Did not see that coming after the first half. MN wore out...and the Rapids took advantage. Tale of two halves.
Alright, I’m gonna say it. Bassett played more like a DP tonight than our DP has played all season....kid was everywhere and involved in everything. And that beautiful volley that pinged off the post?? So clean, and so close This by far is Namli’s biggest weakness being in midfield. He likes to dribble past 3 players (which leads to turnovers...including tonight where MNUFC scored their 2nd) or spray the ball. His defensive work rate / positioning work rate leaves some to be desired.... I know we complained a LOT about Namli being on the wing last year, but honestly, he’s the odd man out in the midfield. If I’m setting the lineup next week, I’m moving Shinyashiki to the bench (I love the kid, don’t get me wrong, but he’s kicked more balls at the keeper than I can count). So, the midfield would be Price, Acosta, Bassett - and the front three would be Barrios, Rubio, Namli. I seriously hope Namli is ok....however....We were a completely different team with Bassett in the mid tonight.
The joys of now living in Reunion, I can get home, warm up and dry off from the stadium in 20 minutes. I’ll have more to say about the game tomorrow but two things……., First, that was a helluva comeback. Like seriously, a gusty, dig deep, no quit comeback. Bassett was money. Immediate impact. MOTM. Two, that crowd…..awesome. Small but loud and energetic. C38 rocked. They played a huge role in the comeback.
Post game scenes: ⚡ 𝙀𝙇𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙍𝙄𝘾 ⚡ pic.twitter.com/JFtfJh1fLk— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) May 9, 2021
Especially when you take into consideration how anemic we were the first two games. Good responses by the Rapids last week and this
To quote Dennis Green: "They are who we thought they were". Fortunately we didn't let them get away with it. I thought they did a good job. Probably my #2 team in the league after ours. Called it pretty much how I saw it, and weren't homers but you still knew which team they work for. They sounded genuinely excited after Acosta's goal which shows their love of the game. What happened to kit clashing? In the wide camera angle it was hard to tell who was who by the jersey but the shorts made it possible. I'd hate to be colorblind and watch that game.
Ditto to many of these observations. Bassett completely changed the game, but I have to wonder if we would have seen him in the game to be able to change it if not for Namli's injury. He was everywhere, and he and Barrios were combining beautifully. I would drop Shinyashiki and Namli for a midfield 3 of Price, Bassett, and Acosta and a front 3 of Lewis, Rubio, and Barrios.
OK, I need someone to pinch me and wake me up from this alternative universe. Seriously, how many times since '96 do I clearly recall a Rapids win after being down 2-0 at the half? I recall that long ago New England game being down 3-1 with a 5-3 final victory (what's his name hat trick).
BTW, perfectly happy with Drew Moor being our designated closer. Any time we're up a goal in the 85th minute he goes in to shut everything down for 5 minutes + stoppage.
I wouldn’t drop Namli altogether. I like Lewis, but he hasn’t done enough to prove that he’s a starter over Namli or Shinyashiki. His finishing proves to be as effective as Shinyashiki’s right now. Namli’s weakness is that he’s clearly not a central mid, yet is being played at central mid. Lewis coming off the bench is also a beautiful option to have with his pace. Agreed. As long as we keep up the pace like we did last night after he came on. We didn’t shift to park the bus Pablo ball, we still attacked, but we’re more controlled on the defensive end. Moor’s leadership on the back line is sorely needed, and I wish he had the legs and speed we would need for a full 90.
Let's pause and think about that for a minute. The Rapids are a good enough team that we have a CLOSER. How many years have we watched our team not have the lead enough in a season to need a closer. And since we need a closer, I love having Drew be the man. He has been the best and gives me comfort when he comes on to lock things down.
I recalled a bit wrong. That NE game was 4-3, not 5-3. Zambrano and Junior Agogo era. BTW Drew Moor may be my favorite all time Rapid. Junior has *by far* the best name. Many times last year I reminded people that to judge coach/players based on 2020 was unfair be they Drew Lock, Rockies, or anyone. Rapids included. I give Fraser a pass on 2020. let's see if 2021 turns into the rarest of all Rapid birds, a winning season. R
Been thinking more on it. I’ve noticed that through the end of last season, and the beginning of this season that our attack typically starts with us trying to get the ball wide. We very rarely try to break through the midfield - which is probably why Fraser has been throwing Namli there. We’ve lol been wanting a 10 (Carles Gil, Nico Lodeiro, Pozuelo, etc) and have been trying to fit Namli into that box. Unfortunately, I don’t think Namli is best suited as a 10. He doesn’t seem to like contact - hence why his dribbles are so good. He’s also got speed on the ball, and good vision. If he’s our best dribbler, and can make quick decisive passes, why not put him on the wing again? Bassett proved he can be a solid midfielder who gets involved in everything. Most of our attacks that are effective involve us getting the ball wide. If Namli is out wide, he’ll find a lot more 1v1s, or teams will have to throw more defenders his way for 2v1s - which will in turn open up the midfield for us tremendously if he pulls more guys to him. Right now, he’s pulling 2-3 defenders to him in the middle, and then gets stuck in a “forced to dribble” situation. Just an idea.
a couple of thoughts (probably controversial, but so be it): - Lewis - I love the kid, but it seems like he is getting too far into the "hero" mode. I am noticing a lot of dribble by himself moments lately, often into multiple defenders. He is good, which I love. But not that good. - Wilson - in past years I have not been thrilled. This year, I really think he is doing a solid job. Maybe solid enough that Lalas is having a harder time getting off the bench than one would have expected. Seeing a back line that includes Wilson and Trusty is not as big a concern for me as it should be. - Rubio - this one is annoying the crap out of me. Flashes of awesome with long stretches of annoying. Maybe he does a lot that helps the team out, but his constant flopping is causing him to miss some true fouls. Save the flop for when it really could have an impact. I know many have said it, just found myself complaining about my own player last night!
Really exciting comeback win, and I'm no sports psychologist but I have to imagine that a win like that gives the team a real boost of camaraderie. It should be said though that for the first 20 minutes of the game, the Rapids looked like they were completely surprised by the fact that Minnesota came to actually play soccer. Right from the opening kickoff Gregus (I think it was Gregus) sprinted to pressure Yarborough and it seemed to really unsettle the team. I would love to have been a fly on the wall during Robin's halftime talk.
Only watched the highlights. Respect to anyone out in the elements and that would've been a great match in person. Love what I saw of Bassett and the winning goal was amazing ... great service and finish!
Agree that Bassett was a huge factor. Just want to mention that the Namli -Bassett change came about the same time as Shin - Lewis. Two non-energy players for two energy players. Not saying that made all the difference. MN might have worn out any way after pressing the first half. But Namli and Shin like to play the beautiful game. The MLS is not the beautiful game. Man, that ref let a lot go last night. But I thought Lewis’ energy (not finishing, other than the offside goal) still made a positive difference.
Like several others who posted above, I feel Bassett was MOTM, hands down. When he came in for Namli he played with a lot of intelligent energy, he pressed the keeper and others when MUN had possession. And when the Rapids had the ball he was constantly facilitating attacking play by moving to receive passes and moving the ball up the pitch to his teammates. In all of this he was relentless. He was playing with a real determination. Hate to say this, but Bassett coming in for Namli really helped to change the tenor of the match. Bassett seems to be better than Namli at working his teammates into the attack rather than attempting to get the go 1 v 2 with the ball at his feet. I felt this last season too. My preference is to see Bassett at the #10 spot as he really works to integrate his teammates into the attack. Bassett took a hard foul which lead to the Price's wonderful free kick headed in by Wilson for the winner. Hope Cole's shoulder is okay. He seemed to be favoring it for the rest of the match. I figured he was going to get subbed. Boy was MUN good in the first half. As soon as they won the ball back from the Rapids, which happened far too easily and often, they were able to move the pitch with quick short passes by getting into triangles and getting 3v1 or 2. It really was frustrating for the Rapids as they just couldn't win the ball back and prevent MUN from stamping their pace and style on the match. When MUN was defending they really compressed their lines near midfield and the Rapids really struggled to break them. Obviously in the second half this wasn't as much of an issue for the Rapids in part because their speed of play. Additionally, by the 70th minute or so the Loons were cooked. They wanted to keep going and just couldn't. The Rapids had run them into the ground with some help MUN's pressing. At the half I thought the Rapids had not shot at getting even a tie. In fact, I didn't think they would score a goal.
Forgot to add that the attitude of the team after going down two goals was superb, much like what we saw the previous two seasons. They didn't give up or get down on themselves, which I felt they did in the match Austin a few weeks earlier. That's a positive sign.