As we saw when Beckham skipped the trip to the Dick, teams can get in trouble for not listing players they know are injured. So either he was a late injury scratch or something else is going on. Hey, Montreal is set to announce their first MLS signing tomorrow... (No, it can't be Folan, since its past the window and he's with another MLS team)
Positives: + 3 HUGE points. Games don't get much bigger than this one, and the Rapids found a way to win when it mattered. + The Rapids maintained possession, had great first touch and dominated the midfield for long stretches of play. This was most evident in the first 30' and when they played a man down. + On field communication seemed much sharper. The back line was noticeably sharper. + Wynne commanded the run of play on defense. His speed and agility confounded FCD repeatedly. When the Rapids needed huge plays, he provided them. MOTM, absolutely. + Mullan had a solid match. He had a number of excellent reads and solid passes. + Moor's header was crisp. Going all the way back to 1996, I can't think of another Rapids defender who scored so many goals on headers from set pieces. His acquisition is certainly one of the best trades in Rapids history. + Mastroeni and Larentowicz remain the best defensive mid tandem in the MLS. It's is a pleasure watching how they communicate and read plays. + All three Rapids subs played solid roles in sealing the win. Marshall's experience filled the gap nicely after Comminges' early shower and coincided with the probable limit of Smith's injury recovery endurance. Thompson continued the burst of energy he showed in the Metapan match and added a third aggressively defensive midfielder to the mix. Kandji brought fresh legs and renewed danger to the match. Both Nyassi and Cummings were spent from their efforts, and were subbed at the right time. + All of the oddities with the split squad for Metapan and GS staying with the home side contributed to the win. As did FCD's long travel and road match on little rest. Hindsight is generally a tad better than foresight, but it sure worked when it mattered. + It wasn't museum quality, but it looked remarkably like the 2010 stretch run. The team played a tough, chippy match against a quality foe. There were several "lucky" plays, such as Chavez' late chip shot over the bar. Branch Rickey said it best: luck is the residue of design. The Rapids lineup isn't filled with overpaid Hollywood pretty boys. It's filled with a scrappy group of players who found a way to win a big game. It was classic Rapids hard hat blue collar soccer. + The crowd was awesome. And the drums of Mordor were especially crisp. Well done! Other comments: = Wynne squuirreled Shea fairly brutally on a clearance. Billy Idol looked a bit green for a while after that play. = Several have commented about Petrescu's first YC on Comminges. I am likely in a very small minority, but the call was correct. I saw it as a cumulative booking, because Comminges had been milking the clock on throw-ins a bit too much for a while by the time he was booked. The card came after he took the ball on a shopping trip for water. If he hadn't yet received the ball when he snagged the water, it likely would not have been called. = In the playoff race, Portland and RBNY are 5 points back, with a match in hand. DC is 7 back with 2 in hand. Two or three points in the last two almost certainly would seal the playoff spot.
Based on the math done in N&A, we'd clinch a spot today if we had 2 more points. By the end of the season I'm feeling pretty confident 45 will be enough, 46 certainly will be.
Houston is 2 pts back (2 games left as well, @Portland and home vs LA) for the 8th playoff spot. I'd like the Rapids to hang on to that.
Never hear Pickens talking? Catch a match in HD and you can hear him and then some. Cover the kid's ears though. Another poster mentioned his decision making on coming off his line. I'll say this much, the Brek Shea play at the end was tricky. Do you hold your line and let him come on in or challenge him high in the box? No criticism of the back line failing to let a man get in behind? Again. This is happening almost every game now. This time it worked out and I thing he could have been "man of the match." Maybe I have an unpopular opinion here.
I like that he came out, but then I never minded Bouna's proclivity to do the same. Those decisions are tricky, I prefer action v. holding the line. You're right though, it does seem like the other team gets in behind too often. I wonder if the Rapids have got too complacent with the Wynne's speed covering those errors?
Actually, we need 3 more points to clinch. 47 is the most amount of points a team can have and still finish 11th. I probably used the wrong terminology in N&A. I don't think it's possible for 10 teams to have 48+ points, though, so 47 would probably get us into a tie-breaker for a final spot. And if LA beats or ties NY tomorrow, that number might change again (haven't done the math on that one).
Yes, it was tricky; the problem on that play is that he looked tentative. He came out but then backed off, then headed out for the ball again. It's not an either/or, there was plenty of criticism of that earlier in the season and I'm sure you'll get plenty of agreement that this has been a consistent weakness. It's just that not everyone's posts are as comprehensive as fortcollins's.