No Fan Alone Colorado Rapids Supporters

I’m asking the above question to the Rapids players, because I don’t recognize them. I’ve been attending Rapids games since 2001 and a season ticket holder since 2002 and not since John Spencer, Chris Henderson & Mark Chung prowled the depths of Invesco have I felt as confident and proud of the Rapids. Saturday night’s game was a sight to behold. The Rapids held the best team in the Eastern Conference scoreless. They scored three goals and showed some entertaining, creativity all over the park. Cummings was lethal and bagged two goals and league wide Player Of The Week honors.
The biggest thing for me right now is in the table. The Rapids, who for the past two season started their summer tailspin sometime around now, are sitting in 4th place in the West on 20 points from 12 matches. The closest team behind them, Fake Salt Lake, has 16 points from 14 matches. So we have four more points and two games in hand. The closest team above the Rapids, Seattle, has 22 points from 15 games. The best team in the West, Houston, has 28 points from 14 matches. So, if the Rapids can string together some more home wins over the coming weeks, they will be knocking on the door at the top of the Conference and the League.
What? League Leading Colorado Rapids? Can it happen? I certainly hope so, and if the Rapids continue to play the way they did on Saturday I feel confident about it. I am a little worried about them slacking off, missing Conor Casey too much, etc. But at least I have hope. Many of you will remember my rants when I didn’t have hope. I think there is a good contrast between the two.
So let’s get out there and support these ‘Pids. Hopefully they can keep things going and be a serious contender when playoff time comes. Hopefully they’ll be able to qualify for some continental competitions this time around. Hopefully they’ll get into the US Open Cup without stupid qualifications. Hopefully there is something there for the marketing department to latch onto now instead of heritage nights and festivals that have nothing to do with soccer. Oops, did I say that out loud?

Hello from soggy Uptown, Rapids fans. On this beautifully rainy day I had visions of Conor Casey scoring goals galore running through my groggy head. Did I really see him net two sweet scores over the weekend? After 10 games do I really see Casey atop the leader board with 8 goals? Surely all this day-quil and ny-quil I’ve been taking for this stupid cold are making me see things. Right?
Seriously Rapids fans…can you remember the last time we had an outright goal scorer on the team? Can you remember the last time someone was on a hot streak scoring multiple goals in multiple games? Last thing I can remember we had Jovan “traffic cone” Kirovski stopping up the center of the park and leading the team in scoring with 6. Yes folks, while I’m sure your memory blocked this out as well as mine, in 2007 the high scorer on the team was Kirovski with 6 goals. The team scored a grand total of 29 goals that year. Pitiful.
But pitiful is what we’ve been left with since 2003, the last time the team had two players score over 10 goals. 2008 was a move in the right direction with Casey scoring 11, but the second on the list was Cummings with 6.
So I started thinking…what does the history of Rapids goal scoring look like? I did some digging and put together the info; 1998 was by far the most offensively productive year for the Rapids when they scored 62 goals, 2004 & 2007 were the most unproductive years where the team scored just 29 goals all year. In between there were totals from 36 to 50. Over the history of the team in MLS play, excluding the goals scored to date in 2009, the Rapids have scored 534 times. No, I don’t have league totals to compare…you can find those yourselves.
It was fun research to do, honestly. I enjoyed looking back and seeing names from the past like; Jean Philippe Peguero who led the team in scoring in 2004 with 7 goals, Jorge Dely Valdes who led things in 1999 with 10 goals, and Paul Bravo scoring the most in 1997 with 8 goals. I saw 2002 and remembered why I loved that season; Mark Chung, Chris Henderson and Chris Carrieri all scored 11 goals that year. Three guys got 33 goals. That was an exciting year. Then I remembered how we lost in the playoffs to LA and it brought back why I hate LA. I also saw that the season ended against Kansas City at Invesco with over 25,000 in attendance. What?
After 10 games Casey already has more goals than any single player on the team in 2004, 2006 & 2007 and he has tied 1997 when Paul Bravo led the way with 8 goals. If Casey can make the 12 goal mark he’ll be tied with Jeff Cunningham as the third best goal scorer in a single season in Rapids history. That is just four more goals. If Casey can score six more goals he’ll tie the record for single season goals which is held by the Super Scot John Spencer. Spencer scored 14 goals in both 2001 and 2003. 15 goals in a single season will make Conor Casey the most prolific scorer in Rapids history.
I don’t want to jinx him, but it seems like he can do it. Over the coming games I hope Conor Casey can score 7 more goals and if he does he’ll write himself into the Rapids history books.
Keep it going CC!

Who knew the Rapids hired Daniel Craig to coach the Rapids? Ok, I kid, it is head man Gary Smith playing a 007 type. how about the below video the Rapids produced this season for the pre-game video…well done! I’ve been the first to get down on the Rapids marketing effort but I think this is pretty sweet and want to acknowledge the effort. Again, well done!


Colorado Rapids 2009 Opening on Vimeo.

The club obviously spent some coin on the ad and I for one appreciate it. I’m glad it got posted on-line for more to see. Smith’s quote is important. “The time is now, everything is in place to take this club to the top. We will take take the cup, nothing else matters.” It is about time the Rapids had this attitude. Hopefully the days of “let’s make the playoffs and see what happens” are over.
I for one think another striker are needed to reach the top, but at least there is a clear goal…and Gary Smith will assassinate anyone to make sure it is reached.
Congrats to whomever the team inside the Rapids is who got this done. Perhaps this can make it onto the local TV to help generate a little buzz around the club.

In the season opener – the Man of the Match as voted by you the supporters was Conor Casey with 24% of the vote. Cummings came in second at 20% and Clark followed with 13%.
Pablo Mastoreni was overwhelmingly voted the Best Defensive Player with 45% of the votes.
Here’s the ballot for this week’s victory over the Kansas City Wizard in the home opener at DSG Park.

by Josh Vaisman
Well, the Rapids had their first home match of the season and secured a much needed win. Here’s how I saw the player performances:
Matt Pickens – Pickens made some nice saves and was active in the match. I get the feeling that he is still getting comfortable with his teammates and may be experiencing some communication problems with his defensive line. If that’s the case, I wonder if that is his issue or that of Gibbs/Ihemelu. The goal was not his fault. Score = 6
Koskue Kimura – Kimura was pretty quiet throughout the match and I take that to be a positive. He made several decisive passes and, for the most part, controlled his side of the pitch. I would still like to see him cut down on some of those misguided long passes he attempts and his positioning could use a bit of improvement but I think he had a better showing than in week 1. Score = 6.5
Cory Gibbs – Gibbs was relatively solid throughout the match, maintaining good position for the most part and being very active up into midfield. That’s nice, but I need more from him. I do feel as though his command of the backline is not as strong as one would like to see from a CD wearing the captain’s band (in Mastroeni’s absence). I also felt that he and Pickens were not always on the same page though I cannot say who is at fault for that. The goal was almost entirely his fault, though the ball did take a wicked bounce off the pitch. Score = 5
Ugo Ihemelu – Ugo was my defender of the match. He was consistently involved in breaking up KC’s attack and was active up and down the pitch. He seemed to be a half step quicker in response than the other defenders the whole match. Impressive night for him. I hope it is a sign of the future. Score = 7
Jordan Harvey – Harvey did some very nice things (good crosses, nice tackles, strong passing) but also seemed to have a couple mental lapses and made a handful of passes that were painful to watch. His potential is obvious but potential doesn’t bring points to the table. Score = 5
Jacob Peterson – Peterson was quick and involved throughout his time on the pitch. His defensive anticipation is actually pretty impressive and we all know he has quickness and a willingness to take on defenders. Having said that he lacks creativity, spends too much time staring at the ball and is predictable in his passes and runs off the ball. I imagine he seriously frustrates the coaching staff. Score = 5
Mehdi Ballouchy – Mehdi continues to be an enigma. He has fantastic skills on the ball and wonderful balance and “hop” to his step. But, he disappears for stretches in matches and continues to fail to create commensurate with his skill. He did little to affect the flow of this match for good or bad. Score = 5
Nick LaBrocca – I am convinced after watching him play last night that we have found Pablo’s replacement. Nick is relentless, fearless and skilled at “destroying” almost to Pablo’s level. What he adds is mobility and offense. Last night I saw a player who was constantly looking to be involved and able to make decisive passes in closed spaces and his long range shot is a true asset on this squad. Score = 7.5
Colin Clark – Few players frustrate me more than Clark. He always seems to find the right place to be on the pitch, is absolutely relentless of the ball, has incredible quickness and the kind of killer mentality one hopes for in a wide player. But he continues to take one extra step when he should shoot or pass and while he creates exciting opportunities with great frequency he tends to kill those opportunities almost as often. Like Harvey, he has incredible potential but he needs to find a way to convert that potential into results. Score = 6
Omar Cummings – Cummings disappeared a bit last night for brief sections of the match. But, he did work hard off the ball and displayed some impressive balance and vision. He had a bit of Clark’s “one step too many” at times though. Regardless, his run off the ball leading up to his goal and the finish were top class. It’s promising that he was in the right place at the right time for the second week in a row. Score = 6.5
Conor Casey – I think Casey is showing us what he can do when confident and completely healthy. He showed impressive balance, calm and vision last night and rarely made a negative play. He seems to be finding his flow early this season and could go on a scoring tear like late last year soon. I also like that he is being very unselfish in his ball distribution. For the second week in a row he gave a very solid effort. Score = 7
SUBS
Terry Cooke – In the short amount of time on the pitch Cooke completely changed the dynamic of the game. He was my man of the match without a doubt. The game opened up for the Rapids when he came on and his vision and anticipation in his passes were absolutely top class. His free kick goal was phenomenal and the cross field pass he made to Clark to start the sequence that led to the game winner was a thing of beauty. When motivated he is the creative fire of this team. Score = 8
Ty Harden – I did not see enough of him to formulate an opinion as he was a time-wasting late sub.

When Class VI member, Josh Oqueli, gets an idea in his head, he doesn’t shake it off easily. So, when he started talking about forming a Class VI Mens’ competitive team, it was only a matter of time, hard work and several e-mails before the idea became a reality.

Now, the squad is in place and ready for its first game April 5 in the Mens’ Open division of the Adult Leagues at DSG Park.
Josh put out an ad calling for players interested in joining the fledgling team back in early March and an impressive number turned out in Westminster for the first practice. After a further practice session, we settled on a roster of 17 players. The ages vary from early 20s to not publicly available knowledge in certain cases. Some of us have played college soccer, some of us have not, but the ability level is promising. We are starting to communicate better as a team as witnessed by a good showing last weekend against one of our future opponents in a scrimmage. We may spring a Seattle-like expansion team surprise this season or we may fall flat on our faces but we will be giving our all and would welcome as much support as we can possibly get.

Local restaurant, GB Fish and Chips, has stepped in brilliantly to offer shirts and some very generous money. Hence the team name, Class VI GBFC (Fish and Chips, Football Club, get it?). We have also offered a contract to GB Fish and Chips owner, Alex Stokeld, as a token of our thanks though he may be up to his neck in fish batter to actually grace the field too often.

We are also looking to launch an audacious swoop for some very well known faces connected with the Rapids. The odds are long but they have shown interest. They are just stalling with the financial issues involved. That is all in the near future.

For now, we are concentrating on team morale and not worrying about the big names coming in in the interest of the current players. Class VI GBFC opens its campaign Sunday April 5 at 3pm up at DSG Park, for now on field number 10. Come along and wear your hoodies and scarves and root, root, root for your very own Class VI team.

This is the first of a weekly notes column. It will contain observations and my thoughts on things happening in Rapids Nation. I hope everybody enjoys.

First Impressions: I’d like to start by introducing myself. I’m a Colorado native and have been a fan of the Rapids since ’96, but for the last four seasons I worked in the media relations department for the team. Saturday’s game will be my first as a fan since July 4, 2004 and therefore will be my first at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. I hope to meet a lot of new faces at the tailgate this weekend.

Opening a Can: I’m hoping this week’s storm doesn’t deter people from coming out to the park for the opener. The Rapids haven’t always had solid crowds on opening day, and there are a few factors may affect the “butts in seats” for this year’s starter, the economy, the opponent and the weather. Here is the attendance for the home opener every year. We’ll hope for the team’s sake that it will be closer the 2008 than 2005.

08- 18,713 vs. LA
07- 18,086 vs. DC
06- 12,124 vs. CLB
05- 9,253 vs. DAL
04- 13,417 vs. LA
03- 20,816 vs. SJ
02- 25,010 vs. SJ
01- 18,495 vs. MET
00- 17,105 vs. TB
99- 15,592 vs. MIA
98- 19,252 vs. LA
97- 15,325 vs. CLB
96-21,711 vs. DAL

Pablo Gone: In what has become commonplace since he joined the Rapids in 2002, Pablo Mastroeni will miss a game for his club. Whether it has been due to a National Team call-up, injury or suspension, it seems he hasn’t been around very much. However, Pablo has set personal bests with the Rapids for games played three years in a row, 20 in ’06, 23 in ’07 and 25 last year. The captain may regress this year with all the competitions the U.S. is in this year. The good news for the team is that one of the players fans thought would miss some games, Ivan Guerrero was not called up for Honduras.

Kicks from the Spot: Here are a few short thoughts I had to end with… Think the FO is excited for the home opener? I counted 41 exclamation marks in this week’s RapidFire e-mail…Speaking of the something in the RapidFire, how is KSE, who has reportedly let around 30 people go this year, holding a job fair before the game?…Here’s hoping Herculez doesn’t score in his first game against the Rapids after being traded like he did in his first against the Galaxy on May 26, 2007… I’m excited to see what Jacob Peterson can do with a full 90 minutes, if he is to start, after hearing that Steve Guppy has been working closely with him this off-season…Let me know what you think of the column in the comments and the types of things you would like to see in this space in the future. Thanks for reading and Go Rapids.

New format – you can now LISTEN to the interview.
Click Here to Listen to the Interview

Enjoy – and don’t forget the tailgate tomorrow has moved – the entry below has all the details.
Big thanks to Craig de Aragon who did the interview and the recording.

The home opener is here! Time to catch up with friends at the tailgate before heading into the Stadium to cheer the boys to victory over Hercules Gomez and the KC Wizards!
The Colorado Rapids have embraced us this year like never in the past, and have granted us permission to move our tailgate to prime territory: the VIP lot on the south side of the stadium across from the Cantina! We’re grateful to the Rapids, especially Keiran Cain who helped make this possible.
Everyone is welcome to join us – we’d love the chance to make you an Official Rapids Supporter too! However, only Official Supporters will be allowed to park in the VIP lot.
Here are the details:
Time: 4:30 PM
Where: VIP Lot across from Cantina
How to get there: Off Quebec take E 56th Ave and Enter Stadium on Valentia (South side of stadium) See Map Below.
Parking: There will be a parking attendant allowing only Supporters into the Lot. Your name should be on the list. If not, I sent my cell number via email to you – call and someone will get you in. For future games – the team is making parking passes for us.
Food/Drink: We provide for free hotdogs, soda, beer, condiments, plates, and utensils. Supporters bring along food to share with other supporters – a sort of Pot Luck.

Okay – we’re going to try something new with Man Of The Match voting. We’re going to put it right here in the blog so you no longer need to be registered to vote. In addition to the end of the year Class VI Player of the Year award which went to Conor Casey last season, and departed Bouna Coundoul in 2007, you’ll also be able to vote on the Best Defensive Player which will help determine the Centennial Firm Defensive Player of the Year.