PBP: P/I/P - Black Diamond Run #3 - Rapids vs The artists formerly known as Wiz - 3/17 @ 7pm

Not that this affects the gametime weather much, but the SKC match is SUNDAY evening at 7:00 (not Saturday). 41F at kickoff. Dropping slowly through match. But Sunday (day) looks like it'll be a nice day (sunny & 50).

 

@TheWarmBurger 10 points for clever thread title!

 

Ha! Tis true! Please note, posting at home with a cabin-fevered 6-year-old and 3-year-old on a snow day can lead to major errors in details.

 

Here is hoping.....

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/13/rapids-tommy-smith/

 

No mention of Opare - wonder if he is ready to go?

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/13/rapids-tommy-smith/

 

I have serious doubts at this point that Nicholson will contribute in a meaningful way in 2019. I'm getting a Sean St. Ledger feel from his injury.

 

Had the same thought. Though, maybe the resilience of youth will yield different results in Nicholson's case. St. Ledger was in his low 30's when his injury lagged. Nicholson just turned 24. Having just hit 50 last year, I take particular note of how much just a few years can affect injury recovery time... and more importantly, hangover recover time!

On another note, although it's a different injury(ies), I'm getting a bit concerned with how frequently Kortne has been going down. He missed much of the first part of 2018 with a long-lasting, early-season injury. And here we are again. Bad luck or too injury prone?

Frankly, given the rather extensive rash of injuries before the first match this year, I am more than a wee bit skeptical with the training regimen and the coaches and trainers that push them. I know this topic has been discussed here already, but man, the number of injuries going into the opening match resembled a mid-season roster that has already been beat up with months of matches and strain. Makes ya wonder about either the training regimen and/or coaching demands on players (given all the noise we heard about it last year). Keep in mind, most of Anthony Hudson's experience has been with national teams, where he didn't have to deal with the effects of pre-season fitness or the day-to-day grind over several months, etc. He just temporarily inherited players from time to time, while their respective clubs handled the fitness. [Just thinking aloud and acknowledging this is a tangent from the OP about Nicholson's injury. ]

 

Nicholson is the one player last year I wondered how he would preform on a better team. He sometimes seemed like the only guy who had an idea in our "attack".

 

👀 Some Rapids legends on this list.#Rapids96 | #Elevate | #COLvSKC pic.twitter.com/hDfjAEQgSf

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) March 14, 2019

 

Wolde Harris is a Rapids legend?

 

Did her ever contribute meaningfully? Don't get me wrong, he has a great attitude, but 2 goals and 0 assists in 2018 ... I always thought his ability was over-estimated and I don't see him more than a depth spot with the current roster when healthy.

 

I happened to watch SKC's first game against LAFC. Their legbreaker reputation continues. I think they had five yellow cards--all well deserved. Could be a good game for Price and fans who like to see tackles with studs up.

As for Ford, it's set him back to miss so much time on the pitch. Athletic, but raw from a tactical standpoint.

 

No conversation about Spencer is complete without his Alaska Airlines bit.

As Fleming would say: Legend!

 

I've used this ad with my geo students when we're defining/discussing dialects.

 

Looks like SKC won their CCL match tonight 3-0 at home to advance. Seems they played a lot of first team players.

 

Are there truly any Rapids legends? Maybe Balboa (6 years), Pablo (12 years), who actually played most of their career with the club..........

"Shakin' Jamaican" played 3......

R

 

I wonder if the defenders all get hurt because of how they have to turn suddenly and sprint quickly after the runners they forgot to track. It's a very stressful motion early in camp.

 

Macoumba Kandji is a Rapids legend for what he did in MLs Cup 2010.

I'd add a number of those 2010 players to the legends list (not Gallery of Honor, which is a higher bar). Casey, Omar, Koz, Drew, Pickens, etc.

Gallery of Honor already as too many names in it, but Drew Moor needs to be added when he retires. But Spencer doesn't need to be up there, and both Bravo and Henderson are borderline. Balboa, Pablo, Casey, and Moor are the only sure GoH members in team history.

 

Reasons for Optimism:

- KC’s recent travel schedule: Playing their 5th game in 18 days, on the road in cold weather at altitude coming off a big CCL victory to advance on Thursday night. This game screams fatigue and let down game. We will very likely be facing an entire B squad as Verme’s let’s the A players recharge their batteries.

- Axel’s back from suspension. Smith is listed as questionable (fingers crossed) and I didn’t see Opare’s name anywhere on the injury list which HOPEFULLY means there will be three options not named Wilson or Wynne available to play CB.

- Several ex-KC players should come out motivated and hungry.

Reasons for Pessimism:

- We’re still the Rapids (see last weeks opening 10 minutes).

- We’re still coached by Hudson (see last weeks head scratching midfield lineup).

- I still don’t really know what to make of this team other than they’re better than last year (which is a historically low bar).

Given KC’s recent game schedule, likely B squad lineup and this being a home game, we SHOULD win 3-1/2-1....which is why we will likely tie 2-2.

I want to be optimistic about this one but we need to see a larger sample set before I can predict anything optimistic with any kind of confidence.

 

Irwin was also loaned out to the Springs, with Rawls recalled. Opare is presumably going to get some fitness but I'm not sure why we swapped keepers.