Rocky Mountain Cup, Part 2

Yours truly with our Cup

Sunday marks the one year anniversary of winning back the Rocky Mountain Cup.  We can't win the Cup tomorrow night but we can go a long ways towards accomplishing that goal.  Conversely we can lose it tomorrow.  The Rapids need 4 points in the last two Rocky Mountain Cup games to retain the Cup while FSL needs 2 points to win it.  A win tomorrow and all we need in Sandy in September is a draw.  A draw tomorrow puts the pressure on us to win in Sandy and neither team has won on a road Cup match in almost 7 years.  FSL breaking that streak tomorrow wins them the Cup.  Game time is 7pm so the tailgate is at 4 and the Cup will be present until it needs to be taken into the stadium for pregame.  For those of you who can't make it to the biggest home game of the year, A, you suck ;) and B, the game will be on Altitude.

Injury Report:

OUT: ML Brian Mullan (L knee injury)

QUESTIONABLE: DF Shane O'Neill (R knee sprain); MF Jose Mari (L ankle sprain); MF Jared Watts ( R shin contusion); FW Deshorn Brown (R groin strain)

Disciplinary Report:

SUSPENDED: DF Thomas Piermayr

FSL is missing three players including Rapids killer Saborio.  Brown is expected to be able to start, as is Watts, while Jose Mari is probably ready to come off the bench as a sub.  O'Neill will likely not be available.  Based on that here's my lineup guess:

Sadly I do see Watts getting the start with Jose Mari still not ready to go 90.  If Brown really isn't ready we could see Torres up front with Sanchez but I see Sanchez starting either way.  Otherwise the rest of the starters seem obvious given Pablo's patterns.

Strategic Consideration: Figure out how to win on short rest.  We haven't done it yet this season with the Mother's Day debacle and the trip to Dallas both being losses in the third game of a three game week.  We have to figure it out tomorrow night.

Prediction: 2-1 win, goals by Brown and Sanchez.  If Pablo can't get the team up for an RMC match he has no hope of ever getting the team up for a short rest game.  I think the passion he's shown for this rivalry is spread to the team and the Rapids come out hot.  The tired legs will keep us from getting a clean sheet but getting Brown back will allow us to get the lead, and bringing Jose Mari off the bench will allow us to keep it.