The Balboa Cup

Image from Burgundy Wave

If you don't count his one-time five-minute cameo appearance for the Metrostars at the end of his career 'Celo only played for two still existing professional teams, Club Leon in 1994 and 1995, and the Rapids from 1996 through 2001.  Tomorrow both his clubs face off in the Leagues Cup.with a spot in the knockout rounds on the line.  Winner (in regulation or PKs) moves on, loser is out.  Kickoff is at 7pm (not 7:30!).

Despite what certain people are posting this is not the inaugural Balboa Cup.  In the qualifying round of the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup Colorado, as MLS Cup runners-up, and Leon, as Inverno winner, were matched up in a home-and-home.  The young Rapids surprised Leon in Denver winning 1-0 before going down to Mexico and getting blitzed 4-2.  BTW the winning goal in that first game was scored in the 83rd minute by none other than Marcelo Balboa.  Paul Bravo and Steve Trittschuh had the goals in the loss.

There is one other connection between these teams.  Former goalkeeper William Yarbrough came to the Rapids from Leon.

Coming back to tomorrow's game the good news is that Djordje Mihailovic and Kimani Stewart-Baynes are both available after returning from national team duties.  Of course the bad news is that they're both back earlier than they had hoped, with Djordje and the U.S. being eliminated from Olympic competition in a 4-0 loss to Morocco on Friday.  Adam Beaudry played in tonight's CONCACAF U-20 final against Mexico and will not be available.  The Yanks conceded goals with the final kick of regulation, to tie the game 1-1, and the final kick of extra time, to lose 2-1.  Nothing Beaudry could have done on either goal.

Don't be surprised to see Colorado wearing the New Day kits tomorrow as technically they are the road team in this match.  I'm not going to get into the reasoning behind this and in the end it has very little impact.  The kits are the only noticeable change.

Leon likes to build out of the back with short passing so Colorado will need to hit them quickly on the counter.  If we can institute our mid block and get them on their heels we'll have a chance but the deeper we sit the more they'll like it.

I expect to see the same lineup as we saw in Portland.  Despite Mihailovic being back I don't see him starting.  He played 250 minutes over 4 games in 9 days, and then took a long trans-Atlantic flight home.  He doesn't have 90 minutes in him and as our best PK taker you want him on the field at the end of the game if you think its going to penalties.  He'll be available off the bench if we need a 2nd-half spark.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, loss in PKs.  Goal by Bassett.  I just feel like Mexican teams find a way and after our performance in Portland I'm not sure we're up to the pressure of a knockout competition yet.