Rapids Dig Hole, Then Climb Out

Colorado figured going to Minnesota without Acosta and Kaye wasn't hard enough, so they wasted the first 60 minutes of the game, gave up a goal, and went down a man.  Then they decided to start playing.  30 minutes later (plus stoppage) they left town 3-1 winners with United wondering what the hell just happened.  This was not how it was supposed to happen but 3 points is 3 points.

Random Musings:

• Once again we saw the 5 man back line, and once again we saw the opposition find the seam between the right wing back and the right central defender.  This is an obvious flaw we haven't managed to fix.
• Also once again we start with a 5-man back line, struggle, them make subs to go to a 4-man back line and look a lot better.
• Those two things should indicate an obvious solution.  Start with a 4-man back line.  I understand Fraser is trying to get his best players on the field and he's trying to rotate players due to the brutal end of season stretch (more on that below) but the time for playing around is over.  We've got 6 games left before the playoffs.  find your starting XI, find your formation (4-man back line) and play that to get ready.
• Wilson's red card might force the issue in Sandy next week.  It  was a clear DOGSO foul so no chance it will (or should be) overturned.  Play Rosenberry-Abubakar-Trusty-Esteves in the back and go win the game.
• Once Wilson was sent off I give credit to Fraser.  A lot of coaches would have tried to turtle in and contain the damage.  Fraser put 3 attacking players on and said "go find some points", and we did.  It also indicates that maybe we should have started some of those players (namely Barrios).
• There were a lot of questions from fans about why the Minnesota keeper wasn't sent off for his PK foul on Barrios.  There are actually two reasons.
• One, a couple of years ago the IFAB & FIFA changed the rule about a Denial of an Obvious goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) in the box.  In a case when there was a legitimate play on the ball leading to the DOGSO foul in the box the penalty is a PK and a yellow card.  The thought being that the Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity was restored in the form a PK.  This does not apply if there was no play on the ball (so you can't strike a player, shove them, etc. and not get a red) or if a handball stops a goal.  Those are still red cards and PKs.
• Even if the red card penalty still existed I'm not sure this qualified as DOGSO.  One of the pieces that goes in to judging if it was a a DOGSO is the direction of play.  The Minnesota keeper did play the ball and pushed it away from the goal before tripping Barrios.  Had ne not tripped him Barrios would have had to backtrack corral the ball, turn and shoot.  That's no longer an "obvious" goal scoring opportunity.  Which is probably why the keeper didn't get a yellow card for the foul.
• The second goal killed Minnesota.  The fight pretty much went out of them at that point (though they did have a couple of good looks).  But you could see they couldn't believe what happened.
• The third goal was just the icing on the cake.  In case your wondering:
• The last time the Rapids went down a man (and a goal) was in Snow Claisco III against Portland to open the 2019 season.  Sjoberg was correctly sent off for blocking a shot with his hand and the Rapids were down 1-0 after the PK.  They came back to draw that game 3-3.
• The Rapids have never scored 3 goals while playing at a man disadvantage.  They did score 3 goals against the Fire in the 4th of July game in 2002, and they were down a goal then too.  But between the Rapids going down a man and Chris Carrieri getting a hat-trick the Fire had Ante Razov sent off so the 3 goals were scored 10 v 10.
• With this win Colorado is in very good shape to have a home playoff game.  Right now 5th placed FSL and the Galaxy are on pace to finish with 47-48 points.  To catch and pass the Rapids at 51 would take one of those teams really stepping up their pace, and Portland doing the same.  Unlikely despite the head-to-head matches remaining against FSL and Portland.
• With a win on Saturday in Sandy the Rapids clinch a playoff spot.
• Colorado needs 8 more points in the final 6 games to set a new team record for points and PPG in a season.
• Those 6 games aren't going to be easy.  After this week off they play @Sandy in the Rocky Mountain Cup on Saturday, home against Portland the following Wednesday, home against Seattle the Saturday after that, @Foxbrough to face Shield leaders NE the next Wednesday, a nd then finish the run in Houston that Sunday.  5 games in 15 days, including 3 on the road.
• They then get a week off before the season finale against LAFC at home the following Sunday.
• Special shout out to Drew Moor for becoming the 8th player all time in MLS history to reach 400 appearances.  199 of those with the  Rapids (I think).
• The Rapids are still perfect this season when he plays, won every game and haven't conceded when he's been on the field.

Men of the Match: A special dual Man of the Match award for this one.

• First, Clint Irwin.  No, he didn't play.  But he made the most heads up play I've seen in a while, even if it was probably meaningless.  After Barrios went down in the box there was no call and play continued.  Minnesota cleared the ball out near the Rapids bench and Trusty ran over to take a quick throw-in.  Irwin leaped off the bench and shoved Auston to prevent the throw-in.  Irwin knew the VAR rules, which only allows a review back to the last stoppage of play.  Had the throw-in been taken the possible PK could no longer be reviewed.  Instead it was reviewed and given.  Now looking at the replay you can see the 4th official stepping in to stop the replay and if the VAR is doing its job its telling the center ref its looking at a possible replay and he shouldn't allow play to continue, so odds are the play would have been stopped anyway, but its good to see the bench that focused and involved, and that pause and then PK was the turning point in the game.
• Second, Michael Barrios.  For his on-field play.  Came on as a sub, drew a PK, scored a goal, and got an assist on the 3rd.  Clearly the best player on the pitch on Sunday.