Rapids Go For 4 In A Row In Sunny San Diego

Colorado is looking for a clean sweep of the three game week tomorrow night as they go into San Diego as potentially the favorite in the match.  The home side is .500 since the break with a draw sandwiched between a win and a loss on either side.  The first of those losses came in Commerce City as we came out of the World Cup break.  Meanwhile the Rapids have only lost once in those games, though it was the only road game of the group.  Kick off is at 8:#0pm and 'Celo will be on the Spanish call if you get tired of whichever English announcer who doesn't know the Rapids Apple TV throws on the game.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), D Miguel Navarro (concussion), D Jackson Travis (ankle), M Josh Atencio (yellow card accumulation), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Kimani Stewart-Baynes (lower leg), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

The only change is the addition of Miguel Navarro in concussion protocol after taking an elbow to the head Wednesday night.  With Travis also out its likely Kosi Thompson will be pressed into service at left back.

Also Rafael Navarro, Hamzat Ojediran, and Kosi Thompson are all one yellow card from suspension.  Picking one up tomorrow night would leave them missing the Rocky Mountain Cup decider next weekend.  If it were up to me I'd sit Rafa tomorrow but my guess is that Wells won't see it the same way (plus he's already played 180 minutes this week).

Wells seems to prefer Atencio over Ojediran, and Hamzat came off hobbled on Wednesday.  Plus with the yellow card threat I don't think he starts.  I have no idea on the wingers, those are just guesses.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Navarro.  San Diego has a better offense but a worse defense, and they're at home.  With as many minutes as we've put on our legs I don't see us maintaining the shutout streak.  We are a better team than them though and we hold out for the point.

Rapids Continue Home Dominance

 

Colorado controlled the game last night and once again did enough to get the three points and the shutout.  LAFC rolled out a rotated lineup, either because they were cocky or because they just needed to get some guys some rest but either way it did not work.  The first half was largely controlled by the home side, especially after the first 10 minutes, and LAFC could only put one shot on goal, from 20+ yards out.

Meanwhile on the other end of the field the burgundy boys were finding their chances.  The Rapids had four shots on goal in the first half, plus a penalty kick (more on that later).  It took a little help to break through though as a free kick from Maziz was redirected and handcuffed the LAFC keeper.  Officially it went down as an own goal but I thought the shot was on target before the redirection.  Late in the half the Rapids earned a PK and Rafa stepped up to move into 2nd place )tied) on the Rapids all-time scoring list...and was stoned by the 22 year old in his first ever MLS start.  Nto great.

The second half was a little more balanced with LAFC trying to find an equalizer but getting stuffed at every attempt.  Finally LAFC gave in and put Son and Bouanga in and the Rapids played the last 10-15 on the book foot just trying to survive.  The good news is that despite the step up in skill LAFC did not have a step up in ideas.  They were dangerous but never really got close to breaking through, with only one shot on target and that was from 20+ yards too.  The team held out and got the three points.

A great win over a good team and it continued our home winning and shutout streak, both to 4 games.  We still haven't given up a goal with 11 on the field since the World Cup break (the only one being when we were down a man in St. Louis).  On the down side we've still only scored one goal from the run of play when playing against 11 men since the break (PK, free kick last night, and two against shorthanded KC).  But a win is a win and that's 4 out of 5 moving us up to 8th on PPG.  If the playoffs started today we'd host Portland.

Random Thoughts:

• Maziz has only played about ~75 minutes but so far so small sample size and all that but he looks like he belongs.  Could this be three good international signings in a row? (Herrington, Williams, Maziz)
• Also I was hard on Cannon earlier this season but the last two games he's "eaten his Wheaties" as the Pope of Commerce City put it.  With the good play by Miguel Navarrro on the other side we might have a settled back line.
• Nico Hansen has ensured that Steffen won't play in burgundy again, barring a late-season comeback to cover for Nico being injured.
• Rafa needs to be done with PKs.  He's too inconsistent.
• The team got worse putting Sealy and Minoungou in.  I know the goal was a two winger formation, but we don't have the players for it.
• Maziz has also made Aaronson better, again in small minutes.  It allows him to play his more natural defensive 8.
• Yapi and Thompson join Rafa and Ojediran in being on yellow card watch going into the game on Saturday.  Picking up a card in Saturday means they'll be suspended for the Rocky Mountain Cup.
• Miguel Navarro took an elbow to the head forcing him to be subbed due to concussion concerns late.  Lets hope that's not a long-term injury.
• By the end of the game we were playing a 6-man back line.  Whatever it takes.

Man of the Match: Hamzet Ojediran.  He was a beast in midfield snuffing everything out and feeding Paxten and Maziz.  Then late in the game he sacrificed his ankle to block a shot, got up, hobbled over to make the play, cleared the ball, then went back down in a heap and was subbed off.  Wells suggested that the oinjury wasn't too bad, but gving him the weekend off might be a good thing.

Rapids Start a SoCal Doubleheader

California dreaming for Colorado as tomorrow night LAFC comes to Commerce City before the Rapids head out to the coast to play San Diego on Saturday.  The home game is definitely the tougher of the two, 4th overall in the West on PPG but they've struggled a little bit recently with only one regulation win in the last five games (two shootout wins in the Leagues Cup though),  Colorado's hasn't allowed a goal while at full strength since the break but only scored one goal from the run of play against a full strength side.  So both teams are looking to get on a bit of a roll.  Kickoff is at 7:30.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), D Jackson Travis (ankle), M Josh Atencio (yellow card accumulation), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Kimani Stewart-Baynes (lower leg), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

No surprises there.  Both Ojediran and Rafa are one card from suspension as well.  If they pick up a card tomorrow they sit for the trip to San Diego.  If they pick up a card in California...they sit for the Rocky Mountain Cup.  I'm just saying, I'm not going to hate it if either of them get yellows tomorrow.

Its always hard to figure out how Wells is going to rotate the team on a 3-game week.  With Atencio suspended I assume Ojediran will start and I'm guessing Maziz will.  Otherwise I'm mainly guessing here.

Prediction: 1-0 loss.  Actually a scoreless draw is a possibility here.  LAFC has only one win in eight tries at the Dick, and that was in 2018.  But they are a better team than us and I'm not yet convinced we can score against better teams.  I think LAFC finds a way to get the 3 points.

Colorado Does What It Needed To

A solid, if maybe unconvincing, win in Commerce City Saturday night is what the Rapids needed entering this 3 game week.  SKC made it easier by putting up a red card in each half but even before the first Colorado looked like the better team.  That said, it wasn't all easy, a former Rapid had two good chances to put SKC on the scoreboard, but Calvin Harris couldn't quite reach the end of a perfect cross, then put a breakaway off the post.  Part of the reason he's no longer in Colorado.

With the win the Rapids would be in the last playoff spot if the season ended today, with a wild card game in Seattle.  They are dead on the Bodmer Line at 1.32 PPG, putting us on track for the exact average point total (44-45) for the last playoff spot.

The reason this game wasn't that convincing is that the Rapids still struggled to find the final shot.  28 shots, 7 big chances, only 4 shots on target (1 off the bar too).  2 of them went in, which is great, but up an man they managed only two shots on goal, and up two men they only managed one (Rafa's goal).  That's actually half as many as they had against Austin two weeks ago 11v11.  14 shots on target in the 4 games since we've been back is still something that needs to be fixed.

Still, a win is a win and 3 wins in 3 at home is a great set of results.  We're doing what we need to when we need to.  Only one goal allowed since the break too.  It does leave us in a spot where writing off the rest of the league season to focus on the Cups would be absurd, but going all in on the playoff run is unlikely to pay off with significantly improved odds.  So it continues to be a balancing act.

Another positive sign from this game was the assists on both goals.  On the first our new signing, Youssef Maziz, dropped a great corner kick right on to Cannon's head.  If he can bring a Jack Price-esque style to our set pieces that would be a good addition.  Maziz looked good during his play from the field as well.  On the second goal Aaronson made a nice move and put a cross actually in the est place it could go, slightly behind Rafa, which allowed Navarro to spin, receive the ball, and then spin back with time to pick his spot.  If Youssef can unlock Paxten that's w win.

Also that goal tied Rafa with Diego Rubio with 38 goals all-time (regular season matches), 4th on the all-time list.  Next up is a tie for 2nd between Omar Cummings and Paul Bravo at 39.  Presumably he gets to and passes that this season, barring injury.  Then its a jump up to Conor Casey on the top of the record book at 50.

Next up is a tough one, LAFC at home on short rest.  Then a trip out to SoCal to play San Diego before a week off before the Rocky Mountain Cup.  Beating FSL is a must but getting one point out of the other two games would be acceptable, more than that would be a good step into showing we're improving from what we've been.

Man of the Match: Reggie Cannon.  Scored the first goal, drew the second red card, and overall was active and involved in a way we hadn't seen for a while.  Right back hasn't been fully locked down this seasons, maybe this is a step towards really claiming it again.

OG Matchup

The KC Wiz, er, Kansas City Wizards, er, Sporting Kansas City are in town for tomorrow night's matchup between two original teams.  Our I-70s rivals are in contention for the Wooden Spoon this season and this is a game we must take advantage of.  Before the match the team is going to have a short celebration to honor Keegan Rosenberry's 200th appearance last game.  The ceremony will start at 7:15 with kickoff at the normal 7:30 (or thereabouts).

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), D Jackson Travis (ankle), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Kimani Stewart-Baynes (lower leg), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

No surprises there.  The one surprise is the name that's not there, Youssef Maziz.  Our new midfielder got his visa earlier this week and is eligible for selection.  He was not allowed to train with the team until the paperwork came through though, he was only allowed to do individual fitness and skill training.  That makes it very unlikely that he starts but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get 15-20 minutes if the game state allows it.

Also Atencio, Rafa Navarro, and Ojediran are all one yellow card from suspension.

This seems straight forward.  While I would start Yapi its clear that Wells doesn't rate him as a starter.  Minoungou and Sealy seem to be the favored winger options.  Everyone else is fairly self-explanatory.

Prediction: 2-0 win, goals by Navarro and Yapi (off the bench).  There's really no excuse to not wi this game by at least 2.  KC is a horrible team and we need to show we can handle teams like this.  Any sort of struggle and its a good sign we should just focus on the Rocky Mountain and Open Cups for the rest of the season.