The Good News
That has to be one of the top five (three?) Rapids goals ever.

The other bit of good news is that the errors that cost the Rapids the game would have lost any game no matter the formation. In my broken mind, that’s a good thing. It means that if the team fixes that one problem, they still have their strengths: depth, versatility, and perseverance. I hope Fernando tries the 3-5-2 when the club is a bit more to form sometime. I’ve never seen a boring game when a team takes that formation. Ugo counts as two central defenders, so with great attackers like Facundo and Kosuke, the 3-5-2 has a lot of potential.

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.

Having rambled way down below – they say people resort to verbosity to cloak ignorance, y’know – I’ll keep things short here. I can handle most of what I’m seeing in there and, therefore, see no reason to comment. Feel free to quibble in the comments.

But a few numbers associated with a few players look just…wrong or, at best, a little off. Here a quick review…but do keep in mind that I don’t think anyone adult should have to live on just under $18K:

Off
Mehdi Balloucy ($93K): Mmm…no. He’s contributed too little, both in Colorado and RSL.
Herculez Gomez (~$52K): This has as much to do with what they’re paying Conor Casey as anything.
Jovan Kirovski ($220K): If he wasn’t last year’s leading scorer, he’d be down below…god, that’s depressing.

Wrong
Conor Casey ($190K): I know the player isn’t happy either…still, can I get paid a lot to limp?
Colin Clark ($33K): It’s a shame his salary hasn’t yet risen with his star.
Bouna Coundoul ($33K): This is your starting ‘keeper, people. He has started in the African Nations Cup.
Facundo Erpen ($125K): Yeah, I know the Rapids inherited that figure, but for what you get?

The more I stare at the list, the more I think the majority of players can fit in either category. Can’t say I understand how Major League Soccer comes up with salary figures, but only that it doesn’t tally. To give an example, how does Jacob Peterson come so close to six figures with Clark and Coundoul as low as they are? Nope..I don’t get it.

As much as Rapids fans may want to forget 2007, keeping that defense together seems a good idea. Good news: a couple minor departures aside – Tony Sanneh (who was old) and Brandon Prideaux (not the best; not the worst either) – Colorado did keep their defense together. Bouna Coundoul returns in goal, along with all or parts of the following (“parts” noted parenthetically where appropriate): Mike Petke (gimpy ankle), Ugo Ihemelu (brokedick hip); Dan Gargan (lame knee); Facundo Erpen; Stephen Keel (though he’s new-ish, isn’t he?); and Kosuke Kimura. It’s possible I missed a player or two in there, so do forgive any errors.

In an attempt to strengthen that defense (or, to be honest, to help with some other on-field need), the Rapids brought in a couple new players: Jose Burciaga Jr. from the Kansas City Wizards and Tim Ward from the Columbus Crew…and let us never speak of Chase Hilgenbrinck again.

As well all know, defense isn’t just a team’s defenders. One only needs to type “Pablo Mastroeni” for anyone to get that. He, along with a few other players, will do everything they can to keep the ball away from and out of Coundoul’s goal. And I know that, in the modern era, every player on the field has defensive responsibilities, but I’m focusing here on those for whom defensive duties are primary.

That only leaves the question of how they’ll all fit and work together…and that’s what comes below.

The Parts
Goalkeepers: Bouna Coundoul, Mike Graczyk, Justin Hughes
Defenders: Jordan Harvey, Dan Gargan, Facundo Erpen, Jose Burciaga Jr., Mike Petke, Stephen Keel, Ugo Ihemelu, Tim Ward, Kosuke Kimura, Cesar Zambrano (I thought this dude was a midfielder).
Defensive Midfielders: Rafael Gomes (from what I hear), Pablo Mastroeni, Ciaran O’Brien…and quite probably a bunch of other players. Again, forgive my blind-spots. I’ll have this stuff down cold by the sixth week; I promise…

How They’ll Fit Together
If memory serves – and it’s all too possible it doesn’t – Colorado generally plays a 4-4-2. Assuming that’s correct, as well as a healthy individual players, I expect they’ll line up something like this (left-to-right):

GK: Coundoul
Defenders: Burciaga Jr. – Erpen – Petke – Ihemelu
Midfield: Mastroeni (camped out over them)

How They’ll Work (I Think)
Holy crap do these guys have lots of cover/competition for spots! That’s not only good news for Rapids-nation, it also makes a mockery of my expected line-up. For example, if Burciaga busts on the left, Erpen played that position for DC United – not always well, I know, but he’d be experienced and comfortable right away. Ihemelu could play centrally or out right and that doesn’t even get into all the possible permutations the Rapids can field on any given Saturday. Injuries forced them to do that plenty last season and it’s reassuring to know they can do it all again. (Significantly, however, there are those injuries. Is the physio huffing ether down in Denver or what?)

Simply put, the Rapids remain strong and have a hell of a lot of flexibility in the back because they didn’t give up anything meaningful. With Burciaga, they gained some offensive skills and, with Ward, they gained some dirt-cheap (as in free; he’s Generation Adidas) back-up talent.

At the same time, it’s not all sweetness and light. Burciaga strikes me as an “X-Factor.” Getting caught out often as he does, he’s not the best defender out there. Even if I get the impression he improved since moving mile-high, the same goes for Erpen; he gave DC fans fits for years with over-eager defending. Two guys like that on one back-line can spell trouble. Another player I have always found unsettling: Coundoul. More than once a game, he comes out so rangy and ragged that the scares the bejesus out of me. All the same, he gets the job done – even when he looks like he has no clue doing it.

Anyway, those are the liabilities, such as they are. In all honesty, I expect the Rapids defense will be fine in 2008. Maybe that’s why there’s not much to say here. I’ll get to the offense tomorrow….and don’t think I’ll be as stuck for words on that post.