Rapids Stuck In An Eddy, Part 2

Part 1 of this 3(?) part series is here. Part 3 is likely to come next week.

We've already discussed how Jeff Plush's interview last month was a clear shout-out to the fans not to expect any help this season. This week let's look at what the Rapids did to improve the team between last season and now.

We've added 12 players since the end of the 2009 season, from a variety of sources.

Trades Within MLS:

Quincy Amarikwa

Jeff Larentowicz

Wells Thompson

Anthony Wallace

Marvell Wynne

Out of these 5 players we got two starters (Larentowicz, Wynne), one possible starter (Thompson) and two bench players (Amarikwa, Wallace). In exchange thee Rapids gave up two starters Gibbs, LaBrocca), a backup GK (Burpo), and a handful of draft picks. I think Colorado came out ahead on the deals, though the draft picks make it hard to know the final cost.

Acquired Off Waivers:

Claudio Lopez

Lopez has been a solid pickup that hasn't played nearly enough (129 minutes in 7 games) given his impact on the team when he has played.

Lower U.S. Leagues:

Danny Earls

Earls has been what you would expect, a young player being challenged to move up to the next level. A good pickup but not one that's particularly improved the team yet. 1208 minutes in 15 games.

Youth Teams:

Davy Armstrong

Its great to see the youth teams start to generate first team players, but Armstrong hasn't, and is likely to this year, had an effect on the team yet.

Superdraft:

Andre Akpan

Ross LaBeaux

A combined 59 minutes in 4 games from these two. They may be beneficial to the team in the future, but not yet.

Outside Sources:

Ian Joyce

Oscar Murillo

A backup GK who hasn't played and a on-loan defender who has already been sent back to his team. No effect.

You would think a team that's missed the playoffs 3 years running would start looking for new blood. Instead the Rapids signed 12 players, 10 of which were playing which the U.S. soccer structure (MLS, USL, college) last season. The remaining two players amount to an American looking to come home to a backup GK role after not getting playing time at an English Conference side and a on-loan defender that didn't play before getting sent home.

Outside the inter-MLS players the Rapids acquired the new players have played 1269 out of a possible 19, 800 minutes, just about 6%. The "improvements" in the squad the Rapids made have essentially been the other MLS team's cast-offs that the Rapids have managed to trade for. These players are largely available because their former teams have gone out and upgraded their positions, making them surplus. They may have improved the Rapids but at best that's allowed Colorado to keep pace in the improvements that other squads are making. for a team that's missed the playoffs they need to improve more than the other teams, not equally to them.

94% of the Rapids playing time is being covered by players that were playing for the Rapids last year or who were considered replaceable by their 2009 MLS teams. That's a recipe for going nowhere fast in this league.

Crew Sink Rapids On Soggy Night

The Rapids continued their futility in front of goal on Saturday night. While they controlled much of the play in the first half only a surprising combination between Ballouchy and Mastroeni got them on the scoreboard.

The game started poorly, with the Rapids unable to clear the ball from their own end and Pickens being forced to try to stop a charging Eddie Gaven. Pickens missed the ball, got Gaven, and GBS scored the resulting PK for a 1-0 Crew lead inside 7 minutes. Despite some of my fellow Rapids fans, I think the PK was legit if maybe a bit weak. The Rapids would have pretty much full control of the play for the rest of the have, but it wasn't until the start of stoppage time that they could convert the possession into points. Casey took a goal kick from Pickens, passed it to Pablo, who worked a nice one touch 1-2 with Ballouchy and slotted it past Hesmer to level the score going into halftime.

Unfortunately for Colorado that was the highlight of the night. In the second half the Crew proved while they're at the top of the East and chasing LA for the Shield while the Rapids are hanging on to the last playoff spot. Columbus took control of the game and converted it into 2 goals. The first came off a bad back header from Wynne that Pickens misplayed, leading to an easy goal by Garey. The final goal was off a GBS free kick that found not one but two open Crew players to play head balls in the box for an easy 3rd goal and the nail in the coffin.

My key to the game was the ability to create and finish more than the random chance a game. That would be a resounding no, as Hesmer never had to make a difficult save beyond Pablo's goal.

Other Observations:

• Why did Jaime Smith not start? Wingers of Thompson and Ballouchy are useless.
  
• One of these days Gary Smith needs to pick a back 4. Right now it appears to be Moor, Wynne, Baudet, and whatever name Smith draws out of the hat. Palguta was the name this week, and he was burned on the play that led to the PK.
• Taking Cummings of for Amarikwa was throwing int he towel on the game. It saved Cummings from a possible yellow card suspension but it was still disappointing to see.
• Pickens worst game this season, considering how good he's been he's allowed one.
• Cummings has lost all ability to shoot on target, which isn't helping with our scoring.
• This was always going to be a tough game to just get a draw in, much less a win. Still Columbus made it look easy in the second half.
• The Rapids are in the final playoff spot, but Chicago is only 4 points back with 2 games in hand.

Player of the Game: Pablo Mastroeni. His second goal this season would be enough considering the last 5 years he's had 2 goals combined (his only other goals both came in 2001 with the Fusion) but he did well to push the offense and keep control of the midfield, GBS was only a threat on set plays.

Rapids Try To Swamp The Crew

Colorado stays back East this week with a game against the Eastern Conference leading Crew. The Rapids have won once in the last 9 games and could really use some points on the road in this one. Columbus had a midweek game in the CONCACAF Champion's League and has another one in the middle of next week. The game is at 5:30pm and will be televised on KWGN.

Injury Report:

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

Discipline Report:

ONE CAUTION FROM SUSPENSION: Omar Cummings

TWO CAUTIONS FROM SUSPENSION: Conor Casey, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni

This is the best injury report we've had for a while. Clark's injury is a problem, but otherwise everyone who would actually be likely to play is healthy. The Crew also has 3 players unlikely to play due to injury. My guess on the lineup:

Pickens

Kimura - Wynne - Baudet - Moor

Larentowicz - Pablo

Cummings - Ballouchy - Smith

Casey

Maybe Earls plays instead off Kimura but other than the only other possible change I could see would be Thompson, But the way the team played in the first half next week I expect to see Ballouchy back in the XI while Thompson goes tot he bench.

Key To Look For: Offense. Can we create and finish more than the random chance a game?

Prediction: 2-0 loss. I hate to say it, but the Crew are really good and right now the Rapids aren't. On the road there's a good chance the Crew score first and the team just folds.

Rapids Apparently Stuck In An Eddy, Part 1

The last few weeks have been quite disappointing for Rapids fans. In the last 9 games the Rapids have won once. The transfer window opened and closed with the only moves being a trade for a backup defender and the signing of our first Academy product. Every other MLS team played a significant international friendly or played international teams in Superliga or the Champions League. Players like Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez, Omar Bravo, and Nevy Castillo joined the league. In all of this its hard to even remember Colorado is still in the league, much less get excited about them.

There are a number of subjects I want to cover (thus the Part 1 of the title) but I want to start with an interview Jeff Plush gave to MLSSoccer 2 weeks ago. I've held off commenting on it until now because I wanted to wait until the transfer window closed and see if the Rapids did anything.

There is certainly more of a race to sign players in the last few weeks, it’s really accelerated. I would love to see there is enough evidence that [such moves] would be competitive. We haven’t seen that yet. RSL is a prime example of winning without a Designated Player, without necessarily the highest payroll. You win with 24 players. I think it’s interesting chatter. But the clubs who are successful in our league tend to be clubs that have a team mentality, a team spirit, a Houston or an RSL.

Plush wants evidence that signing a DP is competitive. In MLS there are 3 major trophies, the U.S. Open Cup, MLS Cup, and the Supporter's Shield. Since the Designated Player rule was created, each of those trophies have been handed out 3 times. In 2009 the Shield was won by the Crew, with GBS as their Designated Player while LA was the runner up with Beckham as a Designated Player. in 2008 the Crew also won the Shield. Technically GBS was not a Designated Player according to MLS' books (since the Crew used allocation money to buy down his hit on the salary cap to under 400K) but he still had the same effect on the field and still used up about the same amount of room of the salary cap.

In 2009 the Galaxy, again with Beckham as a DP, missed winning MLS Cup by a missed PK in the shootout. In 2008 the Crew, with GBS, won MLS Cup over New York, with Angel as a DP. In 2008 DC won the U.S. Open Cup with Emilio and Gallardo as DP's. In 2009, still with Emilio, they lost the final to Seattle who had Ljungberg as a DP. So 5 of the 9 trophies were won by teams essentially with DP's, and 4 of the runner ups for those trophies had DP's.

This year there are 6 teams ahead of the Rapids in the standings, 4 of them have DP's. Only Dallas and FSL ahead of us do not have DP's. San Jose and Toronto, just 2 points behind us, have DP's. Chicago, in a battle for the final playoff spot, now has 2 DP's. Only DC, who signed Branko 2 months ago, has a DP and is out of the playoff race (KC signed Omar Bravo as a DP but he won't join the team until next season). 2 of the 4 remaining teams in the U.S. Open Cup (Seattle and DC) have DP's as well.

The evidence on the value of using a rule to sign a high-priced player is there if Jeff Plush wants to see it. Certainly early on there were mistakes made with the DP rule (Denilson, Landin, Reyna) but as teams are figuring out how to use the rule their success rate is going way up. The most recent batch of signings (Henry, Castillo, Marquez, etc.) all look to be very successful. Plush's comment that he needs it to be proven is just doublespeak for the Rapids really saying "We don't want to spend money".

We are essentially back starting the process again. The world has changed pretty dramatically for everyone. We are repositioning our proposition. It’s going well but we are kind of at square one again. We can move very quickly. Beginning of the 2011 season is likely. It would be very unlikely for something to close in time for something to be on the jersey this season.

Really? After almost 4 years since the league started allowing jersey sponsorships we've gotten essentially nowhere? Meanwhile most other teams (11 of the 16) have found sponsorships. Philly hasn't yet, but their in their first year. Kansas City is obviously waiting for their new stadium next season. That leaves New England, Dallas, and Colorado, generally considered to be the 3 worst run teams in the league. Its an open secret that the Rapids almost closed a deal with Chipotle last season, but apparently they had no Plan B when that fell through. There's only so much you can blame the economy for when the rest of the league is figuring out how to get deals done.

We’d be very keen to have Arsenal come over for a friendly but that rests with Arsène Wenger and that’s not what his strategy is at this point. We could get a Mexican club at any time, but our feedback is that that is not what people are looking for.

We are still talking to a couple of clubs [Colorado were in discussions with Valencia and Rangers before both clubs canceled plans for summer tours]. It’s more challenging than we would like. Some still view Denver in the hinterland. We do try to convince people that Denver isn’t in the middle of nowhere. It could be a mid-August timeframe and it would be a South American club.

Its obvious at this point that his comments about a possible mid-August friendly against a South American opponent was just a bone he was throwing out to take some of the heat off.

The idea that Denver is a hinterland in the eyes of the clubs is just so much BS I'm surprised we can't smell it from here. It wasn't a hinterland when Everton came here in 2008 and it wasn't a hinterland when they built the "world's biggest soccer complex". There's a direct flight every day from Heathrow to DIA and there's a British consulate in Denver, along with a large (fr an American city of this size) British population in the metro area. The idea that Manchester City won't come to the Dick or Invesco to play the Rapids because its the hinterland, but they'll play Portland of USSF D-II in a 5000 seat stadium is laughable. The reason that Inter Milan will trek all the way out to Frisco but won't make the 10 minute trip from downtown Denver to DSG Park is simple, money. Once again the Rapids try to get out of looking cheap by ginning up another excuse that they hope the general public will buy.

This was a disastrous interview for Jeff Plush to allow to happen in the midst of a 7 game winless streak. Plush essentially told the fans "We haven't done anything, and we don't care". Meanwhile the Rapids playoff hopes are fading quickly, in a World Cup year the organization has given the fans nothing to get excited about, and the rest of the league is leaving the Rapids spinning in an eddy in the river while they move downstream.

Part 2, looking at the player moves of the season, to come next week

Local Boy Makes Good For The Rapids

The Rapids game in Philadelphia ended much like Howe's Philadelphia campaign did, after gaining the advantage early on it ended in a draw and nothing really gained. Another 90 minutes of futile attack, one lone moment of brilliance for a gaol, and another failed attempt to hold a 1-0 lead led to a 1-1 draw for Colorado.

The first half was ugly, just ugly. We fully deserved to be losing at half and only Philly's inability to capitalize on our mistakes kept the game scoreless. The insertion of Ballouchy for Amarikwa at halftime at least gave the Rapids something to build off of, but for another game the final pass or final shot wasn't there.

The Rapids did finally break through off a Jamie Smith free kick. Smith floated the ball into the box and while Union keeper Chris Seitz punched the ball away it fell to Larentowicz at the top of the box. Jeff, who grew up in the Philly area, took the opportunity to hammer the ball far post and gave the Rapids a 1-0 lead. The team immediately switched their focus to defending the league, and as usual when trying that for more than 10 minutes, couldn't. Le Toux got behind the defense and while Wynne's speed allowed him to catch up Le Toux cut the ball back towards a streaking Mwanga. Baudet made a poor tackle attempt and Philly leveled the score. After that there were a couple of close calls but Colorado got out with a point.

My key to the game was team cohesiveness. Based on the first half of play I'd say we didn't even know the meaning of the term. Yuck.

Other Observations:

• Quincy Amarikwa, no more. Starting the last two games has proven to me that he's not our 3rd striker option yet.
  
• Where was Claudio Lopez? Why leave him on the bench in a winnable game and with a sub left?
• Across the board the defense wasn't great. Moor probably had the best game but generally not good.
• Kudos to Pablo for setting the team career minutes record.
• Cummings had possibly his most invisible game of the season. He did pretty much nothing.
• Jamie Smith had a golden opportunity to one-time a ball at an open net in the first 10 minutes, and instead brought it down and tried to pass to a covered Cummings. Why?
• The Philly fans are complaining about the officiating at the end of the game, thinking that the goal called back for offside was a bad call and Le Toux deserved a PK. first, the goal was clearly off, there's no debate there. Second, while I don't think Le Toux dove I don't think the contact rose to the level of a foul; even in midfield, much less a PK. Plus the contact between Le Toux and Moor started outside the box so at best it would be a free kick where the foul started.

Player of the Game: Jeff Larentowicz. This is almost by default since nobody had a good game, but he gets an extra nod for not only going home as a pro for his first time, but delivering in front of his friends and family.