The Cup Goes On A Road Trip

FSL.  I hate these guys (to paraphrase Indy)

The Rocky Mountain Cup takes a road trip to Sandy this week.  Unlike its trip here last fall though it will be safely in the hands of the Rapids travelling contingent and will return in one piece.  This is the first of three matches in the RMC this year, the first of two in Sandy.  Colorado has never won in Sandy (but they have won in Salt Lake City) so they'll be looking to pull off a bit of an upset.  Game time tomorrow is 7:30pm on Altitude 2.

Player Availability:

OUT: GL John Berner (hand); D Marlon Hairston (hamstring); D Sean St. Ledger (knee injury); D Jared Watts (hamstring); F Kevin Doyle (shin)

SUSPENDED: M Jermaine Jones (through 4/13)

UNAVAILABLE: D Joseph Greenspan (Navy duty); D Mekeil Williams (visa issues)

FSl has 4 players out and 5 players probable due to injury.  Exactly what we all expected for the Rapids based on the Post report yesterday.  With a couple of guys in Charlotte as well we're probably not going to have a full bench and no defensive cover outside of Serna.

Starting XI Prediction:

Really a no-brainer, especially the back five.  With our missing players and our play last week I expect no changes.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Gashi.  FSL goes up early, probably involving Burrito Martinez, but due to our good defense they only get one.  Another late game collapse allows the Rapids to get out of town with a point and they take away FSL's home field advantage in the Rocky Mountain Cup.

Rapids Lose Finale To FSL Despite Man Advantage

The Rapids starting XI for last night's Desert Diamond Cup finale:

Irwin

Riley - Burling - Sjoberg - Harrington

Sarvas - Pittinari

Sanchez - Torres - Serna

Badji

Interesting that Badji and Riley got one more shot with a mostly first team in support around them.  The Rapids would only make one change, replacing Serna with Alvarez in the 78th minute.  It only took 8 minutes for FSL to find the hole in defense and put themselves in the lead.  Garcia was left unmarked on the far post (Riley seemed to be the closest Rapid) and Gil found him on the cross for the early lead.

Then the game intensity was turned up a few notches as a couple of long-time FSL players (Saborio, Beckerman) decided to remind everyone that these two teams plain don't like each other (TM Keith Jackson).  A couple of quick yellows from both of them.  Credit to the Rapids ass they fought their way back in the 28th minute.  Rimando spilled a Sanchez shot and Serna was there to clean up the rebound.  Saborio was lucky not to see a second yellow after taking out Irwin just before half and we hit the break 1-1.

It didn't take long after the half for FSL to regain the lead.  An unnecessary free kick was given up in the 50th minute.  In the aftermath of the foul Saborio got tangled up with Harrington and picked up that second yellow, leaving FSL a man down.  However Morales finished directly from the free kick to give FSL the 2-1 lead before the Rapids could touch the ball with a man advantage.

Sadly, after that point, Colorado seemed to have no plan and no answers to break down the FSL defense.  It felt very similar to 2014.  Its a good indicator that we didn't do enough to help our strikers which isn't a surprise since at this point we've done exactly nothing to bolster our strike corps.  Badji looks like he's going to get a contract, either in Colorado or Charlotte, and Doyle sounds like he'll be coming eventually, but until then its probably going to be Brown or Torres up top and that doesn't look like its going to be good enough.  The game ended 2-1 with FSL standing on the ball as much as possible.

And with that the preseason is over.  Next stop is Philly for the season opener at 2pm on Saturday.  That assumes that the players union and the owners agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) this week or come to some understanding to start the season while negotiations continue.  I expect that to happen though, which seems to put me in the minority of fans.

Between now and next Saturday I'll have a season preview and some season predictions.  Also on Thursday night we'll have the reveal of the new road/alternate jersey.  My real job has a release on Thursday so that may prevent me from going in person but I'm sure we'll have images and press releases to discuss by later that evening.  Then my first game preview on Friday night.

For those that don't know Centennial 38 will be hosting its season kickoff party at the Celtic Tavern in LoDo on Saturday.  Party starts at noon and there will be drink specials, a silent auction of Rapids merchandise. door prizes, and a FIFA tournament.  In prior years we've also had special guests (last year it was Pablo signing his contract) but with the team actually playing in Philly I doubt anyone will be available. ;)  That will all wrap up by 2 for the season kickoff.

Rapids beat PDL Team, Plays FSL In Final

In our third game of the Desert Diamond Cup the Rapids finally got a win, albeit over FC Tucson, a PDL team.  Our starting XI:

MacMath

Riley - Burling - Watts - Burch

LaBrocca - Cronin

Hairston - Powers - Ramirez

Brown

Riley getting another shot at right back.  This group was...not good.  Ramirez showed some flashes but generally this group struggled to compete against a PDL team.  Tucson never got close to scoring, but nether did Colorado.  By the 72nd minute the lineup had become:

Berner

Knight - Sjoberg - Newnam - Harrington

LaBrocca - Cronin

Serna - Badji - Joya

Torres

Benji Joya is a 21 year old attacking mid who has played for the U.S. U-20 and 23 teams and professionally with Santos Laguna 9and last year with the Fire on loan).  This lineup certainly had a bit more going for it.  It paid off with a goal from a header by Axel Sjoberg.  That would be the only score in the match.

With the results, along with the other results last night, the Rapids finished 2nd with 5 points from the 3 matches.  They'll face first place FSL (9 points) on Saturday for the championship.  Game time is 7pm and the game will be streamed on ColoradoRapids.com.  This year we can take two trophies from FSL!

Rapids Grab Important Road Point

The Rapids went to Salt Lake and drew those FaKeRs 1-1. Many tears will be shed over the last minute equalizer that FSL scored. Instead of a recap I want to address that.

Yeah, it sucks that we had our rivals on the ropes and were about to end their home unbeaten streak, only to lose 2 points in the final minute. But think about this. If somebody had told you on Friday that we would go into Salt Lake, be without Julian Baudet and Omar Cummings, and we would come put with a point you would have been surprised and certainly not unhappy.

A number of fans are saying"Well yeah, but that was FSL's B team". So? FSL was cocky enough to run out a B team thinking they could keep their undefeated streak going and they couldn't. In fact they had to sub in 3 regular starters just to get enough going to claim that draw. We were playing without our possible MVP in Cummings and a defensive leader on a night that our defense was disorganized. They were looking at a chance to take the lead in the Supporter's Shield race. In the end the point we got was much more beneficial to us than them. They got a draw that felt like a win, but in the grad scheme of things they were hurt and we were helped by the result.

My key to the game was showing up to play. I think we did that.

Other Observations:

• Nice goal by Conor Casey to set the all-time Rapids record. To do it against FSL has to be that much sweeter.
  
• Unfortunately Conor's yellow means he's suspended for Wednesday home game against Philly.
• Kimura hit a great cross on the goal. I'd love to see more of that.
• Pablo was a monster out there. That was a textbook display on how to play defensive midfielder.
• Drew Moor, solid yet again. He's quietly become our most reliable man on the back line.
• Ross LaBauex? Really? When Claudio Lopez is on the bench?
• Not Kandji's best game. He had way too many turnovers.
• Pickens might have been slightly out of position on the goal but it was hit really well.
• I'm not sure what happened on the PK/no-PK call. I think it was a questionable call on the PK, but I can't figure out of the Rapids talked the ref out of the call or his AR told him he was wrong.
• Great job by Class VI, Pid Army, the Bobbies, and the other supporters that made the trip. While I'm sure FSL had a bigger group the way they showed in on FSC made it look like the Rapids were the bigger and more organized group.

Player of the Game: Marvell Wynne. Yes, he was beaten on the goal and yes, he almost cost us a PK. Watch the game again though if you didn't notice his play. Without him we probably lose this game 4-1, if not worse. He was a monster on defense for he first 85 minutes.

Rocky Mountain Cup At Stake

Its the first of the two best games of the year, the Rocky Mountain Cup matchups with FaKe SaLt LaKe. The Rapids head West for the first game to the "wonderful" Salt Lake City metro area. Just as a reminder, the Cup is awarded based on points, with total goals as the tiebreaker. If the teams are tied on points and goals the current holders (right now FSL) retain the cup. Game time is 8pm and its a nationally televised game on Fox Soccer Channel.

Injury Report:

OUT: MF Ciaran O'Brien (L hip sprain); FW Ross Schunk (R ACL tear)

DOUBTFUL: DEF Julian Baudet (L hamstring strain);

QUESTIONABLE: FW Omar Cummings (L ankle sprain)

PROBABLE: GK Matt Pickens (groin)

Discipline Report:

ONE CAUTION FROM SUSPENSION: Conor Casey, Wells Thompson

TWO CAUTIONS FROM SUSPENSION: Omar Cummings, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Jamie Smith

It was announced today that Cummings did not travel to SLC. Not good. With Baudet and Cummings not playing we're going to have a new lineup. My guess:

Pickens

Kimura - Wynne - Moor - Wallace

Mullan - Larentowicz - Pablo - Smith

Kandji - Casey

Yep, i think Kandji gets his first Rapids start in Cummings' place. otherwise the other 10 that started against New England will continue to start IMO.

Key To Look For: Its the Rocky Mountain Cup. Either you show up or you sit down. Nobody should struggle to get up for this one. Just as a reminder:

Prediction: 0-0 draw. With Cummings out I don't expect to have much offense and I think the team will come in with the idea of pitching a shutout. Our defense is good enough to do that now that we have players like Mullan that can hold the ball and take the pressure off of them. I think its a typical chippy Rocky Mountain Cup game that stays scoreless. I'm a bit out on a limb here, as this would be a great result for the Rapids, but I think they have it in them.

Another Verse, Same as the First

Keepin' It Real has made another attempt to trash talk before tomorrow's game. I'll give them credit for improving from their first attempt, but still pretty weak. The statement that "Statistically speaking, they should have won something/anything just by sheer dumb luck of the draw" might have meant more if a quarter of the league hadn't failed to win something in that time. Hard to say dumb luck should get you a championship when 1 out 4 failed to do so.

And they do a nice job of cherry-picking stats from the current year for comparison. What they left out was Goals scored, Rapids: 29, FSL: 25, Goal differential, Rapids: -1, FSL: -2, Total wins, Colorado: 7, FSL: 7, along with FSL's worse road record I mentioned on Tuesday. I'm not seeing much to seperate Colorado and FSL this season, and when we win tomorrow Colorado will pass FSL in the standings, just like they've done every year.

But no surprise that FSL fans like to divert attention from how bad they've been by focusing on the failures of the Rapids. Anyone who's read this blog knows that I'm the first to say that the Rapids have been a complete failure at getting one of the 3 major MLS trophies, but as bad as we've been, look at FSL in comparison.

Rapids first 4 years: 3 playoff appearances, 1 MLS Cup appearance, 1 US Open Cup final appearance, overall record of 61 wins in 128 games.

FSL first 4 years: 0 playoff appearances, 1 USOC game won (game, not trophy), overall record 28 wins in 115 games

And to deal with the whining from the FSL fans that comparing 1996-1999 to 2005-2008 isn't fair, here's the Rapids list for 2005-2008

Rapids last 4 years: 2 playoff appearances (Including 2 Western Conference Final appearances), 2 USOC games won (Including beating FSL), overall record of 40 wins in 115 games. Oh, and finishing in front of FSL each of the last 3 years.

So to answer the question posed by Keeping It Real,

So if Salt Lake is fake, what does that make Colorado?

Better than you

Weak attempt at trash talking from the West side

Yep, that time of year again when the Rapids head over to SLC to put a beat-down on FaKe SaLt LaKe. Some people may have seen the weak attempt at trash talk by the FSL blog Keepin' It Real. Let's look at their list of "trash talk".

• Clavijo - Like every Rapids fan wasn't talking trash about Clavijo


• Roof at the Dick - Well FSL fans have never been creative, no wonder they can't see any point in having a unique roof. Given the stadium they play in, FSL fans really shouldn't try to talk trash about the Dick.


• KSE/Rapids FO's attempt to kill the atmosphere at the Dick - Again, something the Rapids fans have complained about all year


• Pablo - Yeah, sucks for FSL that the Rapids have a player better than any 3 FSL players put together


• Nuggets - NBA? Who cares.

A weak attempt from West of the Rockies, much like their soccer team. Its been the same list of trash talk for 3 years. Clavijo, Dick jokes, atmosphere sucks, and Pablo. You'd think they would come up with something new, but that would require FSL fans to wake up and realize that its no longer 2005, even if their team hasn't changed at all since then.

As bad as Clavijo has been the Clavijo-led Rapids have finished in front of FSL each of the last 3 years, and we'll move ahead of them when we beat them on Friday. For all the talk about the "great fans" in SLC, its the Rapids fans you hear on the telecasts of RMC games from RES games and its a Rapids fan who heard us from the other side of RES and came to join us. And unlike the FSL fans, Rapids fans don't resort to throwing bottles and pipe bomb threats when the Rapids lose. The FSL hated Beckerman as much as Pablo, claiming that they never wanted to see him play for FSL, but a soon as the trade happened they flip-flopped and started supporting him. You'll never see me supporting Carlos Ruiz (My least favorite MLS player), even if he pulled on a Rapids jersey. FSL fans are a joke, no wonder they root for the team they do.

FSL's good season is a mirage built on playing on that concrete mess they call a field. Too bad for them that the Rapids have a winning record in RES, going 3-1-2 (W/D/L) over the last 3 seasons in SLC, so they can't expect that to help them this week. Meanwhile they are worse than the Rapids on the road, an impressive achievement, getting only 4 points in 10 games away from Utah. So even if they get a miracle draw on Friday there's no way they'll get the 2 goal win they need in the Dick in October. Might as well just give us the Rocky Mountain Cup now guys, and save yourselves the effort of hauling it to Denver for us at the end of the season.