Rapids Bounce Back In Strong Fashion

After the crash and burn last week Colorado shuffled the 4-2-31- deck and came out with a strong and necessary performance as they retook the top spot in the league with a 2-0 win over the Whitecaps.  They had control off the game for the full 90 minutes and instead of taking their foot off the pedal after getting the go-ahead goal they kept pressing to put it away.

General Impressions:

• An interesting formation with Powers dropped back to the suspended Azira's spot and Gashi moving into the middle.
• I think Gashi in the middle showed a solution to our missing Jones problem.  I still don't think its as good as having JJ in there but its enough to make us more dangerous.
• At some point though Gashi is going to have to get his long shots on target or defenses won't worry about stepping up to him.  I'm all for challenging defenses from long range but make the keeper make a save.
• Vancouver looked uninterested in this game.  Some of that was the heavy pressure from the Rapids though, so the win shouldn't be discredited in anyway.
• I'm pretty sure Joe Nasco could have gotten a shut out in this one though. ;)
• Great to see Bobby Burling back.  You could see the defense was more composed and more confident with him back there.
• The goals were like mirror images of each other.  Get to the endline, send a worm-burner across the goal, easy tap in for Hairston/Badji
• I'm not sure what Ousted was doing on either go but  I think a better keeper (like Howard) saves at least one of them.
• Le Toux got a bit of a run out and I liked his aggressiveness.  I think he takes Badji's spot when healthy, at least until Jones comes back.  At that point Pablo will have to choose between Hairston and Le Toux.
• The Bodmer Line is down to .5 pts/game.  All-time low of course.
• With the win the Rapids take the overall pts/lead back from Dallas but only by .03 pts/game.  We're 3 points behind them with 2 games in hand.
• Huge game next week in LA.  With 12 games left we've got a 4 point lead.  A win would make it very difficult for LA to pass us while a loss makes it a toss-up.

Man of the Match: Marlon Hairston.  3rd goal in 4 games and an assist.  Easy call.