The first half highlights are few and far between. I found the songs and drunken antics of the Bulldog Supporters Group far more compelling than lazy passing around the back, a lack of creativity in the midfield, and poor movement up front. Ya…not good.

Thankfully it didn’t end there as you will see below

Now That We Are 8 Games In…

• Ballouchy is a baller…sometimes: And frankly his sometimes is the best we have coming out of the middle of the field, so it will have to be enough. To be fair, he continues to develop, and with time his passing will hopefully continue to be more consistent. Either way, I’d love to see him take on a defender at least once every half, throw a step-over or two in there, and put a shot on goal.
• Smith is kinda throwing darts: All love for El Capitan duly noted, he hasn’t found a cohesive, dependable starting XI. Injuries have made that near impossible, yet I think we are all still wondering questions like Where does Wynne belong (I think RB is best though it didn’t look great at times tonight)? Will it be Wells or Clark (I’m calling Clark though Wells can be an impact sub at 60′ on a regular basis).
• Casey deserved to be left at home: It hurts me to say it, as he is one of our finest footballers and a true Denver athlete. However, he was an “on the bubble” player whose form put him in (last season) and now out (this season) of the picture.
• The MLS Season hurts USMNT Possibles: While being at the beginning of our MLS season means less chance for injury and players being a bit more rested the negatives far outweigh the positives. Casey will undoubtedly turn this early season slump around, but it is too late for the World Cup squad. Unlike his European counterparts who are at their peak form after a long season, Casey is still shaking off the cobwebs.

Awesome picture from TheAmericanOutlaws.com

The team that played the last 5 minutes was lock your doors dangerous. If not beautiful, at least brutally effective.

Basics

For 85 minutes we never looked dangerous in the attack, save one shot. Torres made a nice turn and put a shot on goal that drew an “oooh” from the crow, the only time in the first 85′ our offense elicited such a response for the Dutch masses.

Beasley turned the tide with a glorious free kick that Bocanegra did not waste, putting it the back of the net. This unleashed some slightly crazy but very fun play by the US that saw them nearly equalize several times.

The US capitalized on uncharacteristic poor ball control by the Dutch defense in the 89th minute. Pedoya played an excellent give and go with Bradley and earned a penalty just outside the box. Beasley’s ensuing free kick left something to be desired.

To be fair, we are missing Dempsey and Davies, two key components of our attack. Altidore is not yet a player who can create all on his own. He needs to collaborate, and Findley was floundering before being replaced in the second half. Nonetheless some good play from our subs found us a goal and several good chances at equalizing, including another great effort by Altidore in the waning moments of the game.

Bummer

The refereeing was bizarre, especially in the first half. At times in the first half it seemed if the US came inside a 1 meter bubble of a Dutchman we were blown for disturbing personal space. Then we got the gift of a no-call for a blatant Bornstein handball in the box. Then a severe, late tackle that ended Stuart Holden’s night didn’t garner the much-deserved yellow card.

We can’t complain too much about the PK called on Bornstein with today’s football climate. However,  the brilliant Wesley Sneijder made the most of it and easily could’ve completed the play. I sure get tired of all the flopping in European Football.

Stock went down:

• MLS: not a great showing for our boys playing club ball in the US
• Bornstein. I’m sure he’s a great human being but geez he makes me nervous every time the ball is withing 5 yards of him
• Findley: looked out of his depth. He’s young, but he’s not ready

Bonus

Sans Bornstein we were solid in defense. His needless PK gave up the first goal, then he was unlucky to have the 2nd deflect off his torso and go past a wrong-footed Howard. If we can get Gooch back in the center, shift Spector to the left, and leave Bornstein on the bench where he belongs, we have a solid defense.

If Gooch doesn’t get better…I have visions of Bornstein pulling down Torres or Tevez in the box.

Beasley put out a good showing and in my opinion earned himself at least a spot on the World Cup side.

Stock went up:

• Maurice Edu showed good signs of composure on the ball
• Beasley played solid
• Pedoya showed signs of being dangerous
• Bradley was steady

Backtalk

1. What did the US show you today? Did their energy at the end indicate positive things to come, or was it the last gasp of a disjointed team?

2. Whose stock went up, and whose went down?

Xavi (pre-cloning)

In the 90’s human cloning was extremely controversial. I think fans of the Colorado Rapids and/or the US Men’s National Team could agree an exception should be made.

Watching Xavi play this weekend versus Real Madrid, he was the spoke around which the Catalan wheel rotated. Even when they went a man down he directed the flow of play.

The Rapids have a powerful striking duo up top with Casey and Cummings. We have a less potent but still fairly dependable back line with the likes of Moor and Baudet.

What Colorado really lacks is a a creative presence like Xavi, a turret in the middle of the field firing balls forward.

With the US Men’s National Team the need for a Xavi-clone is one of possession. We lack a strong presence in the middle of the field that can absorb passes from the back, choose passes without cheaply giving up possession, do it repeatedly throughout all 90 minutes. Instead, at times, we sprint around like a track team defenders like Gooch fire optimistic balls downfield and hope one of our front men can get onto it.

These are not newly diagnosed issues. Surely the only option is to clone Xavi and get him ready for 2010.

Disclaimer #2: I realize I have a man crush (based on all 3 criteria) on Timmy and am hopelessly biased.

That being said, going into a huge USMNT weekend, it is time to establish once and for all that goalkeeper Tim Howard is the best US Soccer player. Period. I give you the top 5 reasons this is the case

1. He is the unquestioned #1 for club (Everton) and country
2. He is among the 2 players on the USMNT whose loss would have the greatest effect on our performance (I’d say Donovan is the other clear choice on this list)
3. He has performed in the best league in the world (EPL) and distinguished himself as one of the top keepers in Europe (reference: David Moyes)
4. He has excelled in the Europa league in UEFA, the finest regional association in the world
5. He is an absolute rock, a consistent leader whether we are playing T&T at home or Mexico at the Azteca

One of the first areas this shows up is the lack of a default starting 11. If you look at the Rapids losses on 3/21 to Chivas USA, 4/19 to Houston, 6/28 to Seattle, 7/4 to Chicago, and 7/18 to DC United, these are the players who started.

1. Matt Pickens
2. Preston Burpo
3. Jordan Harvey
4. Ugo Ihemelu
5. Scott Palguta
6. Cory Gibbs
7. Julien Baudet
8. Kosuke Kimura
9. Nick LaBrocca
10. Mehdi Ballouchy
11. Jacob Peterson
12. Pablo Mastroeni
13. Greg Dalby
14. Colin Clark
15. Conor Casey
16. Pan Noonan
17. Omar Cummings

For the 6/24 and 7/4 losses there was some turnover due to international duties (Casey, Cummings, Clark), however if you look at this list I can’t say who El Capitan is going to pick for our upcoming match against New York. Not only that, but how players are used is also in question. Is Kimura effective enough as an attacking defender to make up for deficiencies in shutting down attackers? How does Noonan fit into our attack, can he mesh soon enough to make an impact this season? Is Baudet a helpful addition to the squad, or are we disrupting our defense by inserting him mid season?

And what is our style? Are we hard nosed and aggressive like Mastroeni? Are we quick on the counter like Clark and Cummings? Are we fluid like Ballouchy? I realize all of these can coexist at some level, but it seems like individual players have their own style, but the Rapids have not developed a style all their own.

If we can identify the starting 11 that perform well together and have the best chance of creating a cohesive style, we might achieve some consistency and get back into the playoff picture.

What are your thoughts?

First off, tell us about when and how your passion for the Rapids began.

I’ve been around since the beginning.  In high school, my teammates and I were skipping classes to watch the 1990 World Cup, so our principal finally gave in and put a TV in the cafeteria for us to watch matches.  Then was the very exciting 1994 World Cup of course, which lead to the US to getting a top professional league.  I had never really watched league soccer of any kind.  I was a giddy twenty one year at old Mile High for the opening game and have been a Rapids fan since.

What role do you think supporters clubs play in the growth of a franchise?

Supporters are very important to the growth of the Rapids.  The Rapids have marketed as family entertainment from day one.  They have found a lot of success with it and understandably have stuck with it.
However, Colorado is full of soccer fanatics and a major complaint about the Rapids is how dull the game atmosphere is.

In section 100,  you have the Centennial Firm bringing the atmosphere you’d expect to see at a soccer match, which is to the benefit of everyone.  They raise the excitement level inside the stadium and are the twelfth man making DSG Park hard for other teams to play in.  In section 108, you have Class VI, which is a section carved out of the stadium for people that want to sit and watch the game, but to do it among other supporters that are passionate about the Rapids.

But it’s more than just that.  Because supporters do more then just the inside stadium.  We have a website NoFanAlone.com where we’re interviewing players and bringing club news to fans, which is valuable since the number of places to get Rapids coverage is slim.  We host road trips, which if you’re a fan of the Rapids, will be the highlight of your season.  And before each game, we have one of MLS’ best tailgates, making going to a Rapids game more then just a game, we make it an event.

One thing I’ve heard repeatedly over the last couple years when the Rapids have struggled on the field is, “I thought about skipping this game, but I wanted to see all my Rapids friends.”

You are involved with both Class VI and C-Firm. Class VI has been getting quite the buzz of late, with Rapids reps like Marcus Myrick promoting you in season ticket holder email updates. How have you been able to build such a great base and relationship with the Rapids organization?

It’s been a long road, built on trust, communication, and compromise.

With Class VI, it’s much easier to have the backing of the Rapids front office, because the section is like any section you’d see at an NHL or NFL game.  So as we got more and more season ticket holders (over 100) into the section, they can see that we’re providing something that the Rapids haven’t been able to create.

With the Centennial Firm, the issues have always been two-fold.  Dealing with complaints from other fans and also the concerns from security.  There was a major break through last season when the Managing Director Jeff Plush had a series of face to face meetings with the heads of all the supporters groups along with DSG Park Officials, and Security Officals.

Jeff expressed the concerns of the teams and the supporters did likewise.  But the biggest breakthough came from Patrick Quinn,  (or Quinn to everyone), who drafted a Supporters Code of Conduct and committed to policing the section.

We’ve all gotten to know each other, and they have seen the success we’ve had in many events like the pre-season party where Coach Smith addressed supporters, our tailgates, and our road trips.  They have been extremely receptive this year, especially Director of Marketing Kieran Cain.

How would you define “success” Rapids this year?

Well, it’s been a difficult time for the Rapids on the field since 2002 in my opinion.  So success for the Rapids in 2009 for me doesn’t mean hoisting MLS Cup.  What it means to me is that they make the playoffs, win at home, and provide entertaining soccer.  I think all three are achievable.

As a club, I think success means increasing season ticket sales and getting the team’s finances in the black, which I know they are coming pretty close to.  These two goals however are tied directly to the on field product.

Finally, who is one player who has caught your eye this year, and why?

Last year was a great year for players making break through – Nick LaBrocca, Kosuke Kimara, and Omar Cummings for example.  But this year, I think Jordan Harvey is vastly underated and a major reason this team is winning.

Star left backs in this league are rare.  It doesn’t take a genius to know that if you follow the US Men’s National team.  So while Jordan Harvey doesn’t get the love of say Colin Clark or Conor Casey, he’s proving to be one of the more skilled left back in MLS.  Sing his praises Rapids fans!

Mark, thanks for taking the time. Check out more from Class VI at NoFanAlone.com

Cummings was our second leading scorer in 2008 with six goals and four assists in 26 games and 17 starts. I have always felt he is one of our most effective subs as he immediately elevates the pace of the game. He was called up to the Jamaican National Team last year. Ihemelu started in 16 of the 19 games he appeared in, and has been a recent presence on the US Men’s National Team. He earned his second cap in the 3-2 win over Sweden in January.

From el capitan Gary Smith

This is a reward for both of these players as to what they have contributed to the club, but also a sign for what they mean to this team moving forward…Ugo has taken some big steps forward with us and is a tireless defensive worker, and Omar has proven he will be quite an asset to us throughout the coming years. We now have a number of young players under contract that we believe will be the core of this team for what we hope will be a very successful period for the club.

Aside from Kljestan the man of the match seemed to be the omnipresent Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo). In previous games his performance as a finisher has been underwhelming for me. However, in this game his hardnosed performance earned key free kicks, including the one Kljestan put across for goal number one. His setup for Kljestan’s third goal was simply glorious, leading me to wonder if he can thrive in a setup role.

From the Rapids, Ugo Ihemelu got a cap as a substitute, though he let Dahlberg escape to score Sweden’s second goal.

View highlights of the game, the Bradley/Kljestan interview and Jeff Carlisle’s excellent game summary at ESPN’s Soccernet.com.