By Chris Wright
We have it on fairly good authority that these are the shirts that Manchester City are going to
set about defending their Premier League title in next season the home strip being predominantly
two-tone, in sky blue (though a duller shade than previous) and black while the vintage-style away
strip is burgundy in a nod to the shirt worn by City in the 1956 FA Cup Final and sadly not the
classy maroon affair from 1989/90.
After a forgettable first half the Rapids got a lead and then blasted Chivas in the last 10 minutes
of the game. The first 45 was a bunch of wasted chances and uninspiring soccer that the Rapids were
slightly better at. After the break Colorado didn't wait long to strike. Off a corner in the 50th
minute Cascio chested the ball down around the 6 on the far post.
For the second straight game Colorado was shutout in a loss. This time it was only a 1-0 loss,
actually one of our better games in Seattle as you'll see below, but you only need to give up 1
goal if you can't score.
Honestly Seattle should have been up at least 1 within the first 15-20 minutes.
When the Colorado Rapids comes to Seattle for their 1PM Saturday match most of the national
attention will be on Brian Mullan and how the fans react to his presence. Some significant soccer
storylines are missed if you focus on that; things that are more likely to effect the result. New
Coach Oscar Pareja is shifting the team to a more dynamic 4-3-3.
This week's show is a little different than any of our past shows (well, they are all little
unique snowflakes, but you get our larger point hopefully). Instead of a soccer-centric guest, we
invited Warren Etheredge (@thewarrenreport) onto the show. You may remember Warren as the
"annoying" guy who interviewed Seattle Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer on his show "The High Bar.
Getting back home is apparently just what the Rapids needed. In the best example yet of what the
new 4-3-3 can be Colorado controlled the game and had a somewhat easy 2-0 victory. As expected
Martin Rivero got his first opportunity as a Rapid, taking Pablo's spot in midfield. Otherwise it
was the same starting group we've seen when every one's available.
Look at this game as a weather gauge. On the one hand, the Colorado Rapids are a squad that are
historically tough to beat at home. Going back to 2008, their record is 30-11-22 at Dick's Sporting
Good Park but 17-31-16 on the road. On the other hand, this is a team that is in some flux with a
new head coach, new defensive winger, new midfielder, and a new forward.
The Fire head into Colorado off the heels of a win in our home opener, carrying some momentum
into Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids, meanwhile, started MLS 2012 play with 2 wins, but got
handed a 4-1 drubbing by New York last week. The Rapids midfield tandem of Jeff Larentowicz and
Pablo Mastroeni were missing, and the Rapids paid for it.
Somehow the Rapids won a game they should have lost, easily. Outplayed most of the match and down
to 10 men for the last third of the game Colorado managed to hang on for a 2-1 win. The first half
was ugly soccer from the first whistle. Literally. Within the first minute Drew Moor tripped an
onrushing Mwanga at the top of the box and should have had a foul called and a card issued.
That is how you start a season! The boys in burgundy controlled the game and kept attacking and
were rewarded with a 2-0 win. A stat indicative of the Rapids dominance is attempts on goal, with
Colorado having 17 to Columbus' 5. The biggest negative to the match was the home side's inability
to convert those attempts to shots on target, only getting 5 accurate strikes off (compared to
Columbus' 3).
The Colorado Rapids faced the Colorado School Of Mines yesterday at the Dick in one last preseason
friendly before Saturday's season opener. Not surprisingly the side in burgundy didn't find much of
a challenge against a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference school, winning 4-0. Here's the starting
XI:
Cascio - Cummings - RiveroLarentowicz - Castrillon - MastroeniZapata - Marshall - Wynne -
KimuraPickens
Subs:
Amarikwa for Cummings at half
Mullan for Rivero at 58
Thompson for Cascio at 63
Akpan for Castrillon at 68
Palguta for Wynne at 70
Yamada for Larentowicz at 75
The only regular not to play was Moor, who I'm guessing got the day off to rest his tweaked
hamstring.
Last night (well technically early this morning) the Rapids lost 2-1 to Yokohama FC of the Japanese
2nd division. A 10 minute spell in the second half saw Colorado give up two goals and they couldn't
climb back out of the hole. The starting XI for the burgundy boys (seen above):
Cascio - Cummings - MullanLarentowicz - Castrillon - MastroeniZapata - Moor - Wynne -
KimuraPickens
With the exception of the injured Casey I think that's pretty close to our starting XI right now.
Images via Getty and Vogue.com
We did something pretty amaze yesterday, Kickettes. We were backstage for Victoria's Fall 2012
show and we lived to tell about it. Nor are we currently coming to you from the comfort of a jail
cell. So that's something.
It should come as no surprise that Victoria Beckham put out another fabulous, evolved
collection this morning.
Colorado faced Chivas USA in a scrimmage at the HDC today. A late Qunicy Amarikwa goal from a
Steven Emory assist gave the burgundy boys a 1-0 win. Of course its preseason so its meaningless
but wins are always better than losses. The starting XI (trialists makred with a *):
Angulo* - Cummings - MullanLarentowicz - Castrillon - MastroeniZapata* - Marshall - Wynne -
KimuraPickens
After subs the team finished with the the following lineup:
Cascio - Amarikwa - AkpanThompson - LaBauex - EmoryFreeman - Palguta - Guido* - AbabioJoyce
Guido is a local player playing with the team while they're in California.
If you had asked any Stevenage supporter a couple of weeks ago who Gary Smith is, the majority
would have replied 'Who?' It would have been a justified reaction because until his name began to
be linked with the vacant managerial position, Gary Smith's reputation within this country was,
well, non-existent.
The logo of Detroit City FC does not feature a cartoon soccer ball. In fact, it doesn't say or
show soccer anywhere on it: instead, in grand but subdued tones of burgundy and gold, the badge is
dominated by a classy representation of the statue below, the Spirit of Detroit in the city's
downtown:
This is the identity that Detroit City FC have pinned themselves to.
Over a week ago now, but I've just stumbled across the Bambi Awards now. Whats a Bambi award you
say? It's essentially the German BAFTAs. They recognize excellence in international media and
television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both
domestic and foreign.
Colorado Rapids fans and the front office at odds... again - Burgundy Wave
Looks like Colorado is having some trouble with which we Revolution fans are all too familiar.
UZ White has unleashed a tame-by-my-standards, scathing-by-his-much-higher-standards reprimand of
the Rapids FO and the conduct of security at last night's CCL match.
To play a full strength side or not to play a full strength side, that is the question posed to
Frank Klopas tonight. The U.S. Open Cup Semi-Final matchup with the Richmond Kickers on Tuesday,
August 30th looms large on the final decisions for tonight's Starting XI. Richmond's manager Leigh
Cowlishaw finds himself in an even deeper dilemma as his Kickers team has a USL PRO Semi-Final
tonight at 6:30 PM CST.
The Colorado Rapids come to Toyota Park tonight at 7:30 PM CST so we turned to Chris 'Uz' White
of the Burgundy Wave for some insider perspective by exchanging the traditional three questions. If
you live in Chicagoland but can't make it to the game, it's being broadcast on My50. The answer to
the first question in the exchange is below and the rest of the questions in the exchange are after
the break.
With two games in hand and tied with Columbus Crew for first place in the Eastern Conference,
the Philadelphia Union (8-4-7) will play host to the defending MLS Cup winners, Colorado Rapids
(7-6-10). Kickoff at PPL Park is scheduled for 7:36:30 PM ET.
If you have not already, be sure to check out the following previews from The Brotherly Game
staff: [Ben's Match Preview] [Friday Morning Union Freekicks] [Scott Has A Conversation With The
Enemy].
UZ, of SB Nation's Colorado Rapids blog Burgundy Wave, and I
exchanged five questions a piece ahead of today's Philadelphia Union-Rapids game at PPL
Park.
tbG: Colorado absolutely dominated the New York Red Bulls, winning 4-1 on the back of
a hat trick. That leads me to the following question: what got into Nyassi?
There's a cliché in sports that to be the best you have to beat the best. While the Colorado
Rapids are not the best, they are the MLS Cup holders. Like the Seattle Sounders they will be in
the CONCACAF Champions League, unlike the Sounders they will not be in the running for the
Supporters Shield.
Sure, the Colorado Rapids hold the MLS Cup and got to meet President Barack Obama at the White
House, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking they are a good team. They come to this match
merely average, much as they were last year. Yes, they've had some injuries that have reduced their
effectiveness, as well as having them count on Tyrone Marshall for 14 starts and Sanna Nyassi for 5
starts.
The Seattle Sounders will play their third competitive match in seven days on Saturday, meaning
there will likely be some tweaks in the starting lineup. We initially expected this would be a game
that Fredy Montero would possibly start on the bench, but came around to believe that he's just too
hot to sit.
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise (commonly known as AJ Auxerre or simply Auxerre), is a French
football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. Auxerre currently plays in the top-tier
of French soccer, Ligue 1, and finished last season in ninth position. Courtesy of its 2009/10
third place finish, Auxerre qualified for the Play-off [.
Apologies for the delay in getting this live! There was some minor technical difficulties
between myself and my SB Nation compatriot over at Burgundy Wave. Anyway, we were both able to get
our respective questions/answers to each other just in time. The match thread itself will be posted
right after this goes live.
So, aside from the usual question/answer exchange which will be coming later today courtesy of
our friends at Burgundy Wave, I've decided to create a small scouting report ahead of tomorrow's
match so that we kow a little bit about what is expected outside of the questions. Nothing too
intense, mind you, probably just a few short paragraphs to make for easily digestible reading.
During the Philadelphia Union's 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, many Union fans noticed
booing directed at Sheanon Williams, the Union's starting right back. Throughout the game a group
of Rapids fans was indiscriminately booing Williams, especially when the second year player touched
the ball.
After a very fun 6-2 clobbering of one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer, the 1st place
Philadelphia Union (6-3-2) are travelling out west to take on the defending MLS Champions, the
Colorado Rapids (4-3-6). Kickoff is scheduled for 9:06:30 ET.
If you have not already, be sure to check out the following previews from The Brotherly Game
staff: [Ben's Match Preview] [Scott's Preview for SB Nation Philly] [Saturday Afternoon Union
Freekicks] [Scott Has A Conversation With The Enemy].
UZ, of SB Nation's Colorado Rapids blog Burgundy Wave, and I chatted, ahead of today's
Philadelphia Union-Rapids game in Colorado. To read the second half of the discussion, over
on Burgundy Wave, click here.
Scott Kessler: What do you think the outcome of Omar Cumming's return from the Gold Cup
will be?
"Rapids are smelly pirate hookers"In the midst of a ridiculously crowded fixture list, with arguably the season's most important
match a mere three days away, Toronto FC faced a difficult trip to face MLS Cup holders Colorado
Rapids. Playing the boys in burgundy from The Mile High Suburb is never easy and Aron Winter had
some big squad decisions to make with visions of NutCans dancing in his head.
