Second Half Of The Union/United Week

Note: I'm starting a family visit this weekend, so the blog will have little or no posts after this until after the Dallas game next weekend.

The Rapids play their second home game this week against one of the "combined" teams of MLS, DC United. DC is awful this year, and they have as hot at one of the worst 5 seasons on MLS history. Colorado has won its last 4 home games by a combined 14-1 score, and those were against theoretically better teams than DC. DC hasn't won in Denver since 2000, a whole millennium ago. Game time tomorrow is 7pm (note time change from the beginning of thee season!) and the supporter's tailgate will start at 4. This week is the annual supporter's chili cook-off, so come hungry!

Injury Report:

OUT: DEF Julian Baudet (L hamstring strain), MF Ciaran O'Brien (L hip sprain); FW Ross Schunk (R ACL tear)

PROBABLE: GK Matt Pickens (groin)

Discipline Report:

ONE CAUTION FROM SUSPENSION: Wells Thompson

TWO CAUTIONS FROM SUSPENSION: Omar Cummings, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Mullan, Jamie Smith, Marvell Wynne

It appears that Baudet has had a set back in his recovery, hopefully he sees the field soon. DC is missing 8 people due to injury and a 9th due to suspension, so it will be a rag-tag lineup we see. The Rapids lineup seems easy to guess:

Pickens

Kimura - Wynne - Moor - Wallace

Mullan - Larentowicz - Pablo - Smith

Cummings - Casey

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. With Baudet injured that's clearly our best XI.

Key To Look For: Keep the focus on this game. This is the end of the 5 game home run against teams we should have been beating. We've beaten the first 4, and the 5th seems like an easy win. its that type of thinking though that will get the Rapids relaxing and all of a sudden DC will score twice and suddenly we're in a hole. Finish the run strong.

Prediction: 3-0 win, goals by Omar Cummings x2 and Conor Casey. We won our last 4 home games by 3 goals, and Cummings is hotter than any player in MLS right now. It appears the DC will be playing with a makeshift back line and that's the type of thing Casey and Cummings will feast on.