We play a football team from Toronto who are very good soccer but won't have their best players at 1PM at the Dick tomorrow, Saturday. Discuss your concerns and predictions here. Then discuss the game as it happens. Then discuss the game afterwards. I like to get these going on Friday. I predict the Rapids win 3-0.
To me this game is a must win, but I'm actually not optimistic. Yeah, Toronto are holding back virtually all of their key players which gives us a big advantage on paper, but we have a long history of losing games like this where we "should" win. It doesn't instill a lot of faith when you couple that with our newfound habit of collapsing late. I'd love to be proven wrong, but the cynic in me says Gashi, Aigner, and Boli will be MIA again, Hudson will deploy overly-conservative tactics again, and we'll drop the result in the last 10 minutes again.
Fancy seeing you again, TFC.📝 Get to know our friends from up north: https://t.co/NEcfK7o6Bg pic.twitter.com/iB3NcVLaOQ— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) April 12, 2018
The @ColoradoRapids site looks a little different today - love it! Come to #COLvTOR tomorrow to show *your* support for Laurie & @KortFord! #Rapids96 https://t.co/mtaRUDk8cg pic.twitter.com/FXIbYKOPnA— Burgundy Wave (@Burgundywave) April 13, 2018
I'm watching on TV and it's still about me. Goals by Badji and Landeskog in a 2-0 victory. (Hey, I'm going to be channel changing.)
Crap it’s at 1pm??? Ugh I have my kiddo’s soccer game at the same time. Didn’t realize it was an early one. Rapids tend to blow the easy ones so I predict 1-1 score.
PRO's assignments: REF: BALDOMERO TOLEDO AR1: Adam Garner AR2: Felisha Mariscal 4TH: Ramy Touchan VAR: Ricardo Salazar . . . and the all-anagram version: REF: OLD BLOATED ROMEO AR1: Red Anagram AR2: I Am Elfish Rascal 4TH: Canary Mouth VAR: Alias "Razor Card"
1-1 draw, goal by Mason. Despite the talk of "the greatest team of all time" (which, to be fair, they appear to be backing up in their CCL play) TFC hasn't beaten us in a game we wanted to win since 2015. They haven't beaten us in Colorado in almost 10 years (Aug of '08). I don't see those streaks ending tomorrow with a makeshift Toronto lineup. Toledo is the ref, which means something crazy is likely to happen, and we haven't played 90 minutes of soccer yet this season so I doubt either side gets a clean sheet. http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2018/04/deja-vu-at-dick.html
Yes, it's early for a "must win" but this looks to be one of those circumstances. The Rapids in theory will have more of their first team talent. At the same time they may be working Gashi and Boli into the side in this match. Regardless, they can't continue to drop points. So far Hudson seems to favor those players he is familiar with for the selection. This most likely means that Colvey and Wynne will be in the starting XI. Will Enzo be starting again? Will it be Boateng? Or Gashi? Certainly Blomberg will be in the XI. In terms of tactics, let's hope the Rapids aren't going to cede possession and then look to score via the counter.
Rapids win 2-0. This isn't TFC resting their big players, this is TFC resting EVERYBODY. They signed 3 scrub USL players to first team contracts today and flew them to Colorado for the game.
Any word on Wilson’s availability? Would love to see Wilson, Axel and Smith on the back line.....and Deklan Wynne nowhere near it.
That's a bad omen. You wrote "the Myth of Sisyphus," an essay of course based on the figure from Greek mythology who was sentenced for eternity to always to be up late in the 2nd half in a soccer match only to blow the points in injury time. Then he had to start over building the lead again...
It will be in the 50's and windy. 1PM start time will keep it warmer than the Philly game, but it's going to be another one of those games far colder than it looks out the window. Especially if you sit on the west side (in the shade).
In my opinion this is a statement game (as opposed to a “must win”.....semantics, I know). To me, a “must win” is more of a statistical measure, ie “This game is a must win or they are all but eliminated from the playoff picture.” As a statement game, if the fanbase is to believe that this is “a new era of Rapids football” (which I do believe), then you HAVE to win the games you’re supposed to win. ESPECIALLY at home. As Canpro stated above, this isn’t a case of the TFC resting their best....this is a case of TFC resting EVERYONE. This is a game the new look Rapids have to win because it’s a game they’re SUPPOSED to win. That’s what “perennial playoff contenders” do. They take care of business. To me, a loss (or even tie for that matter) will be far more harmful than a win will be helpful. If we win, good. We should win. A loss to a group of backups and USL callups in a game where the opposing Coach openly said “we aren’t really prioritizing this game”, would be a fairly damning indictment of where we are as a club at this point. 2-0 or 3-1 Rapids....because I’m an optimist. PS. Anyone else find the poetic irony in Hudson calling our Champions league games against TFC a “preseason/warmup”....then Vanney treating our in season matchup essentially the same way. One good turn deserves another!
I think the Rapids will break out of their quick-start-quit-late mode today, and just get their butts kicked from start to finish. Maybe a nil-3 or nil-4 loss?* *Now let's see if the reverse psychology can get us a win.
Given who TOR has sent to this game, the Rapids will only appear credible if they win by at least two goals, preferably more. 3-1 Rapids win is what I think should and can happen. If Rapids expect to win, and act like it... they prolly won't.
McBean starting again? No Mason, Jackson, Aigner, Miller, Wilson.....How is that half the team end up injured EVERY game?