The only negative from this match is that Price picked up a yellow, so he's out for LA next week. Really going to need at least one of Acosta or Kaye to be able to start.
As a whole, I don't think we played very well for the past 3 matches...yet we have collected 7 points from games where we haven't been very convincing. Bad teams find ways to lose close games, good teams find ways to win close games.
Must watch highlight: DOM BADJI. GAME WINNER.#SJvCOL pic.twitter.com/Bndp4lfe4c— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) September 5, 2021
With about 20 minutes left in the match: "Why don't they put Badji in?" Me: "I don't think he's right for this way the game is being played" In about the 96th minute: "This match is going to end in end in a tie" Me: "Yes." After Badji scored: Me: "He was offsides." (I thought so initially, but boy was the timing of the pass and run perfect. And what a calm first time finish!) No matter what, it seems Fraser has an answer. I believe this was the first match Trusty has missed this season. I guess the one thing I got correct was that Mezquida would be important in this match. Hope Abubakar and the SJ player don't have lasting =issues from the head injuries.
Final point: We are (deservedly) giving Fraser a ton of credit for our standings and the results we continue to generate, but tonight doesn’t happen without the quality of roster Padraig Smith has built. And I don’t think this point has been made enough. Fraser’s not in the position to make the right calls if the cupboard isn’t stacked with winnable options. Padraig deserves cheers as well.
Couldn't resist. POLE BASSETT AGAIN ARE YOU SERIOUS#Rapids96— Liam Hopkins (@svw_303) September 5, 2021 Name a more iconic duo, I’ll wait pic.twitter.com/40Sx2Fj1Pu— Rapids Away Days (@RapidsAwayDays) September 5, 2021
The Abubakar foul on Ebobisse was sickening live (right in front of me). I hate plays like that in soccer, and I don't understand how it's not reckless endangerment (of your opponent's brain). Ebobisse jumped straight up and was defenseless while Abubakar barreled into him from behind.
Watched the replay this morning. Had to check, Jason predicted the 1-0 scoreline but no one predicted Badji with a goal! Gritty win against a resurgent and pragmatic San Jose. Road points are always good and I'll take them over a pretty win any day. I'm really feeling bad for Cole ... this has to be a Mojo on his boots. Maybe C38 can spring for a witch doctor to remove the curse?
I'm told there's a simple chant that can help Cole fall in love with the goal again: Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang
Missing players due to the international window. Missing more players due to injury. Not a full bench. We didn’t play our best game. Cole hit another pole. Yet, it’s the same old story….. a win and three points earned on the road. My expectation is now to win no matter who or where we play. I have to pinch myself that is reality and this is my Rapids. I can get used to this!
While I agree it’s really unfortunate that both got injured - and especially Ebobisse given his history - I actually think more is being made of the foul than there is to it. I think because the injury occurred there’s being a mountain made out of a molehill: Just a horseshit challenge from Abubakar.Both players had to be subbed off after this, 2 minutes into the game. Awful. pic.twitter.com/5EmAUQE2yB— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) September 5, 2021 If you take the injury out of the equation, 8 out of 10 times it’s not even a yellow. This exact challenge happens dozens - literally dozens - of times throughout a game. One player has the better positioning for the header so the other (more often than not, it’s the attacker making this challenge - and particularly often on corners) jumps into the opposing player leading with their shoulder. Dozens of times. Now, I’m not justifying that you should seek to injure other players. And I don’t believe that was Abubakars intent. If their heads don’t collide it’s just a regular foul and people go on with their day. But because they bumped heads - and pretty seriously - everyone’s losing their mind (pun intended). I seriously hope both players are OK and there’s no long term ramifications for the collision. But I don’t think it’s “the foul of the worst kind”. Happens all the time throughout the game, and it’s unfortunate this time it ended in injury. I’m willing to be wrong on this, but if this challenge is horrendous, then it needs to be carded every single time it happens over the course of the game. Do that, and you’ll have a lot of 9v9s moving forward until players stop challenging when someone else has positioning.
The leading with the head into the head makes this a yellow IMO, regardless of injury. Id it a multi-game suspension? I don't think so. Like you said, jumping into an established player going for a header happens every game, but Lalas had no chance to get the ball and was actually early with his jump. He was clearly trying to clean Ebobisse out and stop him from getting a clean play on the ball. If he had just gone body to body you whistle the foul. But you go head to head like that and it has to be a card.
Yeah exactly. 8 out of 10 it’s a regular foul. This was in the 2 out of 10. That’s why it’s a good yellow card. But there’s plenty of people asking for red and multi game suspension? I just don’t get it. If players aren’t injured and they get back up right away, then no one is asking for this severe punishment to be handed out and are happy with the yellow. It’s like the 5 or 6 slide tackles Price made last night. He misses one of those by an inch and he could potentially hurt someone. I dunno. I just think yellow is completely fair here
I could make an argument for red given the focus on head contact, but I think that's letting the outcome influence the call. Certainly not a multi-game suspension.
The incident was kind of sickening on tv too. But it looks as though Abubakar never sees him, he’s looking up at the ball the whole time. He’s going in strong, like he’s making a statement about winning headers in the midfield. I thought yellow was fine, really unfortunate about the injuries.
Honestly, I agree that this should have been a red, and won't be surprised to see a retroactive suspension of a game (assuming MLS still does that; only pay attention to the Rapids actual games these days..) In rugby that would be a straight trip to the sin bin, intentional or not. The player is responsible for those around them when they go up, and an in air challenge like that is either reckless if unintentional, or dangerous if on purpose.
Ice in his veins 🥶 @dbadji14 pic.twitter.com/lxC500iD2p— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) September 6, 2021
Once again, Fraser's later subs were aimed at getting a win, not holding onto a tie. That seems to be his modus operandi this season. He has a high level of confidence in his squad to get three points when things aren't going well. When he put Mezquida in for Warner it wasn't to shut the game down and play for a tie.