The Rapids are playing in my hometown on my birthday, will they bring me home a gift of 3 points? Well, this might make it interesting:
Oh boy...Baldy's running the match with Fotis as the VAR... I think we should set the Over/Under as follows, what do y'all think: PK's given to Seattle: +/- 1 Total Red Cards: +/- 1 Total Yellow Cards: +/- 6 More fouls given to COL than to SEA: +/- 8
Granted it was FCC at home but Seattle looked poised enough to drop 4 on whoever they played last weekend. They look lethal and they look healthy. Another strong early test for the boys. Do you do with the same lineup - minus a suspended Sjoberg with Wilson inserted or do you drop Bassett in favor of Price on the road? If Morris is deployed wide right again, which I suspect he will be based on Schmetzer's comments, Serna is going to have his hands full.
DECADE OF DOMINANCE: The Sounders have more wins against Colorado (17) than any other MLS opponent, with FC Dallas second on the list (12). Since joining the league in 2009, the Rave Green have faced the Rapids in 13 home fixtures, scoring 26 goals while conceding just 9 times. ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 17-5-2 all time against the Rapids, including a 10-2-1 mark at home.
Oh yeah - Well the Rapids put two on the MLS Cup runner-ups with only 10 men in Shackleton like conditions.
Too bad we are playing them so early in the season, I think the chart someone posted showed them as the oldest (or one of) in the league -- probably doesn't bode well for late season matches with fatigue and potential injuries. As mentioned above right now in their opening match it was like the new guys screwed up by scoring early and got blown out the rest of the match.
Hah, I missed that. It's the Lego City 60183 Heavy Cargo Transport, but I'm just assisting my 7 year old daughter. She's the project manager.
It doesn’t help when certain versions of this club waved the white flag in the face of the turf, playing half lineups conceding way way more in lineups than what the risk of a turf might represent. I bet if we did some comparable math like rate of injuries versus grass versus turf you would say that our one visit a year it might represent a halftime sub once every 10 years. But that’s not how it played out.
I stand behind that even remembering Conor Casey walking off with a torn Achilles. That wasn’t turf, that was grass haphazardly rolled over turf. That condition would be its own input. Also, what a beast, walking off with a torn Achilles.
Am I correct in thinking we led the league last year in Red Cards? Anyway, I think we continue the trend. A draw and a red card. 2-2. Seattle aren't that good, Cincinnati is poor. I miss my kids being young enough to play with legoes by the way - enjoy!
I don't have a lot of hope for points this weekend. Our CB's are just too beat up. With last week's red card, we are down another one. We should get some pressure on Seattle, but having such a weak back-line may be an issue to keeping the ball on the Seattle side of the field. Seattle has such a good attack coupled with our weak (and injured) defense make me think this will be a 3-1 loss. Maybe 3-2 if we can get some set pieces around their goal or control the mid-field enough to keep it from staying on our defensive half of the field. Outside chance at 2-2 draw if Howard has one of those in-form games and somehow our mid-field keeps things up front. Don't see a path to all 3 points barring some strange collapse by Seattle or a random red-card play against Seattle (which will never happen to the "city that created soccer".) No red cards this week, but 2 yellows for Rapid players. rod.
We led the league in YC, too. I think we had 90 cautions and 7 reds. I think we ranked third or fourth in fouls committed.
I'm in a similar mindset. I think we will show well, but our defense is just too shaky, and with Axel out and all the injuries, who knows what our CB situation is going to be. Ruidiaz, Morris, Rodriguez, Roldan, and Lodeiro will probably be giving our back four fits all game. Hopefully we can sustain some offensive pressure to keep Morris and Lodeiro pinned back. I'm afraid that Lodeiro's vision paired with Morris's speed on the break is going to be too much if the Gaffer decides to play a high line of confrontation with the CB's. The only way we get out of Seattle with points is if we can play smart possession football, compress the field for Seattle, and keep Ruidiaz frustrated with a lack of touches. Ruidiaz is a hothead and can be a dirty player, maybe Tommy Smith can get under his skin and get him in trouble .... ha, who am I kidding. It's Baldomero refereeing, and we know how much he seems to love the Rapids.... I think Seattle scores 3, with two from counterattacks and one from a set piece earned by Mr Ruidiaz....can't stand that guy, but he sure knows how to earn fouls... Who knows what the Rapids offense can do in this game. I'm thinking 2 goals for the good guys - one from Rubio and one from Shinyashiki late that catches Seattle napping, but too late to make a difference in the game
Some stats for your viewing pleasure: Total Fouls Committed, Rapids were second highest: https://www.mlssoccer.com/stats/tea...tats_hub_build_filter_form&sort=desc&order=FC We also led the league in Red and Yellow cards with 6 and 90 respectively: https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/te...RALL&pos=0&team=1&isOpp=0&sort=-1&sortOrder=0
No, I'm not sure who did but quick check shows us with 5 and Minnesota with 7 so I know we weren't first. Kids,? You need kids to enjoy LEGO? Um....
MLSSoccer.com's status shows us with 5 and Minnesota with 7 (there are no team stats, you have to go to the individual team pages on the player stats and add them up).
Strange. I wonder why Fox Sports - which is usually accurate in their stat reporting across all sports - has a different amount for us. Wonder which is actually correct and which isn't. Hard to tell unless you go through each individual match report across the entire season....which I don't particularly care to do
If the numbers are correct than our fouls to cards conversion rate might also be the highest in the league. Way to go Rapids!