No Fan Alone Colorado Rapids Supporters

One of our most devoted Rapids fans had this observation after Real Salt Lake’s MLS Cup victory: the Rapids lost their playoff opportunity to the eventual champions. So maybe the loss wasn’t so terrible after all. Who knew RSL was just peaking as the season ended? The Columbus Crew didn’t suspect. Neither did Chicago. That’s why we have playoffs. If the Cup were just awarded to the team with the best point total, then Columbus Crew would be the winners. And we all know how that turned out for the Crew.

Most of the Rapids team showed up for the MLS Cup viewing party. I spent a little time polling fans and players about who they supported that night. I got a variety of responses, mostly in favor of the L.A. Galaxy. One guy in a Broncos shirt said he was supporting the Rapids. Real got some love from several Rapids fans, who pointed out that half the Real team were former Rapids. Well, they exaggerate a little. One fan’s pre-game prediction went like this: they play to a tie in regulation time (6-6, wow some score), then they play OT, then they go to PKs, and then they go to sudden death PKs. And Real wins. And several people laughed and said “Yeah, right. ha ha.”.

Rapids players were mixed on who they supported. Opinions ranged from an adamant “I don’t want to see Real win” to “I want a good game and I don’t care who wins” to “Jason Kreis is a class act and I hope they win”.

The Oak Tavern had plenty of TVs, but apparently no food, despite a large menu. It was crowded with fans of all ages, including kids getting soccer balls autographed by players. Class VI and C-firm POTY trophies were presented at half-time, but Omar Cummings was away at National Team duty, and couldn’t accept his award. Casey was also absent. In case you hadn’t heard about the alleged fight with Coach Gary Smith, you can read about it here. I asked an in-the-know source about that, and he said it had possibly been blown out of proportion, but also it could have been brewing for awhile, given all the pressures and disappointments and post-season let down. So I’m not too concerned at the moment. One angry, long-time Rapids fan suggested that both of them should go anyway, and who cares if they were arguing.

Meanwhile one player is hitting the road, hopefully for some good opportunities. Jordan Harvey was drafted by the Philadelphia Union as one of the first 10 players on the expansion team’s roster. Good for him. He was frequently recognized as a hard worker who didn’t always get the props he deserved. All MLS teams had to submit a list of 11 protected players, unavailable for the draft, on Monday. In case you haven’t see the Rapids list:
Goalkeeper: Matt Pickens
Defenders: Julien Baudet, Cory Gibbs, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor
Midfielders: Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni, Jamie Smith
Forwards: Conor Casey, Omar Cummings

This looks like an awesome starting XI. If this team had been playing in August, who knows what could have happened in the post-season. Unfortunately this team never saw the field, since the timing of the trades and injuries prevented it.

The list of unprotected players was also interesting, some surprising, or not. Soccer is a business. It might also be something of a poker game when it comes to draft eligibility and trades. More changes are likely before we know who will show up to play in March. I’d at least like to see that starting XI play as a unit someday.

Big Questions for the Off Season:
Are small rosters hurting MLS talent?
The argument is made that, with the demise of the Reserve teams, MLS rosters are severely restricted by limits. Injuries, national team call-ups and suspensions wreak havoc on team cohesion. On the other hand, how many guys can you have sitting on the bench, not seeing playing time and losing their edge? (For an example of how lack of playing time affects play, see Chris Simms, Bronco’s substitute quarterback).
Officiating quality. Or is that an oxymoron in MLS? Apparently this was a topic at the Supporters Summit (articles below).
Fan Relations (also discussed at the Summit): How do some teams draw more fans? How do various clubs treat their fans? Etc. My question is: why are the most enthusiastic fans, with the drums and the chants, tucked far away in a corner at DSGP? That enthusiasm is what makes it a fun experience for everyone. Why not let people drum and chant and so forth right in the middle section? Afraid of riots? At a Rapids game? Really? We should be so lucky.

Soccer in Strange Places
On a recent visit to L.A. to – what else – watch soccer (college), I chatted with my shuttle driver, an emigrant from East Africa many years ago. He said he was a fan of English Premier league, but he recently started watching Asian teams. “They’re not big guys, but they’re very fast, very talented”. So I told him about our Man From Japan who fits that description perfectly. Perhaps the Rapids have a new fan. On the other hand, he said if he had to advise any young guy what sport to play, he’d advise learning to swing a bat. From his point of view, baseball players make a whole lot of money for not much effort.

PIckens accepts his DPOTY trophy