Will The Stars Be Out Under The Blue Moon?

Technically the blue moon is tonight but close enough

The Galaxy is in town tomorrow night but the question is, are their stars with them?  dos Santos won't be announced until next week and Keane and Gerrard both had to back out of the All-Star Game earlier in the week with injuries.  There was talk in the last couple of days that they may not be ready for tomorrow night but they don't appear on the injury report.  LA got in trouble a few years ago pulling the same trick during a Colorado road trip, leaving Beckham at home while never confirming his status, we'll see if they're trying the same thing again.  Game time tomorrow is at 7 so tailgate is at 4.  Those who can't make it can watch 'Celo and Fleming call the game on Altitude.

Injury Report:

OUT: M Lucas Pittinari

QUESTIONABLE: D Axel Sjoberg (knee); M Dillon Serna (back); F Luis Solignac (hamstring)

Discipline:

ONE YELLOW FROM SUSPENSION: D Jared Watts (1 game left for good behavior reduction); M Lucas Pittinari (3 games left for good behavior reduction)

TWO YELLOWS FROM SUSPENSION: D Drew Moor; D James Riley; D Axel Sjoberg; M Sam Cronin; 

LA has one player out and 5 questionable (including as mentioned Keane and Gerrard).  Reports from training say that Serna and Solignac are ready to go, less information about Sjoberg.  My guess at the XI:

More of the "If it ain't broke..." mentality.  now that's not what I want to see, but its what I expect.  I'm afraid a Watts-Burling pairing is going to get shredded by Gerrard and Keane if they play.

Strategic Consideration: Take them out of the game early.  The Galaxy are a Jekyll and Hyde team between home and road.  If we can get it in their heads that they're struggling on the road again maybe we can keep them from ever getting started.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Doyle if Keane and Gerrard don't play, 2-1 loss if they do.  LA is a good team when they're firing but a point is there for the taking if they fizzle out.  Their backups are a better chance for than then their stars.

Clint Irwin, All-Star!

One final roster addition for tonight's All-Star Game, Clint Irwin has been added to the gameday roster as the 3rd GK.  He is the most deserving Rapid of being an All-Star but plays at the hardest position to make it (because of limited selection) so this is well deserved.

Also I made it to the Grand Hyatt at lunch today to snag some ASG gear:

Cronin An All-Star, Moor A LEGO Clone

Due to injury Pablo had to name five replacements to tomorrow night's gameday roster.  One of the players he picked was Sam Cronin.  I'm not sure Cornin is the player that comes to mind from the Rapids that deserves to be the next All-Star, but I suppose it had to be somebody available and rested.  My choices would have been Powers or Torres.

Also today I found out that OYO Sports.makers of LEGO-like figures for all the pro leagues, has finally gotten around to making MLS player figures.  Earlier in the year they started by making MLS fans figures but they've now moved on to players.  I found out due to somebody tweeting a picture of a Drew Moor All-Star figure.  That one isn't available on-line but I hope to find one tomorrow at the ASG HQ downtown.  They do have the following Rapids players though, Irwin, Moor, Doyle, Cronin, Powers, Sarvas, and O'Neill.  They also have the Rapids fan and Edson the Eagle.

All-Star Game(s) Preview

Just a few notes as we go into the All-Star Game festivities at DSG Park.

• As expected Dillon Serna and Shane O'Neill were selected to play in the Chipotle Homegrown Game tomorrow night.
• Coached by Landon Donovan I'd expect O'Neill to start but maybe not Serna.  I'm sure he'll get in the game though.
• I haven't decided if I'm going but tickets are $10.  Kickoff is 7pm tomorrow.
• The All-Star Game is at 7pm on Wednesday.
• Drew Moor almost cetainly won't start but I'm sure Pablo will get him into the game in the second half.
• Given prices I decided to save my money for the Olympic Qualifiers in October and skip this one.

Perfect For July!!!

It took a dozen tries but the Rapids have finally won a game in my hometown!!!  In the process they finished their first full month of perfect games since July of 2003.  Its also the team's first 3 game win streak since 2011.

General impressions:

• My question in my game preview was who had the worse surface, Microsoft or CenturyLink.  After seeing this game its CLink by a mile.  That surface was an abomination.  The league needs to prohibit grass-on-turf surfaces for league games.  If a team wants to play on it for an optional friendly fine, but no team should be required to play on a surface that bad.
• Big save from Clint Irwin in the first minute.  Seattle scoring there could have sent the Rapids into a tailspin.
• My key to this game was limiting the Seattle forwards.  They had 2 shots on target and 2 blocked shots total between the three of them.  Sanchez alone had 4 shots and combined the three starting Rapids forwards had 9 shots plus the goal.  Well done.
• Speaking of Sanchez he's a big mystery to me right now.  He seems to be trying to do it all, always going to goal, and trying to carry the team.  And he's not succeeding.  Looking at the Opta stats seems to back this up, not too many successful passes, etc..  Yet the team has been successful with him in the starting lineup.  What I think is going on is that while Sanchez isn't doing a whole lot to directly help the team, his presence is forcing defenses to adjust and is opening space for the rest  of the team to be successful.  So good, I guess? ;)
• I'm very excited with what I've seen from Eloundou the last two games.  He clearly wasn't 90 minutes ready as I expected but he did better than expected as a starter.
• I think we found out why Drew has been playing LB.  Harrington was...not good.  Hopefully that's just rust because youza!
• How do you solve a problem like Watts?  He's gotten better but then he didn't have anywhere to go but up.  He's still not good and is regularly out of position or beat.  Anyone seen Shane O'Neill?
• Fleming said "James Riley got sucked inside from the right back position and Neagle was left unmarked".  That seems to describe Riley's play far too often.
• Amazing that with three below-average, IMO, defenders we put up a shutout and Irwin only had to make two big saves.  Are Seattle's attackers that bad or am I being harsh on our defenders?
• Doyle had an elbow to the face of Pineda that's drawing a lot of discussion.  While watching the game I thought no card.  Watching the replay after the game I thought that the DisCo would be calling Doyle.  Coming back a day later I think Toledo missed a yellow card but it wasn't a red card.  Doyle didn't seeing the elbow as a weapon, he was using it as a tool for balance (tool vs. weapon is specifically called out in the ATR as one of the distinguishing characteristics between yellow and red).  Toledo could have justified a red and ti would be hard to argue but general feeling from unbiased fans and refs seems to be yellow.  Toledo, of course, didn't even call a foul while looking right at it.
• I'm surprised LaBrocca wasn't used as our third sub.  Seemed like a perfect game for him to be used in.
• The Bodmer Line is now at 1.57 pts/game.  The West is looking above average though so I'm going to start giving a range between the average 6th placed finish (46 points) and the projected 6th placed finish in the West this year (this week 48 points according to SportsClubStats).  That makes the Bodmer Line range from 1.57-1.71 pts/game.
• The only MLS cities we haven't won in now are NYC which we haven't played in yet (all games against Metros/Red Bulls have been in Jersey and Orlando where we're 0-0-2 after losing there last month and losing a USOC match there in 2013.

Man of the Match: Kevin Doyle.  Winning goal in a place we've  never won?  Easy choice.