A Short Preview Alright (Alright, Alright)?

I was waiting on the Game Notes from the Rapids media email before I wrote this preview, but they haven't shown up so you're going to get a very short preview.  With no updated availability report and no real idea what our lineup will be there's not a ton to talk about.  We've got Austin FC led by their celebrity (minority) owner Matthew McConaughey in Commerce City tonight and rumors are Mr. Austin himself will be in attendance as he's currently up at Folsom Field watching USC-CU.  Meanwhile his MLS team is in something of a death spiral, desperately trying to hold on to their playoff hopes.  They are 5 points out of a spot with only 4 to play, so a loss tonight would all but end their season, and even a draw puts them in a tough spot.  Kickoff at always is at 7:30.

EDIT: And of course as soon as I post this the email shows up.  So here's our Availability Report.  No surprises other than whatever is ailing Tavares is still ailing him.

OUT: GK William Yarbrough (surgery), D Alex Gersbach (surgery), D Aboubacar Keita (lower body injury), M Max (removed from team activities)

QUESTIONABLE: M Sidnei Tavares (illness)

The Rapids actually looked like a real MLS team in the second half on Wednesday, against better opposition than Austin.  If that team shows up from the beginning there's actually the potential for a win tonight.  However I haven't really seen that team for 90 minutes this season so I don't think we can expect it.  Still, I think the odds for a Rapids win are likely a bit higher than an Austin win in this one.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Bassett.  Yeah, same prediction from Wednesday.  Cole's on fire so I expect that to continue, but I'm not going to go out on a limb and predict more than one goal or a win.

Missed It By That Much

I predicted a 1-1 draw with Bassett scoring,  We got a draw with Bassett scoring...and Rubio.  So close.  The good news is that the additional goal I didn't predict gave us 23 goals for the season, one more than the 22 the 2013 DC United team scored to set the record for lowest goals scored in a 34 game season (and, COVID-season excepted, the lowest goals/game in league history).  So we've avoided that ignominy at least.  Plus the draw gives us a 1 point lead over Toronto in the race to avoid the Wooden Spoon.  By the standards of this season that's a pretty successful evening for the Rapids.

I think its fair to say that the coaching change has improved this team.  We've got 1-1-2 in the 4 games since and score 7 goals.  It took the prior 15 games to score 7 goals and the team was averaging 0.61 points per game this season to that point.  Cole Bassett continued his hot streak, getting another goal to give him 3 goals and an assist since the coaching change.  Make no mistake, I'm not discounting Fraser as a good coach, it was just clear that his methods were no longer working with this locker room, for any number of reasons.

At the same time the improved play of the team has not come with good enough results.  1 PPG looks great against what we've seen the rest of the season but compared to our historical results its still in the bottom 25% of seasons all-time.  That leads me to one of two conclusions, both of which are probably partially true.  One, Chris Little is not good enough to be a MLS coach, even if he's better than Fraser was doing with this group.  Two, as good as the coaching may or may not be, the talent on the roster isn't good enough.  I tend to believe its significantly more of the latter than the former, but both are likely in play.  Your view will likely differ.

Fun note, as mentioned I couldn't make the game, but apparently former Rapids Designated Player Shkelzen Gashi put in an appearance at the pregame tailgate and was then recognized on the field before the game.  You never know who might show up for a C38 party!

Man of the Match: Cole Bassett.  Mainly because he deserves it after this four-game run he put together.

Wait, We're Still Doing This?

Well even though our season is over apparently we have to play out the string. :D  Tomorrow night is the makeup from June's rained out game against Vancouver.  Since that night was scheduled to be Pride Night apparently the Rapids are doing Pride Night tomorrow night.  A little odd, but I appreciate them not skipping it.  Kickoff is at 7:30pm.  Alas I have a work dinner and can't make it.

We don't have an updated injury list so I'm going to hope Navarro is back for this one.  Otherwise I expect the same group we've seen (Gersbach & Yarbrough, plus Max) to be unavailable.

Yeah, this preview is pretty weak, but with nothing to play for and no update on availability there's not much to preview.  The sooner this season ends the better.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Bassett.  I'm feeling optimistic and predicting we get the goal we need to die 2013 DC United's worse 34 game goal total and a point.  I have a feeling Vancouver is not looking forward to a mid-week trip to Commerce City at this point in the season.  We get a sneaky draw, but that's all.

We End As We Began

Our season started with a bad loss in the Pacific Northwest, we were eliminated from our last possible competition with a bad loss in the Pacific Northwest.  Now we have 5 meaningless games with the only thing interesting to track is where we land on the bad offensive seasons in league history and if we win the Wooden Spoon.

The one highlight from Saturday is Cole Bassett getting a third goal involvement (this time an assist) in three games.  Its good to start seeing the old Bassett a bit.  Otherwise its pretty much the same story once again.  The winning goal was very ugly.  Our big offseason DP signing Maxso completely misplays a header.  Abubakar gets beat to the follow-up header, and then its off to the races.  Maxso can't catch up (either can Danny Wilson, but Wilson couldn't catch Valderrama "running") so our big midseason international signing Ilic has to make the save and he makes a weak effort at it, leading to an easy goal.  A lot of wasted money and international slots on that sequence.

As far as the rest of the season goes we need one more goal to tie 2013 DC United's record for the lowest goal total in a 34 game season, two to avoid owning part of that record.  We're already outside the 10 worst seasons in league history at least, but we need 9 more points to avoid the worst season in club history.  We are currently tied on points, winds, and goal differential with Toronto FC for the Wooden Spoon, but they have the edge on us on the third tiebreaker goals scored by 3.  So right now we're in last place, but we have a game in hand on TFC, which is the Wednesday makeup game against Vancouver.  If we lose then we'll have the "lead" in the Wooden Spoon, if we draw or win TFC will have it.

The End Is Nigh

We started the season with the potential to win 5 trophies.  The USOC (eliminated in May), the Leagues Cup (eliminated in July), the Supporters Shield (eliminated in August), the Rocky Mountain Cup (eliminated in September), and MLS Cup.  Of course to win MLS Cup you have to make the playoffs.  If we don't win tomorrow we'll be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and thus the fifth and last trophy we had a shot at.  Even if we win we could be eliminated with wins by Dallas, Minnesota, SKC, and either Austin or San Jose (a SJ draw would also do it).  Needless to say based on our play I'm assuming we're about 26 hours for officially having nothing left to play for.  We've had only three meaningful games since Memorial Day, and we lost all 3 (the two Leagues Cup matches and the RMC match).  Kickoff for this one is at 8:30pm tomorrow, so you can watch CU lose to the Zeroa in Oregon then watch the Rapids lose to the Timbers in Oregon.

Availability Report:

OUT: GK William Yarbrough (knee surgery), D Alex Gersbach (tendon surgery), D Aboubacar Keita (lower body injury), M Max (removed from team activities)

QUESTIONABLE: Rafael Navarro (lower body injury)

Yep, our new signing makes his first appearance on the injury report.  *sigh*  That's the way this season has gone.  Otherwise I expect to see a pretty similar lineup.  Based on Tavares play and his illness I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't start.

Prediction: 1-0 loss.  Portland's not great but they're at home and we suck.