I haven't started one of these in a while so... I watched most of Chivas - LA game last night and came away completely unimpressed with Chivas. The new guy, with the dreads, looked pretty good although he had one horrendous give away and didn't move forward much. Angel look worthless and Agudelo still continues to befuddle me why he gets so much attention. It's no wonder they don't score much. Considering how not so good they looked, this could be a good game. Jaime is out and at this point we don't know if Casey is in. Omar, who knows? Mullan? Smith? Personally, I'd like to see O'Neill and Armstrong get a shot.
They might as well give Pickens a shot up front. Fugit. The Dick has become a candy jar for the other team, all they need to do is reach in and grab as many points as they would like, 2-1 to the baby goats.
This feels to me a lot like a 1-0 season backbreaker where the Rapids get a lot of chances, and even put a number of them on net, but Dan Kennedy will just rob us over and over again. And on the other end, Chivas will get a goal on a corner kick off a fluky deflection that falls right to a Goat, or something along those lines. And we won't be able to blame the offense, defense, midfield or goaltending - it'll just be that Chivas will park the bus well and our current mental state will not allow us to think outside the box to get a game-tier or game-winner. And in an odd way, part of me is hoping that's what happens, so that the playoffs aren't on the horizon any longer. I want this team to relax and let go of the pressure of trying to win, trying to make the playoffs this year. I'd like to see them try out some reserves (like O'Neill and Armstrong, as DavidJames said) and try to have fun out there again, because right now, we may support the most joyless squad in the league.
I'll say 1-1 draw. We are on a historic downturn and I think that (whooping last week by the Galaxy aside) the Goats are a better team than they get credit for. Altitude and homefield advantage save us from a 16th loss, but our inability to finish our chances doom us to a tie.
I think this one comes down to the mood of the team. Chivas with their games in hand are playing for a playoff spot. The Rapids are working on pride. I wish someone on the Rapids would do something to make the team more interesting. As train wrecks go this one hasn't produced much squeal or bang. It's been more of a gentle rolling off the tracks.
Couple of interesting injury notes from guys held out of practice yesterday. Here was the Rapids tweet: Colorado Rapids @ColoradoRapids Casey (hamstring) back at training this am; Kamani (quad), Edu (foot), Marshall (calf), Larentowicz (tooth) held out. Omar with Jamaica NT. Has anyone seen Kamani being listed as sitting out for quad before? Perhaps that is part of why we haven't seen him, especially this last weekend. That is also the first time I have ever seen "tooth" listed for why someone sat out practice. That can't be pleasant if it is causing him to miss practice.
The reserves fell against Chicago (3-1) today. Starting reserves for Rapids were:ChiFireMatch @ChiFireMatch Colorado Rapids starting 11 for reserve match: Ceus, Armstrong, Otira, Wahl, Palguta, Castrillon, Thompson, O'Neill, Smith, Cascio, Akpan ChiFireMatch @ChiFireMatch FULL TIME: @ChicagoFire reserves win 3-1 at home vs.@ColoradoRapids reserves. Goals from Akpan, Paladini, Oduro, & Pineda. Wonder if that means anything for the starting line-up on Saturday. Guess Castrillon was out anyways ...
Good news - it sounds like Casey might be fit for the game - GREAT! "“The leg’s going good, just trying to work on my fitness and get sharp and get available for the weekend,” Casey told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday. “I’m hoping to be available.”" source: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...asey-hopeful-he-can-return-against-chivas-usa
2-1 win. Goals by Larentowicz and Casey. This, obviously, assumes Casey is playing. Without him its going to be significantly more difficult to get a win. I expect that the Rapids can score enough with Casey in the lineup to overcome any defensive lapses. Without him a draw may be more likely. http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2012/08/rapids-try-to-get-chivas-goat.html
At least there should be plenty to choose from in picking the goat of this match. We drew Ramon Hernandez as center ref. He worked the LA Gals match way back in April, when the Rapids still played soccer. I've always liked the way he calls matches. He doesn't pull too many cards and he doesn't like to disrupt the flow of the game with silly touch fouls. With Castrillon out and Thompson worn out from a meaningless reserve match and jet lag, the lineup could be another OP surprise. I'm approaching this match already resigned to a rebuilding season with zero playoff chances. Frankly, I'd like to see what next year's players can do. At least that would provide something positive and a reason to fight the traffic and construction to see the match rather than just "I paid for the tickets so I might as well go."
This is really the make or break game for me in terms of having any playoff chances. Anything but a win tonight and we are (for all intensive purposes) out of the playoff race. A win tonight still leaves the chances very unlikely but with a home-and-home with a woeful Portland team in a couple of weeks, 4 other home games, and another game against Chivas there's still an outside chance.
Playoffs? No thanks if they back in by some fluke. I want some incentive for the FO to redouble efforts to build the team to championship caliber. This year has been brutal enough. I sure would like to see some goals tonight! Rapids goals.
Cascio starting, Casey not, no 18 yet Pickens, freeman, Wynne, moor, Zapata, JL, Nane, Mullan, Rivero, cascio, omar Bench- Wahl, Casey, Thompson, akpan, smith, Marshall, ceus
:d op's been reading my postings were using 4231 tho balbo said its a 451.... it essintally is. finally now just get casey back in put him at st and put omar at wide right cam / right mid.
Dear Omar, I don't know why you continue to dribble, shunt and otherwise fudge around with the ball when you should be shooting it ... if it's confidence you need - you won't find it by dribbling the ball - put it on frame man!
We've earned 7 points this summer. From June 5 to August 18, we've earned 7 points. We also dropped 14 points in those games (of the 11 games we didn't win, we had the lead for some amount of time in 5 of them). If we could actually hold a ********ing lead, we'd be somehow sitting in 3rd place in the West. That's the kind of thing expansion teams do.
The only positive I take away from this game is: at least Pickens has some competition for MVP this year, now. Brian Mullan has been very quietly the best and most consistent outfield player for the Rapids this year. 2 goals and 7 assists for a 34-year old are very nice numbers, especially when you consider he doesn't take corners/free kicks for us - those are basically the kind of season stats that made Cooke a folk-legend here. And the numbers barely tell a partial story.
Mullans and Rivero had great games. I haven't seen a good replay of the goal yet, but I thought Wynne and Moor both had very good games. Actually except for Omar and Casey, who both truly sucked, the entire team played well. The Rapid have mastered the art of losing. Yes, this in my mind is a loss, a huge one.
Man we could use some strikers that can actually finish. It is amazing how many opportunities they have missed all year long. We are obviously a team that needs at least a 2 goal cushion in order to finish off our opponents. I don't think Cascio is a starter I would rather see Smith or Hill start over him. I had to watch his boring and lost looking play all first half right in front of me. I noticed Rivero having to point and tell him where to run several times just to get him to move around a little.
Any good strikers available in the draft this year? We'll probably have a high pick... unless we traded it away. It pains me to say it, but I'm ready to see Casey and Cummings move on.