Rapids Try To Melt the Wizards

Home opener tomorrow night! The weather is clearing and according to the Undercurrent the complex will be ready to welcome the fans and the Kansas City Wizards to start the home schedule. The supporters groups are tailgating in a new spot this year, out front of the Cantina. Tailgate starts 3 hours before the game and all are welcome.

Injury Report:
PROBABLE: DF Ty Harden (groin); MF Mehdi Ballouchy (R knee strain)
International Absences:
MF Pablo Mastroeni (USA)

Another very favorable injury report for the Rapids, meanwhile Chivas has 5 players listed on their report and Espinoza has been called into the Honduran National Team. For the Rapids I predict:

Pickens

Kimura - Ihemelu - Gibbs - Harvey

LaBrocca

Peterson - Ballouchy - Clark

Cummings - Casey

There's some talk that Ballouchy won't be ready to go tomorrow night and Smith has been impressed with Cooke this week. Cookie played attacking mid in the Burgundy & Blue game on Tuesday so it wouldn't be a huge shock to see him get the start.

Key To Look For:

Discipline. Last week the Rapids showed for 40 minutes that they bought into Gary Smith's system and in that time they controlled the game. Then they started sliding back into the 2008 team that didn't play to a game plan. The Rapids need to stay focused for 90 minutes and continue to have faith int he plan and stick with it.

Prediction: 2-0 win, goals by Conor Casey and Gregory Richardson, Terry Cooke gets an assist. The Rapids are healthy and while losing Pablo hurts they have cover for him. They are going to have a great crowd behind them and with the natural altitude advantage they can run an injured KC into the ground.