Dillon Serna gets acquainted with new signing Dominique ‘Onion’ Badji
Photo: Kari Heistad
Guest writer Richard Fleming is the play by play announcer for the Colorado Rapids
3 Hopes and One Fear for Colorado Rapids
by Richard Fleming
1. Please please win
As some of you may remember and we are trying to forget, the Colorado Rapids finished the 2014 season on a 14 game winless streak. Twelve of them were lost. In fact, it was July 25, when the Rapids last tasted success, beating Chivas USA 3-0.
You have to go back to June 28, 2014 to find a victory over one of the sides Colorado will meet this year. On that day, they played Vancouver and won 2-0. The last road win was on April 12 in Toronto.
The last road win in the USA was on September 7 2013, when the Rapids beat LA Galaxy 1-0. Since that glorious day, the Rapids’ road record is 2 wins (both in Canada), three draws and 16 losses. Those 21 games yielded 17 goals scored with 38 conceded.
But that road form would matter less if the Rapids could ……….
2. Make the altitude count
The side needs to be much more difficult to break down, particularly at home … at altitude which should be our fortress. Playing a mile above sea level needs to be turned to the team’s advantage more than it was in 2014.
3. New signings adapt
As of today, there are 10 new signings on the books. Although it is a long season, the hope is they gel quickly and the create a healthy competition for places which in turn creates a healthy competitive environment.
There are some tough cookies that have come in and the Rapids are lucky to have acquired MLS Cup winner Marcelo Sarvas from LA Galaxy. Much better than Stevie G he is. Mike Harrington excelled in his early spell at Portland and looks a solid MLS player with over 200 league games to his name. Adding grit to the midfield is Sam Cronin who has arrived from San Jose. Tough tackling Bobby Burling returns home (he used to watch the Rapids in the early days as a fan), and should shore the side up defensively.
Perhaps most exciting and most unknown is the on-loan Argentine midfielder Lucas Pittinari from Club Belgrano. With Sarvas and Vicente Sanchez also on the squad, wouldn’t some stylish South American football be just the ticket to sweep away opponents?
One Fear:
Where are the goals going to come from? The club has recruited significantly in all other areas aside from up top. Deshorn Brown has been top scorer the past two seasons, with 10 goals in each season, but that’s not enough to be challenging for honours.
Gabriel Torres scored just 3 last year from 1090 minutes; more than twice the time he scored the same total from in 2013. iS Senegales Dom Badji the answer? Maybe as long as ‘Onion’ Badji is a starter! (Is this a known ‘delicacy’ in these parts?)
