Oh Rapids… Why do you keep doing this to me?

by Colin Peterson 

We are approaching the halfway point of the season. And my god, what a season it has been. Tremendous highs, the lowest of lows. Injuries aplenty, a rapidly changing lineup (see what I did there? Ha…). A horrendous start, and a triumphant return to form. This season, to sum it up in a phrase, really is the tale of two extremes. We’ve seen this on a game-to-game basis, on players coming and going, and the fall and rise (and possibly fall again) of the season. 

I personally have been a bad fan this season. After the miserable start we had, the fanbase was collectively on the ledge looking down a bottomless chasm. Plenty of people jumped, and others were desperately trying to cling to something to keep their hope alive. I’ll admit, that I too was on that ledge. The loss to Real Salt Lake was what broke me the most. Seeing the longest undefeated streak the Rapids have ever seen be brought to a screeching halt, to our rivals nonetheless, was a heartbreaking moment. Seeing that final scoreline show us behind at the very end, it really seemed to somehow underline the worst of what the Rapids were seeing up to that point. We were feeling the effects of the Burch/Cronin trade, but weren’t able to see the benefit that Saeid was/is bringing yet. A couple of key mistakes made us fall, not just to a team that we want to see at the bottom of the league more than anyone else, but by a team that objectively is one of the worst in the league, yet somehow still managed to humiliate us in our fortress. It was at this point where I was convinced that the Rapids had failed me. That they were going to cause us to repeat the 2015 season, for us to not see another win all season, and that everything that I held dear would be destroyed. All the hope and joy and fun that I found in soccer was crushed in a single game. But despite that, I moved past it. We had several bad, bad games after that, but then a little thing changed. From a source that I would not have expected. Pablo used a 4-4-2.

Pablo Mastroeni is, to say the least, a controversial figure this season. After a historic 2016 season, he got a 3-year renewal in his contract. Then, 2017 started by hitting us right in the balls. Repeatedly. Plenty of people saw a flaw or forty in his coaching style, and demanded either his job or his head on a stake, depending on how much they hated him. I will admit that I was not happy with his performance, but I was at a loss as to who I would have replaced him with. Then, the San Jose game occurred, and I saw something I was convinced would never have happened. Pablo took his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, and changed it into a 4-4-2. And oh, how the pigs started flying that day. Since then, we’ve seen the 4-4-2 give us more offensive power, and overall, I think it’s the formation of the future. At least, for now. We put up five goals in three back-to-back regular season home games (SKC, Columbus, and Portland), and scored three goals in the USOC game against Oklahoma City. This is a significant improvement from the dismal streak from the away game in Minnesota to the away game in Chicago, where we didn’t score a single goal in five games.

One of the big complaints that we’ve been seeing with Pablo was also his substitutions. Well, lo and behold, he started making better subs. We’ve seen good work from Gordon coming on late, with some big game-changing goals, and using all three subs. During the L.A. game, he even went for the nearly unheard of triple-sub.  I think Pablo is showing improvements, tangible ones at that. As such, if he can make one final major improvement, I believe we stick with Pablo. That major improvement?

Earn a goddamn point on the road!

Its humiliating, being the only team in the league to not have even a single point from away games. We’re a fat 0-7-0 on the road, and only barely squeaking by with a 5-3-1 home record. If we want to dig ourselves out of this hole, we’re going to need to start earning some road wins. Not just ties, wins. Things looked better in Atlanta, as we played a close game despite the crippling amount of injuries the team has had to deal with. The improvements we’ve seen from Pablo seems to have kept his contract alive, and if we can start earning road points, I think the complaints will slow. Nothing shy of literal divine intervention would stop all the complaints, but I know I would be voicing a lot fewer complaints.

The San Jose game was easily the turning point of the season. We played one of the most offensive games we’ve seen in the last several years, in a new formation, and with a new lineup. We kept up the 4-4-2, and saw Pablo become a new coach. He stepped away from his method, and started changing things up. We had growing pains against Chicago and Philadelphia, but then we returned to DSGP. SKC, Columbus, and Portland all saw defeats that no one was expecting. We played in the Open Cup, and when we saw ourselves behind by 2 goals, we were ready to give up yet again. We came back in the second half and scored three goals. Three goals! In one half! Imagine what we could do if we played more like that!

The success we’ve seen is all the more surprising when you consider the injuries the Rapids have been experiencing. Seeing Axel get taken out after the second game made our defense seem like a pale imitation of what it was earlier. But from that, we saw the rise of one of the Rapids most promising youth players, Kortne Ford. A player who embodies everything that we want to see: A local player, playing on a starter-in-MLS level, making a massive difference on the team, and with a story the Rapids fan base can rally behind. Seeing Marc and Cronin leave hurt us. A lot. But from that, we got Mohammed Saeid, who after a short adjustment period had been establishing himself as a new key player for the lineup. Of course, he got injured and is not expected to return soon, but once he is healthy, he should be back to playing in a starting role. We also got Josh Gatt, who though he hasn’t scored yet, has shown what kind of a threat he can be. These two might not have even had a chance to prove themselves if we didn’t see another player, Adjei-Boateng, get injured earlier as well. He has had very little time on the field wearing burgundy, and I’m still excited to see what he can do for us. His brief stint in the Atlanta game showed a lot of promise. 

Ours is a roster that is in constant flux with injuries. Boateng, Axel, Gashi, Serna, Saeid, Watts, and more have all been injured. If we want to be competitive, we need them healthy, and able to do what they do best: play damn good footie.

Yes, we had an abysmal start. But, we’re finally starting to get out of the rut we started with, and things are looking up. Despite some frustrating loses, I think we can get out of this bottom-of-the-league spot we seem to be superglued into. Players are being drip-fed back into the starting lineup. Pablo has changed the formation into a more offensively capable team, and has been making smart(er) substitutions in the game. We got three unexpected regular season wins, and pulled out a major comeback in the USOC. Things are going better than they were earlier, that’s for sure. Obviously, I know things will once again come crashing down eventually, and once again I will be up on the metaphorical ledge, looking once again at the 2015 season and seeing its ghost once again haunt the team, but for now, let’s enjoy the success we have had while we can.

Besides, things could always be worse. We still have a higher points-per-game than Fake Salt Lake!

Pre-Game: @ Atlanta United FC

by Brendan Wyatt

How quickly can we try to forget Wednesday’s result against LA?   It’s three days at the most.  The Rapids are in Atlanta tonight as they face off against Atlanta United FC for the first time in league history.  Although this is the first time the teams are meeting up, it won’t be the first time we see some of the guys on the opposing team.  Rapids fans know Jeff Larentowitz and Jacob Peterson very well. While they still have a lot to offer, it’s the youngsters like Miguel Almiron (8 goals 5 assists) Hector Villalba (6 goals 4 assists)and Julian Gressel (3 goals 5 assists) that are tearing up the league in their first year here.  

The Rapids are playing on a pitch they never have before and Atlanta has sold out every game so far this season, so it should be loud to say the least.  Atlanta is 4-2-0 at home which can give us a little room to hope that our burgundy boys can go in there and cause an upset.  Atlanta United FC is also the league leaders in scoring with 32 goals scored and are on a three game home winning streak.  United FC did lose their last game though so they too are looking to bounce back from a loss.

While Atlanta looks to be pretty healthy going into tonight’s match but the Rapids are still without a few key guys.  Shkelzen Gashi is still questionable.  Kevin Doyle may have broken his hand against LA. Mo Saied was carted off after the match on Wednesday and may be joining Bobby Burling and Nana Boateng on the long term injury list.  

The back four of the Rapids had a really rough Wednesday and if Coach Pablo is looking to change things up, he only really has two maybe three options.  Mekeil Williams and Eric Miller are fit and haven’t played a game in a week or so.  The third option would be Dillon Serna who played 90 in both the open cup match and on Wednesday, but still could be an option for outside back.  With Mo Saied out, Dillon Powers should return to the starting lineup.  

Atlanta has scored the first goal in a match 13 times this season, and has produced six multi-goal games.  Tonights opponents also average two goals a game and we can’t forget about Yamil Asad who is leading the league with 9 assists so far this year.  

Atlanta is an offensive threat for sure, but the defense has many holes and if the Rapids can do their thing on D, the counter attack might be a friend of the Rapids tonight.  

If you missed out on the trip to FoCo for the tour and game, don’t worry the regular spots will be available to you as well.  Remember, this is an east coast game so it will be a 5pm kickoff.  

Predicted starting XI: Howard, Hairston, Ford, Sjoberg, Miller.  Gatt, Azira, Powers, Serna, Badji, Gordon.

Patience Pays Off For Hairston’s Rapids

By Brian Jennings

Colorado continued their run of keeping fans in the seats until the final whistle Saturday night with a thrilling, at-the-wire, Gordo-time victory over Portland at home.  In this fourth straight MLS win at home, the Rapids again timed their comeback perfectly with a pretty chipped goal from Dominique Badji, and the late-game heroics of Alan Gordon to overcome an early Timber’s goal.

Defender Marlon Hairston also played a role in the win as the young fullback worked nicely in tandem with midfielder Mohammed Saeid in providing push forward and service into the Portland penalty area on the night.  “Despite their goal, we were good on the ball, we created chances of our own and that’s something we’ve been having to focus on during practice is trying to instill in ourselves to create more chances,” Hairston told The Voice of C38 exclusively postgame.  “Playing with two forwards now we should have more numbers in the box and we should be getting as much service as we can into those guys.”

Portland’s Sebastian Blanco proved a bit tough to contain in the first half as we was able to possess and attack at Colorado defenders, including his run into the box for a nice upper-corner goal in the 18^th minute.  “(Blanco), (Diego) Valeri, (Darlington) Nagbe, they created numerical overloads on both sides of the field and sometimes we were 2v1 and 3v2 and that’s what the game is about-creating those numerical overloads,” explained Hairston.  “In the first half they were able to do that a couple times.  Once those guys got tired they weren’t able to defend as much when we had the ball going forward so it created numerical overloads for us.” 

“Even though they scored the first goal we didn’t let our heads drop.  At halftime we came in and we sorted a few things out defensively,” Marlon said of the Rapids mentality coming back out down a goal.

“We still wanted to get out and attack those guys and we knew the goal was going to come.  We just had to continue to be aggressive going forward.  Second half the energy was ten times what it was in the first half.  For me seeing the opponents-it seemed like the altitude kicked in-they were a bit tired.  We’re fit here.  Once those guys started to get tired our second wind kicked in and we were able to create more chances because of it.”

It was a perfectly weighted through ball by forward Kevin Doyle that sprung Badji in the 52^nd minute giving his strike partner a great look to see the keeper off his line and deftly chip over his head for the equalizer.  After that, momentum grew for Colorado as Saeid and Hairston begun to see their openings and find teammates up front.

“Bringing Mo into the group has been a great addition for us,” Marlon admits about the consistent Saeid.  “When he’s playing on my side he always gives me an outlet to play forward.  We combine a lot and I know he always wants the ball.  As much as we can both get forward, if I’m not crossing the ball he’s crossing the ball, one of us will get service into the box.”

That they did as Hairston floated a lovely ball for Doyle later on but the Irishman’s flick-header was barely fingertip saved at the goal.  Just before stoppage time began it was Saeid who drove a cross towards the back right post where Gordon does what he has for years and headed home the game-winner in front of a frenzied crowd on the night. 

Pre-Game: Portland

by Brendan Wyatt

The Rapids are back in MLS action tonight as they take on the Portland Timbers at home.  Just in case you missed the announcement a few months back this game was originally scheduled for Father’s Day.  TV scheduling conflicts required it to be moved to today.

The other time change is that of kickoff.  It’s at 7:30 tonight, meaning we will start the tailgate a little bit later and we will be playing the tunes until about 7.  The Voice of C38 crew is also expecting a visit from Eric Miller’s Ma & Pa. If you want to know more about one of the Rapids’ rising defenders, this might be a good time to swing by.  

There may only have been a thousand of us or so who saw the backup brigade come from two goals down to beat OKC Energy on Tuesday; but those of us who saw it, saw the burgundy boys fight to the end.  The “Keep Fighting” mentality that turned cliché over the last season has been missing over the past month or so; but the boys are looking to build on the momentum from the last two come from behind wins.  They may have found the fighting spirit that was lost during the offseason. 

At home the Rapids are 6-7-3 against Portland.  Portland has giving the burgundy boys some problems in the past, both at home and away.  On the flipside, the Timbers struggle to perform on the road.  With a road record of 2-4-1 this season the Timbers offer less of a threat when they are out of the shadows of Mt Hood. 

Some injury notes as we prepare for kickoff, Bobby Burling will be out for a month or so after picking up a knock on Tuesday.  Jared Watts may not be 100% as he finished Tuesday’s match from the sidelines with a bag of ice on his knee.  We saw Gashi get carted off last week against C-Bus and is listed as questionable for today.  Nana Boateng is still out; I still give him another month or so.

Some positive news on the injury front is that Axel Sjoberg is expected to be 100% and available for selection.  Tim Howard is back from national team duty, as well as Mekeil Williams.  The likeliness of a Watts/Ford combo on the back line is worth putting money on.  You may also expect Hairston and Miller to return to the flanks.  

The question at hand is who will be on the left side in place of Gashi?  Will it be Josh Gatt?  Could we see Dom Badji or Kevin Doyle slide to the outside?  On Tuesday we saw the Rapids line up in a formation that was much like a 4-3-3.  This may be the best formation possible with the players we have available and in form.

Don’t forget its pride week; there are scarves available for this special weekend.  Tailgate starts at 4:30.  As for the guest as mentioned earlier, we expect Eric Miller’s parents to make a visit. 

Predicted starting XI: Howard, Hairston, Ford, Sjoberg, Miller.  Azira, Powers, Saied, Gatt, Doyle, Badji.

Results Follow as Gatt’s Role Increases

By Brian Jennings

Finding his place within the Rapids has taken some time for midfielder Joshua Gatt since he came across from Minnesota United FC early in 2017.  However, fans can see him settling into his role and the comfort level with teammates increasing which is not a coincidence to Colorado’s recent winning ways.

Josh said that not only has it taken time to figure out where he fits in but also for teammates to do the same as well.  “It’s just kind of fitting into the team and finding out where everybody else fits in the team.  When you’re a new guy you have to find where you fit in and how you fit in, and not only that but you have to adapt your style to how a team plays,” Josh told The Voice of C38.

Gatt admits part of that process has been to remember the things he does well and apply them with his new team where they can effectively use his skills.  “Every team plays differently, every team wants different things out of you and I think now I’m trying to figure out what they want from me, how they want me to play, and what I can do for them.”

“When I first came here I wanted to make a good impact and be part of the team and I was so focused on doing the team job that I kind of strayed away from all the things that I do personally-I like to run at guys, I like to dribble and create chances, and that’s one of my strengths.  I’m starting to get back to what got me here in the first place mixing in with what the best for the team is.”

“It’s just as much for them as it is for me being the new guy in they have to learn what type of player I am,” Josh says regarding his Colorado teammates.  “Not only are they learning what type of player I am but they’re learning to trust me as well.  When new guys come to the team you have to try and figure out if you can trust these guys playing passes because it’s normal.”

“Now with me being here these guys know, ‘if he’s running we can kick it to him’, ‘let’s feed it to him because he can beat one guy’.  We’re starting to learn how all of us play together as a group and it’s the reason we’ve been able to string wins together.”

As the Rapids continue an important run of home matches this month, and his minutes have begun to increase, Gatt knows he, along with the entire roster, will be called upon at some point and the parts have to be interchangeable in order for the Rapids to succeed. 

“We have a huge schedule of games coming up and there’s going to be a lot of minutes available.  I’m going to play, we all are, and the most important thing is getting results-getting points. As a player you want to play well personally but the most important thing is the success of the team.  However the team gains success you have to be willing to accept it.”

Portland comes to town at the weekend as a bit of a hard team to figure out as Colorado aims to continue their home form.  Central to that success will be to get on the front foot and score first as the home side to which Gatt is already lending his speed and determination to go at goal.

“If I play, the goal for me is just create,” Josh says bluntly.  “I want to do be able to create chances for the team and find opportunities to score because that’s what I’m here to do is to create chances.  I’m starting to get my rhythm more and more with that, getting more and more confident, if I get the opportunity I’m going to take it.”