PBP: Rapids @ Columbus • Weds., May 31 • 5:30pm • Apple TV

2-1 loss, goal by Wilson. Columbus has one of the better offenses in the league but their defense is questionable. Wilson gets his head on a Ronan corner to score, but we can't possess the ball and the waves of attacks are too much to deal with, leading us to another loss.

http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2023/05/rapids-hope-to-break-losing-streak.html

 

Screw it. Fraser finds a way to rally the guys tonight - proving once again he is a great coach and our doubts (while justified at times) can be stayed for the time being.


Picture the locker room tonight. All the guys sitting around and Fraser speaks. He talks about all the hard work it’s taken to get here -“look around - you’re a a pro soccer player in a pro league. The eyes of the world are on us. We’ve done this before. We’ve risen from the ashes. We’ve conquered greater slumps. Good men will put their heads down and fight through this. Great men will overcome.

Tonight it’s a battle of the mind. There will be 11 battles out there tonight. Just focus on yours. Trust that your fellow man has your back. This is what teamwork is about. You do your job and the man next to you will do his. In the phalanx, you trust your teammates shield. Tonight we conquer Lower.com field and we bring home the 3 points.”

Maxsø flips a switch in the corner and turns into that terminator we’ve seen on the pitch letting out his Danish war cry “raaah! Bring it in boys, rapids on 3! 1. 2. 3. Rapids!”

The Rapids jog out onto the field and play a hard fought first half, but can’t quite break through Columbus. Hitting the post right before halftime feels like just another bad break of a gut punch that seems to prove that we just can’t quite get the ball into the net and a couple guys drop their heads just briefly as they go into the tunnel - thinking it’s just not meant to be this year.

And then Nicholson - who’s been through both relegation and promotion - will step up be a stoic voice of inspiration in the locker room at half time, and Cole’s return will spark a rise in team form as his love for his home state and his home club will inspire the guys to push to bring home good news from this road trip.

Fraser makes a halftime switch to bring Cole on and the Rapids go blow for blow with the Crew in a back and forth battle of will and mental fortitude. And then it happens. The Rapids absorb blow after blow, and are under tremendous pressure. But Maxsø wins a perfectly timed sliding tackle, the ball falls to Wilson and they break on a quick counter. Wilson finds a long ball to Lewis and he and Remi Cabral are in a sprint towards the Crew back line.

Lewis receives the ball in space on the wing and dribbles past his man bringing the ball near the top corner of the box and enters. He pings a square ball across to Remi Cabral who’s done well to find an open spot on the far side of the box and hits the ball clean. He’s thinking this is his moment to be a hero, but the Crew keeper is up to task and positions himself well for a save - which goes out to the top of the box where a late rushing Bassett who laid out in a dead sprint to make it in time for a potential cleanup play. Cole takes it first time in stride and cushions it to the the top right corner of the net in the 89th minute. He continues his run from before the shot, straight to the corner flag where he throws his shirt into the air and is swarmed by his teammates.

Rapids bench goes wild, and a 1-0 victory in dramatic, hard fought fashion sparks a revival of the season.


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Or we lose by multiple goals again.

 

Final availability report:



9 players out again (and you’ll notice the injuries move around on occasion - Rubio went from ankle injury to upper body injury)


Starting XI has us seeing Captain Maxsø with Illic in goal:

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐗𝐈

🆚: Columbus Crew
🏟: https://t.co/fIto5ZzA8n Field
⏰: 5:30 PM MT
📺: #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV
📻: @AltitudeSR
📝: https://t.co/KPJ5UAAHN9
🤝: @MyKingSoopers pic.twitter.com/MXViCm5g8c

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) May 31, 2023

I’m guessing Bombito is playing wingback and Nicholson more advanced than his wingback position of late

 

Nicholson...scores? I'm confused.

 

What’s the case for Lewis?

 

Something wrong with broadcast

 

The goal and the Nagbe miss prior was a display of horrific defending

 

We might want to put a man on Zelarayán, I hear he's fairly good. 1-1

 

1-1. We let them have chances, they scored one. What does this goal keeper give us?

 

I guess marking is optional. This time Lalas.

 

2-1 now.

 

3-1

I can't blame defending though...it's hard/impossible to hold out every game when you have no relief from the midfield and front line.

 

Better goal from them this time. 3-1 now.

 

I mean, I know it didn’t mean anything - but man! What a goal by Bassett. That’s as clean of a finish as you can get. Perfect curl, upper 90. *chefs kiss*

 

Good to hear. I went to King Soopers after their third goal. This team is unwatchable.

 

How did Moise Bombito play?