7 points in three games sounds great. Weather looks like it will be good. Partly cloudy, with a high of 65 degrees. Let's get this thread started....
Sporting trying to find a foot hold this early in the season and may have with their last win. 2-1 victory for the Rapids or 2-2 tie. I think we will see more of Torres this match and maybe Sturgis will get his start with Mari out. Likely a similar starting line-up as last time (minus Mari and plus Irwin). But will Pablo start Serna like in NY? I thought Buddle did a commendable job against POR so he may get the nod again. That leaves choices to be made between Torres, Serna, Sanchez for the other wing besides Brown (who I assume will start).
Losing the central midfield presence of Mari may cause us problems. KC is a physical team that likes to press high, and the game is likely to be won by whoever can control the center of the park.* *barring PK's of course.
Marking Collin well on set pieces will take away half of their clinch scoring from last year based on what I saw of them, especially in their playoff run. The soccer wonks among us (all of us?) know that cruel pk pendulum is bound to swing back the other way -- be careful out there guys. Primarily he is a somewhat smooth thug, but also a set piece beast, the kind of player you really like having on your side and hate if he is playing against you.
These are good points. I wonder if Sanchez and Serna will start the match on the bench for this reason (being as small as they are). I have to think LaBrocca and Sturgis are the only real answer for our D-mid combo right now. I also forgot to mention previously that I doubt we will be winners this time around if we can't score form the run of play (yes I suppose Brown technically did that last game...but c'mon).
Anyone thing that Powers might move back into Jose Mari's spot with Sanchez or Torres moving inside? BTW, according to the Rapids its Jose Mari, never just Mari.
Interesting...so "Martín" is basically his "last name." (Wikipedia has him as José María Martín Bejarano-Serrano .)
Right, I think in the States we use Martin (I think the first one is the paternal surname, the second is the maternal). Edit: At any rate, I can see why the Rapids call him "Jose Mari" instead of "Martin Bejarno-Serrano."
According to C38 email, SKC is bringing ~700 people to the game. The atmosphere should be great for this. SKC loves to beat us up, well everyone up. For that reason, I would definitely think about having Powers play more of a holding mid roll with LaBrocca. The other option that I thought of would be moving O'Neill into the holding mid, but I doubt that will happen in such a big game, plus it brings about too many questions at RB. Watts has made the 18 the past two weeks and can play in the midfield, so maybe we find out if Sturgis really is in the dog house if he is Pablo's choice.
I do. As I said in another post, sooner or later, PM has to try to do this or even go to a 4-4-2. The purpose is to get another attacking player on the pitch and develop a good scheme for Torres. No way he goes with a 4-4-2 this week. LaBrocca as d-mid, Powers as box to box mid and Torres as ACM brings a lot of offense and hopefully just as much defense as a LaBrocca, Sturgis, Powers combo. Not sure this is the week to it given the streghth of SKC's midfield, no Klute and a Powers who might no be totally fit, but I like the idea of an attacking team that forces Zusi, Feilhaber etc to play defense.
Good luck Sturgis I hope you get your chance this weekend. http://www.burgundywave.com/2014/3/25/5544198/nathan-sturgis-rapids
OK, 2-2 draw … goals by Torres and Brown but from open play . SKC's loss was at SEA (always a tough place to play) and they are the defending champs. However, I'm hoping the altitude does it's job and the Rapid's mojo continues.
game one- 1 PK game two- 2 PKs Dare I go game three- 3 PKs? Heaven knows KC hacks enough to deserve it.
Wow, that's a lot of visiting fans. What is this, a Santos game? What's that, a couple of sections' worth?
Any chance we see O'Neill at D-mid for Jose Mari? I would like to see it, but we probably won't. My guess is Sturgis is a straight up replacement in that spot. Here is to hoping there will be a great crowd on hand with nice weather to cheer on the Rapids!
I received an email from altitude tickets this week offering BOGO for the game this weekend. I have a friend that bought some tickets in section 103 using the offer. 101 and 102 are where visiting fans normally are, so apparently they are going to cram them all into those two sections if they are selling 103 in the BOGO offer.
I am going to be there and I'm bringing Mrs. Dom FC as well (not her real name) and I got a great deal for seats in 108 compared to similar regular seating -- and then on the heels of the confirmation of those I got the bogo e-mail from Altitude tickets -- so the great deal actually turned into a small increase over regular seats BUT it is worth it to support C38 and sit with 'real true fans'. ;>)
I'm thinking we should go with this: Torres--------Buddle--------Brown ----------------Sanchez--------------- ------------Powers-----LaBrocca--- Burch----Moor----Wynne----O'Neill -----------------Irwin------------------- We need some size against SKC's forwards and back line on set pieces. Buddle helps bring that. Torres struggled being involved on the wing v. RBNY, but that formation was Brown as a lone forward and Torres in the second line, 4-2-3-1. This is a straight 4-3-3, using Buddle as a holdup guy and fulcrum for Brown and Torres to make runs, and Powers to Sanchez to get the ball to the front line. I know Sanchez is small, but I don't know how you justify sitting the MOTM. Sturgis could be a replacement, in for LaBrocca, and Chavez is a fast, physical, active late-game sub.
That is a lot of visiting fans, but to make a guess on why so many let me just postulate that about 500+ of them may be pretty mellow and distracted yet oddly transfixed by the match? ;>)
Im going with Rapids 2-1 (lame European wannabe name) KC Rapids are starting to warm up for a long season while KC are still gloating from last yr