Completely agree. How many attacking wingers can be asked to play wingback, or even outside back - and be starting level caliber at both positions? Plus, how many players in the league can do what he can with the ball at his feet? He’s also got great game sense in knowing where to be and when to try to get there. That’s a great combination in a young developing player. Even though MLS writers and media haven’t taken notice, coaches certainly have. I don’t know if many have noticed, but he’s gone from having one on ones with defenders to having multiple guys trying to close down his space. He’s very rarely finding those 1v1s lately (aside from when he overlaps in a give and go), and I’m sure it’s because coaches are telling the players to mark him more closely. Kids good. And important people in the league (coaches and other players) are treating him differently as the season has worn on and giving him more defensive respect.
Another big night for the boys 👏#Rapids96 pic.twitter.com/eAQeSamrwn— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) October 13, 2021 The Rapids fan in me is hoping neither Acosta or Kaye gets significant playing time tonight.
Just a thought I had this morning, but do you all think that it would be prudent for the Rapids call back Kortne Ford from loan on this next stretch of games going into the postseason? CBs currently with the team: Moor (CB) Trusty (CB) Abubakar (CB) Wilson (CB) Moor seems to have solidified his role as a closer. While his positioning, awareness, and strength are still great, he doesn't have the wheels he used to. Hence, probably why Fraser when using his back 3/5 tends to cut Rosenberry in as a third CB instead of starting Moor in that role. Trusty - I often wonder how much gas he has left in the tank. We've asked him to do a TON of work. And at the end of games lately he's looked gassed. Wilson - while is having a better season than in the past - has certainly not covered himself in glory as of late. Abubakar - we all know what Lalas brings. He's a human wrecking ball. More often than not, he's playing lights out defense. But when he's not....its not good. That's our four CBs. Ford has certainly been playing extremely well in Texas in the USL (if of course, everything the USL is praising him about is true...I haven't seen a San Antonio game, but all reports say he's kicking butt). Now, the USL isn't MLS - fair. But before his injury, Ford was starting to look really good in central defense - good size, pace, and awareness. (Funnily enough, Ford is playing alongside Axel Sjoberg) If I'm being completely honest, I'd rather see an in form Kortne stepping in for Wilson for a full 90. Wilson doesn't have great wheels. And that's ok as he used to always have positioning / awareness / distribution this season. Lately, that's not the case. Why not give Ford - a homegrown with everything to prove and who's hunger is seemingly going well for him in the USL - a shot? He would allow us to rotate our back line and rest Trusty/Abubakar without having to throw Wilson into the fire. Again, it's just a thought. I don't know what training looks like each week, and like I said, I haven't actually watched a San Antonio game, but it sounds like he's doing well: 9 games, 9 starts 22 aerial duels won 21 interceptions (2.33 per game) Trusty - 1.85 per game Rosenberry - 1.64 per game Abubakar - 1.47 per game Wilson - 1 per game 15 tackles (1.67 per game) Trusty - 1.07 per game Wilson - 0.92 per game Abubakar - 0.58 per game Rosenberry - 0.46 per game 3 goals Which would put him as our 6th highest scorer More goals than Galvan, Mezquida, Kaye, and Acosta Also, great article here about Ford: https://www.burgundywave.com/2021/1...erback-kortne-ford-stands-tall-in-san-antonio
I think you pull him back when you need to. Remember, you can't send him back if you recall him (outside the window). So this week you know what you have going into Salt Lake, and the next two games are at home. So if you need him its a quick trip from SA to Denver, and he's coming into his home environment. If you get through this week the tricky question becomes if you need to take him across the country to New England midweek. If not then the next game is in Houston and its a easy trip for him to meet up with the team there. Then there's another week before LAFC, then two weeks before the playoffs. Plus, Moor did manage 84 minutes recently, so don't discount what he can bring if called on in a pinch.
Yeah exactly. Its a very tricky stretch. And believe you me, I don't discount Moor. Honestly, with how Wilson is playing as of late Moor might be a better starting option. I wouldn't want him to have to go 90min in back to back games though....that's a tall order. A lot of this hinges on what formation(s) Fraser wants to employ. I think our back line looks best in the 4-3-3 we saw earlier this season. Teams have been exploiting the space in the midfield that has been opening up in that weird back 3/5 hybrid we've been using. A simple back 4 will make the defensive coverings easier for everyone, and allow us to rotate players easier. But if Fraser is insistent on the back 3/5 hybrid - I say bring in Ford. Keep Rosenberry on the outside, and not a 3rd CB. Esteves - Trusty - Abubakar - Ford - Rosenberry ^Certainly doesn't look too bad on paper. And then Wilson and Moor for rotations / minute management. But if you play 4 in the back, it's a completely different proposition and Ford is simply an emergency call back
Concerning Ford, I have been wondering why it took so long for him to be put on loan. It seemed once he was healthy he was in limbo for a while before heading to San Antonio. Apparently he's making a difference. I am guessing he doesn't return to the Rapids until SA's season is over. Same with the other loanees, unless there is a rash of injuries at a particular position. Their last regular season match takes place Oct. 30. If teaching hadn't bogged me down to much this year, was going to start a spreadsheet with all the Rapids who are loaned out to keep track of both where they are and how they are doing. In the not too distant future, I suspect there will be a number of loanees that have a legit shot at making the Rapids first team. Part of the equation is MLS roster size next season. Additionally, it looks like there is a reserve league for MLS sides next season.
Ford will have zero "chemistry" with the Rapids player, less important with Defenders but still a problem. Zero need in my mind for him in Denver right now and I'm not a Wilson fan. Let him finish out the season at SA and build up his confidence.
A team is only as good as its leader and we’re fortunate to have Robin Fraser sit at the helm.In the all-new episode of Elevate, we learn more about the influence Robin has not only on our players but the rest of his coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/NBjc6KShXq— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) October 15, 2021
🚨 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 🚨 Stop by @DICKS in Aurora on October 16 from 11 AM - 2 PM to get FOUR tickets to our game against Portland!Quantities limited, while supplies last. Requires valid ScoreCard account. pic.twitter.com/g65v6MijDB— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) October 15, 2021
U23 Leaders, @MLS Pressures Won:🥇🇺🇸 Leon Flach - 210🥈🇪🇨 José Cifuentes - 167🥉🇲🇽 Julián Araujo - 149🇺🇸 Cole Bassett - 142🇺🇸 Caden Clark - 142🇻🇪 C. Cásseres Jr. - 141🇦🇷 Santiago Sosa - 134🇦🇷 Pablo Ruíz - 132🏴 Dru Yearwood - 127Flach leads the whole league, all ages. pic.twitter.com/iKhjGACJsf— Football Wonderkids (@fbwonderkids) October 15, 2021
Can we all agree that FSL’s social media team is trash? Fightin lil bro for the Cup.— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) October 16, 2021 Where did this lil bro thing come from? It makes no sense. I’m all for smack talk, but it at least needs to make sense at some level. Sure FSL have been the better RMC team. But they are still technically the “lil bro” seeing as how the Rapids are 9 years older as a team…? Plus it’s not exactly professional for the organization to be pulling this - instead of the players or the fans ya know? They did this “lil bro” crap last year too. Really bugs me - so I guess while it’s honestly really stupid, the disrespect works at some level
So I think it’s fair to talk about Fraser. We owe our a lot of our recent successes as a club to him. But we also owe this failure (and other confusing losses) to him as well. Remember in 2018 and 2019 when our midfield was correctly described as “soft-serve”? And our defense was essentially Swiss cheese? He fixed that. Until he decided to swap to this back 3/5. Teams have CLEARLY figured out how to beat us - hence we’ve allowed 7 goals in three games and scored 0 (our 3 goals against Minnesota don’t count, nor does the RSL goal, as we swapped to a back four after Wilson’s red and swapped to a back tour when Namli came in). It’s not working. And not only that, but we look really bad both defending and attacking. There’s so much space in our midfield. No one is covering anyone, and we’re constantly in a numerical disadvantage even though we have 7 guys back on defense. Our midfielders are always chasing rather than being in a position to setup up / break up. Our wingbacks are in 2v1s in a 30 yard bubble. Our center backs are left in a 1v1 and having to watch a guy in front and over their shoulder. We’re easy to play against. Now I don’t know if he’s playing this formation because it’s easier on the legs down the stretch of the season. I don’t know. That’s the only reason I can think of because other than that it makes NO sense why we keep trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Oh wait….that’s what Rapids coaches do. They tinker, and tinker, and tinker, and our results suffer because of it. I haven’t lost faith in Fraser by any means. But he better fix this and quick because, well, playoffs are coming and we’re not playing like a playoff team in this formation.
It's a Michigan vs Michigan State reference from I think a decade ago and nothing to do with age of institutions. Michigan beat MSU (little Bro) and one of the Michigan players used this reference in post game interview and it's been fighting words ever sense.
I know we all love Cole. I know we want nothing more than to see him succeed and go to Europe. But since mid-July he's had 2 assists, 1 PK goal, and one game with more than one shot on target in 11 starts and 4 sub appearances. I know he's got a ton of skill, but he's just not starting material right now.
Top 4 in West: Against Western non-playoff teams (PPG): COL - 2.08 SKC - 1.93 SEA - 1.92 POR - 1.86 Against Western playoff teams (PPG): SEA - 2.00 SKC - 1.64 COL - 1.50 POR - 1.33 The team we are versus the team we want to be
SKC DPs and players over $1mil salary (13.4mil total team salary - #9 in the league): Alan Pulido (DP) Johnny Russel (DP) Andreu Fontas Ilie Sanchez SEA DPs and players over $1mil salary (12.1mil total team salary - #12): Nico Lodeiro (DP) Joao Paulo (DP) Raul Ruidiaz (DP) Jordan Morris POR DPs and players over $1mil salary (11.9mil total team salary - #13): Sebastian Blanco (DP) Yimi Chara (DP) Jaroslaw Niezgoda (DP) COL DPs and players over $1mil salary (10.1mil total team salary - #23): Younes Namli (DP) Kellyn Acosta
The only teams below us in total payroll: Source: https://www.wakingthered.com/2021/5...led-toronto-fc-could-have-the-highest-payroll I know we give the team a lot of grief when they drop games (like against salt lake), but it is pretty impressive what Fraser and co (Padraig too) have built. We get a Ruidiaz, or a Gil, or any splash DP and all of a sudden our “competing to keep up with the top of the west” team becomes a legit “checks all the right boxes” contender.
If Lalas puts this fool on the ground tomorrow night I won't complain about the yellow card... https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/nico...tle-why-he-d-definitely-celebrate-at-colorado
Benezet should be happy that Brian Mullan is retired. Ironically Mullan’s red card was against Zakuani - who was playing for Seattle at the time…just thought about bringing that up. No reason. No reason at all. (I’m kidding of course, I wouldn’t seriously wish injury on somebody….bruises -physical or mental-are different tho)
New salary info is out, the Rapids now have the lowest salary total in the league, but the second best "spend per point" behind New England. https://theathletic.com/2901548/202...ng-in-2021-as-new-signings-add-to-wage-bills/