I've Got Nothing

Just like the FSL game last week, we could recycle the game review from the New England game by changing the name and  it would be fairly accurate.  Two goals (including a stupid PK foul from Wynne) in 12 minutes meant the Rapids had to chase the game again, exactly what they couldn't afford to do.  Again we saw an inability to break down the defense and the attack left them open for Dallas to get a 3rd early into the 2nd half.  The Rapids finally did break through on a soft PK (but no softer than the one Wynne gave up) for Torres to score one but it was too little too late.

Some stats from the 3 game losing streak:

• We've outshot our opponents 54-28
• Despite that our opponents have put 15 shots on goal to our 14
• Our opponents have scored 7 goals, or about 47% of their shots on goal and 25% of their total shots
• We've scored 1 goal, on a PK, or about 7% of our shots on goal and under 2% of our total shots

That shows both sides of our problem.  Our opposition is way too efficient with their attack, indicating that our defense is getting beat badly, and our attack is woefully inefficient despite the large number of shots.

These last three games have also killed our playoff hopes.  We've dropped to a tie for 6th in the conference and San Jose in 8th can catch us with their games in hand.  Given the historical playoff line being somewhere around 48-50 points the Rapids need 18-20 points in their last 11 games, with 6 of those 11 on the road.

Based on their play right now, I'd be shocked if we got many more than 12 points in our last 11 games.  I don't see how we're going to get 18-20.

Rapids Head To DSG Park South Tomorrow

If its a MLS Cup picture, it must be Dallas tomorrow

OK, so Pizza Hut Park FC Dallas Stadium Toyota Stadium is only DSG Park South in the playoffs, but this might as well be a playoff game for the Rapids.  Colorado and Dallas are battling for one of the last playoff spots and a loss tomorrow would put Colorado 6 points behind the former Burn.  Kickoff tomorrow is at 7pm and the game is on Altitude.  The watch party is at the Celtic with a C38 all-members meeting happening before the game.

Injury Report:

OUT: ML Brian Mullan (L knee injury)

QUESTIONABLE: DF Shane O'Neill (R knee sprain); MF Marlon Hairston (L groin strain)

Dallas is missing 3 players to injury including George "Own Goal" John and former Rapid Hendry Thomas who's done for the season.  Desptie being questionable reports are there's almost no chance we'll see O'Neill or Hairston tomorrow.  O'Neill is actually nursing a groin strain mroe than a knee injury, despite the official injury report.  Here's what I expect for a starting XI:

The only real question mark to me is the forwards.  Do we see Torres instead of Brown or Sanchez?  do we maybe see a midfeilder sent to the bench so Sanchez can start behind Torres and Brown?

Strategic Consideration: Score first/don't give up the early goal.  New England and FSL gave the league a blueprint on how to beat us right now.  Score first, then pack 10 in the box and force the Rapids to break you down, which the Rapids can't do.  Colorado can't allow themselves to get into that situation again.

Prediction: 2-1 loss, goal by Brown.  Dallas isn't shutting anyone out this season, but they aren't having a problem scoring either.  I haven't seen much out of the Rapids in recent weeks to believe we can get points on the road.  Maybe they'll prove me wrong tomorrow.

Too Much Planning For 2015?

After many games this season, regardless of result, we've heard Pablo talk about how the play was more important than the score.  His apparent philosophy of building a good team over focusing on results has been surprising and sometimes a bit distressing to the fans (such as this past weekend).  In the end though I always assumed there was the goal of winning while improving and not sacrificing 2014 to a "rebuilding" year.  Certainly Bravo and Hinchey set expectations before the season that the Rapids would be competitive in 2014 and not be rebuilding.  For example, from the Denver Post's SuperDraft preview:

"All the things we've been through, we're still in a better place," Bravo said. "We'll be better than we were last year. We're in the right direction."

Yet right now we are 1 point behind last year's pace and we lost to FSL at home, something we didn't do last year.  So the quantifiable evidence says we're not better than last year.  This despite the team probably improving from last year.  Based on playing time there has been three significant changes to the roster:

• Dillon Serna replaced Atiba Harris - Serna is raw and suffers a bit as a rookie, but he's not the hack Harris was.  Improvement IMO.
• Nick LaBrocca replaced Nathan Sturgis - It has made the team a bit more defensive, I consider this largely a push.
• Jose Mari/Jared Watts has replaced Hendry Thomas - Improvement when Jose Mari is playing, decline when Watts in playing.  Overall an improvement IMO.

That makes these comments that Chris Bianchi got about the transfer window closing tonight curious:

Chris Bianchi @Rapids_News · 9h

Just spoke with Paul Bravo- pretty clear nothing will happen today. "Nothing's imminent." #Rapids96

Chris Bianchi @Rapids_News · 9h

But Bravo also said Rapids will be very active in winter window. Looking for multiple "difference-makers" up front. #Rapids96

Based on these quotes Bravo seems to indicate the Rapids need "difference-makers" up front, and the performance so far this season would agree with him:

• Deshorn Brown - 7 goals.  Very inconsistent.  He was hot around the World Cup break but had a hard time getting started this year.
• Edson Buddle - 1 goal, 1 assist.  At current pace Brown is going to get his 100th goal before Buddle does.
• Charles Eloundou - 0 goals.  Hasn't even made the 18 lately, though that's partially due to injury.
• Kamani Hill - 2 goals.  Had a couple of good games and then drifted back to invisibility.
• Danny Mwanga - 0 goals.  Um, yeah.  Lets just say "difference-maker" and "Mwanga" haven't gone together in a long time.
• Vicente Sanchez - 6 goals.  5 of those are from the PK spot and oddly 0 assists.
• Gabriel Torres - 1 goal, 1 assist.  His issues have been well publicized this year but you assume he has more in him.

That's a pretty ineffective group overall, with only Brown's ability to score or win PKs standing out.  Its pretty clear we need a "difference-maker" now, not going into 2015.  So why are we willing to wait?  We're facing the toughest run in our schedule, with road games in Dallas, DC, Seattle and a home-and-home with LA.  This coming off a pair of games where we were outscored 4-0 and seemed like we had no idea how to break down a defense.  We need a "difference-maker" now, not in 6 months.

Apparently the plan is to hope Torres rounds into form to partner with Brown and carry us to the playoffs because it doesn't seem like the team is real concerned about finding another option.  Not only that, but Pablo's comments about building for the future and Bravo's willingness to stand pat in this transfer window leads me to believe that the organization is satisfied with the current team not being successful in 2014 and focusing on 2015.  It makes me wonder what the point of the final 12 games is.  If the organization is more concerned with 2015 than 2014 as it appears, what should I be concerned with?

Quite A 48 Hours

I'm going to dispense with the actual game review as A. the game stunk and that's all that really needs to be said and B. the aftermath says more about what's going on with the Rapids than the game itself.

In his post game interview Pablo Mastroeni had a number of alarming comments.  Two in particular that stood out:

“I'm not worried about the trophy, the Rocky Mountain Cup,” Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni said after the loss. “I'm worried about building something that's sustainable. Then all the hardware and all that other stuff will be a byproduct of that. Can't put the cart before the horse.”

“Minus the better part of the first 15 minutes, we handled ourselves real well, created some great opportunities, had a lot of great chances in the first half to do something with it, just that final touch, that final pass wasn't there tonight,” Mastroeni said.

Both from the Denver Post recap of the game.

Apparently the interview was part of the post-game show on Altitude (which, being at the stadium, I didn't see) and reportedly Pablo was offered multiple chances to clarify his statements that he did not take.

Rapids supporters, including myself, were livid about these quotes.  This led to a Saturday evening and Sunday full of heated discussions in online forums.  Some supporters went so far as to call for Pablo's job, either immediately or at the end of the season should we fail to make the playoffs (not I in either case).  Letters were sent to Tim Hinchey and the Rapids FO about the disapproval of Mastroeni's comments and questioning why supporters should care for something Pablo does not.

Apparently the Front Office and Pablo got the message as this afternoon Mastroeni released a letter to the supporters clarifying his comments.  Some excerpts:

Some of my comments from immediately following Saturday night’s game require clarification, and I’m glad to be able to do so here and now. I care deeply about this club, winning games, and taking home trophies, especially the Rocky Mountain Cup, and I want this passion to be as clear now that I’m a coach as it was when I was playing.

My comments were inelegant and did not convey my passion for this Cup, which I hold dear to my heart, as I feel that the passion I displayed in every Rocky Mountain Cup match I participated in (as a player) has been a major catalyst in making the rivalry what it is today. It hurt to see RSL walk away with that trophy. I never want it to happen again. Now we have to turn that pain into motivation for tough road games in Dallas and D.C., followed by a difficult home match against the Galaxy. We don’t just want to make the playoffs, but to host a playoff game if we can.

Pablo also said he'll speak more to this issue on the Rapids podcast later this week.

From my point of view Mastroeni learned a lesson about being a head coach this weekend.  His statement today reads more like the Pablo we watched for 11+ seasons than his statements on Saturday did.  I appreciate his desire to not linger on failures and immediately refocus on the next game and the long-term plan but he expressed it in a very poor way.  Being a coach at this level isn't only about leading the players, its also about being a face of the team to the supporters and his comments on Saturday appeared to brush aside the supporter's passion for this rivalry.  I do think that today's clarification reflects his true beliefs on the subject though I'm sure the actual language was massaged by the Rapids Media Relations department. ;)

Its also a positive sign that the fans reacted how they did and made their concerns known to the team, and that the team immediately responded by giving Pablo a chance to clarify his comments.  That shows the passion from the supporters is there and recognized by the team.

All that said, we still lost a game we had no business losing, and the Rocky Mountain Cup along with it.  The was a pitiful performance on Saturday night and combined with Wednesday's miserable loss it has greatly reduced our playoff chances.  With four of the next five on the road against tough opponents (Dallas, DC, LA, and Seattle) and our one home game being against LA we've wasted a lot of easier points to pick up.  We are now behind last year's pace in both the league standings and obviously the Rocky Mountain Cup standings.  This while arguably having a better teams.  Things need to improve and improve quickly.

Rocky Mountain Cup, Part 2

Yours truly with our Cup

Sunday marks the one year anniversary of winning back the Rocky Mountain Cup.  We can't win the Cup tomorrow night but we can go a long ways towards accomplishing that goal.  Conversely we can lose it tomorrow.  The Rapids need 4 points in the last two Rocky Mountain Cup games to retain the Cup while FSL needs 2 points to win it.  A win tomorrow and all we need in Sandy in September is a draw.  A draw tomorrow puts the pressure on us to win in Sandy and neither team has won on a road Cup match in almost 7 years.  FSL breaking that streak tomorrow wins them the Cup.  Game time is 7pm so the tailgate is at 4 and the Cup will be present until it needs to be taken into the stadium for pregame.  For those of you who can't make it to the biggest home game of the year, A, you suck ;) and B, the game will be on Altitude.

Injury Report:

OUT: ML Brian Mullan (L knee injury)

QUESTIONABLE: DF Shane O'Neill (R knee sprain); MF Jose Mari (L ankle sprain); MF Jared Watts ( R shin contusion); FW Deshorn Brown (R groin strain)

Disciplinary Report:

SUSPENDED: DF Thomas Piermayr

FSL is missing three players including Rapids killer Saborio.  Brown is expected to be able to start, as is Watts, while Jose Mari is probably ready to come off the bench as a sub.  O'Neill will likely not be available.  Based on that here's my lineup guess:

Sadly I do see Watts getting the start with Jose Mari still not ready to go 90.  If Brown really isn't ready we could see Torres up front with Sanchez but I see Sanchez starting either way.  Otherwise the rest of the starters seem obvious given Pablo's patterns.

Strategic Consideration: Figure out how to win on short rest.  We haven't done it yet this season with the Mother's Day debacle and the trip to Dallas both being losses in the third game of a three game week.  We have to figure it out tomorrow night.

Prediction: 2-1 win, goals by Brown and Sanchez.  If Pablo can't get the team up for an RMC match he has no hope of ever getting the team up for a short rest game.  I think the passion he's shown for this rivalry is spread to the team and the Rapids come out hot.  The tired legs will keep us from getting a clean sheet but getting Brown back will allow us to get the lead, and bringing Jose Mari off the bench will allow us to keep it.