Rapids Class VI

Near Perfect Weather

The weather for Sunday's tailgate and game looks to be near perfect. It'll be sunny and in the low 80s come game time. Tailgating gets started at 11am in lot AA. The match starts at 1pm (televised on Telefutura). The question is, when will FC Dallas get a red card. They've had a player seeing red in each of their last 3 games. Will they make it a 4th?

Everton Playing Colorado Rapids

It's official Everton is coming to play the Colorado Rapids August 3rd.

So be prepared to see the likes of American Timmy Howard, Phil Neville, Tim Cahill, & Yakubu! Excellent job Rapids Front Office.

Want to See McManus' Goal of the Week Again

Then look in the menu bar on the right under daily reads. There's a video window with Rapids videos made my MLS.

This week they feature McManus' goal - and an interview with Fernando Clavijo that for some reason I cannot hear - maybe it's just my laptop or my incompetance! Give it a try.

VI Questions with John DiRaimondo

I. How did you get injured and how close are you to returning?

I was injured in a play right at the end of the half against San Jose. I went for a slide tackle and my left foot got stuck in the ground. I landed on my foot and rolled over on my ankle. I have started to practice without any restrictions so hopefully I will be back within a week or two.

II. Your first MLS game was the season opening victory over Los Angles. Tell us how you found out you were going to start and how that news made you feel.

Well, throughout preseason I was getting to play with the first team so I thought that there would be a decent chance that I would get the nod in the opener but I wasn't sure. The day before the game we were going over shape and I was in the lineup so I pretty much knew for sure the day before the game. Once I found out I was going to be in the lineup I was very excited to get a chance to go out there and play.

III. What is it like for a young player to line up against the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donevan?

During the national anthem I was kind of in awe, but once the whistle blew I knew I had to get down to business. At that point you just have to go out and play and you kind of forget about everything else.

IV. You played in the USL's Premiere Development League for Chicago. What was the experience like and do you feel the PDL is a good place for college players play?

Playing for the Chicago PDL team was a great experience. They went about training and games with a very professional approach and I believe that helped me prepare for the professional ranks. I also feel that PDL is a great place for college players because it gives them much needed training and games during the summer months when they are away from their schools.

V. As a member of the U-17s and visiting places like Guatemala and Finland, did you enjoy playing international games? Did any one game or country provide an exceptional experience?

I loved playing internationally. Traveling to different countries and getting to experience their cultures was one of the best parts of the experience. I think South Korea was probably the most interesting and exciting place I visited. When I was with the U-17s we played in a tournament there in front of 37,000 fans which was a great experience. They also treated us with great hospitality and respect.

VI. You've been playing soccer at the highest level for such a long time. Has there ever been a time or situation where you simply didn't enjoy the game?

I can't say there has every been a time during my career where I didn't enjoy the game, but there have been several times where I didn't enjoy the way I was playing. I think every player goes through hard times where they question their game and their abilities, but that's natural. With that being said, at no point have I every stopped enjoying the game.

Rapids Lose to Chivas; Preston Wins Hearts

by CVI's Geoff McPherson

Chivas vs. Rapids – May 24th, 2008

We spend our time working on our careers while at the same time questioning why we spend so much time dwelling on it, we read the ‘South Beach Diet’ with the delusional aim to shed some pounds for our summer vaca, endeavor to understand what makes the opposite sex tick and then look around and wonder how everyone seems to do all this with ease while we just feel out of control. Then we realize we’re self centered drama queens when we see the determination of 5 year old Preston who has Hodgkin's disease who looks to has more perspective on life than all of us put together.

Tonight is not about the great defensive plays, the perfect 1-2, goals from 25 yards; it’s about the underlying reason why we love the game, the community, the camaraderie of being of fan, being around people that have a common focus that come from all walks of life for a common cause that is sometimes difficult to comprehend. On this occasion it’s the tireless efforts of Laura & Mark Bodmer and many nameless others to raise money for the St Baldricks foundation fighting for the long term solution for cancer.

Fittingly we come across a team that in its short existence has gone through some very turbulent times with the historical roots of heart, passion of being the people’s team which showed some inspirational soccer at the end of last season that provides a glimpse of what this league can be.

For the Rapid fans’ the questions are did Chivas find their score boots in 10 minutes of play last week or are DC that poor this season? What tactical card will our favorite or not so favorite Uruguayan Clavijo play this week? For me I would imagine we'd resort to 4 at the back this week, but I’m so wrapped up in the smaller things in life what would I know.

Yep what would I know, we stay with a 3-4-1-2 formation, Chivas 4-4-2. The first 20 minutes reinforces why I’m not a big fan of Serie A, 9 guys behind the ball at chess like pace waiting for the perfect 1-2 pass in the final third. Chivas is completely eliminating our strength on the wings, Peterson inability to bet a man one-on-one means we are going to make little in roads on the right.

On 25 minutes Erpen gets a header on goal from the result of a corner unfortunately at this time in the game set plays seems to be the only way we are going to get a break through. We need change it up with some good old full court ‘Sam Allardyce managed Bolton’ press to knock Chivas out of their rhythm as we are not enforcing our fast paced ability on the game at all.

Just before the half we forget two basic elements of defending, attacking the ball and closing down the man with the ball; Marsch is patient and clinically finishes and we are down 1-0 at the half.

The second half is more of the same; we look to change things up by bringing on Gomes and McManus in the 53rd and 58th minute respectively. We continue to push forward which leaves us a little venerable at the back and as a result a well taken header by Chivas on 78 minutes means that they have scored two goals on three chances, 2-0 Chivas. McManus is making some great runs into the final third with space and then just launches a thunderbolt in the 80th minute from 35 yards that would be a goal in any league in the world. 2-1 Chivas and we final get our A into G with the high tempo we been waiting for all game. Chivas do a great job defensively and clear there lines effectively from our aerial onslaught, offensively this 2008 Rapids team is not designed for the long ball. Its great to see Casey get in the game for the first time this season coming on for the last 10 minutes looking a good 10 pounds trimmer than last year. We huff and puff to the end but are unable to obtain the second goal.

Concern about this game is our ability to play slow paced defense minded teams; we struggled the same way against San Jose which ended with the same result. We need to be able to adjust to this style of game because if we make the playoffs this is what the teams will bring to DSG Park.

Our strategy was clinically suffocated by Chivas tonight, the stats tonight will say we lost 1-2 and fall 4&5 for the season, but the most important number tonight is the $3600 plus raised for cancer research and the St Baldricks foundation.

On this glorious spring night the image that will stay with us as we attempt to balance our day-to-day lives is the most inspirational passage of play many of us will ever witnessed on a soccer pitch; the passion, heart, guts and strength of the human spirit displayed tonight all with ‘full of life smile’ by our new hero Preston.

Man of the Match: Preston Kilzer

Rapids Lose, Vote for Man Of The Match

Chivas USA was missing more players - Bornstein, Vaughn, Galindo, Eskandarian , Suárez, Thomas ,Wicky, and Zotinca (heck, Razov wasn't 100% to start) - than some teams miss in an entire season. For some reason the Colorado Rapids, much like the home game against San Jose a few weeks ago, thought this was a reason to take their foot off the gas. The result was a 2-1 loss. Clavijo's Rapids have yet to win 2 games in a row in 2008.

Game Highlights:

Class VI members can vote for the man of the match, here.

St. Baldrick's This Saturday

Our tailgate is starting at 4:30 PM and hopefully our honored guest, Preston Kilzer, will be there. He's out of the hospital and he'll hopefully be feeling well enough to attend. He has a website and I thought I'd post a few things from it:

Hi

I have just been diagnosed with Stage 3A Hodgkins Lymphoma on Feb 20th, 08. I have 6 months of chemo. I pray I'm done and cancer free by my 6th birthday, August 11th! I am big brother to Kayli, who is 4 and Trevin, who is 16 months. I am a fighter and going to beat this cancer. Thanks for visiting my page and taking this journey with me.

Please consider clicking the link in the banner above to donate to our St. Baldrick's event, or donating at the tailgate.

Here's some great videos of Preston:

Kirovski & Gray Traded; Burpo Aquired

CVI's Jason Maxwell alerted me of this trade on his Rapids blog A View From the Couch and I'm absolutely beside myself!

Kelly Gray and Jovan Kirovski were traded to San Jose for GK Preston Burpo. Kirovski, or the Cone as he's affectionately known among fans, was aquired to fill in for injuries to Glinton and Former Rapid Peguero Jean Philippe (see, if you check out FC Rocky by George Tanner and Angel Hernandez like you should, you would know it's NOT Jean Phillippe Peguero! You go to Europe get a big head and suddenly it matters how people say your name!). Sierra Leon Striker Kei Kamara will also be unavailable to San Jose due to International Duty.

Which is also why the Rapids wanted Goal Keeper Preston Burpo, to back up fellow African Bouna Coundoul who will be playing for Senegal (Good Luck Bouna!)

What does this all mean? Sometimes it's not what you get in a trade, it's what you give away! When Bouna was going to be off raising his value among all the Big European Teams with his tremendous athleticism, I was I was really upset about the African World Cup Qualifiers! While Burpo is no Bouna Time it's only six games (it seems ONLY now, as I keep hearing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead in my head) and then he'll be back ready to guard our net for the Western Conference Title!

So, when Mike Petke is finally able to come of the Disabled List, no player will have to be released. I wonder if that player would have been Kelly Gray or Jovan Kirovski. I mean Jovan was our Golden Boot winner, and as you were continuously told, a Red Devil that had a pedigree Westminter Dogs are jealous of.

I'll tell you what, Chris Sharps next blog entry should be interesting that's for sure.

CVI Questions with Coach Clavijo: On top of the West!

Coach Clavijo has answered a few questions about the victory that kept us in first place in the Western Conference.

I. You came out with a 3-5-2 which surprised everyone in the stands. What was your reasoning for changing the shape of the team?

Many teams show up in Colorado and are only playing with one forward, I felt that RSL was going to do the same and I decided to go with three players in the back, this change in system is much better to implement when Ugo is healthy.

II. Your first substitution didn't come until the 84th minute. In the past, you've often changed tired legs or replaced a player sometime near the 60th minute, but this time, to great success, you sat tight until we were up two goals. Why not use Cooke, Gomes, or Burciaga?

The biggest issue with this game, was that we had the ball much more in the second half, and we started to look more dangerous and alive than the first half, after Omar Cummings scored the first goal, they replaced Cutler, he was the player marking Christian Gomez man to man, that sub give Christian the freedom he didn’t have for the first 60 minutes, I knew that he was going to connect (Christian) for one goal after that. At the end, the substitution of Harvey was to play 4 in the back and last sub for Mehdi to get in the game.

III. Bouna Coundoul is leaving to play for Senegal soon. Justin Hughes has been injured, and this last game Mike Graczyk was backup to Bouna instead of Chris Sharpe. Can you give us an idea of how long till Hughes is ready to play again and which keepers are showing well enough to step in once Bouna is in Africa?

I don’t believe we can replace Bouna, which is a fact……. We are looking for option on regards to replacements.

This is not an easy issue but one we need to address very soon.

Justin is out at least until the middle of June, the other two goalkeepers are League goalkeepers and we are going to evaluate them in the next couple of days.

We know Chris Sharpe because he already played some reserve games for us, but next coming friendly and reserve games will be to evaluate Mike Graczyck.

IV. You often hear about what it's like for teammates to play against a former teammate, or a player's feelings when playing against the coach that traded him. What is it like for you to face off against Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wingert as their former coach?

I will always wish any player that I traded the best; those players were trade for different circumstances;

Some of the trades are easy to justify and other are not, but you always need to do the best for your team.

Of course you know that those players are going to be motivated to play against you, to show you that you made a mistake.

Always happen and it is normal.

V. You've got the team alone in first in the West coach, well done. The team has achieved this surprisingly with a 4-4 record. If I'm correct, all but three field players have seen the field (removing ineligible injured players). Can you discuss how you think playing so many players will shape the team long term and how playing so many young players has had an affect on your efforts to get consistent results?

This change in lineup was not by design, we all knew of the injuries we carry from the 2007 season, but we felt comfortable with the group we had all along, my only concern was not having someone upfront, proven goal scorer.

Those issues so far are under control because many different players are stepping up and Omar Cummings seems to be the one making the most of the opportunities.

The energy from the young players has brought a more intense training session every week and that is something good for everyone.

Still it is a long season and we need all the players in top condition.

VI. The rivalry with Real Salt Lake and the Rocky Mountain Cup competition has provided some wonderful games and has been fully embraced by fans on both sides of the Rockies. You were quoted after the game as saying "Salt Lake puts a lot more emphasis on the rivalry than we do", saying your goal is MLS Cup not the Rocky Mountain Cup.

As a coach you needed to diffuse some things that are happening as you see them coming.

Real Salt Lake was very aggressive “talking” about the Cup and else.

My emphasis was in getting the 3 points when we play at home, and playing a good soccer those goals will also bring us the Rocky Mountain cup.

Anyone who knows me will tell you, that I played every game to win and don’t know any other way.

Every Rapids fan would rather have the team hoist the MLS Cup, but do you not think that rivalries in MLS between teams and fans is an important part in the growth of the game and something that the team should place importance on for the sake of the Rapids fans?

Rivalries in the MLS are great, but I don’t like to extra motivate teams when they come to Colorado.

For the growth of the game I agreed with you, but do you think that the fans in Toronto needed to be motivated to support they team?

Thank you coach and keep up the tremendous work. The season is feeling very excited, and we're looking forward to another victory over Chivas USA next on Sunday!

Real vs Rapids May 15th, 2008

by Geoff McPherson

First of all for the two people that read my match reports, sorry for the lack of posting last week things just didn’t pan out the way I expected. Thursday night prime time viewing on ESPN of which the pregame entertainment was watching a 3 year old and 18 month old trying to view ‘Dora the Explorer’ and eat chocolate ice cream at the same time, for the first time, they adjusted on the fly and by halfway through the ice cream they had worked out that it was possible to do both activities at the same time.

There are many in Rapids fan contingent that disapprove of Clavijo management style, for me tactically he has got it right for every game this season while the team may not have always executed 100% to our liking. This week we go for a 3-4-1-2 formation, which is fantastic for those of us that want to see the full potential of our attacking ability, a little concerning whether we have the defenders that can pull off three at the back, Kimara and Ihemelu, yes, Erpen is where I have the question mark.

The Beckerman lead mob crosses the continental divide for the first time this season to defend their Rocky Mountain Cup title, it will be interesting to see if the Argentina influx at Salt Lake has developed, or plateau.

For the 15 minutes the yang of the Rapids arrives in waves; pace, passing, off the ball runs is all the elements that has got us energized this season. The high energy up front of Herculez is complementing Cummings central more structure positioning. Gomez is just the artist that’s a joy to watch, a turn here, flick here, quick acceleration, you know if you make a great run he’ll pass and the ball will end up 9 times out of 10 on your preferred foot.

The opportunities are coming thick and fast but we are just a little disconnected in the final third with the execution not quiet there. You feel if we get the first goal the game will be over.

We are playing more of a 3-3-1-3 with Peterson staying very high on the right, as a result giving Beckerman a little too much space as he is running the majority of the creative midfield proceedings. Once the so called ‘Dr Goals’ and crew get to the 18 yard box all their creative build up fades away quickly, the scoring opportunities they do have are all coming from set pieces which we dealing with effectively.

Kimara on the right just continues to grow every game and tonight is no exception making a superb clearance off the line in the 41st minute, Bouna was in two minds and only half came for the ball.

Clark and Peterson switch sides at the 33 minute mark, giving a more defensive factor to the left and also the chance to use Clark to attack the box and take on the first defender. The formation is giving us the ability to break quickly against a Salt Lake midfield that doesn’t seem to enjoy tracking back.

0-0 at the half but it could have easily been 2-2.

Clark after some penetrating runs on the left delivers two great balls but the front two aren’t make the runs, we could have easily been up by a couple by the 50 minute mark. And then 3-0 if Clark had literally used his head on a well worked cross from Herculez.

With even three at the back Kimara and Erpen both make attacking runs forward that provided more space, options and confusion for the Real defense. It must be said that Matorani is playing a great role as a defensive holding midfielder in front of the back three.

Talk about a team that needs to learn, as the second half proceeds the team shows that they have learnt from the disconnect in the first half and made the required changes. Cummings finally gets the right side of his defender and we go up 1-0, magic stuff. The back three tighten things up; basically game over if we can continue to defend well on the defensive plays. Erpen is proving me wrong in that he is showing that he has the range and flexibility for tonight’s formation.

We take more control of the game, slow the pace in the transition from defense to midfield but are still attacking with pace in the final third. Penalty in 81 minute, Gomez slots it with class, 3 points to the Rapids, and another step to being very competitive team this year.

Tonight we got our tactics right, made minor adjustments at half time, our potential continued to flourish, with multiple of options and we still have McManus, Cooke, Burciaga, DiRaimondo and Casey in the wings. If we keep playing different formations, and interchange players the options that we will have in the second half the season will be a smorgasbord of scoring options.

…..does anyone know how to chocolate ice cream out cream colored carpet?

US Open Cup Qualification

It's been unveiled that the Rapids have to win two qualification games to enter the formal first round of the US Open Cup. Click Here for the Official Release.

This coming Saturday, May 24th the Rapids play Chivas USA and then head off to Los Angles for the first qualifying game against the Galaxy, Tuesday, May 27th. Five days later they head host FC Dallas on a Sunday afternoon. If they have beaten the Galaxy in the first Open Cup game, they then have to head to Kansas City for the second qualification match Wednesday June 4th. Three days later they will fly to Los Angles for the second regular season meeting with the Galaxy.

2007 US Open Cup Champions

What does this all mean? It means the Rapids have a tremendous advantage in these qualifying games. LA basically has the same situation as the Rapids, and KC has a game three days after their scheduled meeting of the winner of the LA vs Rapids game.

Why the advantage? Fernando Clavijo has had tremendous success playing his full roster in this first third of the season. All but three field players (when you filter out injured players that have been ineligible this season) have seen regular season minutes and that experience is going to drive this team through the US Open Cup.

While other teams will be fielding player that have never seen an MLS Game this season, if ever, the Rapids will be starting players like Stephen Keel, Jose Burciaga (or Jordan Harvey), Mehdi Ballouchy, Terry Cooke (or Jacob Peterson), Rafeal Gomes, Conor Casey (or Tom McManus or Herculez Gomez), and Kelly Gray. Players that could easily be in the first team any given week. It's a tremendous example of the depth the Rapids have built in Fernando Clavijo's time in Colorado.

The US Open Cup should be among the highest of priorities for the Rapids this season. They have the depth to compete for the Cup without taking away from their efforts to qualify for the playoffs and win MLS Cup.

Could this be the year the Rapids hoist some hardware and put something in the Trophy Cabinet associated with the First Team? If so, it's because of the trophies won in the last two years by the Rapids Reserve Team.

Chilly Thursday For FSL's Visit

Looks like we'll have a chilly spring night when Jason Kreis' RSL (aka Fake Salt Lake, FSL, Real Stinky Lake, et al.) travel to The Dick to take on the Colorado Rapids. FSL is winless on the road in 2008. In fact, they've only won 6 times on the road in the 3+ years of existence.

At 4:30 the Ft. Collins Force will take on Washington Force. FC Rocky takes a look at the Force here.

As for the Rapids game against that team from Utah, ex-Rapids Kyle Beckerman, Nate Borchers, and Chris Wingert are all likely to start.

Kyle at The Offside on the match
Class VI's Jason on the game
Bill's favorite esoteric blogger neither talking loud nor saying nothing on the match

It's a WCQ!

RAPIDS NAMED AS HOSTS FOR POTENTIAL US MEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Dick's Sporting Goods Park Was Named the Venue Who Would Host Colorado's First-Ever World Cup Qualifier on November 19th, Featuring US Men's National Team vs. Winner of Guatemala vs. St. Lucia

CHICAGO (From US Soccer- May 14, 2008) — The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced that Dick's Sporting Goods Park will be one of three venues that would host home matches for the semifinal round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Before taking the field in these games, however, the U.S. must first advance past the second round, where they face a home-and-away series against Barbados. The U.S. will host the first leg on June 15 at The Home Depot Center. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. The away leg will be played on June 22 at a site and time to be determined.

Should the U.S. advance, they will play their first home qualifier of the four-team semifinal round group on Sept. 10 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., against the winner of the Trinidad & Tobago-Bermuda series. Kickoff would be set for 7 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision.

On Oct. 11, the U.S. would face either Cuba or Antigua & Barbuda at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. That match would begin at 4 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park would host the USA’s final match of the semifinal phase, with the team taking on either Guatemala or St. Lucia on Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. MT, live on ESPN2 and Galavision.

Ticket information for all three potential semifinal round home matches will be available at a later date.

While Colorado has only held three matches involving the U.S. men, they have provided enthusiastic and substantial support each time. The USA are 2-1-0 in Denver, the most recent match coming in one of the team’s final preparation matches before their historic quarterfinal run in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. On April 3, 2002, a strike by ex-Rapids player Clint Mathis secured a 1-0 US victory against Mexico before 48,476 fans, foreshadowing the USA’s 2-0 victory against their regional rivals in the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Korea that summer. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will host the team’s first match in Colorado taking place outside of Denver, and their first qualifier in the Rocky Mountain State.

The U.S. has never played a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Chicagoland, but has a tremendous history in the Windy City against previous opponents like Portugal, Germany and Brazil and with average crowds of over 40,000 fans. The U.S. holds a 4-2-2 lifetime record at Soldier Field, highlighted by the 2-1 victory against Mexico in the Gold Cup final last summer that earned the USA their fourth regional championship and a place in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. would be making their first-ever appearance in Bridgeview, the home of the Chicago Fire.

RFK Stadium is no stranger to the U.S. national team, having hosted 17 matches since 1977. The U.S. has collected a 10-3-4 record in the nation’s capital, including a 3-1-1 record in World Cup qualifying. With an average attendance of over 30,000, Washington D.C., has witnessed several memorable matches, including a 4-0 victory against Mexico in 1995 and a 1-0 win against Argentina in 1999. RFK last hosted the national team on Oct. 13, 2004, when an Eddie Johnson hat trick paced the United States to a 6-0 victory against Panama to close out the semifinal phase of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Semifinal Round qualifying in the CONCACAF region will take place from August to November in 2008, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams each. Playing a six-game round robin format, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the final six-team group that will be played in 2009.

The U.S. is gearing up for a trio of blockbuster friendlies in advance of the Barbados match, beginning with a trip to famed Wembley Stadium for a May 28 clash with England. More than 1,300 tickets were sold in the U.S. Supporters Section for the USA’s second-ever trip to London. The U.S. will then face fourth-ranked Spain on June 4 at the Estadio El Sardinero in Santander, before heading back across the Atlantic to face No. 1-ranked Argentina on June 8 in New Jersey. More than 45,000 tickets (buy tickets) have been sold for the USA’s final match at Giants Stadium.

For more information on the US Men's road towards the World Cup, visit www.USSoccer.com

US Men's National Team at The Dick!

Class VI has learned and confirmed with an anonymous source inside the Colorado Rapids that the US Men's National Team will be coming to Denver in 2008. US Soccer and the Rapids are preparing a press release announcing a match featuring the US Men vs. Guatamala on November 19th, 2008 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. CONCACAF's calendar doesn't have anything listed on that date but it is an official FIFA match date for International Friendly matches.

Stay tuned....

CVI Questions with Coach Clavijo: Night of Frustration

In a game that the Rapids deserved a point on the road, Coach Clavijo has taken time to answer some questions about a very frustrating night for the team.

I. Coach Gary Smith got sent off. Can you tell us a little about the Rapids new assistant coach and what happened to get him removed from the field?

Gary didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, but the fourth official mention on the report that Gary Smith was abuse in language to the head referee Tim Weyland.

I didn’t hear anything from Gary to support that statement.

II. Why did referee Tim Weyland give Tom McManus a red card while he was on the bench?

If you watch the game from the beginning you will see that Weyland was very aggressive to Thomas McManus, and after a bad call was issue against us, he jumped and directed some comments to the referee, you have to remember how close is the bench to the lines and to the field, it is a very unfair situation for players in the bench.

III. A classic game of two halves. The first half the team progressively lost control to Houston, ultimately conceding the lead. Then the team came out and their performance improved tremendously as the second half progressed, leading to Cummings tying the game. There were no substitutions and no obvious shift in the team's shape. What did you say in the locker room to get the team on the right track?

There were a couple of players that were not playing to their potential; we were waiting for Houston to play instead of our team playing.

In the second half we put the ball in the ground and played like we are capable of playing.

IV. All season long, we've seen wing play be a very important tactic employed by the team. This game however, Jacob Peterson and Nick LaBrocca seemed near invisible. Was this a shift in tactics?

There was not a change in tactics, but you also have to remember that there is another team and another player competing with you.

Second half was much better second half for Peterson, but he is still learning to play that position.

V. Omar Cummings had some terrific moments in the game. He also had moments where he seemed to try to do too much alone, including one moment where it was obvious he should have dished off to McManus. Can you give us an assessment of Omar's overall game at this point in his young career?

Omar is a great project, because of his luck of experience he is going to make some questionable decisions during the game, we understand that and we encourage him to keep trying. He needs to play with the rest of the group more and he is doing that little by little.

VI. Christopher Sullivan of Fox Soccer Channel, said on the air that the confidence you had instilled in the players was a double edged sword. That it has become a case of the patients running the asylum, referring to the red cards and the hand ball penalty kick. Do you agree with Sullivan's assertion?

I am trying to understand what he tried to say here, and it is confusing.

Ugo is a player that was out for almost 5 months and last game was his 2nd full 90 minutes in a long time.

He understood he made a mistake and that is all. We all do mistakes………. What we do next is what counts.

I disagree with Christopher comments in a big way.

Editor's Note: As do I coach!

Thanks Coach and let's get three points toward getting the Rocky Mountain Cup back in Colorado where it rightfully belongs!

CVI Questions with Coach Clavijo: On Top where we belong!

Coach Fernando Clavijo has the Rapids in a tie for first place in the Western Conference. We've asked him some questions about the impressive victory over DC United Sunday afternoon.

I. You changed the shape of the team for this game and it worked like a charm. Tell us what the reasoning was for the change in tactics?

DC United is a very good team with a lot of good players, my biggest concern was not to allow DC to dictate the phase of the game, the changes were done to put pressure from the beginning and not allow DC to slow the game down.

II. Jose Burciaga, Jr., and Terry Cook started all the previous games, but neither were on the field at kick off. Why did you choose to go with Jacob Peterson instead of Cook, and Jordan Harvey instead of Burciaga?

We are very please to have such a talented roster right now, and give us choices that not many other teams have.

Jose Burciaga is an excellent football player but I felt that adding Harvey will help us defensively on the right side with Quaranta and going forward.

Peterson is a different player than Terry Cooke, we were looking for someone to take people on, and force defenders to defend, Peterson speed help us not only in the midfield but also breaking forward in quick counters.

III. Terry Cook wore the Captain's armband for the first five games of the season, doing so even when Pablo Mastoreni had returned to the line up. This game, Cooke was on the bench, and Mastoreni wore the armband. What part will Terry Cooke play in regards to the role to Captain?


The role of the Captain on the team changes everyday, but it is a clear example of what you expect from the rest of the players.

Leadership on and of the field is a must. Terry Cooke and Pablo showed me they deserved that recognition on the first 6 games.

IV. The team controlled the the entire flow of play with the exception of a fifteen minute stretch in the second when DC United tried fighting their way back into the game, which our defense stifled efficiently. This has been a contrast to the last two games. How did you get the team back on track and focused for a full 90 minutes to the man?

Last game in Chicago, I felt we did enough to have a better result, but manage to have a let down for 10 minutes that cost us the game.

I believe the changes we did help us to concentrate better, and I am not talking only on defenders but the team in general.

V. Nico Colaluca was a player that when drafted in 2007 was labeled a player that could help the Rapids immediately, and yet he has only 62 minutes played in his career. Where does Nico fit in the grand scheme of the Rapids?

When Nicolas Colaluca was drafted we felt we had a kid with a very good future ahead of him, and that has not change.

Players develop at deferent speed and assimilate things at different rate, Nico has not developed as quick we thought he would, but still in our plans to keep working with him..

VI. You've gotten us back into a share of first in the West. Congrats Coach. The season has seen some ups and downs, which is expected early in the season. As coach, how do you build on this win and keep the players focused and motivated playing a winless Houston team, and avoiding another let down like the San Jose loss?

For some reason in the MLS it is to believe that it is Ok to win one weekend and lose the next one, everyone is going to lose some game.

Unfortunately is not something I am happy with, we need to have a killing mentality and put teams away early and often. That takes time and we are working on every day.

Thank you so much Coach and good luck in Houston! Keep up the good work.

U16 & U18 Action!

The U16 & U18 Rapids Development Academy teams will be playing at Heritage
Park (Quebec & University, south of C470) vs. Real Colorado on May 8th
(Thursday). The U16 game is at 5:30 PM and the U18 game is at 7:30 PM. Click for a
map to the field.

Week 6 Goals

Jacob's goal was a thing of BEAUTY!

Dos de Tres Caídas

by Geoff McPherson

DC United vs. Rapids, May 4th 2008

There is sports marketing and then there is FutboLucha 2008, …..honestly I’m speechless……it may um…....ah it could be good for…….no sorry just speechless. Just when I thought the testimonial match of mascots for Rapidman in 2007 was the most ludicrous spectacle I’d had ever witnessed at a sporting event over weight, half naked men with capes and masks will go head to head at Dicks.

Could you imagine the conversations that went on in the Rapids Marketing department’s brain storming session? “What do ya recon Tony, do prefer Lucha Libre or Midget Mud Wrestling better? Or how about Janet’s idea of Cock Fighting at Dicks? Great energy guys keep the ideas coming”.

In saying that if it increases the diversity of the Rapids fan demographic I’m all for it and I should never have a career in Marketing. Any fire and passion from south of the border that will stir the vocally suppressed pasty white soccer moms of Denver, I say bring it on.

DC who due to their success had the logistical nightmare of the CONCACAF Champions League playing 6 games in 19 days in April seem to be back on track with a somewhat normal schedule and to our joy clinically finished off the mob from Utah last Saturday
4-1.

There are more changes to the line up than repetitive quotes from the Democratic primary, basically we go for a 4-3-1-2 formation with the obvious omission of Cooke and Colin “Ritchie Cunningham” Clark. I’m a little baffled initially but I’m interested to see what Clavijo has up his sleeve.

There some major tension in section 118 before the game with the overly sensitive liability protective netting behind the goal, absurd to say the least, a call by season ticket holders next to me to the powers of be that the locals weren’t impressed and they were down in a flash.

First 15 minutes were brilliant, the Yang of the Rapids season compared to the Yin of San Jose. Some great early chances, diving header by Cunningham, McManus great shot from the edge of the box. He looks great going forward but his final touch looks a little concerning. There are a lot of Scottish players that can huff and puff and look good going forward but it’s the finishing that makes the difference and the reason he his here, so the jury for me is still out on the young Scotsman.

We are playing a very narrow field, Labrocca is not providing any width on the left wing, and I would have to say he is playing a role of some sort to eliminate the threat from the right side which is extremely effective. Gomez seems more valuable going forward sitting behind the front two and not playing too far up the field. He now has more options and freedom and takes full advantage of both. Cummings gets a great ball from Gomez at the end of the half but his first touch lets him down to possibly round the Wells in goal. We go in at the half where we had all the chances, the defense had eliminated any concept of a DC goal and you had the feeling that if we did score it would be lights out for lads from the Capital.

In didn’t take long in the second half, in the 52nd minute after a great move Gomez passes to an open Peterson (who is having a great game) and just lets it rip first time from just inside the 18 yard box, just a magic finish. In the next 10 minutes we had a chance I felt to finish DC off and push forward, instead we go back into a very controlled shape. It was the 10 minutes following that that there was sense of Yin in the air that DC could get their one decent shot on goal and tie this game up. Any concern about a tie was eliminated when we get the second; Cooke supplies a dinky cross to Erpen who powers home a header from 7 yards.

In summary the game strategy of Clavijo was clinically executed and as the the traditional Lucha Libre matches in Mexico are decided by two out of three falls (dos de tres caídas), this game was won with two excellent goals leaving DC flat on the mat.

And now I, as many of you have the complex issue of trying to find the perfect cape and Speedos to match our newly acquired Rapids Lucha Libre mask.

Let The Good Times Roll

It was a lovely sunny day yesterday. If you didn't make th ematch you not only missed good food and company at the tail gate but a cracker of a goal by Jacob Peterson.

More information on the match here.
Class VI Members can vote for their Man of The Match here.

CVI Questions with Herculez Gomez

I. Your story of how you ended up in in MLS is extremely interesting. Tell us how you got started in the Mexican League and ended up playing for San Diego of the PDL?

After High School my Dad sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do. He told me If I wanted to go to school he would help me, but If I wanted to try playing at a high level I needed to do it while I was young.

I didn't have a lot of offers and only had a couple of small schools interested but I think deep down I always knew I wanted to try my hand at going pro.

That summer after graduation I made my way down to Pachuca. It was a rough two weeks. My tryout was ok not great, they told me they had a full roster and had no plans of making any changes.

Luckily for me there was a scout for Cruz Azul at one of the exhibition games I played in. He helped me with a tryout. I made the team and did well, but I was impatient and wanted more now. I left after my first season. Finally, after a frustrating season in Puebla I found myself in Durango Primera "A". Things didn't turn out they way I or anyone in the club had hoped. We were constantly losing and in threat of being relegated. Long story short... soccer wasn't fun anymore. It was my first look at all the politics and crap that came with it. So I left. Back to Vegas.

Thought about calling it quits and going back to school.

One day out of the blue a friend called and told me about this new D3 USL team that was holding tryouts in San Diego. He talked me into going.
It was interesting but fun. They offered me a contract and I said sure why not.

II. 2005 was an amazing year for you: MLS Champion, US Open Cup Winner, LA Galaxy MVP, and putting up 11 goals during the regular season. Were there challenges to going from a relatively unknown player that had nearly given up on his career to being thrust into the American Soccer Spotlight?

Yeah there sure was. My life was flipped upside down overnight.

I was a huge Galaxy fan. And thought I would never get a chance to play for my team. Injuries alone with some National Team call ups allowed me to have a chance. I just had fun. Before I knew it we were winning, I was scoring, people would even recognize me on the street.

It was all a little surreal.

I literally went from living out of the trunk of my car to being a celebrity guest at the White House, all in the snap of a finger. I guess the crazy part of it all was the recognition. I had the fortune of being a nominee in the Rising Star Category for The LA Sports Choice Awards. During this event I was on one of my first dates with my now girlfriend Kristi.

A stalky gentleman approached me and shook my hand. He said "I'm a Big Fan" I said "So am I!" He walked away. Kristi looks at me and asked "Who was that?" I doing a double take said " I think It's Roy Jones Jr." Editor's note. I'd love to meet the best pound for pound fighter perhaps in history!

III. You, along with Ugo Ihemelu, were traded to the Rapids in for the 2007 season. How were you informed that you had been traded and was it difficult for you transitioning from your 2005 success to being traded?

Ugo and I along with Troy Roberts were all roommates. I had been receiving phone calls all morning. It looked like a front office number. I finally answered and Alexi's secretary informed me that he needed to see me right away. I informed Troy who was the only one in the house. It seems Alexi needed to see Ugo as well. I got out of the shower ran down stairs only to find Troy and Ugo talking about Alexi's decision to trade Ugo. I was Shocked! I asked Ugo for who? He said Alexi couldn't tell him. I immediately knew I was involved.

It was a fairly smooth transition to be honest. This is a great bunch of guys. I can't think of anything that was rough... oh wait. The 2 feet of snow that awaited us as we set foot here maybe. But I have fallen in love with this beautiful City since then.

IV. Since coming to the Rapids, you've played both flanks and as striker. Where do you feel most comfortable and effective on the field?

I think I enjoy playing more as a Striker. Thats where I am most dangerous , to be quite honest that's were i have had my most success. But I do see myself being capable of helping our team in multiple positions. If it meant winning I would even put on the gloves.

V. You scored the first Rapids goal in DSG Park's history. Combining that fact with your celebratory jump into the stands in front of a sold out crowd, that goal will remain a Rapids highlight for history. Can you tell us what you experienced from the moment the ball went into the net?

Goals are blurs at the moment. I can tell you it's one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have. To have a packed house all cheering for you is pure joy. Being able to say I was the first to score at DSGP is something no one can ever take away from me, it's a big milestone for any big player to have, yet alone me. I hope we can give you all a lot to cheer about this season.

VI. If your teammates had a juggling contest with points given for style and how long they can keep the ball up, who would finish first and who would finish last?

That's an easy one. Longest and with style Kosuke Kimura.
On the other side of the spectrum Ugo Ihemilu.

Sunday Weather

Don't let this morning's chilly temps get yourself thinking it'll stay like this. It may have looked a bit like Christmas Thursday morning. And the wx folks are saying some spots may get snow today. Nevertheless Sunday's game time weather is looking like it'll be another wonderful spring day.

Beach Soccer?

Well only if you're so inclined! Join us on our second road trip of the year to visit the Home Depot Center in Los Angles where our boys will be putting a hurt on David Beckham, Landon Donevan, and all the other worthless LA Galaxy players!

We leave early in the morning on June 7th. When we get there, we're going to take a tour of Hollywood. Who knows, maybe we'll drive by the Beckham's and toliet paper their solid gold gate with Rapids streamers!

We'll head off to dinner and the game in the evening to watch our boys show the people in Los Angles that the opener was no fluke.

In the morning, we'll catch the Rapids Reserve match to watch the future stars of the team show us why they are back to back Reserve League Champions. And then it's off to the beach for some fun and sun. Bring a ball for a little beach soccer!

That Sunday evening, we fly back to Denver - all a little more cheerful for having lived life to the fullest. Don't sit on your couch when you can join other fans and live the game!

A link to putting a deposit down is in the Road Trips Link or up in the Event Banner. Please join us - it'll be a trip you'll remember!