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
As the British announcers on ESPN might say if this was a World Cup game, “this game is waiting for someone who will grab it by the scruff of the neck.” Toronto got a scrappy but effective goal in the 61′ and the Rapids could not equalize. Tepid. Lukewarm. The Rapids simply looked…uninspired.
These are the sorts of games that compel me to predict another season where we fall just out of playoff contention. We came off six games unbeaten, but the final three of those were ties. We are dropping points when we could be nipping at Fake Salt Lake’s heels.
Dare I say we were punchless without Ballouchy? The game was screaming for someone to take charge of our attack in the midfield. Smith looked adequate in the midfield, took a couple good set pieces, but lacked the creative touch. Thompson was pacey but never really troubled the defense. On a bright note, Casey and Cummings teamed up well on a few chances and put our only shots on goal. However in the end we fell short.
Smith appears to be throwing darts again with the lineup. To be fair, I’m not sure either what the combination is. Some fans want Lopez in there, a man who has shown to be quite dangerous throughout his career. Can he last 90 minutes however? Clark seems tentative, little of the slashing winger of 2009. What we need is a leader, someone who will grab our attack by the scruff of the neck and will his way into making us dangerous in games like this where a point was ours for the taking.
Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis
Conor Casey, Mehdi Ballouchy, Omar Cummings, Toronto FC
If the real July 4th was an abject failure, July 4th “take 2″ was a stunning success tonight at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids completely dominated every aspect of the game and came away with a much needed 4-0 win. The Rapids organization capped off the night with a remarkable fireworks display, redeeming the 4th for loyal fans and returning visitors alike. Read more…
Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis
Bouna Coundoul, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Fecundo Diz, Jacob Peterson, Juan Pablo Angel, Julien Baudet, Mehdi Ballouchy, MLSnet.com, New York Red Bulls, Omar Cummings
In evaluating the Rapids form at this point in the season, I think of the US Men’s National Team. There was a carousel of players in and out, different formations, different styles of play, and inconsistent results. Once Bob Bradley arrived at a final 11 and somewhat of an identity, the results at the Confederations Cup were staggering. I believe the Rapids have yet to find that identity.
One of the first areas this shows up is the lack of a default starting 11. Read more…
Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis, US National Team
Bob Bradley, Chivas USA, Colin Clark, Conor Casey, Cory Gibbs, DC United, Jacob Peterson, Jordan Harvey, Julien Baudet, Kosuke Kimura, Matt Pickens, Mehdi Ballouchy, Nick LaBrocca, Omar Cummings, Pablo Mastroeni, Preston Burpo, Scott Palguta, Ugo Ihemelu, US Men's National Team
Kosuke’s second goal of the season was enough to secure a victory at home for the Rapids over a struggling FC Dallas team. While Kimura lacks the size of a Palguta or the ability to impose like Ihemelu, he has shown now on two occasions that he can utilize his speed from the back to find holes in the defense. Kudos also to Ballouchy, whose pass showed tremendous vision. Though at times he struggles with imprecise passing, he is developing his ability to see the field and find the attacking player. Read more…
Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis
DC United, FC Dallas, Jacob Peterson, Kosuke Kimura, Mehdi Ballouchy, MLSnet.com, Nick LaBrocca, Nick Thomas, Ugo Ihemelu, wewantrapidman
On the road, on turf, against last year’s Western Conference champs, and the Rapids didn’t blink. Granted the Red Bulls aren’t in form right now, but led by Killer Casey the Rapids are just 2 points out of 2nd in the west. Read more…
Major League Soccer (MLS), Rapids News and Analysis
Conor Casey, Matt Pickens, Mehdi Ballouchy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake
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