Rapids Class VI

Fado's Fibs!

On the down side, Fado's gave me exactly 0% discount last night.

Furthermore, the show promised Dino Costa, but he was at home with a sour attitude and didn't make it into the pub-studio.

Okay, bad news out of the way.

Now for the good news!

Despite the 3 strikes rule* there was a decent crowd and we all had a great time jaw-jawing and heckling Marcelo and guests as we enjoyed some snacks and a few quality beers at the same time. Conversation was lively.

My favorite scene was watching a fan hand some guy her camera so he could get a picture of her with Jacob Peterson. The guy who took the picture? Zach Thornton.

If you ever want a great inside scoop on the world of Rapids soccer... From the Pitch with Marcelo Balboa is the way to go. Fantastic, lots of fun. Player rumors, league merchandising inside info, who's in love with who... it's all here!

Oh, and the other good news? Dino Costa wasn't there ;-)

*3 strikes rule: Don't plan an on-site radio show when the Rockies are playing, it's a Tuesday evening after a looong holiday weekend, and it's pissing down outside. 3 strikes. Yerrrr OUT!

Warning: Rapids Radio Happy Hour!

Rapids Viewing Announcement

Warning! The Rapids won't play at home again for almost an entire month. To avoid running into live game viewing and tailgate withdrawal, please show up and join fellow Class VI members ...

TONIGHT!!!! 6pm - 8pm at Fado's. We'll be there to shout and cheer and carry on and rib Marcelo and Dino and have a beer and perhaps an appetizer and enjoy talking about another win for the Rapids.

Fado's in downtown Denver, next to the baseball park.

Wear any sort of Rapids gear and get 10% off your tab!

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official radio announcement from Marcelo's From The Pitch
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"From The Pitch" with Marcelo Balboa & Dino Costa

This week's show is coming to you live from FADO Irish pub in lower downtown Denver.

Come join us!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
6-8PM
Or listen on AM1060.

Tuesday night's guests include:
~ Zach Thornton - Colorado Rapids Goalkeeper

~ Jacob Peterson - Colorado Rapids Forward

~ Chilistrider - From the supporters group C-Firm

The BilFish will also be on hand to heckle the guests. :-)

Tailgate Extravaganza!

Every home game brings a wealth of entertainment at the Class VI tailgate bonanza.

Please join us today at 4:30pm for the festivities, which will be rocking as usual in Lot AA. Get ready to toast our upcoming success as we finally win an MLS game at The Dick in May!

Past guests have included the owners of the KC Wizards as well as our own Marcelo Balboa!

See you there,
bring a dish to share,
the beer will be fair,
new friends hangin' with care!

NOTE: see the May 25th entry below for special driving information since it is expected to be very busy this afternoon!

Dicktator Plush fesses up

Plush isn't smiling. He knows something.

For the first time, Dicktator Plush indicates that the Rapids marketing team is, indeed, fallible.

Reading between the lines shows things have gone poorly, much worse than anticipated.

On the plus side, it's nice to see Plush attempt to be honest about this in his understated executive speak.

Rocky interview with Dicktator Plush.

Ask the Expert: Grand Poobah goes Brit!

Not (yet) true, just stirring the pot a bit

Mark's first major radio interview has gone to his head! Now he's become the Grand Poobah on all things Rapids' related.

Just you check out the Vital Football in the UK interviews our own Grand Poobah! He discusses Kroenke's Arsenal F.C.U.K. bid and The Dick amongst other tidbits.

BTW -- It's actually a good interview. Heh. I mean, who knew he knew anythin'?

The Grand Poobah doesn't know how to spell anyone's name, of course, but skipping that bit, it's quite a nice look at our apparently sad, losing, goal-less club that's about to buy a similarly-clad club in England. :-)

Sweet Yesterday

US Open Cup Match Police request: Did anyone get the license number of the bus that ran over the FSL starting line-up last night?

Read the dry report about a very wet game.

Rapids win 2-1, with the referee letting stoppage time continue for a while, hoping to spare us all from another 1/2 hour of cool, refreshing rains. It worked.

FSL goes home unhappy. The worst part for them? Salt Lake fielded their actual starting 11 lineup, including Chris Klein, Freddy Much Adu About Nothing, and Eddie Pope.

The Rapids? Essentially a complete reserve team lineup headed by Snack Thornton and excepting Ugo who's working his way back to full-game fitness.

Ouch. Our B team can beat up your A team. (not "the" A-Team, of course, they're too tough, duh-duh-duhduh, duh, duh, duhhhhh).

On the plus side for our Rocky Mountain brethren, now FSL fans can focus on losing the MLS season without the distraction of looking forward to losing any more US Open Cup matches.

A few notes... The referee's programming went a bit crazy around the 40th minute when he started handing out yellow cards to Rapids players at a One Card Per Minute clip. Someone finally slapped him upside the head and reset his hardware chip.

Overall... I felt like much of the game was spent with the Rapids B team not working very hard to prove they should be included in our starting XI.

However, they did okay against FSL's starting lineup, and pushed the attack better than Salt Lake's finest (now missing Cunningham).

The second half was a better showing by our guys, although apparently there was some locker-room truth or dare going on. Several Rapids got a one-on-one opportunities against FSL's Chris Oh Seitz! and chose to pass on scoring.

Gargan? fantastic moves into the box, about 10 yards from goal with nobody around. He passed backwards to a Salt Lake defender.

Colaluca? Lots of fancy footwork, no finishing in the box.

Omar Cummings? Great control, looked good and strong during his 25 minutes on the pitch. Had a one-on-one, totally whiffed it from 8 yards out.

Conor Casey? Ditto. I mean, he shot, but went 5+ yards wide.

Now... and here is where we separate the men from the boys... Jacob Peterson had two good looks on goal. He scored them both. That's the steady influence of a youngster who's gotten some good first-team minutes in the past.

BTW - Casey had a relatively slow-moving game, picking things up in the 2nd half, and starting to launch some killer forward passes through multiple defenders to teammates running onto the ball. Passes to Cummings and Clark were mishandled, but the final pass through to lead Peterson was sheer weighted perfected and created a beautiful spectacle of a final goal to end the game.

One note... the game was almost tied up by Snack Thornton's idiocy. With 5 seconds left (basically, the Ref was letting one play happen after Peterson's goal) Zach bobbles the ball, scuffs a kick and sends it 10 yards to an FSL player who shoots and scores.

Luckily, Zach's antics (and the driving rain) convinced the referee that someone fouled him. So... the goal didn't count, Zach took the kick and the game ended.

Phew! Next up is a US Open Cup game for us on July 10 against somebody. It will be played somewhere.

BTW -- All of us here would like to express our laughter, I mean appreciation, for the after-game scoreboard showing of Kieran Cain's birthday (his 40th!) highlighting pictures of him as a baby.

Busy Weekend Game

Beckham sells out this weekend's game

Apparently, nobody realizes that Beckham is still trying to secure his place in Spanish history and will not be within 6,000 miles of The Dick on Saturday. But his karma is still over our matchup with LA.

Yep, the Rapids are expected to announce a sell-out of our upcoming match against LA this weekend (even if Marcus has to buy all the tickets and pawn his Kia Sedona to do so).

The Rapids have also, in their infinite wisdom, schedule a massive youth soccer tournament expected to draw thousands of soccer kids and families to The Dick all day. So parking and arrival/exit could be a problem.

Our Man on the Street, Marcus, suggests the following:

Fans are encouraged to take the following routes to The Dick to best avoid delays:

-From I-70:
Exit onto Vasquez Blvd. and go north to 60th Ave.; turn right and proceed to the stadium.
OR: exit onto Colorado Blvd. and go north to 64th Ave.; turn right and proceed to the stadium. (Note: 64th is labeled as "Prairie" as you turn into the stadium drive)

-Fans entering The Dick from 60th Ave will park in Lots H & G.

-Fans entering The Dick from 64th Ave will park Lots A & AA. (FYI -- AA is where Class VI tailgates)

-To avoid traffic delays please avoid taking Quebec Ave to 56th Ave. to enter or exit The Dick.

Remember: It's an early start time, 6:30pm Tailgating will begin around 4:30pm on the edge of Lot AA.

US Open Cup starts tonight!

I know, I know. It's a Wednesday, and it might be cold.

But on the good side, we have a Fake Salt Lake team in complete disarray coming to visit, adding to their hectic travel schedule. They lost in Dallas on Sunday, visit The Dick this evening, and go to Chicago on Sunday.

Bummer for them.

The best news for us, of course, is that the logjam caused by Kirovski's dead body at midfield will be unstuck and Cancela is expected to start. The logjam at forward (caused, oddly enough, by having a lot of forwards on the roster) will be cleared out so Conor Casey can finally get on the field for real minutes. Good stuff!

Oh, back to FSL: If you haven't heard, FSL's Cunningham was traded to Toronto FC yesterday, in exchange for Eskandarian, a 1st-round draft pick in 2008, and cash.

I'm starting to believe the rumors that Cunningham isn't a happy influence in the locker room. But I know Fernando reads the Class VI website daily to find out the latest news... and I have to say the Cunni for Mathis trade still sucks.

Why? Because the Rapids ended up getting Mathis, and then trading him for 2 six-packs of beer. Cunni for two six-packs? Not a good deal. FSL? They traded Cunni and got a nice striker as well as a first-round draft pick next year.

However, Bob Bradley's idiot move recently to give up a Designated Player spot for Amado Guevara gets top billing in my mind. FC is off the hook, I guess.

Sorry, I digressed a bit there. Gametime: 7:00pm. Tailgate starts at 5:00pm, but beer is BYO and food is random potluck, please bring something. Tickets $10 at the game, $7 if you are a season ticket holder and email Marcus asap today.

From The Pitch / US Open Cup

If you haven't already heard, the Rapids are playing at home tomorrow night (Wednesday May 23rd) against Real Salt Lake in a qualifier for the US Open Cup. The USOC is the 2nd oldest tournament in the world after England's FA Cup. Come out and cheer on the Rapids against those real sore losers. Tickets for the game are all general admission and only $10. For Class VI tailgaiting we will not have a keg or the usual lineup of food. Please plan accordingly.

If you didn't catch tonight's From The Pitch radio show, you can listen to it. The MLS will post a link for it on their podcast page. And next week, May 29th, they will be again broadcasting live from Fado Irish Pub in LoDo at 6pm. While the lineup hasn't been announced yet there is a good chance that Fernando Clavijo will be there again along with a Rapids player. Show up and ask Fernando those tough questions you've always wanted to ask him.

Another lamentable tie

It's not so much that I'm against ties in soccer. I'm against ties in general. They don't fit well, I've got a big neck, and I never learned to, well, tie them.

But it's not even that. Mostly? I can't stand the kind of mediocre play that can go along with any scoreline in soccer.

In our case, we tied KC but looked like we were playing to lose. It was lamentable that so many fans came out to watch the Rapids on a beautimous Saturday night, and only a few Rapids players could go the full 90.

New England beating Houston is another great example. Houston rocked the house and embarrassed the Revs. The Revs won the game.

An anti-example was Toronto losing to DC. It appeared that both teams were *gasp!* trying to win the game.

Before the game I saw Vanney practicing during the tailgate on the field behind us and thought, crap, there goes our entire back line except Petke!

On the plus side for the weekend, the Rapids Supporters' Groups showed the KC supporters what it's like to play in a high-altitude environment at The Dick Saturday. We smacked 'em low, we smacked 'em high, then we left them all to cry. Finally scoreline 8-3. With all votes counted (don't wory, the Supreme Court ensured the validity of the ballot), I'm declaring myself MVP.

Too bad our senior team couldn't put the same lung-bursting pressure on KC in the second half, especially with the loss of Jimmy Conrad in the back for the Wizards.

BTW -- thanks to the great Wizard fans and ownership group that visited our little tailgate. Nice to meet you all. Great vocals and standing over in section CC (crapola corner).

I'm beginning to suspect that Fernando Clavijo is a kinda nice guy. Unfortunately, we all recall where nice guys finish.

Then there was the "attractive" game the Rapids played. Did Fernando actually say "attractive" in regards to that game? Really? Really, Really?

Damn. Then he apparently said: "We created chances..."?!?!?

Double damn. If he thinks that's good soccer... ouch.

Me? I want to finish the regular season at least in 4th place (assuming single table), no more scraping into the playoffs. Remember, there are several benefits for teams finishing in the top four places!

As for no TV... Bloody HDNet exclusive. Dorks. Who does the commentary for HDNet anyway? ;-)

Great attendance I felt, just where I'd like it to be. Happy, but not so full they think about raising ticket prices. Cheap seats behind the goal were full, if not rockin'. The KC fans were standing, loud, and fun to watch. I had guessed 14,500 for announced attendance, it came in at 14,577. They must have been getting drinks when I counted ;-)

Dallas cheats

Oh, sure, FC Steer may have overtaken us in the standings, but only by playing more games than us!

Cheaters never prosper. We'll be proving that tonight against KC at 7pm. We'll be proving our tailgate prowess at 5pm in Lot AA.

NOTE: This game is NOT televised (really). Only on HDNet$$$ for rich people.

But back to those damn cheaters. Not only do they never prosper, they also suck at winning MLS Reserve Division games!

Check out the MLS Reserve Division official home page.

FC Steer is officially in last place -- which means 13th place as the Reserve division has already moved to a single table.

Who's in first you ask?

We're #1! We're #1!

Ahem. We are number one. (Please don't make me pull out the foam finger again)

Now, let's help our starters make it two for #1 tonight!

Supporter Soccer Scrimmage Saturday!

Time to go dust off those cleats from high school! (right now, because the game is in just a few hours!)

It's officially Supporter Soccer Scrimmage Saturday: Us Rapids supporters are fielding a team against KC supporters' group the Cauldron today at The Dick.

Details....

When is it? 1pm-3pm today, before tonight's game against KC.
Who can play? You can! Even if you can't. Get out here, have some fun! Purely recreational usage.
Where is it? The Dick! Field 10. Check the stadium maps page and click on the top left map to see where Field 10 is. (hint: it's directly southeast of the stadium).
Why? Because, we need to show the visiting fans how we DO IT AT THE DICK... and at a mile high in altitude. It'll be fun.

Join us! Yes, you!!!!

Bring: cleats, shin guards, water, burguny (or at least dark) playing shirt, and a good attitude. Perhaps some liquor if you can't bring the 'tude and just want to watch. Or we have loads of folks and we decide it's drink o' clock!

All Star Game News

MLS gave me a call this afternoon. They talked to Tory at the C-Firm as well.

They are trying to put together a Supporters Cup Tournament for the All Star Game between groups of different supporters including those supporting Celtic.

More interestingly was the fuzzy plans they are working on. They mentioned having events at Skyline Park off the 16th Street Mall with Players, the tournament, and even a Beer Garden!!!

This is great news. Having Visibility on the Mall is a smart decision. Hopefully it'll all pan out. It's going to be GREAT having the All-Star game (which is nearly sold out I was told) in Denver!

If you're interested in being involved in this tournament - please let me know.

Phoning Phernando

R U a fan?

Do U care about our boyz?

Do U R E A L L Y?

Then be there, tomorrow night, and watch the Rapids whack the "Wizard," a.k.a. Da Boss of KC. We hear Jimmy da Conrad's not man enough to go jaw to jaw with our boyz.

If you're worried it's going to get gruesome, try the Meeting beforehand. Tailgate. 5pm. You know da place. Bring something to "share" with the family.

From The Pitch with the Grand Poobah

We just wanted to give you a visual to go with your freshly downloaded podcast of our very own Grand Poobah making his first major radio appearance on From The Pitch with Marcelo Balboa and Dino Costa.

Spend a couple of hours with the Grand Poobah!

By the way... Mark comes on 1hour: 31min into the program.

Here's the MLSnet.com podcast page, it's currently the first link on this page.

Here's the direct mp3 link.

Class VI MOTM Week 6: Bouna Time!

Week 6 Class VI Man of the Match:
Bouna keeps our Rocky Mountain Cup homes alive

Congratulations, Bouna, for showin' us all a good time: Bouna Time!

Each week (well, each game) we will have a link up on the MOTM page on this site for you to vote on. The link takes you to the CVI discussion boards. At the end of the year, winners will become finalists for Class VI Player of the Year.

Anyhooo.... It appears that voting is now open for MOTM.

So, hop on board, get a login if you haven't done so yet, and get rolling!

Need a login for CVI boards? Go to the boards. Get a login. Then email Mark with your new login and ask to be added to our little secret society.

Saturday - Come Play before you watch!

We don't have all the information finalized...

But us fans will be playing a pickup soccer game this Saturday on the new fields at The Dick. That is correct, we have the green light from the Rapids front office to come out and play on their fields. The pickup game will be against KC's visiting supporters The Cauldron from 1pm-3pm. Please email me (prk166@gmail.com) for more information.

If you didn't catch the From The Pitch radio show (5/15/07) program last night, you can listen to the podcast. The link is on the MLS' podcast page.

Mark & Clavijo sitting in a tree...

Clavijo settles down the Grand Poobah before his first major Class VI radio interview!

Huh. I never remember how the rest of that nursery rhyme goes...

But enough about Mark, let's talk about us! About 20 rabid Class VI supporters showed up at Fado's in downtown Denver for the debut of Marcelo Balboa's radio show "From the Pitch" going on location!

We had a great time and will soon have an announcement for Class VI fans about an upcoming opportunity to heckle Dino & 'Celo and their guests in a couple of weeks.

If you didn't have a chance to listen to Mark's Grand Poobah impression live on the air, we are working on getting versions to post online on the website for your casual perusal. Be sure to tell Mark what you thought of his performance ;-)

I did.

I'd also like to thank Clavijo for being a good sport and answering the barrage of questions that jerk of a persistent fan BilFish kept throwing his way. He barely had time for a white wine spritzer!

Marcelo was also a great host and provided some fantastic soccer insight for us professional fans.

We're #1! We're #1!

We knew it on a cerebral level, but it didn't really sink in until just now. For the second time in a week, the Rapids have pulled ahead to become the sole leader of the Western Conference!

Good job, lads. We'll be drinking to our good fortune all week. Let's not blow it against KC Saturday. I mean, seriously, with Conrad taken out by that F*%$wit in Columbus, we should be good to score 3, 4 or more! Right?

Class VI MOTM Week 6???

We've got a possible double on deck for Bouna Coundoul!

Yerp... two games in Week 6 mean two winner will be announced in the next few days. Make sure to get your votes in now!

In other news, remember to watch our Grand Poobah Mark down at Fado's tonight beginning at 5:30pm. Be ready to heckle... I mean help him out as he is a featured guest on tonight's Rapids radio show hosted by Marcelo Balboa.

If you can't see him live, make sure to tune in online or on a "r a d i o" whatever that is.

Mother's Day time out

I tend to DVR MLS games and watch them as I have time. With Mother's Day, I couldn't get around to the Rapids game until yesterday afternoon, so I haven't been online or anywhere else I might accidentally see scores and ruin my pre-game optimism.

So.... A loss in New York would have, well, been expected given the Rapids track record. But we did it, even without 1/2 of our back line.

Police Alert!!! Kirovski and Cooke have gone AWOL. We should note that both men have been reported to MLS HQ as "whereabouts unknown" and search parties have been sent out to find them.

I question whether Cooke's absence is due to a lack of a right back that can be of assistance in the offense. Dunno. But even when he had the ball, Cookie did absolutely nothing with it.

Of course... not a single Rapids player took anyone on one-on-one. I thought that whole scene was like, you know, so last year?!?

Bouna Time!
No, it's not a new illness, nor a catch phrase used by Jolt Cola. It is truly, finally time to share the love with the crazy young freak who saved the game from three or four shoulda-woulda-coulda definitely been shots that didn't go in! And Gargan got the fifth one!

Did I just use Gargan in a positive way? Yup, and I'll do it again if he will.

Roberto Brown continues to confuse me. I hope he goes the right way and tries playing like a forward. You know, a guy who shoots more than once per game. Brown has 3 shots on goal so far in 7 games. It may be that we ditch Kirovski, who is fooking useless, assume Brown will play back and hold the ball and build attacks, and then add an actual forward.

Wish we had one or two or three of *those* kinda players sitting on the bench. Too bad.

Hernandez was decent, tracking back a lot, which unfortunately seemed necessary.

As a detractor of the Vanney trade, I'm eating my words, especially given how shallow our defense is. We've been very, very fortunate. And that includes the loss against Houston.

Bouna hasn't had a chance to royally screw us on a game yet, but he will. Then our defense will look that much worse. Mind you, no real fault of Bouna's, he's simply an inexperienced and 25-year old goalkeeper, it's to be expected.

And Gargan was not an embarrassment, so he's gone from the elephant crapping in the room to the zookeeper cleaning that crap up. Definitely a huge improvement. Not All-Star, but apparently on the Rapids you barely need a pulse to play defense as long as we can simply slap Pablo back there.

Even then, Pablo had a hard time given the lack of help from midfield .

Thanks also go to the Revs for slapping down the Galaxy this weekend. Go Twellman! Honorable mention to the Crew, and KC can get stuffed.

Overall, I just can't get past the fact that our Rapids guys can't seem to connect a pass to their teammates. It seems like an indicator of lack of quality and professionalism on our team, which I think shows an underlying weakness.

Oh, and Beckerman looked Hot. There, I said it.

Class VI / From The Pitch Radio Show

For those of you who don't know Colorado has a radio talk show dedicated to soccer. That is right, just soccer. The show is called From The Pitch and is hosted by Dino Costa and Marcelo Balboa. It's on tuesday nights from 6pm-8pm (more information below). Tomorrow night, May 15th, they will have a few guests including Class VI's founder Mark Bodmer. If you enjoy hearing about the game, please tune in. Even better, call in and ask some questions. And don't forget to let their sponsors (Soccer Stop, et al.) know that you listen to the show and appreciate their supporting it. If you work downtown, stop in at Fado's and heckle... I mean, witness it live.

Good luck Mark!

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"From The Pitch" with Marcelo Balboa & Dino Costa
Presented by Soccer Stop & Adidas,

This week's show is coming to you live from FADO'S Irish pub in lower downtown Denver.
Come join us!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
6-8PM
AM1060

Tuesday night's guests include:
~ Fernando Clavijo Head coach of the Colorado Rapids
~Ugo Ihemelu Colorado Rapids player
~ Mark Bodmer Founder of Class VI Supporter Group

*One lucky caller this week will win a pair of Adidas Predators from Soccer Stop & Adidas

The program will be able to be streamed on: www.mlsnet.com
AM-1060 in Denver
AM-1580 in Colorado Springs
AM-610 in Vail
AM-1450 in Buena Vista

* World wide Internet stream at: http://www.warpradio.com/stream.asp?id=1394

I learned some New Soccer Moves!

That's Bill singing in case you were curious :-D

Roadtrips!

The first roadtrip I wanna talk about happens tomorrow!!!

Boogie on down to the British Bulldog tomorrow afternoon for a 1pm kickoff to watch the Rapids take on the Red Cows of New York! RBNY (is that like FCUK?) is the only unbeaten team in MLS right now, and share the podium with the Rapids as leader of their respective division.

Be sure to hit the Bulldog early to ensure you get a seat, and bring your appetites and your moms!

What: Rapids at NYRB
When: Sunday May 13 at 1pm LIVE at the Bulldog
Where: The British Bulldog (corner of Broadway and Stout downtown)

Parking is available for free in the lot directly behind the Bulldog. If you are a new fan and haven't been to a viewing party we just have to tell you they are the BEST TIMES EVER!

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The other roadtrip happens for our September 22nd away game against FSL! Yes, it's time to talk about going out to Utah for another adventure in soccer madness.

Check our Road Trip webpage for updates in the near future, and you can peek at the cancelled April game details to get a sense for what a weekend trip itinerary and costs might look like.

From the flyer we handed out at yesterday's tailgate:

Show Your Passion!!!!
Join fellow Rapids' Supporters in making the trip to the dark side of the Rockies, as our team tries to clinch the Rocky Mountain Cup against Fake Salt Lake in game three of the 2007 competition.

Show the boys our love in the midst of our rival's fan. Travel with the RMC trophy and hoist it in Victory with the players in front of our team's enemy!

Our past trips to Salt Lake City have been immensely enjoyable and our new friendships cemented even more. It is an absolute blast - once you go, you'll never want to miss this trip again!

Join Pablo & Kyle in all the fun.

Pablo says: "The reaction that comes out at the end was one of just pure joy. We got a great result and we didt it in a place where the (Fake) guys are more worried about us taunting their fans than they actually are playing the game."

Kyle says: We like to send them home unhappy. They run their mouths off the whole game. If their team is mad when we celebrate, tell them to win the game."

To sign up for trip updates (it's free, and there's no commitment!), simply send an email to RoadTrips@RapidsclassVI.com.

Hope you'll consider joining us all!

Class VI MOTM week 5: Pablo Mastroeni

Week 4 Class VI Man of the Match:
Pablo shows strength against Fake Salt Lake

In the first back-to-back win in Class VI man of the match history, Pablo takes home honors in the oh-so-fabulous letdown against Houston.

Congratulations, Pablo, for showing that you'll go the extra mile and put your neck on the line (literally) for the team.

Each week (well, each game) we will have a link up on the MOTM page on this site for you to vote on. The link takes you to the CVI discussion boards. At the end of the year, winners will become finalists for Class VI Player of the Year.

Anyhooo.... It appears that voting is now open for MOTM Week 6 against Fake Salt Lake.

So, hop on board, get a login if you haven't done so yet, and get rolling!

Need a login for CVI boards? Go to the boards. Get a login. Then email Mark with your new login and ask to be added to our little secret society.

It's Rocky Mountain Cup Smackdown Time again!

Oh, yes, every Colorado Fan's favorite game of the season is upon us, a chance to watch as the players really heat things up and take charge on the field in a passionate, ass-kickin' affair of truly monumental proportions.

Remember last year? Yep. That's right, when Mastroeni embarrassed Fake Salt Lake Fans on and off the field. FSL owner Dave Checketts checked his credibility at the door and ran down on the field to start a screaming match with Pablo.

Sad, silly, and it extended to the raucous and inexcusable behaviour by boorish FSL fans throwing liquor bottles and trash at visiting Rapids' fans.

Anyway... that's all in the past, and we've just completed the 2-0 smackdown of a lifetime in Salt Lake, precipitating the firing of Coach Ellinger. Too bad. We liked that guy :-))))

Class VI Tailgate, tomorrow night, 5:00pm, @ The Dick parking AA.
Be there or miss out on another fantastic opportunity to spend a couple hours with good friends and new acquaintances. Fuller's will be providing the liquid gold for consumption and all of us Class VI supporters will provide some great gnosh as usual to enjoy.

delicious!

Wanna know more about the Rocky Mountain Cup competition and trophy? You know where to go.

Clint Mathis is happy

Well thank the lord he's happy some where. I'd hate to think all the sunshine and locally available beer had anything to do with his crappy play for the Rapids.

Seriously. I'd hate to see such a consummate professional not able to play simply because he was bloody unhappy about something.

Prick. Sorry, let me correct that. Lazy Prick on a Stick. Enjoy Il Bruce.

If you're wondering what I am so annoyed by... Big Apple Soccer gets the scoop.

Tuesday night... radio show is over

Woops... Sorry, I keep forgetting to remind everyone that Dino Costa and Marcelo Balboa are doing a radio show every Tuesday night from 6-8pm.

HOWEVER>>> it is now and/or will soon be streamed via mlsnet.com. It was streamed live tonight, but I don't know if there's a taped copy of it.

Anyway... I've been desperate for someone to provide some running synopsis commentary on the show.

Our good friend at The Black Panther blog has done just that in four short posts from this evening's show.

CVI Fan Profile

Okay everyone, it's time to get to know some of your fellow fans! Each week (hopefully) we'll profile a fellow CVIer - asking them six questions.

Completely out of the blue - I choose the first sucka - I mean participant:

Full Name: Max Salzburg
CVI member since: 2007- I'm new to the club. You got a problem with that?
City you call home: Ft. Collins, CO....but Wyoming will always be home.
Favorite Player: Rapids: T. Cooke International: Ronaldinho (I wear his line of shoes)

I. The T-shirts you guys made - totally rockin'. Was it for the chicks or the fame?

Man, we do it for the Club. It is really cool to make people happy.....T-shirts are what we (Patrick Murphy and I) do for a living, and t-shirts are what we do well....If everyone donates something they do well, the club will be bitchin' for all of us.....

II. How long have you been supporting the team and where you think the team is going this year?

Legitimately following the team and going to games? Probably 4 years. Before that I just read the box scores.....It is time to win this damn thing...I'd like to see them go deep in the Open Cup, win the MLS Playoff, and make some noise in the CONCACAF Champions Cup....Pipe dreams?...maybe....but someday it is going to happen.

III. Who's responsible for the shit weather every home game?

Idunno, but it would brighten my day if some "celebrities" would stop by the tailgate.....What up Stout? What up Cello? What up Dino? What up Marcus? I'm callin' youse guyz out.....I have t-shirts for all of you, all you have to do is show up and eat.

IV. What's is the best thing the team has done under Clavijo? And what's the worst?

The Cannon trade.....best and worst....Cannon was (and still is) the man. That being said, I love Herc and Ugo, something had to be done about the D. Ugo could be a key piece of the puzzle. Time will tell..... hopefully they tighten up a bit.......3 goals during the second half is not getting it done, rain or no rain.

V. Paris Hilton - Jail, Superstar, or Porn?

Dumb.....Jail Dumb....So let me get this straight? You are on probation, and your out drinking and partying with the paparazzi in tow? That is DUM- Dumb..... The law don't like it when you spit in its face nightly on ET.

VI. Who should the next CVI profile be of?

Whoever made the enchiladas on Cinco de Drinko......those things were fantastic. (editor's note: Susan - you're next!)

Big shouts out to all the people that make it happen.....BillFish, Allen, Mark (thanks for having me), Isaac at the Bulldog, whoever hauls all the Easy-Ups and the grills (editor's note: Dave and Josh), the people who bring food (Great cookies last week), Fuller's, C-Firm, everyone..... you guys make the difference....the soccer experience in Colorado (and the US for that matter) is what we make it, and it is only going to get better as we get tighter. Stand Strong....NO FAN ALONE.

MLS referees are dumb dumbs

As I have noted on two occasions already this week, MLS referees have become accomplices to deceit and dangerous play, stooges of MLS corporate and nothing but a bunch of weak fabucktards.

Luckily I don't work for MLS, so I can't be fined for pointing out what useless whores the referees are. Thank the lordy we finally hired these nitwits full time.

Thursday night saw the referee give DC a penalty and a point, as well as take out Shalrie Joseph with a bogus red card.

Saturday early afternoon saw nary a peep from the Ref as National Team standout Jimmy Conrad got a deliberate, painful, and likely injurious elbow straight to the jaw that is still recovering from being shattered in another dangerous play.

People kept asking, was it as bad as Herron's last week? I said no... it was a lot worse. Herron tried hard, but didn't connect very well. The craptacular "Virtuoso" connected without any interference from his conscience.

Way to go refs!

Finally, we all got to see in person as Roberto Brown had his head nearly removed from his body with a beautiful follow through, I think from Robinson, that was worthy of a middle-weight championship knockout as well as a red card. Robinson got neither.

Stunning use of poor vision on the part of MLS and their referees, destroying the enjoyment of the game, not to mention the facial features of MLS stars.

Class VI MOTM week 4: Pablo Mastroeni

Week 4 Class VI Man of the Match:
Pablo shows strength against Fake Salt Lake

Beckerman went for the two-peat, but came up a bit short as Pablo's glorious passion to beat down on Fake Salt Lake came through with an exemplary performance in the 2-0 victory over the chumps of MLS.

Congratulations, Pablo!

Each week (well, each game) we will have a link up on the MOTM page on this site for you to vote on. The link takes you to the CVI discussion boards. At the end of the year, winners will become finalists for Class VI Player of the Year.

Anyhooo.... It is my sad duty to announce that voting is now open for MOTM Week 5 against Houston.

So, hop on board, get a login if you haven't done so yet, and get rolling!

Need a login for CVI boards? Go to the boards. Get a login. Then email Mark with your new login and ask to be added to our little secret society.

So what's up today?

Lessee... not much on the horizon.

The Gold Cup / Copa Oro website was officially announced. That's cool.

It's raining out. Which is important, because I was almost forced to turn my sprinkler system on for the season this weekend. That would have been a disaster to the environment. Which is to say, the household environment of lounging and liquor I am working to create at Casa de Fisher. Lots of work to do getting that system in shape, stuff to move, holes to plug, all that stuff.

Uhhh, what else. Just googling here.... surfing, surfing....

Oh! Yeah, there's a killer tailgate this afternoon being put on by the good folks here at Class VI! Better yet? You're invited! Food and beer start at 5:00pm.

Cinco de Mayo. Doh, I *knew* there was something cool on the streets. Remember when we all had to try and avoid Federal to get to the soccer game since we'd be stuck in 3 hours of cruiser traffic? Sure, it was fun, but hard to see the game from the road.

Donations for Children's Hospital
Anyway, bring some Mexican Fiesta Food to share for the tailgate and don't forget some items for Children's Hospital! See the entry a couple days ago for details on what to bring.

And there's a soccer game afterwards for those who are into that scene. Houston. Starts at 7:30pm.

Out of respect....

for the death of good referee calls in last night's game against the Revs and DC, there will be no entry today.

To take what was developing into a really good game and destroy it (twice!) all so that DC could finally "claim" a point. Well. And MLS targeting Shalrie Joseph for destruction just because he's in a contract dispute is, well, dispicable.

That's not how *I* roll.

In fact, Here's how'd I'd roll!

MLS as single table

Okay, you didn't honestly believe I wasn't going to post, did you?

MLS goes single table?!?

A BigSoccer poster has put together a single table view of MLS standings.

But really, it's so much more than that. The graphical representation really brings alive some of the thoughts I've been trying to express about how the importance of the regular season is being strengthened due to playoff changes as well as new competitions coming online.

Check it out! Lots of stuff to follow for the regular season. At least, compared to last year...

1. New playoff format makes it harder to get into the playoffs if you suck but are in the right conference.
2. New US Open Cup rules mean all MLS teams are *not* automatic entries.
3. New SuperLiga competition gives top 4 teams another shot at fame, games, and money.

Of course, the regular season winner could face an extra 6-20 games next season! Talk about needing more depth on the player charts...

Nod to the environment

Recycle Class VI

Here at Class VI World Headquarters, we've finished up our endangered-species egg muffin sandwich and now feel it's time to think green. So instead of using all the resources that go into a completely new web post, we're recycling old ones! (Umm. I'm kidding about the egg thing. In fact, I'm eating an organic, free-range chicken egg. At 25 cents, it's a better way to go for the chicken, and my health. Ever see those nasty chickens all cooped up in cages? Nasty bacteria breeders, nothing more.)

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First, we'd like to remind you of a little known way to recycle your game tickets. Bring them to the British Bulldog in downtown Denver after a home game. In return for recycling the paper, Isaac's minions will serve you a fresh, delicious beer as a free thank you!

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Second, if you are also feeling the need to recycle on behalf of Class VI, here's your chance! NOTE: Bring items to tailgate on Saturday, May 5th!

"I was wondering if you would pass this along to our fellow Class Sixers. I'm taking donations for the Children's Hospital as a community service project requirement to receive my black belt in TaeKwonDo. Below are the specs. Any help would be greatly appreciated!"

Donations for Children's Hospital

Below is a list of items that Children's can always use:

• Markers
  
• Colored Pencils
  
• Crayons (8 pack)
  
• Water color paints
  
• Play dough
  
• Pony Beads
  
• Sketch pads, word searches, all ages, cross-word Puzzles, Puzzles 24-500 pieces
  
• Playing cards
  
• Small Lego & Kinex kits
  
• Spanish language books and videos (G/PG rated please)
  
• Glue & glue sticks
  
• Scissors
  
• Batteries: C,D,AA,AAA
  
• Search & find books: Where's Waldo, I Spy etc.
  
• Craft kits
  

(editor's note: If you don't have anything to recycle, I'm sure we'd all look the other way while you went out and bought a few new items for this fantastic cause).

Please make sure items are Brand New and Unused!!!!!! Otherwise they
can't accept them. I will be taking donations at our next tailgate May 5th.

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And because I promised, here's the 100% post-consumer recycled post ;-)

Okay, so we say "no fees & no obligations" on the website. Yet, you will also notice a Donations link in the menu.

So... How do we reconcile this blatant disregard for our own policy?

We're glad you asked. Class VI takes a lot of money to operate, for example the start up costs for tailgating are high. Please consider donating to the cause - especially if you plan on participating in tailgating anytime this year. We need to buy a gas grill, canopies, a table, and a crack pipe for the Grand Poobah.

For those who missed it, here's the Donation page;-) Please use it, and help Class VI grow into the great club we know it can be! And thanks to the donors who have already helped our club so much!

Who's your Western Conference Daddy?

Is that our poor little Rapids in 1st place? Oh, say it isn't so!!!

Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

As an added bonus... it's enjoyable to see Fake Salt Lake burying themselves at the bottom of the table just like FSL fans burying the crappy Utah field in trash they throw from the stands.

Remember, the new Playoff format means only the top 2 teams from the West and East get automatic berths. And fingers crossed, we know who we want to play! Everyone else from both conferences fights it out for the remaining 4 open positions... and when I say "everyone" I obviously don't mean crappy teams, like FSL, Toronto, DC.... you know, the teams that can't win to save their lives.

Rapids in the electronic age

Our most recent and updated communication from the Rapids regarding new games added to Colorado's schedule has been sent... via postcard.

The new games are not listed on the MatchUp web page, but if you like junk mail and killing trees, here's the scoop:

May 23: US Open Cup qualifier vs Fake Salt Lake @ The Dick. Time TBA, probably around 7pm. $10, general admission.

June 10: Rapids vs. Chinese National Team @ The Dick. 6pm. Season ticket holders use "Special Game B" tickets. The rest of us? Dunno.

July 19: All-Star Game vs. Celtic. We all knew this, I think. Latest rumors leaking out of LA is that Beckham may not be available to play. Stay tuned...

July 31: Chivas (Mexico) vs Pachuca in the $1 Million SuperLiga tourney @ the Dick, 8pm start. Should be crazy. Bring your red, white and green.

Every Roadrunner needs his Wile E. Coyote

I had one of those really stressful evenings yesterday, triple-booked, knowing that watching the Rapids beat down on Salt Lake was not in the plans. Instead I took my kids, 2 and 5 years old, to the Golden Sustainability Initiative Transportation Subcommittee meeting – in a fascinating but extremely non-kid-friendly house. Porcelain vases balanced on tiny pedestals and white cloth chairs with ripe red strawberries for snacks were just the beginning. As I said: stressful.

"I know. I KNOW! Baby blue's really starting to grow on me, too!

It was a great pleasure to finally sit down and realize the DVR had actually recorded a Colorado Rapids game successfully for a change. The first 30 seconds proved especially delightful as viewers saw a beautiful close-up of the Rocky Mountain Cup (RMC) and were reminded of the passion in which the teams have already met in competition to win it.

Colorado fans, current RMC stewards, had brought the trophy to Salt Lake to once again throw down the gauntlet, in the hopes that Salt Lake would step up in competition to create beautiful, solid, passion-filled soccer.

Tell me the RMC means nothing and I’ll understand that you have no passion, no drama, no soul. The instinctive desire to challenge for the tall, gleaming trophy has made grown men fight, rich owners explode in embarrassing red-faced PR rage, and pro players put that extra oomph into a good yellow card tackle.

All in the name of owning the right to be the winner of the Rocky Mountain Cup competition… and that was just the first two years! Mastroeni looked ready to repeat his shirt-off celebration and security was already lining up to keep RSL owner Checketts from draining his self-confidence any further.

“Every time you come to this venue, you wake up in the morning and my blood’s already going,” Mastroeni told the Deseret Morning News. “Who would’ve thought Salt Lake & Colorado…would have such a great rivalry.”

Ahem. The fans knew ;-) And we’re loving every minute of it!

And so, for the 2007 season, it is finally: GAME ON.

Eventually. Even with fast forward, Monday night’s game was never going to be considered instant gratification. The Rapids spent the first 20 minutes making RSL look almost as good as Ellinger thinks they are.

Of course, it’s one thing to wish you can fly. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to succeed.

Then, in the 33rd minute, it was Bouna Time! As an homage to the displaced RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando’s embarrassing wandering last week against Chivas, Rapids netminder Bouna Coundoul charged out of his box towards the sideline to create a one-on-one defensive challenge with the talented Jeff Cunningham.

Turns out Cunni was the goat this week, and Bouna recovered.

Sorry son, this ball's only for grown-ups

The half time breather gave pause to all fans watching, a chance to remember that watching professional soccer on über-fast fake turf is almost always nearly unwatchable.

And the next twenty minutes of the second half neatly proved it.

Luckily, there’s always a “Jack Stewart” moment lurking around the corner. In this case, it was actually RSL’s Torres, but the mental mistake on the defender’s part was so big you could drive a Panamanian tank through it.

A tank known as Roberto Brown. And for those who haven’t watched the Panamanian Army do drills? Apparently it’s a lot like slapping the slow-mo button on your VCR. Brown went past Torres two or three times in his teasing run into the box, keeping possession as the hapless defender slid around on Central American banana peels.

Veteran Eddie Pope struggled to get free of Rapids Rookie signing and Generation Adidas hopeful Nico Colaluca but couldn’t get back in time to stop the slightly off-balance rocket by Brown’s One Man Army into the upper ninety.

RSL goalkeeper Chris Seitz said something that sounded a bit like his last name as RSL realized that playing for a 0-0 draw never worked for the Rapids and wasn’t about to work now.

Colaluca continued showing some impressive footwork and flashes of interest as the youngster started running at a back line stretched by the sudden need to score. He was integral in forcing the next Jack Stewart moment by RSL. This time, it actually *was* Jack Stewart who initiated an odd-looking pass back to Seitz, who took the bait and picked the ball up in the penalty area. Deliberate back pass.

Doh!

Indirect free kick for the Rapids in the 74th minute. Goal! No goal. Hercules Gomez slammed it home, but apparently you have to wait for a “whistle” as it is known in the industry.

Doh!

Try again. Indirect free kick in the 75th minute. Goal! No…. kidding! Yep, same plan, Hercules fires it in. This time RSL falls over themselves to put bodies in front of his cannon, and a heroic defender pays the price and blocks the shot. It leaks out to Colorado’s own Becks Beckerman, who whips his dreds around artfully before slamming home the insurance goal through the train wreck of 10 RSL defenders and a stunned rookie goalie.

What followed Beckerman’s hammer blow was the “Class Act of MLS Fandom” showing their true colors. To quote the RSL television announcer, “And here’s the exact thing we don’t need. Fan are throwing debris on the field.”

On a positive note, RSL finally showed some moxie after going down by two quality strikes and made for some great TV moments in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Rapids win 2-0 in the first RMC match-up of the season, gaining 3 points and an important +2 goal differential on the road.

Welcome to MLS. Every Penn needs his Teller. Every Laurel needs his Hardy. Every Roadrunner needs his Wile E. Coyote*.

For those who would like a few pix of the C-Firm road crew taking the trophy for some visual inspiration in Utah on behalf of Rapids/Bulldog pub fans, well, enjoy!

*Thanks to Class VI member in good standing Mr. Maxwell.