Despite Conor Casey's franchise record of 16 goals in a season, an incredibly productive year for Omar Cummings (eight goals, 12 assists), and a full complement of attacking defenders who didn't send the ball into the stands every other play, the Colorado Rapids limped through the final games with insufficient ammunition when the stakes were highest. Click to continue reading...

Major League Soccer announced its Best XI on Monday, with no real surprises among the selections.

MVP finalists Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham headed the group, while MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Zach Thornton also got the nod.

Here is the MLS Best XI

GOALKEEPER- Zach Thornton

DEFENDERS- Chad Marshall, Wilman Conde, Geoff Cameron

MIDFIELDERS- Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph, Stuart Holden, Freddie Ljungberg, Dwayne DeRosario

FORWARDS- Jeff Cunningham, Conor Casey

What's our take?

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With stars like Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni, the Rapids should have done better in 2009. (Getty Images)

Consistent play was always an issue in 2008 for the Colorado Rapids, and it turned out 2009 wasn't much different. The Rapids looked like a team that could contend in early on in 2009 but the ladder part of the season tore this group apart as injuries were racked up and the offensive production that was one of the best in the league at times turned into a pumpkin.

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...Jason, Jeff and I get seasonal on the new episode of the Popdose Podcast, talking about our childhood fears, which, as it turns out, aren't nearly as disturbing as some of the things we're capable of saying as adults. Admittedly, this one was entirely my fault.

I also put another installment of Infinite Play up this week, this time about Let It Loose by The Rolling Stones.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

 Choosing the best players in MLS is never an easy task, but choosing the 2009 MLS Best XI is extremely tough when you consider the plethora of candidates at the forward position. Click to continue reading...

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

 Choosing the best players in MLS is never an easy task, but choosing the 2009 MLS Best XI is extremely tough when you consider the plethora of candidates at the forward position. Click to continue reading...

The only good thing about the weekend shakeout is that the Rapids still hold their playoff destiny in their hands. The problem is, they have been doing that for many weeks now and they still need a win in their final game on the road against arch rivals Salt Lake to achieve it. Gary Smith said a few weeks ago, from memory after the home tie against San Jose, that God forbid it would come down to another end of season climax with Salt Lake. Click to continue reading...

Even if Real Salt Lake win in Toronto (unlikely, but you never know), the Colorado Rapids can still clinch a playoff position tonight with a win in Dallas if New England fail to win their game. The beauty is that Gary Smith will know the results of both the Salt Lake and New England games before the kickoff tonight against FC Dallas. Click to continue reading...

It may have been a quiet week for the Rapids but all the noise from the other MLS games has left their task very clear. A win in Dallas and they could be in the playoffs. Such a scenario will take place for sure if the Rapids win in Texas and Real Salt Lake fail to beat New York tomorrow night, something they haven't done in the past 10 games against the Red Bulls apparently. Click to continue reading...

OK, quartered is an overstatement, but we didn't do our chances much good with only 1 point in our final home game. The Rapids once again went down early only to get bailed out by a PK to get a 1-1 draw.
The first half was pretty quiet. The first of two notable events happened very early as Ballouchy was lining up for a free kick. Click to continue reading...

New England goalkeeper Matt Reis starts to lean to his right as Rapids striker Conor Casey takes aim for the other side of the net in the 58th minute on Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. (photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

On Sept. 18, Rapids striker Conor Casey scored a second-half goal on a penalty kick at San Jose.

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It has recently come to my attention that a few people are having trouble viewing ESPN videos here. A quick show of hands in the comments would be appreciated in the comments if you can't see Allen Hopkins stumping on the Coach of the Year, Omar "Jamrock" Cummings and the oh-so-tight fight for the post-season. Click to continue reading...

Kevin Hartman is once again up for MLS Save of the Week for his outstanding diving stop of an Omar Cummings blast from the top of the penalty area. Right now Dario Sala of FCD is running away with the voting...make your votes count.
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Once again, Wizards goalkeeper, Kevin Hartman is up for the Save of the Week this week. This week the save is Hartman's first half stop on Omar Cummings, after Cummings had cut inside on Jimmy Conrad and Michael Harrington. Check out the save here, and vote here. Click to continue reading...

Colorado finished its stretch of 3 games in 8 days with a quiet draw in Kansas City. Honestly there isn't much to say about this game. The Rapids were obviously hoping to steal 3 points by scoring on a counter-attack and sneaking out of town with a 1-0 win, but otherwise were happy with a scoreless draw. Click to continue reading...

The Wizards playoff hopes were slim coming into last night's game against Colorado, and with the 0-0 draw and the way other results went around the league, slim is packing their bags right now. KC was the more dominate team throughout the game, and looked the more likely to get the goal throughout the game, but could not find the net. Click to continue reading...

A short turnaround from Wednesday's night disappointment to our next game tomorrow night, a short road trip to Kansas City. The Rapids will have a depleted lineup after learning today that Jacob Peterson tore his ACL in Wednesday night's game. Game time is at 6:30pm and the game will be televised on Altitude. Click to continue reading...

Quotes from last night's 1-1 tie with San Jose Earthquakes:
Pablo Mastroeni:
"It would have been nice to get three points, obviously. We can't sit and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to show up and be the team we are capable of."
Conor Casey:
"It was a good point given the circumstances but it was a terrible game from us. Click to continue reading...

Colorado's Jacob Peterson goes flying after colliding with Andre Luiz in the first half Wednesday. (photo by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

You've got to be kidding. For the second time in less than a week, Conor Casey scored on a penalty kick deep into extra time as the Colorado Rapids tied the San Jose Earthquakes 1-1.

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After the draw last Friday against San Jose the Rapids get right back at it tomorrow night...against San Jose. The Earthquakes are in town for the second half of the home-and-home series. This is the 'game in hand' the Rapids have been holding for most of the season, so a win here would be huge, while a loss would leave us in right in the middle of the playoff battle we've been trying to avoid. Click to continue reading...

Well, that was pretty scrappy and crappy. But the Rapids escaped with a point. Conor Casey continued his amazing run of goalscoring with a penalty kick in almost the fifth minute of injury time to get the equalizer after San Jose had scored one of the softer goals the Rapids have conceded this season in the 8th minute. Click to continue reading...

The Colorado Rapids traveled to California yesterday to prepare for tonight's game against San Jose before, bizarrely, playing the same team again next Wednesday at DSG Park. What an important game tonight's game is. After losing at Toronto to record their fourth straight away defeat, the Rapids know that a point tonight against a struggling team will be the least they can come away with before, hopefully, picking up three points at home next week. Click to continue reading...

An undermanned Rapids squad traveled North of the border for the back end of the home-and-home series with Toronto. The Rapids were hurt by a ton of injuries, suspensions, and players unable to travel, taking only the minimum 18 players with them to Canada. The changes in the team showed as Toronto dominated much of the play. Click to continue reading...

Well, they tried. A banged up Colorado Rapids gave it all they got against a Dwayne De Rosario-inspired Toronto and almost came up with the goods in Canada. Instead, they return home defeated for a few days to regroup before a vital home and away series against San Jose.
Conor Casey, with his 13th goal of the season, equalized early in the second half after some rubbish defending from Toronto made Kosuke Kimura's floating cross much more dangerous than it should have been and Mike Holody, in only his second MLS game, notched a crucial goal very late on to give the Rapids some hope but it wasn't to be. Click to continue reading...

Players can be a little forgetful of the details and the Colorado Rapids are no different. On a whiteboard in the locker room, they are this week being urged not to forget their passports as they travel to Canada. More tellingly, there is also a note on that same board that reads "If you are healthy and not suspended, you are traveling. Click to continue reading...

The wounded Rapids, missing 4 starters, got a boost by the unexpected availability of Conor Casey last night. They took advantage of his league-leading 12th goal to get a 1-0 win over the visitors from Canada (eh!) and move up the ladder in their pursuit of a playoff spot.
The first half was made up of a good deal of bad soccer, but mainly controlled by the Rapids. Click to continue reading...

The Colorado Rapids played their prettiest soccer in the 2-2 home draw against Seattle earlier this season. They have played their most professional soccer in the last two home victories which included a tight 1-0 win over Toronto last night.
Sometimes, it's about digging deep and finding ways to win. Click to continue reading...

Colorado Rapids striker Omar Cummings puts a bicycle kick on goal in the second half of the team's 1-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday. (photos by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

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Colorado striker Conor Casey wasn't supposed to be at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night.

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Big game today but then, at this stage of the season, they all are. The Colorado Rapids enter a home and away series against Toronto tonight in Commerce City. That will be followed by a home and away series with San Jose. Very bizarre. Gary Smith is not all that happy about the way the fixtures have been arranged but he can't do anything about it and his prime concern is getting a decent eleven on the field for tonight. Click to continue reading...

Today it has been confirmed that youngster Shaun Cummings has left Chelsea and has signed a permanent deal with Reading. Cummings will link up once more with Brendan Rogers who was recently appointed as the new Royals manager after his stint at Watford. Shaun was one of the unlucky ones who never made it into contention for the first team during his time at Chelsea since the age of 12. Click to continue reading...

Today it has been confirmed that youngster Shaun Cummings has left Chelsea and has signed a permanent deal with Reading. Cummings will link up once more with Brendan Rogers who was recently appointed as the new Royals manager after his stint at Watford. Shaun was one of the unlucky ones who never made it into contention for the first team during his time at Chelsea since the age of 12. Click to continue reading...

We've had a full day of interesting news with the UEFA Champions League draw, the US Men's National team roster announcement that took four hours to do, and random news here and there. Time now to close down the day with some links and thoughts on what's going on.

I wanted to get into some MVP race discussion.

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Below are the tables for the statistics updates. Notable as well is that I did the player ratings for Prost Amerika. Top five in Productivity for the league are; Cunningham 1.65 Casey 1.58 Montero 1.51 Scheletto 1.48 Donovan 1.43 Omar Cummings is making a run as well with his big assist numbers. Offensive Productivity A look at Goals, Assists, Minutes Played and Productivity [. Click to continue reading...

Week 23 in Major League Soccer proved to be a big one for some clubs. New York finally got off the losing end of things, New England won two straight to move into playoff contention, San Jose finally turned the tide late in the games, and LA got four quality road points in the week.

Yes, week 23 changed a decent bit of things in the rankings.

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Two weeks ago the Rapids went up 2 in the first 5 minutes and never let Chivas back into the game. This week we went up two between the 48th and 58th minute, then collapsed and let Chicago win the game.
The first half was completely forgettable by both teams (o cards, 0 corners, 0 subs, 0 shots on goal) so we'll jump straight to the second half. Click to continue reading...