Stuck In Neutral

This team remains lost as a scoreless draw played out in Portland on Saturday.  In a game they pretty much had to have the Rapids 1 shot on target.  Combined with the Minnesota game midweek the team put up 5 shots on target and scored 2 goals in two games where 1 win was almost a necessity.  Instead they got two draws and are now holding on to the playoffs by their fingernails.  The silver lining is that Portland only getting 1 point all but eliminated them.

However the door has been opened for FSL.  They are 3 points back and if they make up that 3 points (assuming its not via 3 draws) they'll be tied on the first tiebreaker and at worst 1 goal back in GD, the second tiebreaker.  If you're wondering Colorado plays 1st, 3rd, and 4th placed in the West and 4th placed in the East.  FSL plays 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 14th in the West.  I know which schedule I'd rather have.

So far this season Colorado has only beaten 3 teams with more points than them right now, Houston, the Galaxy, and LAFC.  And other than the LAFC win the other two were in the first two months of the season.  In fact the Houston game was the last game we won when we allowed a goal.  We've also drawn 3 teams above us in points, two of them since the break, but the only one on the road was also back in April against LAFC.  Essentially 26 of our 38 points came against teams worse than us, an there's no more of those on the schedule.

As far as Saturday's game goes, it was really a bunch of meh punctuated by some poor officiating.  Colorado should have given up a PK when Navarro send Fernandez flying into the boards, but Portland should have had a yellow card (and some refs would have gone red) when Yapi took an elbow to the head before that.  There was even a scuffle before halftime that only resulted in opposing yellows.  The choice to sit Aaronson with no hint of injury in an important game was certainly noticeable.  I realize it was a 3 game week but at this point of the season it needs to be all hands on deck.

There's a big week coming up with a trip to San Jose sandwiched between home games against Vancouver and Chicago.  That said, I'm not going to be here for it.  I've got a business trip coming up at the end of the week so I'll have no coverage of the Vancouver or San Jose unless I get very bored in my hotel room across the pond.  I might get a preview up for Chicago as I will be home in time to attend that one, at worst we'll have a recap of the full week after Halloween.

Man of the Match: Nico Hansen.  Had a couple of big saves to preserve the shutout which was enough to stand out with all the average play on the field.

Last Stand Time

The situation is simple, a loss tomorrow and Portland (and possibly FSL and/or San Diego) are within 2 points while we're in a death spiral with our last 4 games against teams in the top 4 of their respective conferences.  A win and that might just be enough cushion to claim a wild card spot with an outside chance of hosting the match.  A draw and everyone finishes annoyed (and FSL and San Diego might get within 3).  Kickoff in Oregon is at 8:30 MT.  Hopes may be dashed by 9.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zack Steffen (shoulder), D Reggie Cannon (leg), M Ali Fadal (torso), M Youssef Maziz (leg), F Sayed Abu Farkhi (suspension)

QUESTIONABLE: GK Nico Hansen (hip), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder)

Atencio and Yapi are on yellow card watch.  None of that is good.  Cannon has been down graded, Hansen picked up an injury, and we already talked about the idiocy that was Farkhi on Wednesday.

I know Georgi scored on Wednesday, but Phillip scored in the 3 before that so I think he gets the nod.  Otherwise this a fairly obvious lineup where you have to have a win.  Obviously if Hansen can go he will, I just assumed he won't be able to.

Prediction: 2-1 loss.  Goal by Aaronson.  I just can't predict anything but a loss on the road at this point.  Especially given our injury situation.  Portland has actually won half its home games and only lost four of them, though the last two were to the awful Auston and Atlanta sides.  A draw would not be a real shock but a win would.

Clean Out The Lockers

For the sixth game in a row the Rapids had a lead.  For the fourth game in a row and fifth time in those six games the Rapids didn't win.  Seven leads thrown away in those five games.  Just a ridiculously mentally weak team.

We have not won a league game where where conceded a goal at any point since April 11, over 6 months ago

There's really not much more to say about things than that.  One thing stood out last night though.

Youssef Maziz - Out with injury, Wells stated he'll be lucky to be back by the end of the season

Morgan Whittaker - Horrible back pass to set up the first Minnesota goal

Sayed Abu Farkhi - Played 8 minutes and got a red for slapping Boxall

Loic Williams - Own goal to tie the game

That's our 4 midseason signings doing everything they can to make sure we don't win this game.  Now I know that's not really fair to Maziz and Williams was more unlucky than anything but just a brutal set of (non) performances from the group that arrived after Padraig Smith stated "We will be bold. We are going to be forceful in what we do here".

Good to see Yapi and Minoungou finally get on the scoreboard but its too little too late.  Its really hard to see who this team can beat if they can't beat one of the bottom 5 teams in the league at home.  The rest of the West is so bad they might be able to hold on to the final playoff spot by their fingernails, but this team will be a one and done in the wild card game.

Man of the Match: Yapi.  Pretty goal, good to see him score.

Do Or Die Time

Well, here we are.  6 games left, one win in the last 6 games, and the easiest opponent left in town tomorrow night.  If we can't get 3 points against Minnesota, the next to last team in the West, at home then we might as well clean out the lockers this week as there's no reason to think any other wins, or a playoff spot, will be coming in the last three weeks.  Kickoff against the Loons is the normal 7:30 tomorrow night, and its going to be cool and wet for the first time in quite a while.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zack Steffen (shoulder), M Ali Fadal (torso), M Youssef Maziz (leg)

QUESTIONABLE: D Reggie Cannon (leg), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder)

Josh Atencio is still on yellow card watch too

Gotta roll out the best XI (or the best we can) tomorrow.  Thompson seems the more likely replacement for Cannon than Rosenberry but either one would probably work.

Prediction: 2-1 win, goals by Whittaker and Aaronson.  Minnesota is bad and its now or never.  The Rapids get the job done but its not convincing.  Pretty typical riding the playoff line finish to the season for us.

Rapids Fail To Finish, Again

From my Friday preview:

1-1 draw, goal by Phillip.  This even feels a bit optimistic given our recent play and how good San Jose is, but I think the home field advantage is enough to get us a point.  I can't see a win though. 

(I did however claim we were playing Montreal and not Minnesota on Wednesday, my bad)

And that's exactly what happened.  Colorado got a 27th minute goal from Donovan Phillip but couldn't hold the lead again.  1.07 xG, 2 big chances, surprisingly 10 shots on target but when they only generate a bit over 1 expected goal you can tell they weren't great chances.  There's only so many ways I can write the same game review.  Our offense does not create enough quality chances to win in this league.  Especially if we can't put up a shut out on the other end.

Phillip, obviously, had a good night with the goal.  His third in three games and he scored for St. Lucia during the international break.  Aaronson and Frederick looked good too.  But we didn't get much out of Farchi or Whittaker.  And Atencio managed to not get a card but didn't add much to the offense.  The book is out on the Rapids, we can't beat a low block from the run of play.  Until we figure that out the offense is going to look the same every week (not good).

A concerning note from the subs.  Minoungou came on in the 58th and was taken off in the 83rd after Wells was visibly frustrated with his effort.  That's a bad sign for somebody we spent $2M on 6 months ago.  Especially since he was replaced by Sadiq getting his first minutes in burgundy, somebody who will be gunning for his spot.

Also Wells got another yellow card on the sideline.  Hard to complain about our lack if discipline when the head coach leads with that kind of example.

As I said on Friday though, this game was gravy.  One point against a good San Jose side is actually decent, we are just at the desperation stage of the season.  The big games are Wednesday against Minnesota and Saturday in Portland.  4 points mininum, really need 6 to be comfortable.

Man of the Match: Donovan Phillip.  I almost went with Frederick here but how can you not award a kid who's scored 3 in 3?

The Final Push

Ok, that was the final break before the end of the regular season.  The Rapids have 3 games this coming week, get 7 days off, have 3 games that following week, have 7 days off, and finish ion Dallas.  7 games, 28 days, and we need probably 9 points in those games.  The good news is that 4 of the 7 are home.  The bad news is that 5 of the 7 are against the top 8 teams in the league.  It starts tomorrow with one of two games against the Earthquakes, this one at home in Commerce City.  With 3 games this wee we need a minimum of 4 points if we think we have any shot at a playoff spot.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zack Steffen (shoulder), M Ali Fadal (torso), M Youssef Maziz (leg)

QUESTIONABLE: M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder)

Maziz was apparently close to being back and then reinjured the leg so they're being cautious now.  At least it doesn't sound season-ending.  Also Josh Atencio is on yellow card watch, again.  Ibrahim Sadiq has his visa and is available for selection as well.

I was tempted to throw Sadiq into the starting lineup but I can't see Wells picking him over Phillip was has been playing very well.  We could see Atencio instead of Ojediran but that would be a mistake IMO.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Phillip.  This even feels a bit optimistic given our recent play and how good San Jose is, but I think the home field advantage is enough to get us a point.  I can't see a win though.  In the playoff hunt though the critical games are Wednesday night against Montreal and next weekend in Portland.  This is a nice to have.

Embarrassing

For the second week in a row the Rapids had a 2 goal lead in the second half.  And for the second week in a row they failed to win (what is known as a 'blown tire' in BigSoccer lingo).  This week was worse, they managed a point out of Seattle but they rolled over and played dead to the Galaxy allowing them to take all 3 points.  This started with an own goal by Cannon (though in his defense he wasn't making a horrible play, and I still don't know how it wasn't offside in the prior ball) and then an all-time howler from Hansen gave LA the equalizer.  After that you felt it was just a matter of time and sure enough the Galaxy caught Colorado apparently unprepared on a corner kick for the winner.

Once again we saw this team unable to overcome any adversity.  As soon as things started going wrong they went really wrong.  Its the same cascading failure mentality we've see all season.  The fact that Wells hasn't been able to fix it yet is a real question mark about his coaching abilities.  You have to figure he's not going to solve it in the remaining 7 games this season.

Colorado is 8th on PPG with a surging Galaxy right behind them.  We've got San Jose at home in two weeks, then the rest of that week is Minnesota at home and Portland on the road.  7 points in that week is an absolute must.  That puts us at 43, just a couple points off the Bodmer Line of 44-45.  The last four games of the season are a home game against the best team in the West, on the road to the third best team, home to the fifth best team in the East, and on the road to the second best in the West.  There's a very good chance there are 0 wins in that group.  The rest of the West sucks so much that we can hold on to 9th with our fingernails, but if we lose in Portland we're probably missing the playoffs.

Man of the Match: Donovan Phillip.  Got the game going on the right foot with a 5th minute goal off a perfectly timed run.  His second straight game where he's scored and he's starting to look comfortable in the league.  Not bad for a third round pick.  Also today the Rapids confirmed what we thought about his St. Lucia callup as they announced he'll be joining the team for the rest of the window.

Depleted Rapids Head To The Coast

Colorado is out in LA tonight to face the Galaxy, but a number of their first teamers are scattered across the world on international duty.  Farkhi is with Israel, Frederick is with Trinidad & Tobago, Minoungou is with Burkina Faso, and at least one report has Phillip with St. Lucia though the Rapids have not confirmed that.  Combined with the injuries its going to take some work from Wells to get a result in this one.  Kickoff from Carson is 8:30pm tonight.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), M Wayne Frederick (Trinidad & Tobago), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Youssef Maziz (leg), M Georgi Minoungou (Burkina Faso), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee), F Sayed Abu Farkhi (Israel)

QUESTIONABLE: Donovan Phillip (St. Lucia)

Earlier this week The Voice St. Lucia had an article about the national team and the Nations League games where they listed Donovan Phillip as part of the team this window.  But Phillip was not in the gameday lineup for their 2-0 loss to Barbados last night.  That leads me to think that the Rapids worked out an arrangement with St. Lucia to keep Phillip for tonight's game and then release him, but we'll see when the Rapids gameday roster drops.

That's an ugly front 6.  The only other option really is Alex Harris but I don't think that's going to be an improvement.  I do not expect a shootout tonight.

Prediction: 0-0 draw.  The Galaxy are a worse team than us in all aspects except player availability.  But we have our full defense so I don't see either team scoring in this one.  It might be pretty ugly in the attacking half for the Rapids though.

Player Odds And Ends

Catching up on a few player movements in the last week.

• Colorado signed Akol Akon from Sydney FC

Akon is a 17 year old Aussie who made his professional debut for Sydney last season.  He can't join the Rapids until he's 18 so he was signed and loaned back to Sydney for the 2026-27 season and will join the burgundy boys in July.  Reports are that the FO sees him on a similar pathway as Herrington and Sydney was smart enough to get a sell-on clause.  Akon has been capped by the Australia U-17 team 13 times over the last two years.

• Zack Campagnolo loaned to St. Louis for the rest of 2026 with option to buy

Campagnolo has been a rotating starter in goal for Rapids 2 who's contract will elevate him to the first team next season.  In exchange the Rapids get an international slot through 2027.  Campagnolo is fourth choice for the first team at best and would get time if there were a raft of injuries.  The international slot also allows the Rapids to roster Sadiq when his visa comes through.

• Farkhi scores and gets red carded in Israel's Nations League match with Austria today

Farkhi got his second cap by starting for Israel today.  In the 52nd minute he was yellow carded before a corner kick.  In the 55th minute he scored Israel's only goal of the match to level it at 1.  In the 56th minute he received a second yellow card for excessive celebration.  The celebration was pulling out the corner flag and miming using it as a pool cue or rifle, depending on your point of view.  Neymar's celebration.  Needless to say in today's environment the latter interpretation is going viral.  Regardless of his intention he needs to be smarter about what it will appear to be, and he's a complete idiot for doing it while on a yellow card.  Pulling the flag is almost always inviting the ref to give you a yellow regardless of your celebration.

• Donovan Phillip, Georgi Minoungou, and Wayne Frederick are also on international duty

Phillip is with St. Lucia and Frederick is with Trinidad & Tobago for Nations League games while Minoungou is wilt Burkina Faso for Cup of Nations qualifiers.  All four will miss Saturday's Rapids game against LA.  In case your wondering Israel has multiple games still to play in this window so Farkhi being suspended doesn't mean he can be released early to return to the club.

The Badge, The Players, The Fans Deserve Better - Three Years Later

 

Last Wednesday our focus was rightly on the USOC semifinal, as disastrous as that was, so the anniversary of the C38 protest that night 3 years earlier kind of passed us by.  I had planned to circle back to that tonight to cover where things had gone in those 1103 days between that night and now, but Matt Pollard over at Burgundy Wave beat me to it today.

Go read his column, it covered just about every point I had planned to cover and he's a better writer than me so you'll get more out of it.  The only thing I'll add is that in my prior columns on this I've asked the question "The Badge, The Players, The Fans Deserve Better, have they go it?" and the answer is no.

The Rapids FO has done a good to great job of finding money to invest in the roster by selling off pieces for big money (Bombito, Mihailovic, Herrington, Navarro) but the problem is that has largely come at the expense of results on the field.  In those three years we've managed two semifinal appearances (Leagues Cup 2024, USOC 2026) and been blown out of both games.  In the league play we finished 7th in the West/13th overall and 11th/21st and our one playoff series ended in blowout losses too.  Off the field there's been a few additions to the stadium/fan experience but for the most part its the same run-down stadium that's way behind the times as it was 3 years ago.

Its very clear that the Front Office is still handcuffed by the same budget restrictions they were three years ago, and for all of KSE's talk then, and Kevin Demoff's talk this offseason, about investing in this club and making it a winner we're still a afterthought in the KSE stable.  And the badge, the players, the fans still deserve better.

Book Review: Emancipation for Goalposts

Amazon link

I found this book recently while digging through the history shelves at Boulder's Bookworm.  I'm always up for a good crossover between history and soccer so I grabbed it.  This seemed similar to Gunshots and Goalposts on football during the Troubles (which based on my search I've never reviewed here) which I enjoyed.

This is a solid book about football in Yugoslavia and then what football was like in the 6/7 countries that formed after the Yugoslavian civil war.  What this isn't, despite the subtitle, is an explanation of football's role in the civil war.  As far as I can tell that's because it didn't really play one.

The book starts with a couple of chapters detailing the history of football in the region before Yugoslavia was founded after WW1, and then the ~70 years before the country broke up.  This includes both the National team's results and also the major successes of its club teams.  Red Star, Hajduk Split, Partizan, and Dinamo Zagreb are heavily covered as you would expect.  Their successes in Europe, culminating with Red Star's European Cup championship on the cusp of the civil war is also featured, as is Yugoslavia's expulsion from Euro 1992 because of the war (they were replaced by Denmark, who would go on to win the tournament).

The book then turns to a history of the civil war and the founding of the breakaway states.  Football is barely mentioned in this chapter, with a couple of names associated with the running of clubs or ultras popping up and an occasional aside to how soldiers would identify themselves as supporters of one of the big teams.

After that its a couple of chapters covering the new leagues and new National teams that were formed in the wake of the dissolution.  One note is that in 1990 Croatia played its first international match of its modern history in Zagreb against a travelling U.S. team who had played in Poland a week earlier.  The starting lineup that night included Steve Trittschuh, Robin Fraser, Peter Vermes, and Marcelo Balboa.  Croatia won 2-1 with Troy Dayak scoring for the Yanks.  'Celo picked up a yellow card.  Since Croatia wasn't yet recognized by FIFA this is considered an 'unofficial' match and doesn't appear in the record books of results from that year.

The book finishes by following the large immigrant population from the Balkans, especially Croatia, in Australia and the impact on football there.  Then it turns towards the work being done in the former Yugoslav republics to repair fences with football and talks about how the newest republic, Kosovo, had lead to some  internationals to question if they want file a switch to play for them.

Overall I give this 3 of 5 stars.  I found the history of football interesting and as somebody who lived through the time period of the Yugoslavian civil war but wasn't old enough to really focus on it (I was in high school/college, my general reaction was "that seems bad, ok, back to thermodynamics") the overview of what happened filled in some gaps.  Unfortunately it didn't live up to the sub-title like I was hoping it would.  As you can tell the book is a little scattered.  The last two chapters felt like they were tacked on to reach a full book length and it would have been just as good without them.

If you want to know more about football in that part of the world I'd recommend it.  Otherwise there are better football books to read (like Gunshots & Goalposts above).

Rapids Waste Best Offensive Performance Since April

Colorado game out of the gate and took an early lead, gave it back, took a two goal lead, and then folded like a cheap suit to surrender 3 goals for the second time in a week and lose 2 points they desperately needed.

On the plus side both Whittaker and Farkhi started, and our DPs combined for two goals bracketing a goal from our first round draft pick.  Whittaker also took the corner that led to Phillip's goal but since there was a save between the kick and the goal he doesn't get an official assist.  Still, two goals and starting the attack on the third is a great outing.  Farkhi, on the other hand, was a bit quieter.  He had a couple of good looks and the best xG on the team out of the players who didn't score, but he was never really threatening.

The troubling thing was the lack of pressure and intensity late in the game when the subs came in.  Seattle scored two of their goals after the 75th minute and they were given plenty of time and space to do it.  Darren Yapi and Josh Atencio particularly stood out as not engaging defensively as you would hope.  Stealing this from fellow Rapids fan Ben on Burgundy Sky.

Yapi came on in the 64th, Atencio and Minoungou in the 72nd.  Surprising no one, parking the bus did not work.

To be slightly fair to the team, all three of the Sounders goals were great shots, the last two being absolute bangers.  The three of them had a combined x^ of 0.17.  In comparison Phillp's goal had an xG of 0.54.  The problem was that we gave them the room to get those shots off.  Wells has to figure out why this team is so mentally weak when things start to go sidways.

Losing these two points is a real blow to our playoff chances.  Of the 9 games we had left Seattle was the worst team on PPG, they were beat up, on a 11 game winless streak, and we were at home.  If we couldn't get 3 points from this game where are we going to get the 8-9 points we need in the last 8 games to hit the Bodmer Line?  Trips to Dallas and San Jose seem unlikely, and even our trips to the Galaxy next week and Portland are not reliable given our road form.  We've got Minnesota at home, which seems winnable and maybe Chicago, but Vancouver and San Jose, even at the Dick, feel like a long shot.  Not to mention 6 of those 8 games are happening during 3-game weeks.

Man of the Match: Morgan Whittaker.  2 goals, unofficial assist, yeah, that's what we need from our most expensive player ever.

Can A 7th Placed Team Have A Must-Win At This Point?

Seattle's Seafair Pirates, a pack of rogues 

Avast there!  Your local crew has an appropriate nautical opponent for International Talk Like A Pirate Day tomorrow   So drink up me hearties!  Yo ho!

Ok, I can't keep that up for a full preview.  But yes, the Sounders are in town tomorrow night to face a Rapids side that's staggering a bit after the midweek USOC loss.  Seattle is beat up themselves and in a death spiral, they've gone 12 games without a win.  This is the easiest game left on our schedule (home against the weakest team left) and its a must win.  Colorado needs 9 points in the last 9 games to get to the playoff average and if we can't get 3 here I question where we're going to get them.  This is about as much a must-win as we can have.  Kickoff is at 7:30.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

QUESTIONABLE: M Youssef Maziz (leg), 

SUSPENDED: D Kosi Thompson (yellowcard accumulation)

No surprises there, but good to see Maziz upgraded at least.  Also of note not this week but next, both Farkhi and Frederick have been called up by their national teams (Israel and T&T)  so they won't be available in LA.

Its time to see what the new guys can do.  Yapi is not working as the striker and there's no next week for Farkhi, so throw him out there and see how long he can go.  Same with Whittaker.  The rest is fairly obvious.

Prediction: 1-0 win, goal by Aaronson.  That score seems to be our home MO, why predict anything else?

Colorado Crumble

A pitiful effort saw the Rapids run out of their own building last night with barely a whimper.  For all the talk of being a new era with Demoff taking more interest and Wells coming in we saw the same old Rapids problems as we've seen for almost 10 years.  A team that can only work when things are going their way and all their starters are available. , Any kind of mental pressure like missing leaders or giving up the first goal and the team crumbles.

In this case it was third-string keeper Adam Beaudry, pushed into service by Nico Hansen's suspension (something we all forgot about until the lineup came out) who tried to pull a full Joe Nasco after misplaying a backpass, failed, and gave up an easy goal.  As we all know the Rapids don't come back after giving up the opener (its been 2 years!) and sure enough they didn't this time.  For the third time this season a bad backpass sequence cost Colorado against St. Louis and in the end the newcomers beat us by a combined 5-0 over the three games with those mistakes.

Even a 1-0 loss off a bad individual error would have been disappointing but acceptable, sometimes the bounces don't go your way but instead the team gave up.  Two more goals when St. Louis sliced or defense open because they just wanted it more.  The easy blame on this game is to point at Beaudry and say if he had done better by not giving up that goal things might have been different.  Its the general take on the loss last time we were this close, the 1999 final.  But much like Ian Feuer that night the goalkeeper wasn't really the problem.

We could have build a brick wall across goal and it wouldn't have mattered because in the biggest game in 5, if not 10, years there was no chance this team was going to score a goal.  The only shot on goal we had all night was right before Beaudry's gaffe, and it was an weak ground shot from Minoungou right at the keeper.  We played 62 minutes from behind and didn't put a single shot on net.

Its not hard to conclude that the Front Office sold our best chance at a trophy in 10 years for $12M.  I don't know that having Rafa last night wins the game, but I'm sure having Rafa and Mihailovic would.  Instead they got $20M, the amount they invested in Aaronson and Whittaker, and the two of them combined for 5 chances created and 3 shots with none on target.  Since the sale Rafa is averaging a goal every 58 minutes of game action.  The Rapids as a team are averaging one every 180 minutes.

Both Yapi and Farkhi looked ineffective as the loan striker which really makes you question where the goals are going come from the rest of the season.  In the first 8 league games this season the Rapids scored multiple goals 6 times, including 4 goals twice and one 6 goal effort.  In the 17 leagues games since they've scored multiple goals once, and the second goal was against 9 men.  My first thought was that they had to shift to focusing on defense, as they gave up 14 goals in those 8 games, but in the last 8 games (including last night) we've given up 10 so that doesn't seem to be the reason.  I think its likely that after 8 games there was enough tape on the Rapids for the league to figure out Wells' system and he won't, or can't, change it.  Thus the reason for backpasses that keep killing us.

More on this tomorrow but Seattle on Saturday is about as much of a must-win as a 7th place team can get with 9 games to play.  A lack of 3 points this weekend and you have to really question or chances to make the playoffs, much less do anything once we get there.

Man of the Match: Nobody.  You have to want to play to earn the award.

First Home Semi-Final In 10 Years

Not since the Western Conference Final (the MLS Cup semifinal) against Seattle in 2016 have the Rapids hosted a shot at a spot in a final.  While they reached the semis of the Leagues Cup (and eventually claimed the CCC spot in a shootout) that was in LA.  Tomorrow they get another shot at a final in front of their own fans.  The thing standing in their way?  St. Louis City, a team that's already beat them twice this year.  The good news is that Rafa Navarro is cup-tied after playing for us so he can't hurt his old team.  The biggest home game since Thanksgiving 2021 kicks off at 7:30 tomorrow night.

We don't have an availability list for the Open Cup but everyone seemed to come out of this weekend's game healthy so the only real question mark is Maziz's injury.  Given our struggles we need every weapon we can get so hopefully he's able to go.  Both Farkhi and Whittaker are eligible too, but Sadiq is still waiting on his visa.  As far as discipline goes it appears that the competition does not track accumulated yellow cards so Hansen would not be at risk of a suspension in the final should we win if he gets a yellow tomorrow, but I can't confirm that.

Its all hands on deck tomorrow because, to be blunt, this is our only chance at hardware.  We're not going to win MLS Cup this season.  So Farkhi and Whittaker have to start, even if they only have 60 minutes in their legs.  If Maziz can go, you risk him.  If he can't then you're probably looking at Frederick instead.  Everyone else is the clear best option.  I know a lot of these gays played 90 on Saturday but they have to go deep for another intense 90 (or possibly 120) for this one.

Prediction: 1-0 win, goal by Aaronson.  This will be a tense match all the way through and St. Louis will probably have the majority of the play.  My heart is driving me on this prediction more than my head, which would lean towards it being decided in PK's or a loss.  StL is the hottest team in MLS right now and even without Rafa I wonder if we can stop them.  If we were in St. Louis I'd give us a small chance but at home with what we've shown at the Dick since the World Cup break?  That's just enough to put us over the top (I hope!).

Colorado Makes It Six In A Row

With a 1-0 win on Saturday night the Rapids tied their team record with 6 straight home wins, set in 2016.  All 6 have been by shutout which is a new team record.  The league record for consecutive home shutouts is 8 by KC in 2000 (they actually went 87 minutes into their 9th game before Clint Mathis broke the streak).  If you're wondering the Rapids record for a home undefeated streak is 23, stretching from the second game of the 2021 season through May of 2022.

Really the biggest question watching the game, especially after the first couple of minutes, was if we were going to score.  Montreal never really threatened after a shot in the 2nd minute which was 30% of their xG on the night.  No other shot got above 0.07 xG.  Unfortunately the Rapids finishing issues continued Yapi had shots above 0.2 xG in both halves that weren't finished and Fredrick had one in the second half as well.  It took a PK from Aaronson to get one in the back of the net.

Whittaker and Farkhi both game in around the 55th minute for their first ever appearance in burgundy (black).  Whittaker was able to show more in this one, being active on the right side and getting a couple of good looks at goal.  He almost had his first goal in Colorado but his long shot went just wide of the far post.  Farkhi held up the ball well but wasn't as involved in the offense otherwise.  As Matt Wells said after the game their only goal on Saturday was to get some game time in their legs.  Hopefully its enough for them to start on Wednesday.

This was about as low-intensity a game as you can hope for with a league match right before a Cup semifinal.  That said, both Navarro and Williams were pretty toasted by the final whistle and they aren't really replaceable as starters (Travis and Cobb are not the same level).  The good news is that with the home winning streak the Rapids are solidly in a playoff position, so they can afford to sacrifice the game on Saturday against Seattle and just have everyone go all-out on Wednesday.  Also with this win the Rapids have equalized their win total from 2025 with 11.

Man of the Match: Paxten Aaronson.  He's stepped up with Rafa's departure and managed to get it done on offense when nobody else is.  The Rapids have now been outscored 4-2 by their former striker since the trade.

Reinforcements Are Trickling In Just In Time

The Rapids got good news today in their prep for tomorrow night's match against Montreal, Morgan Whittaker has his visa.  No news on Farkhi, who they were hoping for today, and Sadiq is still expected to be a bit longer, but this is the first (and biggest) step as Colorado can now put the biggest signing in their history on the field.  Burgundy Wave thinks he'll start but that might be a stretch given he's had at most one session with the team.  I do expect him to come off the bench though.  Meanwhile the opposition is a truly awful formerly-known-as-Impact side that would bein a race for the Wooden Spoon if SKC weren't having a historically bad year.  Kickoff tomorrow at the Dick is 7:30.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), M Ali Fadal (head), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Youssef Maziz (leg), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

SUSPENDED: D Reggie Cannon

As feared when he came off the field in Austin, Maziz's injury was serious enough that he'll miss at least this game.  Hopefully that's all it is.  Also Kosi Thompson is one yellow card from suspension.

I'm assuming we're going to see some rotation and resting players for the semi-final on Wednesday.  Given the thin roster though this seems to be the best we'll be able to do, and Wells may not even go that far.  If Whittaker does start it would be in place of Phillip I assume.

Prediction: 2-0 win, goals by Aaronson and Thompson.  Montreal has a pretty similar offense to ours, which is to say below average, but a truly horrible defense, second-worst in the league.  The Rapids keep the home shutout streak going into the semifinal and this one actually feels like a comfortable win.

Rapids Break Road Woes

I'm going to be honest up front, I only had one eye on the Austin - Colorado game last night as most of my focus was on Patriots - Seahawks.  But I did watch it and did see a Rapids side who looked better on the road than they have since May, but still couldn't finish.

The first half was largely the Rapids controlling play and creating chances.  They scored first when a cross was centered to Yapi unmarked in the middle of the box.  He should have one-timed it but instead he tried to chest it down and by the time he took his second touch the Austin defense had clamped down on him.  However their clearance went right to Aaronson who did one-time it and a worm-burner of a shot went off the left post and in for the early lead.  Side note, seeing the Austin defender raise his hand for offside when he was standing between Yapi and the goal was fairly funny.  Maziz and Phillip also had shots on target int he half but generally they were at the keeper.

The second half tilted back to Austin.  They had the majority of play and opportunities in this half but Aaronson had a great look at goal with a curving shot that a laid out Stuver just managed to palm around the post.  Right after that the home team came down the field and managed to pull the Rapids defense out of position leaving Torres unmarked at the top of the box for a cross.  He put a looping header over Hansen to level the score.  Colorado overloaded their right side of the defense with both Cannon and Holding marking the same player (maybe Cannon was supposed to push out even wider to the wing?) and Navarro not moving over to the open space in the center.  After the goal both teams seemed to accept the draw in the last 10 minutes.

Once again our lack of attacking depth was a problem.  Minoungou and Harris were our only options on the bench and that's just not enough for this team.  Wells said there's some chance Farkhi and/or Whittaker could have their visas in time for Saturday's game and we really need them.  Hopefully that means the odds of having them in time for the USOC game next week is high.

Speaking of, Reggie Cannon got a yellow card last night when means he's suspended for Saturday's game due to yellow card accumulation.  That should make him well-rested for the semi-final.  Atencio had to come on for an injured Maziz in the first half.  Youssef walked out under his own power but was shaking his head like he knew something was wrong.  Not great.  Meanwhile Atencio picked up his 9th yellow card of the season, tied for 2nd in the league but Josh has played 500 minutes less than Segovia (9) and Durkin (10);.  Time to dial it back.

Also, Rafa had 2 goals in his first start for St. Louis last night, which is one more goal than the Rapids have scored since they traded him...

Man of the Match: Paxton Aaronson.  Apparently Matt Wells challenged him after the Columbus game to step up and be more involved and he responded last night with the best to chances the Rapids had.

Road Warriors Go Again

Honestly, this is my focus tomorrow night. Sorry Rapids.

The Rapids have a quick turn around from their Ohio trip to head down to Texas.  Austin is on the schedule and that schedule is getting tight.  Specifically this is when Matt Wells is going to have to start making some decisions about which games matter more over the next week and a half.  We've got Austin tomorrow night and then three games in a week at the Dick, the middle of which is the USOC semi-final.  Anyone that plays tomorrow night could have a week off to be fully rested for St. Louis in that one, but that means leaving Montreal on Saturday with a bare-bones lineup.  Or he could mix and match some starters on both games.  Add to that the possibility of Whittaker or Farkhi getting their visas and being available (Sadiq seems like a long-shot).  Kickoff tomorrow is at 6:30pm.

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), M Ali Fadal (head), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

QUESTIONABLE: GK Nico Hansen (leg)

I'm going to guess that Hansen doesn't make this trip to give him more rest and then if he's able he gets Montreal to get back into the flow before the USOC match.

Outside of that I'm not actually going to predict a lineup for this one.  Coming off the 3-0 mess on Saturday, the balancing of the roster against the USOC match, and the unknowns about the visas means nothing would surprise me tomorrow outside of the keeper position.

Prediction: 1-0 loss.  Until they actually prove it on the road I can't predict anything but a loss.  Austin is a bad team, as bad as Columbus with even a worse defense, but this Rapids team has no mental toughness and once things start going sideways they don't stop.

Another Garbage Road Game

Ugh, I really thought this would be the game where we got something figured out on the road but nope, we looked worse than we did in San Diego.  I'm not going to spend much of any time analyzing this one, its just garbage from start to finish.  Two things about the game I do want to mention though.

• The corner kick that led to the first Columbus goal appeared to be offside, so much so the color commentator kept harping on it during the game.  It wasn't.  It was almost the textbook definition of passive offside, which is not to be called in the current offside interpretation.  Calling offside is not just about the position of the player, that player must actively be involved in play too.  The cross that Holding intercepted and flubbed out for a corner wasn't close enough to any Columbus player to be played by them, nor was Holding close enough to any Crew attacker to be interfered with.  Thus the offside players were passively offside and the flag should not have gone up (and didn't).
  
  If you want to argue that's a stupid way to interpret the rule and it penalizes defenders playing it safe, I'd agree with you.  But that's the rule as FIFA and the IFAB want it enforced right now.
  
  
• Our subs in this game were Kosi Thompson, Reggie Cannon, Alex Harris, Donovan Phillip, and Keegan Rosenberry.  Three right-backs and two rookie midfielder when down a goal.  That shows you how thin this roster is while we wait for visas.  I said it last week that this was a hell of a transfer window from the Rapids, but you have to wonder of the FO could have gotten one or two of the deals done before the final day so that this team isn't so weakened for the next week or two.  If we lose the USOC semi or miss the playoffs by a few points it puts pressure on the signings to really deliver in the sprint season and the 27-28 season to make up for what the moves cost us this season.

That's it for the game.  Now lets talk about the season.  Burgundy Wave made some good points today on Burgundy Sky that should be repeated here.  The Rapids have one draw this season, the 0-0 at LAFC.  They have 10 wins.  In every one of them they scored the first goal.  They have 12 losses.  In 10 of them they gave up the first goal, then you had the game in Toronto where they scored first but had two red cards and lost, and then you have the Sandy curse where we scored first and loss, as we always seem to do in Utah.

Essentially the Rapids are a team that wins when they score first unless something unusual happens and lose when they concede first.  The last time we won a league game after giving up the first goal was over two years ago, our trip to Dallas on August 31st, 2024 where we won 3-2 on a stoppage time winner from Yapi after giving up a goal in the first 10 minutes.  That's not a great streak to be on.

Wells needs to get us mentally locked in on the road and when we go down a goal.  That's the challenge for the rest of the season now.

Man of the Match: Miguel Navarro.  Unlike the rest of the team he kept fighting after going down.

Potential USOC Final Preview

The Rapids enter their post-Rafa era with a trip to Colunbus tonight.  Both teams are still alive in the Open Cup and if they both win their semis the Crew would host a rematch of tonight's tilt in the final.  That said based on current form both teams might be considered the underdog in their semi.  The road has not been a great place for the Rapids but nothing has been good for the home side, can we figure out how to get our first win away from home since May?  Kickoff is at 5:30/

Player Availability:

OUT: GK Nico Hansen (leg), GK Zach Steffen (shoulder), M Ali Fadal (head), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder), M Hamzat Ojediran (yellow card suspension), F Mamadou Billo Diop (knee)

Along with this none of the trio we signed this week are available as they're waiting on their visas.  So a thin squad heading to B1G country.

Assuming no other availability surprises the only question seems to be the winger opposite Minoungou.  Yapi has already been confirmed to be getting a shot up top so our options are players like Harris, KSB, or pushing one of our center players wide like Fredrick.  I went with Harris but that's a guess.

Prediction: 0-0 draw.  Both these teams have offenses that are struggling but Colorado has a top-tier defense while Columbus is in the bottom quarter of goals allowed.  I just don't see where the goal is going to come from for the Rapids but if there is a winner I could see the Rapids getting a smash and grab 3 points.

Rapids Finish Biggest Transfer Window Ever

Technically we're still waiting the official announcement on one of these moves but the Rapids are teasing it for tomorrow morning so along with Bogert's reporting we're going to call that official.

First, the the bare bones recap of what the Rapids did in the 2026 summer window.

OUT:

• M Connor Ronan - Aberdeen (free)
• D Ian Murphy - San Diego (2nd round pick plus up to $100K GAM)
• D Lucas Herrington - Hull City ($17M + up to $6M + 15% sell-on)
• M Dante Sealy - Montreal ($1.4M GAM + up tp $300K GAM)
• F Rafa Navarro - St. Louis ($12M + up to $250K + sell-on)

IN:

• D Loic Williams - Granada (unknown fee, $1M-$3M)
• M Youssef Maziz - OH Leuven (free)
• F Sayed Abu Farkhi - Maccabi Tel Aviv ($6M)
• M Ibrahim Sadiq - AZ Alkmaar ($1.16M)
• M Morgan Whittaker - Middlesbrough ($10.7M + up to $3M)

Yeah, that's a lot.  From a pure position standpoint it was almost like for like but we swapped a defender for a midfielder.  From a talent level we probably increased, greatly.

Obviously we've already seen Williams and Maziz, so lets talk about the other trio.

I talked about Farkhi a week ago and my overall feel hasn't changed.  Long-term we'll probably look back and think the forward swap of Rafa for Farkhi helped us or worst case didn't hurt us long term.  St. Louis over paid for Rafa and we may have over paid for Farkhi but given his age that's likely to pan out in our favor.  But short-term I don't like leaving our forward position up to Farkhi (if he gets his visa) or Yapi in two weeks when we face St. Louis in the USOC semifinal.  If our lack off offense leads to us losing that game then Farkhi and the other signings will need to pay off big in 2027 and 27-28.  Farkhi was signed as a U-22 player.

Ibrahim Sadiq is the biggest "mystery" of these signings.  Matt Wells said tonight that he saw him when Spurs played against him in the Conference League as was impressed, thought he could have fit in London.  That said he only took a little over a million to sign and he only signed a 2 year deal, through 27-28.  That doesn't scream "cornerstone" signing.  Sadiq is a 26 year old winger, Ghanaian, and started his career ins Ghana's Right to Dream academy before moving to Denmark and then Sweden, finally ending up in the Netherlands with Alkmaar.  I would expect he would compete with Minoungou for playing time to start.  Sadiq will be on a TAM contract.

The last signing, and the one that isn't yet official, is Morgan Whittaker.  A 25 year old winger currently with Middlesbrough Whittaker has bounced around the Championship, playing for Derby County, Swansea City, going on loan to Lincoln City and Plymouth Argyle while there, moved to Plymouth Argyle, and then Middlesbrough 18 months ago.  The report on him is that he's streaky but when he's on he's one of the best attackers in the division.  His defense is questionable though.  This is somebody Wells has been tracking and pursuing for a while and Matt is all in on him despite those concerns.  I'd expect him to be an immediate starter, replacing Sealy, once his visa is done.  He plays as an inverted winger, as does Sadiq, so I'd expect to see a lot of cutting in to the middle.  He will, obviously, be a Designated Player.

All combined the Rapids generated 29M in cash plus another $1.4M in GAM in this window, and then turned around and spent somewhere between $19-$21M.  Remember, prior to last year's acquisition of Aaronson Colorado had never spent up to $3M on a single player!  If you add in the $8M in 2025 for Mihailovic and the $7.7M for Bombito in 2024, that's almost $50M alone.  That's probably enough to cover every fee the team has paid in its 31 year history.

Take a look at these two rosters.  The first is the opening day lineup in Seattle.  The second is the potential lineup once all the visas are processed.

I can't remember a season that's changed the roster this much by choice.  At this point even if healthy I would start Hansen over Steffen and eight of the other ten positions are pretty locked in on paper.  The only real battles are between Minoungou and Sadiq for the  second winger spot and between Yapi and Farkhi at forward.

Matt Wells had a media availability and it sounded like he has much more input on the roster than we saw during the Chris Armas and Robin Fraser eras.  This clearly shows that.  Many of these moves are players he had identified while at Spurs.  I don't know if its just because we have the money from the Herrington and Rafa deals or its because Kevin Demoff is more involved or if its Wells, but this is a different, more active, Front Office than we've ever seen.  Only time will tell if these were the right moves, but given the conservative, barely spending, strategy of the past really wasn't working I'm happy to see this new tack.

Sayed Abu Farkhi Signed, More To Come?

Just a quick post to acknowledge that the Sayed Abu Farkhi deal is done.  $6M transfer fee, signed today.  Braidon Nourse reports that he'll be on $800K salary and will have a clause that pays him part of his next transfer fee as an incentive.

I'm going to hold off on what this means for the lineup because Tom Bogert broke news of two more deal almost done today that are expected to get over the line before tomorrow's cut off.  English winger Morgan Whittaker from Middlesbrough and Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar are both apparently inbound.  Once the window closes tomorrow night we'll have a wrap-up of all of this and where we sit.

Kings Of The Rockies, Again

 

Colorado didn't let the hubub around Rafa distract them from the goal on Saturday, and led by Navarro himself put FSL to the sword in a 1-0 win and retained the Rocky Mountain Cup on the tiebreaker.  The Rapids made it difficult on themselves because their inability to score continued and they had to make the single goal hold up late, but the job was done.  It probably wasn't as hard as it felt like to the fans given the intensity of the rivalry and the number of times we've had our heart broken in the past.  The final xG was 1.6 to 0.14 and FSL didn't have a shot on target, but for the 20 minutes after we took the lead it certainly felt like the opposition was just a half step from levelling it.

Shout outs go to the whole team, everything stepped it up for this one.  Ironically the "worst" player in the starting lineup based on FotMob ratings turned out to be Rafa but I don't think anyone thinks he played poorly.  Everyone was just on their game.  I have to give particular credit to Minoungou who I've been less than impressed with up to this point.  His final passes and shots were finally finding the right spots.  Sometimes, ball not go in though.

Ojediran was rightfully called out for his excellent play and on another night with less on the line probably would have been MotM.  He's where FSL attacks went to die.  Adam Beaudry was left with almost nothing to do in his emergency start, even his big save on almost the final touch of the game turned out to be unnecessary as the FSL attacker was flagged for offside.  Hell of a save though.  Also the new guy, Maziz, understood the assignment.  After providing the winning assist on the goal kick in front of the travelling fans he turned and gave them a look that said what we were all thinking. 

If I had one complaint it was that playing it out of the back as much as we did with a backup keeper was a bit scary.  There were moments that didn't look as sure as Hansen has made them look.

After the game Rafa was serenaded by C38 and also given a sendoff by his teammates.  Its not official yet but like with the Herrington deal the team knows he's gone.  He clearly was having mixed emotions about leaving, he loves the fans and his teammates, but if the club doesn't want to give him the contract he wants he has to do what's right for him.  I can't blame him, though I do with the FO had waited to the offseason, even for a smaller fee.

The first team was followed up by a 1-0 win by the Unified Team over their Salt Lake counterparts on a final minute banger.  That allowed them to win the Unified Rocky Mountain Cup.  Rapids 2 also won their season series over Real Monarchs which means all three Rapids clubs beat their Utah rivals this season.  Kings (and Queens) of the Mountains indeed.

Man of the Match: Reggie Cannon.  You get the goal that wins the Cup, you get Man of the Match.  Simple.

A Different Kind Of Game Preview, Of Course Its The RMC

As I was getting ready to put this game preview together Tom Bogert broke the news that the Rapids and St. Louis are close on a deal that would send Rafa Navarro to StL for about $12 million.  So close that he followed up that report with the possibility that it gets done before the game tomorrow.  If he's reporting that we're really at the brass tacks stage and the teams are just negotiating about the exact price and timing.  We have to assume Rafa won't be here by the Columbus game next week.

This is a ridiculous move that shows how unserious this club is, and its particularly trash if they agree to make the move before we play the Rocky Mountain Cup decider tomorrow night.  Honestly, Smith should be fired on the spot if he agrees to the deal before 10pm tomorrow night.  Quite simply you can't sell our best player hours before a rivalry match.  You just simply can't.  It shouldn't even be in consideration.

Really, the Rapids can't sell Rafa and be thought as a serious club who wants to win.  Going into this window we were (and are) two games away from our first major trophy in 16 years.  Then we sold our best player in Lucas Herrington.  Now that was a deal they could in no way pass up.  That's understandable.  The Front Office also gets credit for having Loic Williams queued up and ready to step in, and had him here as soon as he was able to so he could start when the season kicked back off.

This isn't the case here.  Farchi is rumored to sign, but isn't done yet.  The clock on his paperwork doesn't even start until that signing, and he can't practice with the team until the paperwork is done.  We are 19 days out from the USOC semifinal.  BEST case scenario Farchi gets his paperwork in time for the semifinal to be the first game he's available, with almost no practice time with the team.  Anyone else (who isn't American) is probably beyond the semifinal now.

So you're putting the team in a huge hole with the hope it pays off down the road.  In other words the same old Rapids.  But in this case it likely costs you a shot at a major trophy, something this team desperately needs.  You can't make this move, but they are clearly going to.  This is not a serious club.

So on to tomorrow's match.  The Rapids must win to retain the Rocky Mountain Cup.  Their only players out are Diop, Steffen, and KDP, all the long-term injuries.  We are in the best shape we've been in in some time, but we may not have Rafa.  Meanwhile FSL has 8 players out or questionable.  All the factors are on our side, but we might blow it up in the next 24 hours.  And we have certainly managed to self-destruct in thise games even when we're favored anyway.

Before this Rafa news I was thinking a 2-1 win but I was hesitant to go out on that limb given our history in the Rocky Mountain Cup.  If Rafa plays that's still possible.  If Rafa is sold before that, or held out due to the deal, then I think a 0-0 draw and a loss of the RMC is a real possibility.

Rapids Lose $500K In GAM And Other Questionable Roster Moves

Late this afternoon Tom Bogert reported, confirmed by Brenden Ploen and Burgundy Wave, that the Rapids are sending Dante Sealy back to Montreal for $1.4M in GAM plus up to $300K more in performance add-ons.  To refresh your memory Sealy was acquired from Montreal in December for $1.9M in GAM plus up to $600K additional in performance add-ons.

I think its safe to say few or none of those add-ons hit given Sealy's lack of perforance in Colorado, but its also not safe to count on any of the new add-ons hitting from his play in Montreal given how he's been playing.  So going with just the base trade amounts the Rapids spent $500K in GAM to rent Sealy for 8 months.  In that time he had 5 assists, 7 shots on target, and played a bit over 1000 minutes.  So essentially we paid about $500 of GAM per minute of play and $100K of GAM per assist.

Crest to Smith and the FO for cutting bait and not throwing good money after bad, but this was a horrible deal.  At the time it seemed like a move for a guy who might be better than average but a lot of money was spent for him.  Even Matt Doyle was questioning the payout.  SO we lost $500K and we burned 1000 minutes on a guy who was not a match for what we were doing.  Meanwhile Yapi is wasting away on the bench.  Yapi's not a winger, but he's still better than what Sealy was giving us.

Speaking of overpaying for talent, the other bit of new was yesterday where the on-again/off-again move for Sayed Abu Farchi appears to be on-again, this time for good, as reported by the same group as had the Sealy news.  Unfortunately, like Sealy, this seems to be an overpay for a winger.  $6M (dollars, not shekels) is the reported price.  Right now Transfermrkt, which is certainly not the end-all and be-all of valuation, lists him at a little over $2M in value.  

He is a 20 year old who's getting his first taste with the Israeli national team and clearly has some potential, but is only play so far has been in the Israeli league.  The league is ranked in the 40s worldwide (MLS is 10-20) and 24th in the UEFA coefficients.  In comparison Scotland is 19th in the coefficients and multiple teams in the SPL have bought USL talent in this window, because MLS talent is out of their price range (or they're not interested in going there unless its Celtic or Rangers).  Remember guys like Sam Nicholson and Connor Ronan are now playing in the SPL and neither of them would (or should) start in MLS.  And the Israeli league is worse than that.

Meanwhile this week Seattle just spent $6M to buy Dejan Joveljić from Kansas City.  Joveljić just turned 27 and scored 18 goals last season for KC, and has 8 for an all-time bad MLS side KC this season.  He has 60 goals in 158 league appearances over 5.5 years.  A clearly proven MLS striker, and he sold for the same price as Colorado is paying for Farchi.

I really hope he's the next Herrington, who takes a step up in league quality and matches it with his play.  I know he's had interest from other European teams.  But I can't look at this ant not think that in the best case scenario this is a move to win in the future, again.  Meanwhile we are literally 2 wins away from our first major trophy in 16 years.  We should be making moves to win now.  Even if this was a big swing for a proven name from outside the league we're down to under 3 weeks before the semi-final, if they're not in the league already (or American), they won't help us beat St. Louis as they likely won't have their paperwork.

There's a lot of talk with the Sealy move that the Rapids will be looking for another winger before the window closes on Wednesday.  The only real name we've heard is 30-year old Brazilian winger Everton, currently playing for Flamengo.  That would certainly be more of a win-now move, but probably not in time to help in the semi.  Also he's a left-sided winger, as is Farchi, so hopefully one of them would be comfortable on the right.

Colorado Embarrassed In San Diego

We're not going to spend much time on this one.  The Rapids laid a huge egg in SAn Diego, which seems typical for them this season.  They get on a small run at home, things start going the right way, then a road trip and bam, everything falls apart.  In this case it WAs Rob Holding who had the worst game from a Rapids defender in many, many years.  Directly or partially responsible for all three goals scored against us, including another mishandled backpass.  That's becoming a serious concern in a system where Wells encourages playing it around the back.

The offense wasn't any better as the manager reverted to his preferred 4-5-1 formation with Sealy and Minoungou on the wings, with predictably bad results.  Sealy was noticeably a hole where attacks went to die.  The Rapids spent $3.9 million in GAM on the two wingers and they've been severely disappointing this season.  They would have been better off spending $4M on a new scoreboard.  There's 9 days left in the transfer window and we need attacking reinforcements.

There's only one thing to do after this, pick ourselves up and win the Rocky Mountain Cup at home on Saturday.  The silver lining is that nobody picked up a yellow card that got them suspended for the match.  But they need to put this game behind them and move on ASAP.

Man of the Match: Nico Hansen.  Not at fault for any of the goals and came up with a couple of saves to keep it from getting worse.

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 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.