Not Dead Yet!

Sorry for going AWOL on opening weekend.  I picked up whatever bug was going around and it hit me Saturday night.  Today is the first time I managed to focus enough to write.  I assume everyone's seen the game and/or recaps by now so I won't spend much time reviewing the details.  Instead just some observations I had on the game:

• We need a real striker like now (more on that later tonight/tomorrow)
• This new system looks a lot like the old system after one game.  The Rapids played more long balls than any other team in the league this week, by a good deal
• Jack Price has never scored a PK goal in his career, I'm not sure why he was the first choice to take one in this game
• Niki Jackson showed the good and bad side of being a rookie.  His first touch was a goal, his last impact on the game was the weak foul that led to the winning goal
• How about that assist from Blomberg?  If they had an assist of the week award, that would be it
• Only one sub was used.  We used to give Pablo crap about that so its only fair to call out Hudson for the same thing.  That said, playing for the draw on the road meant that a sub wasn't really necessary, until it was too late
• The defense on the first NE goal was laughable.  4 different Rapids had a play on the ball and all they managed to do was shield Howard's view of the shot.  Wynne in particular does not appear to be MLS starting caliber based on getting burned on all 3 goals we've given up in CCL/MLS play this season.
• Some people think the final call was soft, and it was, but it wasn't out of line with what was being called throughout the game.  A good team adapts to the ref and doesn't commit the final foul
• Howard wasn't to blame on either goal

Man of the Match: Johan Blomberg, for the assist mainly