MLS Suspended For 30 Days

As expected, MLS today announced the league will be suspended for 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Along with that the U.S. Open Cup has been put on hold as has the CONCACAF Champions League.  The USL has also shut down and I assume the Canadian competitions have as well, though I haven't seen specific announcements from those leagues.

Honestly, I think 30 days is optimistic.  I've been following this virus for a while and how long its taken countries to get through outbreaks and I think 60 days is probably the best we can hope for.  China really starting fighting this in earl/mid-January and they're only really starting to think they're on the down slope now.  Hopefully we can ramp up faster than that but I have my doubts.

Stay home, wash your hands, and take care of yourselves.

MLS And COVID-19

I've been thinking about writing this post since mid-afternoon.  In that time the news has changed so many times what I was planning to write is out the window.  Just now the NBA has suspended its season after a member of the Utah Jazz (Utah, of course) tested positive for coronavirus.  This morning we were just at delayed games, then we jumped through "play behind closed doors" to suspended seasons.

Honestly, I'll be shocked if we see another MLS game in the next month after this week's CCL matches.  In the next two days I expect the NHL to suspend its season and MLS to follow suit.  MLB has a couple of weeks before their season starts and will delay making any decisions, but likely they'll start their season late.

Its the right move.  The massive danger from coronavirus isn't the mortality rate (though it itself is dangerous on its own) its the lack of treatment plans, built in immunity, and vaccines.  If this goes like wildfire, and it looks like it will, hospitals are going to get crushed.  There's only about 300,00 empty hospital beds empty around the country at one time.  It won't take much of a blip for those to fill up, especially if the infection flares up in certain areas.  Whatever we can do so flatten the curve so that the virus hits over time needs to be done.  This will help that.

We're all going to miss the games but we'll get through this and get back to playing when its the right time.  Until then, wash your hands, avoid groups, and take care of yourself.  As news warrants I'll post here.  And if, somehow, we have games this weekend and beyond I'll have the normal coverage.

Its Drew Moor's World And We're Just Living In It

After the positive feedback  got from my "Am I shouting into the void?" post on Friday night, I'm still here.  Thank you everyone for your kind words.  And thank you Rapids for providing us with a great home opener.  After a quiet first half the team really turned it on in the second for a 2-1 win and only their third ever back-to-back wins to start a season (hat-tip to Richard Fleming for that piece of data).

Game Observations:

• The first home game of the year always gives you that "its good to be home" when you enter the stadium.  Even though I changed sections for the first time ever (I defected to 117 after 12 years in 108) its still the same feeling.  Our house.
• That said, I was hoping the swap of Aramark for Legends would lead to better food options, but from what I saw it was largely the same, only more expensive.  GB's is still in Eighteen76 though so we're good.
• BTW, I don't know if this was all of Argus or just the ones working the gate I went through, but the cusp of a global pandemic is a really bad time to start examining everyone's keys by picking each set up with bare hands as they walk through the metal detector.
• Until the 90th minute Clint Irwin was going to be my Man of the Match.  He had a great night with a number of key saves.
• That said, the Orlando goal was a mistake by him.  One of the cardinal rules of goalkeeping is that if you come for the ball you have to get it, he didn't.
• On the other end of the field our attackers struggled.  Kamara was being closed down by multiple defenders and because of that was a half step late all night.
• Shinyashiki had a bad night.  His touches were hard and his shooting was awful.
• The midfield made up for it though, Namli looked good and had a great goal, and Jack Price was dropping the ball in dangerous spots.
• We got a bit lucky as Fraser was trying to sub Namli out just before his goal but Mezquida wasn't fully warmed up yet.
• Keegan Rosenberry was named to the MLS team of the week, which was a bit of a surprise as I didn't think it was one of his stronger games.  In fact he had a couple of passes that a better team would have burned us with.
• Maybe the Orlando players will learn about taunting the home fans before the end of the game.  I don't mind their goal-scorer's shush, that's typical when you score on the road, but the keeper's celebrating in front of 117 came back to bite him.

Not related to the game but a couple of pieces of player news today.  Jon Lewis was included on the Olympic Team roster for the Olympic qualifiers in Mexico at the end of the month (coronavirus cancellations not withstanding).  Burgundy Wave reported that the team requested Sam Vines as well but the Rapids turned them down, as they have a right to do since this is not during a FIFA window, due to a lack of cover at left back.

Also down in the Springs Niki Jackson blew out his knee in training late last week and will miss essentially the full season after having ACL repair surgery today.

Man Of The Match: The man, the myth, the legend, Drew Moor.  Drew was likely Rapids fans' favorite current MLS player, and that was BEFORE he re-signed with the team this offseason.  The "old man" of the squad (a year older than Kamara, the only other player over 30 on the team) still has it and while I don't think he's going to be breaking his 2010 record of playing every minute of the season, games like that is why he's starting over Trusty.

So I'm Still Here

Is anyone else?  A family medical emergency meant I've been away over the last week and a half or so which explains the lack of posting.  But I'm just wondering if anyone is still reading at this point.  Leave me a note in the comments if you are, otherwise I may just close this down.

Until then though, some predictions for the season:

• Rapids finish in 5th or 6th, but lose their first playoff game on the road
• Colorado looks like they re finally taking the USOC seriously, but don't make a deep run
• We bring the Rocky Mountain Cup home
• Kamara fades at the end of the season but still finishes with the Golden Boot
• Namli is the team MVP
• Vines is the defensive player of the year
• The Rapids make an unexpected major move in the summer window, either a notable player leaves or a significant signing (or both)
• Galvan arrives in the summer and doesn't contribute immediately but shows why we invested in him with promise for 2021 and beyond
• Yarborough is signed after his loan and is expected to be the starter going into 2021
• Nicholson doesn't finish the season in Colorado
• At least one Rapids home game is played behind closed doors or postponed due to coronavirus

As for tomorrow's home opener, 2-1 Colorado.  Goals by Kamara and Shinyashiki.