Playoff Pregame/Postgame Discussion: LA at Rapids Friday (R)

Starting Line Up

How does this look for a starting line up ?

Cannon
Kotch Pablo Borchers DLT
Crawford Chung Cila Henderson
Spenny & Pedro

 

-------------Cannon-------------
Crawford - Borchers - Kotchtau - Lewis
--------------Pablo---------------
Chung ------- Cila -------- Henderson
------Spencer ----- Pedro --------

I think they've moved the rain forecast to Friday from midweek. Bleh...

 

canon
crawford borchers kotchau lewis

pablo beckerman henderson chung
cila

pedro

a better lineup.. spencer on the bench

 

I noticed there might even be a few snow flakes. I bet that would be a surprise for the Galaxites. Does anyone know the real status of our injured players? I have to admit, thought, that the lineup Saturday produced a lot more than I expected. I heard that flopping fish don't like cold weather!!!

 

Snow would freaking rock! I can't wait to see Ruiz's face if that happens. Although it won't make for an aestherically pleasing game by any means, snow would be fun if you ask me.

 

I've never seen the orange ball broken out for a Rapids game. Could be interesting.

We have to go for the jugular right off the bat. None of this tippy-toe crap while hoping Cannon saves our bacon. Pressure from the first whistle to the last. I get the feeling that if we go to LA with anything less than a two goal lead on aggregate, we're toast.

 

We're going up against Sampson, my wish of being able to shower verbal abuse against the coach that totally F****D up France '98 has come to fruition...

Will we see the vaunted 3-6-1???


I like our odds...

 

Talk about a meeting of coaching masterminds....

Here's hoping Sampson decides that LA's midfield is in need of a shakeup and decides to run a 2-7-1 in the first match.

I would have to agree though, the Rapids need a win, preferably by more than 1 goal to take back to LA. Anything less, and it will be an uphill battle to overcome the Galaxy on their home turf, especially given that the MLS Cup will be there a couple of weeks later.

Do away goals count this year? I know they didn't last year, otherwise San Jose's miracle finish against LA would never have happened. LA would have advanced 4-4 on away goals (2-0 win at home first match, 4-2 loss in regulation at San Jose) despite San Jose's dramatic victory. There would have been no overtime.

Obviously, a shutout win in Colorado will mean the Rapids can go into the HDC with confidence (whether away goals count or not). I really all hinges on this first match, if the Rapids can pull off an win, I expect they can get the result they need in the second match and advance to the conference finals.

 

The soccer gods have answered our cries!!! Sampson is coming to town!
Ya better not shout... ya better not cry .... ya better not pout ... i'm a tellin ya why.... Samson ya is coming to town!!!!

The only coach that is head and shoulders under Mr Hanki!!!

Prediction Rapids 1 - LA 0

 

I like this lineup too. Lewis has been doing fine on the left. Hanki benched DLT before Saturday's Crew game because he hasn't been playing well. If he doesn't improve this week in training look for him in LA next season. Pablo will be able to rule the midfield allowing our fullbacks to run up the wings, hopefully. Cila needs to get more confident in the middle, he didn't have too much impact on Saturday. Hopefully Chung and Pedro are healthy. We can't win with the two Cubans at striker.

 

We need a bigger margin than this to win this series. I want a hat-trick out of Pedro. 3-0 Rapids.

Remember, people used to say this about the Crew's Andrulis.

 

Snow would present a bigger problem for the Rapids ... we have a Mexican, 2 Cubans, and a Haitian!!!!

Our team sure seems to be in the same unsettled state at last year's playoffs ... Possible problems with DLT and Powell ...

This game is THE game ... we can't go to LA expecting a result.

One nice thing is that LA is all F'd up now too. This is going to be interesting.

I feel that is there is a TEAM effort and no mismanaging of the game ... we could certainly walk out of there with a win. The biggest question mark right now is who's available to play.

I can't wait until Friday ... we either leave with hope ... or we'll be well on our way to having this up and down ride over with.

 

Of course numbers and stats do not mean a whole lot in the playoffs, but numbers are what makes the world go round.

Let's look at the stats against LA...
Col vs. LA
0 Wins, 1 loss, 3 ties
LA scored 4 goals to our 2 goals
We had 1 loss 1 tie at LA and we tied both at home.
LA took 6 point to our 3 in the series

No so good, but look at the stats agains KC...
Col vs. KC
1 Win, 3 losses, 0 ties
KC scored 5 goals to our 3 goals
We lost both games at KC and split at home (1 win 1 loss).
KC took 9 points to our 3 in the series.
Even worse!

So, what does it all mean... to the pessimist: DOOM AND GLOOM, another first round quick exit. To the optimist: Danged if I know, I'm a pessimist.
The last time we played LA in the playoffs?
2003: Lost to KC,
2002 lost both games 4-0 and 1-0.
2001: Did not make,
2000: Lost to KC,
1999: Lost to LA

It's time to END the streak of losing when it counts here in Colorado! Let's get as many of our butts to the game as possible and cheer the Rapids to a big victory. (ok that's the end of my positive talk for today, I'm exhausted).

GO RAPIDS!

 

Update:


Ruiz AND Cobi Jones are listed as probable for this Friday.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=313635&cc=5901



That aint lookin good for Galaxy if their top scorer is out of action this Friday. That just means that their offense will look even MORE torrid than it has the last 6 or so games.


Rapids: 2

Galaxy: 0

 

Ruiz on the bench will be good news. Cobi, I'm not as worried about the old man. They have a lot of other weapons. It all comes down to Sampson using them correctly...3-6-1

 

You make it sound like Ruiz is from the Bahamas. Altitude, cold temperatures, ice and even snow are hardly conditions that will shock most Guatemalans.

Who cares about him, anyway. His production has plummeted this season, there's no guarantee that Sampson would start him even if he were fully healthy, and he's just biding time until he signs on with Chivas USA.

 

Do you think so? I figured he might be off to a bigger league after this season, but you're right about his numbers dropping. So maybe not.

At the same time, everyone's scoring dropped off this season.

 

I noticed that too, the Budweiser scoring champs this year (Noonan and Guevara) had 30 points. Before that, no single scoring champ had below 41 points. 30 points probably wasn't even good enough for second or third place during those years.

I'd have to blame, at least partly, World Cup Qualifying and MLS stupidly playing their games during those weekends. The best scoring talent wasn't always on the field. Injuries had something to do with it too, but the MLS needs to pull their heads out of their collective asses on this one, no games during WCQ!!!!

 

Wasn't Ruiz out for like 6 weeks from an injury? Ruiz only (according to the Galaxy website) played 20 games and only started 18.

His numbers are off this year when pro-rated over the course of a 30 game season, but I wouldn't take these numbers to think that suddenly Ruiz is not as big a threat as he has been in the past.

 

As I read through these posts I get an all too familiar sense that yall are fully aware of the danger that LA posseses and that without a home win, you're mighty Crapids are toast. Well, as a Galaxy fan I have to say you might very well be right. I for one feel that we have to come out of Denver atleast 2 up to put yall in the Crapper for good.


Let's just hope it turns out to be an exiting match for all. We shall see and may the best team win.

Go G's!

 

Yes you do.....




































And no....you won't.

 

Galaxy at Rapids
Fri Oct 22 @7:30pm
Fox Sports World

Rapids at Galaxy
Sat Oct 30 @8pm
Fox Sports World

Just FYI (I'll be at Friday's match)...

 

Maybe we should take this moment to thank LA, without whom, our playoff games would not be televised.

 

Yeah, that is nice that we'll be able to see the second playoff game.