Let me start by offering a formal apology for predicting yesterday that Salt Lake would score a goal. That was shameful and, in retrospect, I don’t know what I was thinking. I will put forth great effort to avoid saying such hideous things in the future.

This game was textbook Colorado Rapids, start to finish. Here’s how the Rapids win for those who don’t get to see many of their games (you’re missing out by the way). The Rapids can be described in one word: relentless. What was the difference between the play that scored and the attempts that came before it? Nothing, except that it was the seventh time the Rapids did it. The Rapids are very effective with the soccer fundamentals. They don’t try anything fancy (usually) to trick the defense. They play soccer by the textbook: work the ball through the midfield and send it up front when a forward makes a good run. That’s it, and they do it exceptionally. They’ll do it again and again, and, come the second half, the defense is tired enough and has tried to stop the same play enough that they make one mistake, and the Rapids finish strong. At that point, the Rapids use the lead to open up the field a little and control the rest of the game, usually scoring one or two more. It’s simple, methodical, and effective, and it’s a sight to see. The numbers show it, too: the Rapids have scored 13 goals this year so far and ONE of those goals have been scored in the first half. Scoreless at half time is SOP for Colorado. They look like a group of guys who go out and do what they practiced together. It’s fun to see that payoff for them.

Congratulations for a good individual effort, as usual, to Kosuke. Facundo also played good defense and provided some excellent service forward to feed the attack. He’s a real two-way soccer player. Christian was flawless in the midfield as usual, and Colin simply owned the right wing. Heck, I couldn’t find a bad thing to say about a single one of them if I wanted to.

Here’s an interesting note: with a New York – Kansas City draw on Saturday (it could happen), the Rapids take position in the last SuperLiga spot. Either way, let’s cheer for a Dallas – Las Angeles draw on Saturday, and the Rapids will be two points ahead. Even if that doesn’t happen, unless Dallas wins by 3 (unlikely), the Rapids stay where they belong: first place.

Other then the Ugo error, the Rapids continued pretty much every trend from their past few games. They played good defense (exceptional in the case of Erpen and Kimura), contested the midfield, and had many opportunities which they didn’t finish. Same old story.

One insight I picked up when watching the game though was that I think a big source of the Rapids inability to finish is Omar. He’s kind of a ball-hog. He tries to shoot even when there’s no shot instead of passing it off to McManus. That works okay when he’s the lone forward, but if the Rapids are going to use a spot on another forward, Omar’s going to need to learn to utilize him. In a sense, Omar’s a striker not a forward.

Christian continued his midfield domination, but he’s either going to have to start taking better corners, or we have to Terry back in the lineup. Those low-and-right-at-the-first-defender kicks just don’t cut it.

The ejections were a little strange, too. Who is Gary Smith?

As for Houston, they really played the best game of their season so far today. If they keep it up, they might get back into playoff contention.

Have you ever heard that where a team is at the quarter-season mark is where they are likely to end up? It’s fairly accurate in Europe, probably less so in MLS, but still pretty good. At least, I hope it is, because this is it, and the Rapids are in first place.

So, now the only solution is to take out one of the most frustrating losses of all time on our next opponents…Salt Lake.

The biggest question on my mind as we await the game against Houston (with much anticipation, by the way) is who will be starting. The Rapids showed at the beginning of the year that they can play well in the 4-5-1. I would still prefer it because, as I’ve stated and overstated here on The Rapids Offside, this team’s power is in its midfield. A 4-5-1 allows the Rapids to keep LaBrocca on the field, and if there’s a spot for another midfielder, he’s certainly earned it. On the other hand, a 4-4-2 gets another forward up there, and Peterson’s goal in his first start this year makes a compelling case for it.

If I had to choose now, and everyone was healthy, it would go something like this:
———————Bouna——————–
—Kosuke—Facundo—Ugo—Jose—
Terry—Pablo—Christian—Nick—Colin
——————-Herculez——————-

That striker up front is a hard choice, but with a five man midfield (a few of which are very capable of scoring), Herculez, Jacob, Tom, or Omar are all fine choices.

But, looking at The Match Up page on the Rapids website, Fernando is trying something different this week. It’s right about 2/3 of the time, but it has projected Jordan Harvey playing in the back instead of Jose, Terry and Colin are benched (like last week), and Peterson’s on the left wing. If this is right, it sound’s like something Fernando might do. He seems to be playing around with the line-up while it’s still early in the season and the Rapids have a couple of easier games ahead of them, and that might be a good idea. I will certainly be interested to see how this works out, and if there’s any early season game that’s good for trying this out, it’s this one.

The match on Sunday was a great way to get back into the swing of things. The man of the match was defiantly Christian with two assists. Another high point was seeing Jacob Peterson back in the lineup. He gets better every year, and netted the game winner.

The 4-4-2 made it’s reappearance at Dick’s. Amazingly Colin Clark and Terry Cooke were absent in the starting lineup. Even though the Rapids did well, I would still like to go back to the five man midfield, but if they keep winning, of course I won’t make a fuss about it.

So, now not only is Colorado back in first place again, they next play the worst team in soccer, and then Salt Lake at home. So now it’s time to start looking at qualification for some international competitions next year. The Rapids are one point back from the last SuperLiga spot, and four points back from qualifying for the Champions League in the regular season. With the West in the shape it’s in this year, the Rapids could really get quite a few points ahead of the rest of the conference with their upcoming games.

The only other team in the West who is on par with the Rapids is Dallas. They their next games are against Salt Lake and Las Angeles, so these are important games for the Rapids to win.

UPDATE: Holy cow. Look at this Box Score. 17 shots. 17. No wonder DC allows 2 goals per game if they allow that many looks on goal. If not for some embarrassing misses by the Rapids, that would have been a blow out. It looks like there’s not a lot of defense being played in DC this year.

Let’s be more specific: midfield. I’ve stressed it a lot in previous posts. But it really is the strength of this club. Christian has really served as a linchpin for the midfield and, by extension, the whole team. I’ve never seen one player open up an entire team’s capabilities like him.

Which brings me to tomorrow’s game. Christian versus his former team. In case you haven’t noticed, DC is having trouble this year. They’re not that good. They’ll be lucky if they make the playoffs if they keep this up. What I wonder is how much has Christian’s trade been part of that. Clearly, the guy enhances the ability of anyone he takes the field with. Other then him, this is the same Colorado Rapids of last year, and yet watching then versus now is like night and day.

When the Rapids traded their Designated Player slot to DC for Gomez, the “experts” like the guys at ESPN were quick to call the Rapids suckers. But I wasn’t so sure for two reasons. Firstly, Christian had the capability to do all of the things the Rapids couldn’t last year. Despite Pablo’s efforts, the midfield just wasn’t there. Under virtually no circumstance did the Rapids control play. On the wings, they were decent but they would either hit the wall once they tried to move forward or just fall into the habit of trying to kick over the midfield, which usually doesn’t work to well. Gomez, on the other hand, can control the midfield, maybe better then anyone else in the league.

Secondly, which would you rather have, a solid, proven player, or a big name? Ideally with the DP slot you get both, but has that happened yet? Has a team with a DP won ANYTHING? At all? Think about it: Houston won the league, New England won the Open Cup, Pachuca won the Champion’s Cup and SuperLiga. Competitions made up so that LA could win, like the Pan-Pacific Championship, didn’t happen that way. Even the rivalry cups that were contested by one team with and one team without a DP went to the team without one: Chivas USA over LA in the SuperClasico and Houston over Dallas in the Texas Derby.

If Colorado wanted to get a player like Gomez, they had to give up something big. What else did they have? Mid-round Draft picks? Mediocre players? The DP slot was about the only leverage they had. And from the looks of what has happened so far this year, it worked.

So, to the game tomorrow. DC fans would have you believe that they are revitalized by the win over Salt Lake, but I’m not convinced. The best match up will be Gallardo vs. Pablo or Christian (depending on DC’s choice of formation). DC allows a ton of goals (2 per game, 3rd worst in the league), so if the Rapids plan on getting their high-scoring style back, tomorrow would be a good day. While it’s unlikely, if San Jose can keep Dallas from winning, the Rapids would take the West back with a win. They would have a little work to do still to get back in contention for SuperLiga qualification, but the Rapids have a pretty easy couple of games, so now’s as good of a time as any.

My prediction: Colorado Rapids 2-1 DC United.

The Rapids have been allowing a few more goals then I would like recently, so DC might slip one in on them, but the Rapids should have no trouble scoring against DC’s defense.

Other game predictions:
New England Revolution 1-1 Chicago Fire
Columbus Crew 1-1 Kansas City Wizards
Houston Dynamo 2-2 Chivas USA
Real Salt Lake 2-3 Los Angeles Galaxy (Can’t they both lose?)
San Jose Earthquakes 0-1 Dallas
DC United 1-2 Chicago Fire

Still, there is something I can do: send traffic to those Rapids-centric sites – something I’ll do below – and, when applicable, praise them; that can be my contribution to building the Rapids’ base. Something else I can do: provide a slightly more dispassionate take on what’s happening in Rapids-land. For what it’s worth, I see value in both activities…and I respect the opinion of those Rapids fans who count the first contribution as the more significant. So let’s get straight to that and, with it, move on to the other items in the title – e.g. post-game musings and my educability.

In my post-game comments, I floated the idea that Colorado seemed set on the same offensive approach – e.g. flying down the wings and banging in crosses; moreover, I didn’t see Christian Gomez as much of a factor. The two Swella Fellas over at FC Rocky, George Tanner and Angel Fernandez, took a different view – a diametrically opposed view, in fact:

“Finally, the Rapids pushed forward vertically. Gomez’s presence had much to do with this (more on that later … ).”

[SNIP]

“Gomez was able to create scoring chances individually. He set up Cooke’s goal with his quick shot off the post, and he essentially put the game out of reach with a solid PK.”

[SNIP]

“In the 37th minute, Gomez freed the speedy Cummings with a sweet flick forward. The key word there is ‘forward.’ For YEARS this team has relied on playing the ball safely and unimaginatively to the wings and settling for a cross from the sideline. But if Saturday’s game was an indication, Gomez has planted the seed with this team: It’s a good idea to go straight at the defense sometimes.”

Just so you know, for all the love they send to Gomez, FC Rocky, like everyone else it seems, saved the biggest gushes for Terry Cooke…no wonder he got player of the week.

But I wanted to use that mega-(and-hopefully-not-legally-oversized)-excerpt to make a point: I didn’t see the same thing, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t just miss it. In fact, I kind of see what they’re getting at and that gives me something to watch for this week and the next and the next. The point is, I miss plenty; reading other peoples’ perspectives has the capacity to make me smarter at the very least. I won’t always agree, but it – as in watching and thinking and writing about this soccer stuff – is all about building a better understanding of the game. I’m willing to learn….questions of ability to do so notwithstanding…

With that in mind, I have a couple other pieces to pass on. wewantrapidman reserved some of his highest praise for the youthful stand-ins who played so well last Saturday – most notably, Stephen Keel and Kosuke Kimura. And that’s some good news, judging by current mini-plague of injuries – also posted on wewantrapidman. View From The Couch also posted entirely praiseworthy match analysis that ran the gamut between As to his own Qs, match facts, and random observations. Anyone wanting to learn about the Rapids could do a hell of a lot worse than to read these sites.

Speaking of a hell of a lot worse, it’s time to check in with The Official Organ – i.e. the Rapids’ official site, i.e. the narrow font of information from which, absent thorough coverage in the local MSM, Rapids fans learn about their team. Their weekly update spent the first few paragraphs doing what corporate mouthpieces do: go down on the product. That’s not to say there’s no “nutritional value” in there; after all, the piece contains the first mention I’ve seen of the Rapids U.S. Open Cup date with the Los Angeles Galaxy (May 27). Better still, it connects to – I’ll admit it – a wicked cool preview set-up for this weekend’s game against the Kansas City Wizards. Loathe to admit it as I am, it’s not just well-organized, but all techy and smart as well. You got me there, Official Organ…just don’t get it in my hair*. (*Sorry. Wow. Really, really sorry.)

Once your stomachs settle down, do read up on the apparent signing of Tam MacManus, the Scottish striker who has been skulking around the Rapids camp for some time now. Looks like they got ‘im and that he’ll be playing this weekend. The question, though, is what they got.

- Remember that somewhat recent loss to the Bermudan National Team (no? Here ya go!)? If that loss didn’t leave you feeling a little dubious heading into the season, enjoy this little observation from Bermuda Hogges coach Shaun Goater:

“Having said that, I didn’t think Rapids were the best MLS team to have visited Bermuda. The Revs may have come out earlier on in their pre-season preparations but they looked a lot further on than Rapids.”

So…if I’m reading this correctly…Goater is saying that the unfit (read: fat) edition of the New England Revolution is better than a Rapids side with a months worth of fitness on them. Oh, yes, he did.

- So Greg Lalas, given a big, impressive feature for Sports Illustrated, profiles 14 likely impact players for the 2008 season – e.g. roughly one per team. Naturally, he flags Christian Gomez for the Rapids, but seems unable to resist – yes – another little dig:

“Problem is, Colorado doesn’t have the type of marksmen who made Gómez look so good in D.C.”

Wow. OK, maybe it’s deserved for a club that approaches personnel issues like a psychotic girlfriend/stalker boyfriend (see Chase Hilgenbrinck…who, by the way, seems to have already moved on to fresh company…gasp! Not the very same New England Revolution! Will these chance parallels never end?!).

Today, we get to the failing that doomed the Colorado Rapids’s 2007: namely, the ever-sputtering offense. If Toronto FC hadn’t suffered eternities of incompetence in front of goal, the Rapids 29 goals scored would have set the all-time low-scoring mark for the 30-game era in Major League Soccer (MLS). The reasons for the failing are many: first, and most obviously, injuries; poor choices in personnel; lackluster performances by too many players when they were healthy – it adds up in the end.

The Rapids set out to fix their vexation in the off-season – and a good thing to with so many injuries carrying over from last season. Conor Casey, Herculez Gomez, and Mehdi Ballouchy: all three remain on the physios table. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that’s one starter sitting at least. Last year also featured an injury to Jovan Kirovski….what?….oh…never mind. Turns out he was there for nearly every game. You wouldn’t know it, not least until there was a PK to be taken.

The link in the paragraph above mentions that the Rapids’ physios are busy trying to get the wounded back onto the field for the season opener. That would be a good thing, of course (or probably at least), because both Casey and Gomez showed well over some spells, if at different times during the year. And it’s not like they didn’t have a solid supporting cast in midfield. In fact, it’s fair to say that, last year, the forward line let down a fairly decent midfield. Between Terry Cooke on the right and Colin Clarke on the left, healthy forwards could find decent service from the flanks. The bigger problem came with the comparative void between the two…

….but, hey, that’s why the Rapids lifted Christian Gomez from DC United. By bringing in one of the most consistent central midfielders in MLS, it’s hard to believe the Rapids haven’t upgraded. What isn’t hard to believe is that they still haven’t done enough.

What I expect from the Rapids’ offense appears after the jump. I’ll confine myself to players whose primary focus is on the making and scoring of goals; that’s not to say some people not named won’t contribute to the offense, so much as to point out they have other things they need to do. Here goes…

The Parts
Midfield: Rafael Gomes, Mehdi Ballouchy, Christian Gomez, Terry Cooke, Colin Clark, and – hey – I’ll admit it: a bunch of dudes I can’t peg. (FYI, I plugged in Mastroeni with the preview of the defense.)
Forwards: Jovan Kirovski, Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Jacob Peterson, Herculez Gomez.

How They’ll Fit Together
I won’t deny that this would all read more impressively if I had some firm idea as to how the Rapids will line up in 2008. I suspect Gomez’ arrival will bring some changes, but can’t say what. So, what comes below is what I would do mixed with what I believe will happen…which is why Kirovski’s name is in there.

For the record, I’m assuming something wacky, something like a 3-1-2 (see the Rapids defense preview for the rest of the line-up; Mastroeni carries over). Read this from left to right:

Midfield: Cooke – Mastroeni – Clark
“In the Hole”: Gomez
Forward: Kirovski – Casey

Fortunately, Clavijo has options…including leaving Kirovski on the bench.

How They’ll Work (I Think)
To forward an educated guess, I believe this will work along the lines of the Houston Dynamo’s attack: e.g. solid flank play will open up room for Gomez (that’s Christian; I’ll call Herculez by his first name to keep this clear) to operate up the middle. That’s what makes me think they’ll play Casey whenever he’s healthy; can’t beat a big bruiser for getting on the end of crosses. Kirovski will do whatever it is he does – shoot from range, etc. – unless he cedes his spot on the field to Gomez and someone else pairs with Casey.

And, for Rapids’ fans sakes, I hope that’s what happens. From what I’ve heard, the Rapids are still shopping for options (I think his name is Sava? Or even some guy called Navia? Wait…I think that second one is dead), but they have a couple plausible options at hand, starting with Herculez. From what I’ve seen of him, Omar Cummings deserves a longer look and there’s also Jacob Peterson lurking out there. Of all of them, Herculez has the name recognition, but his patchy form should leave the door open for Peterson and Cummings; I’d go with the latter first, but that’s not based on a ton of observation.

The one thing I can’t really nail down – and this applied to the defensive preview as well – is what happens with Gomes. What does that guy do and where does he like to line up? I saw he scored one this pre-season (against Ipswich, I believe) and maybe he’s preferred over someone like Clark – though based on the raves I’ve read about Clark, he’d have to be bringing some game to displace him. So, there, I don’t know what to think…should be interesting to find out.

As for Casey, and any other oft-injured players, you have to wonder how often you clear a space for a guy like that. Scoring goals is hard enough without throwing a wrench into players’ familiarity with one another. The same goes for someone like Ballouchy, or even Kirovski – albeit not in terms of injury. Where do they fit on this team? Isn’t this what Steve Davis was talking about when he questioned whether a master plan of any kind governs the Rapids’ player acquisitions?

In spite of all the questions and caveats, when you put it all together, it’s hard to believe the Rapids won’t improve offensively in 2008. The problem is, they have a long climb ahead. Even with Gomez’ till-now-regular 10 goals per annum, they would have stalled around 39 goals in 2007. That, to me, makes the fundamental question facing the Rapids offense this season not so much how many goals Gomez can score, but how many he can create for Rapids’ forwards. I think a playoff berth, perhaps even beyond, rides on the answer to that one.

View from the Couch responds in what I view as a healthy fashion: by moving on and looking ahead – specifically at who’s likely to start in the regular season, what’s up next in pre-season, etc. For what it’s worth, the “friendly” against Chicago should tell us more about the Rapids than the Bermuda game.

Speaking of the regular season, Rapids Class VI set plans in motion from the fan’s perspective, announcing available seats for an April 5 weekend road-trip to Kansas City as well as a pre-season party. I don’t normally cover the fan beat, but, given my role here, and wishing all the best to Rapids fans, I figure helping get the word out is the least I can do. So, if you live in the Denver metro area and want to hook up with the Rapids fan culture, it looks like Rapids Class VI is a good place to start.

Before closing today, I suppose the question is what to make of all this – e.g. the Bermuda loss, the fact the 3-2-3 (I think) pre-season record looks a lot like a regular season record from seasons past. Maybe I’m feeling a little reactive, but Friday’s loss has me wondering whether the Rapids did enough this off-season, especially at forward. Seeing the “wrong Gomez” make the telling, if futile, impact versus Bermuda raises the specter of the Rapids having bet the farm on an aging property. Probably getting ahead of myself on that, but…yeah, euphoria about that signing, or any other, waits on support from reality before it becomes confidence that good things are ahead.