the first half was deja vu all over again.

Folan replaced Cummings in the first half, paired up top with Akpan. Other than rushing the goal keeper a la RSL 2010, and nearly having the ball bounce off his back and in the net, Akpan didn’t cause any trouble for the Dynamo. In the second half (69′) a somewhat fit Amarikwa came in to replace the Ivy-leaguer, but it was former Rapid Colin Clark that scored two minutes later.

Just 3 minutes later the soccer gods smiled on the Rapids after a tough month. Jamie Smith’s free kicks have been absolutely mediocre this season. He overhit this one….hit it right over the goal keeper and into the net. Absolutely not intentional, and he and Rapids nation were grateful for it.

But the winning goal was a scrappy, gutsy goal champions must get. In the 83, Marvell threw a ball from Dallas…it must’ve been 30 yards…which led to a scramble in the box. Amarikwa used his strength, and Caleb Folan his big frame to box out the defender. Folan’s diving toe poke was a lovely setup for…Scott Palguta (?) who hit it hard and low and the Rapids had their win.

The teams we are fielding look more like those we would want to start in CONCACAF, but with all the injuries this is our starting 11. With Cummings slumping and now injured, and a veritable merry-go-round up top, we will need goals to come from more than Casey / Cummings. We still need more creativity from Mastroeni, and I’m not sure Palguta is the answer at left back despite his heroics. However, Marshall, Kimura, and Moor are rock solid at the back. All credit to the boys in Burgundy and Gary Smith for gutting out a victory.

CONCACAF Champions League, Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Andre Akpan, Caleb Folan, Jamie Smith, Omar Cummings, Seattle Sounders

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

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Andre Akpan, Conor Casey, Jamie Smith, Jon Conway, Jorge Gonzalez, Marco Pappa, Omar Cummings

Whenever I hear a fellow countryman is heading back stateside, I get all excited. As Tommy Boy would say, “Hello there pretty little pet, I love you. And then I stroke it, and I pet it, and I massage it. Hehe I love it, I love my little naughty pet!” Now of course this is a professional kind of excitement but just trying to illustrate how my eager imagination works. As you might have read, United States men’s national team player, Benny Feilhaber, is coming to the MLS. For the last 3 seasons Feilhaber has been playing in the Danish leagues with Aarhus Gymnastikforening (don’t worry, I can’t say it either) as more of an attacking midfielder. After watching the Colorado Rapids last two matches, our depth at center midfield has been uncovered. Pablo Mastroeni isn’t getting any younger (he’s actually the second oldest on the team at 34) and I can’t help believe that we won’t get a few more knocks in our midfield this season.

Feilhaber is more of an attacking midfielder unlike our defensive midfielder, Jeff Larentowicz. I consider Pablo our best option for getting our forwards service from the midfield and since he has not played the last two matches, our dangerous forwards (any combination you choose) have been extremely quiet. Seeing how our team has developed since the offseason, I believe forward is our most talented position and our defense is even tighter as a core than they were last year. With Mastroeni at 34, Brian Mullan at 32 and Jamie Smith at 30, midfield seems like a position we need to starting looking at for the future as well as for our immediate needs.

So here comes Feilhaber, 26, knocking on the MLS door. He’s never played stateside, having gone to Germany in 2005 after his UCLA experience, and now potentially getting picked up by a team very close to home. Chivas USA has the top allocation ranking for returning US national team players and will most likely use their position to claim Feilhaber. They seem to be in the business of trading away USMNT players for draft picks, allocation money and for players closer to the demographic of their fanbase. Going back to my eager imagination, I’d like to see the Rapids make a trade offer for Feilhaber. Use the comment section below to describe your idea of a realistic package we could offer Chivas USA for Benny.

JMH

Major League Soccer (MLS), Player Transaction, Rapids News and Analysis, US National Team Benny Feilhaber, Brian Mullan, Jamie Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni

Pundits wondered if the defending champs only looked good because of their relatively weak two first opponents. When the Rapids downed mid table DC United tonight, they were stone cold killers, converting the majority of their legitimate chances. It was a slick, cold field, with drizzle turning to snow, and a tepid first half turning to second half domination.

DC United controlled much of the flow of play in the first half, but generated relatively few chances as Moor, Wynne, and Pickens suffocated any attacks. Folan scored his first MLS goal in the 38th minute, warming the hearts of the freezing faithful as he took on the defender one on one. The big man danced back and forth and then laced a shot with his left boot past the diving Pat Onstad.

It remained 1-0 until DC’s Chris Korb sent a gorgeous 30 yard cross to Santino Quaranta who volleyed it in. It was a lovely first time shot, but it was the last time DC was in the game. The Rapids took over from there, scoring on the restart. Anthony Wallace, who previously had a quiet game, sent a lovely cross in to the box. Smith’s header was sublime, arching up and over the goalkeeper. 2-1 Colorado in the 71′.

The Rapids weren’t done yet, nor was the big Irishman, as Folan matched Smith’s touch with a lovely header of his own. Nyassi, who put in another excellent showing as a super sub, sent a cross into the middle for Folan. There was no luck of the Irish involved, just technical skill in heading it down and across the face of goal.

There is no coincidence that the last three goals happened after Cummings came in in the 52nd minute…and indeed the last goal was Omar’s. It was the third goal of the night off the noggin. Setup by Amerikwa’s header and a deflected pass from Pablo, the Jamaican International sent it home as he beat Onstad to the ball. 4-1 Rapids.

I never thought I’d say this: but the Rapids really do have options in attack, with Folan, Nyassi, and even Amerikwa demonstrating an ability to make trouble for opposing back lines. We do lack some speed in the attack without Cummings, but Folan and Nyassi have shown they can move the ball upfield in a hurry. With the Rapids in multiple competitions, this depth in attack is much needed.

However, despite the fireworks, it is the boys in the back that deserve a shoutout. Though it wasn’t a shutout, they suffocated the DC attack and gave them few chances to get back in the game.

Main, Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Caleb Folan, Chris Korb, DC United, Jamie Smith, Omar Cummings, Pat Onstad, Sanna Nyassi, Santino Quaranta

If there was any lingering doubt on who is the MVP on the Rapids, and a top candidate for MVP of all of MLS, tonight’s masterclass by the Jamaican should clear up the issue.

The Rapids dominated the early portion of the match, and were rewarded in the 8th minute with a lovely crossing ball from Kandji that Omar toe poked into the far corner. Just seven minutes later, this time off a (predictably) gorgeous corner kick from Jamie Smith, Omar hit a direct volley past Chris Seitz, far post.

Cummings played the role of John the Baptist in “preparing a way” for goal #3. The Union stopped Cummings the only way you can (tripping), setting up a free kick in the 68′. Pablo crushed one right at Seitz, who fisted it right into the path of the onrushing Wells “John 3:16″ Thompson.

Kandji setup Amerikwa for a goal in the 86th minute after another stellar individual effort. The Union got a throwaway goal in the final minute(ish) after Jack McInerney capitalized on an uncharacteristic error by Drew Moor. Final score, 4-1.

Omar was simply unstoppable, on a run of 7 goals in 5 games, and Kandji proved a powerful partner up top. Kandji actually got better in the second half, taking on Cummings playmaker role surprisingly well. Both his assist in the first half to Cummings, and his unselfish setup to Amerikwa in the final minutes were spot perfect. At first trading for Mac seemed an unnecessary addition to a strong forward position, but having depth in our attack bodes well for the playoff push.

Following up on the pre-game keys to the match

• Will Wallace and Kimura be effective in offense on the wings, but still get back for the counter attack?
  A resounding yes. Both moved effectively, but Wallace shined in creating headaches for the Union on the left. His scorching free kick in the first half showed that left boot has power
• Will the Rapids be able to maintain control of possession and stifle LeToux and the counter attack?
  Let’s just say the Union looked about as dangerous as a golden retriever puppy. I’m not sure if it was the absence of Mwanga, but they simply couldn’t generate an attack. As Derek of Class VI mentioned here in the box, Drew Moor put in another stellar performance, not withstanding his late error that led to the only goal. (As a sidenote, his collision with Le Toux in the 60′ was scary…the sound of his neck/head against Le Toux’s shoulder was heard all the way up in the box. Send your Chiropractic recommendations to DSGP)
• Killer instinct: these are the sorts of games on short turnaround that will tell us the mental strength of this team. Can we close?
  Ok, so the Union aren’t the best team in the MLS. But the Rapids showed mental strength and toughness, and had the game put to bed by the 15′. Job well done.

P.S. nsubstantiated rumor that El Piojo actually made it on the pitch for 20′. Can’t be true, can it?

Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis Anthony Wallace, Chris Seitz, Drew Moor, Jamie Smith, Macoumba Kanji, Omar Cummings, Sebastien Le Toux, Wells Thompson

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

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

I arrived here on a wet evening at the end of June 2009. ‘Denver doesn’t get much rainfall’, I was told. So you can imagine my mood when on landing, having travelled 15 hours and feeling full of excitement at the prospect of a new city, stepping off the plane to good old Scottish drizzle. My heart sunk.

Continue to: Jamie Smith: How did I end up playing in America? | Football | STV Sport.

Rapids News and Analysis Jamie Smith