The Rapids and Galaxy get to do it all over again. Tonight the Rapids face the Galaxy again at the Toolbox, this time in a U.S. Open Cup play-in game. The loser is out of the USOC, the winner gets to play the winner of the Seattle-FSL matchup, with the winner of that match getting into the USOC proper.I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on a game preview. For one, you can read my preview for Saturday's game, things haven't changed much in 72 hours. secondly a game like this is always hard to analyze. Nobody knows how seriously Arena or Smith are going to take the USOC this year, and with players like Pablo and PrimaDonnavan having played 2-3 full games in the last 10 days you have to assume that they won't be playing very much tonight.
What its really going to come down to is desire. Which team, coming off a tight game 3 days ago and looking at a big game this weekend, wants it more. We're probably going to see a number of young players in the lineups, which will lead to mistakes, but one team is going to have the drive to win this game.
I think that team will be the Rapids. They are a stronger team than LA right now, and have less older players. I predict a 1 goal win, either 1-0 or 2-1.
UPDATE: The Rapids have told me there will be a Matchtracker for the game and there may be live updates at the Undercurrent. Kickoff is at 9pm MDT.
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4 comments:
nice win. the rapids should play the gals every week.
any idea why the game was played so early in the calendar? was it simply to avoid another trip to LA? i notice that the remaining qualifier games are in like 3 weeks..
Yeah, pretty much to avoid an extra LA trip. Now the Rapids are done with LA-LA land for the season, unless they draw Chivas in a USOC road game.
P.S. Rob, we should do a Sounders-Rapids scarf trade...
sounds like a plan. i actually think colorado has one of the top three kits in mls and would love a scarf. i am tired of all the red, black and blue kits. glad we have the rapids, the dynamo, the crew to spice things up a bit. (portland, should be nice too even though we hate them up here)
are you going to be in the area anytime soon?
I might make it up for the late June Rapids-Sounders match but its right on top of a work deadline and we're saving pennies for a down payment on a house in the fall. Besides, you're going to be pretty busy around that time. ;)
We hope to make it up for my Mom's and grandfather's birthdays in late October should the house buying allow it.
You should come to Denver in May for Rapids-Sounders ;)
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