Rapids take the Rocky Mountain Cup with a win, draw, or one-goal loss FSL takes the Rocky Mountain Cup with a win by 2 goals or more
We have to win, plain and simple. With that said, I wouldn't doubt that FSL would mail in this game and just play for a draw and use negative tactics to spite us. -------------Pickens Kimura----Moor----Baudet----Palguta -------------Mastroeni -Ballouchy---LaBrocca---Noonan -------Cummings----Casey
I absolutely hate the fact that the Rapids are in this position, again. This time it is worse because it is in SLC and the Rapids are a crap road team. I'm hopeful that we make the playoffs but I'm not going to bank on it.
FSL still has an outside shot at the playoffs, but only if they win. This could be a wide open game with each team thinking they need to win and pushing for goals.
---------Pickens Moor Baudet Palguta Harvey Kimura Mastro LaBrocca Mehdi(Noonan) -------Omar --- Casey The Rapids need someone who can chase the ball deep. Kimura can do that all night long, he just can't do it and then cover back in a 3-5-2. Not sure what to do with the left wing. The goal aside I thought Noonan was one of the better Rapids in Dallas, but who knows? Mehdi usually produces something, often special, just a minute before I start looking for my axe. From my vantage point the Rapids have gone into recent games thinking that they need to play defense and hopefully get a goal. They've then gone down a goal and have come back to score by throwing numbers forward. To me this seems wrong headed. The problem isn't missing defenders, the problem is missing offensive players. The solution needs to be to generate more chances, not fewer. That will require committing bodies to the attack.
Mehdi has played on the left hasn't he before in Salt Lake? Why not put him there - Labrocca on the right and noonan in the middle?
Because having Noonan and Ballouchy on the field at the same time creates a black hole of suck around our offense?
I say the Rapids aren't any better than any other year at the Dick and they suck on the road so: RSL 3-1 Rapids Rapids will blow a 1-0 lead from Conor Casey in the 1st 1/2.
From here: So far none of GS's post injury formations have really been effective. I also think Noonan contributes more in the center then out wide. But then again so does Nick and Mehdi isn't much of a wing player either. In my mind, the Rapids have a lot more pressure then RSL. It will take almost a miracle for them to make the play-offs so I see no reason they wouldn't come out loose and open things up. I hope GS doesn't think the same thing and play for a counter. I don't know if the Rapids have the ability at this point to win a high scoring game. I expect RSL will use the same strategy of bringing Findley and Williams off the bench in the 2nd half. As for the Rapids, I have no clue what they will or should do.
Prediction: RSL vs Rapids 2 - 2 Rapids will rear end their way into the playoffs with a lot of help from the 4 teams that currently have 39 pts. Rocky Mountain cup is ours again.
Can this really happen, three years in a row ??? SLC punking us out of the playoffs ??? C'mon on Rapids !!!!
My first thought was that they would have pressure. They're at home, a place they've done well. Surely there is pressure for them to make the playoffs. They did last year. And this year they had some pundits picking them to do well, rather than average. A playoff run would help make up for the season. And surely Kreis is under some pressure to get results. Not making the playoffs would be a step backward. And surely there are a few ex-Rapids looking to one up their old team. Then again, they are at home and don't have much to loose. Sure, it's their last hope to make the playoffs.... but they're on the outside looking in. The Rapids are the ones that risk losing something they had; RSL hasn't had it since early summer or even last spring. And it's not just about winning but winning big AND still needing other results to go their way. If they go up by a goal only to let Colorado tie it, it just might cause everything to unravel. Colorado Rapids will qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs IF: · Colorado defeats Real Salt Lake on Saturday OR · Colorado ties Real Salt Lake AND o The four teams on 39 points all lose or all tie OR IF o Only one of TOR, NE, DC and FCD win · Note: If Colorado loses to Real Salt Lake, it hopes to do so by less than a two-goal margin and it hopes that less than two teams with 39 points win this week. BTW - For what it's worth, not only does at win at Rio Tinto embarrass FSL but it's half of what's needed to ensure DC United does not make the playoffs.
There's a lot riding on this game. With a win: The Rapids qualify for the playoffs The Rapids win the Rocky Mountain Cup The Rapids guarantee a Superliga or CCL spot in 2010, their first international competition since 1998 All three of those can still happen with a draw or a one-goal loss, and we could even qualify for the playoffs and claim the international competition slot with a 2 goal or more loss, but it would take a lot of help.
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! Game is here and I'm pumped for this weekend! Look forward to seeing all the other supporters in SLC this weekend. I'm coming ready to rock and I hope you guys are too! Let's bring the noise to them and push the Rapids to victory! GO RAPIDS!!!
even if we draw, we get the cup, but our chances of making the playoffs will dwindle.... with a win, we clinch a playoff spot
if we dont win, this is what we need: DC United loss Toronto loss Dallas loss New England Loss If one of these teams win and we lose, we'll get the 8th spot If 2 or more win and we draw or lose, were screwed But we need to win, we've stopped trying these last few weeks after the Houston game
2-1 win, goals by Conor Casey. The Rapids remember what FSL did to them the last two seasons and its finally time to get some payback. Casey will put the team on his back and carry them to the playoffs while also issuing a challenge to Jeff Cunningham that he needs to score in Seattle if he wants the Golden Boot. The Rapids come home with the Rocky Mountain Cup and a playoff spot. http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2009/10/failure-is-not-option.html