Given all the comments in the final game thread, I figured an actual 2013 season recap thread would be appropriate to capture everyone's comments.
I had to take a few days before I could collect my thoughts on the season as a whole. The last two games really killed me, but I don't think it is fair to judge the season based on only the last two games. Particularly given that Powers and Sanchez were injured. So, here is what I thought of the season: OP did a great job. He made a number of mistakes, but overall was a solid coach. He managed through a large number of injuries in the early games, developed a surprisingly large number of young contributors, and over-coached a couple of games. He seemed to have learned throughout the season and I am looking forward to seeing him do even better next year. I was very happy with the development of the RapKids. It is insane to think that so many young players would be starting and we would even sniff the playoffs. Heck, had Powers and Sanchez not been injured we might have even won a game or two. Buddle disappointed, but not as much as many on this board say. He was responsible for a number of wins mid-season. I won't go into the Casey-Buddle debate since that ship sailed. Buddle needs to pick it up to justify his salary next year or be moved to someone where he will be more effective. Right back is a question. I like O'Neill and Moor in the middle. I like Wynne on the right, but he either isn't happy or something. He makes a lot of money for the position, I love his speed but am not sure I see the Rapids spending so much for what they are getting. I will hate to see him go if that is what happens. I can't under-state how great it is to see Powers, Brown, Klute, Irwin, etc. develop. Next year should be awesome, particularly if they add one or two more players like they did with Torres and Sanchez. For the first time in many years, I am having a hard time thinking of a bad mid-season acquisition. Hopefully Sanchez has a few good years left in him and can teach Rivero a thing or two along the way. Get some good years from the veteran while bringing Rivero to fill his shoes over time. (Remember, Rivero is also quite young). So, if someone had told me that we would end up with 51 points on the season, see tremendous development from the RapKids, win the RM Cup, and bring in a quality DP for scoring, I would have been thrilled. Frankly, I expected a bit less this year while things developed for next year. I consider this season a success, but one that could have been even greater had a few small mistakes been fixed (a few games over-coaching, etc.). rod.
Oscar certainly got back into the positive side of things, and the team became fun again for me. They weren't fun last year, and the beginning of this year, but they got passed that. A lot of that has to do with the youth movement. Powers, Brown, Klute, and O'Neil were a breath of fresh air. I give Oscar a lot of credit for their development and confidence. I do wonder how much of a boost the youth movement received as a result of injuries. Pickens, Rivero, Castrillon, Pablo, and Calderon all made way for the kids and it turned out to be a good thing. It's a negative on me, I guess, but my interest in the Rapids returned sometime around the time Pablo was traded. I don't mean to be negative about Pablo, his career still makes him a Rapids notable, but re-signing him was stupid and just irked me no end. The team didn't seem to suffer much from the loss, and Moor seemed to get his captain's groove back. I'm not sure I'd call the season a success. The RMC is nice, but not really something I get all that jazzed about. RSL finished ahead of us, which is consolation enough for them and disappointing for me. I would absolutely trade places with them. The Rapids are back to where they've been so often in the past with a snorkel poking above the playoff line and a lot of hope for next year. Sometimes those circumstances mark a successful season sometimes not, there's only two objective measurements and the Rapids are far out of the running for both.
"Successful" is maybe not the right label. The pollster's "right direction/wrong direction" is probably the better analysis.
I agree for the most part. There's still room for improvement in terms of getting the ball to threatening positions but I don't know if one could expect all those changes to come in the first year after such a horrible 2012. They made a lot of progress this season on both sides of the ball. One big difference is the youth of the roster, and a full season of Torres and Sanchez (we hope) coming. The Rapids have rarely been a playoff team while also having the upside where you expect them to be better next year. When a sports team makes such a big leap forward it's hard to count on further improvement in the 2nd season, but such optimism for the Rapids seems warranted.
The season showed progress although the end was disappointing. When they sacked Smith and brought in Pareja I said it would take 3 yrs before we'd know if the direction they took would be successful. O.P. has another yr experience and the roster should be close to what they envisioned. Next year we will know.