Rapids Ace Casey's Test

The Rapids went into Friday night's game with nobody expecting them to win (including me).  The expectation is that the league leaders, even down a few men, would come into Commerce City and handle the, until recently, league doormats.  Instead the Rapids were the ones handling LAFC, keeping them contained with really only one good  look at goal, and once again scoring on a set piece.  With the win Colorado extends its undefeated streak to 7 games, second only to NYCFC's current 11 game streak in the league this season.  Nobody has picked up more points in the last 7 games than the Rapids though.

Random Musings:

• I've been on the "give Casey all year to see if he can do the job" bandwagon so far, and really I still am, but we just shutout LAFC and beat them on a Danny Wilson goal.  If Padraig Smith had announced Casey got the full time job today it would have been hard to argue against it.
• Two months ago today we were mired in a 9 game winless streak and had real concerns of putting up an all-time league worst season.  Now we're averaging just under 2 pts/game with Casey at the helm and fear nobody.
• Scoring right before the lightning break concerned me, I thought we'd lose our focus going in to the locker room up 1-0.  We almost did, as LAFC got a great look in the first minute after the break, but otherwise we stayed focused and locked in.  Credit to Casey for keeping the team on point during the delay.
• Somehow, despite the best offense in the league and a pretty good Rapids offense, there was no shot on target in the first half.
• Howard looked good again Friday night.  His xGoals has dropped to .71, which is still middle of the road for the league but a big improvement from the dip it took in May.
• Credit to the whole back line.  They got the stops when it mattered.
• Outside of Wilson's goal the only other shot on target by Colorado was from Shinyashiki.  Kamara seems to have cooled off a bit from his hot start but its great to see others stepping up.
• I hope Price isn't seriously injured.  No idea how he was the one who got carded on that play.
• On to Jameson Night on Thursday!

Man of the Match: Sam Vines.  He took the run-away MVP candidate and put him in a little box all night.  Vela has one shot, off target, all game and it came from the middle of the field.  In fact the whole LAFC team only got one shot off from Vines' side all night and it was saved by Howard.  Probably the best game he's played as a Rapid, and he was rewarded by being named to the MLS Team of the Week.