NFLSix matches. It’s been six matches since the Colorado Rapids have gained three points, which was back in May against the Seattle Sounders. During that time, the vaunted undefeated streak in home games ended, and several players either left the team or were traded. Amidst all the disappointment, though, there is hope.
So that the report ends on a positive note, let’s get the negative out of the way. The biggest disappointment of the Rapids this campaign has been their lack of consistency. Colorado hasn’t put together a 90-minute performance since their win against the Sounders. This was on display again Wednesday night in their draw against Orlando City. Though Orlando City is an excellent squad, there were times in which the Rapids just looked lost. The personification of that behavior came in the 22nd minute.
In the 22nd minute, Gol de Facundo Torres would score off a long throw-in that Colorado appeared to have well marked. However, even with three Rapids players marking the Orlando City player on the initial throw, a horrible touch made its way to an unmarked Torres for a goal that should not have been allowed.
When asked about this play after the match, Robin Fraser said, “…The goal we gave up was a soft goal…tonight, I really thought we weren’t great for the first 10, 15 minutes, but once we sorted out the defending, I thought the rest of the half was good.” I asked Coach Fraser about the inconsistency in halves in the last couple of matches.
Robin stated, “It’s an interesting question, and some of it is not able to be answered because things happen in the game that don’t make sense. For the first half of the season, we were much better in the first half and then struggled in the second half…you know, that question really comes back to what I’ve been saying for a couple of weeks, which is consistency and we can’t play well in the first half and not play well in the second half. We can’t play poorly in the first half and play well in the second half. We’re looking for more complete, more consistent performances throughout the 90 minutes.” More to come on that front.
Another point of disappointment has been the play of Gyasi Zardes. Entering the match, Zardes was fourth on the team with two goals. Unfortunately, both of those goals came from the penalty spot. So, Zardes had yet to score in a live play situation, which is not what the Rapids were hoping for when they traded for Gyasi. If Colorado is to turn its season around, a lot more will be expected from Zardes. Again, more on that to follow. As stated above, there are signs of hope for this squad.
The first sign of hope is the resilience of the Rapids. In their last two matches, Colorado has clawed back from a one-goal deficit against Orlando City and a two-goal hole against Real Salt Lake to earn a point in both contests. I asked Collen Warner how significant it is that team can come back from moments like the dreaded long throw-in. Warner said, “You hate to concede on that because it’s something that we’re prepared for, and we know our roles and we should better…but it was important that we come back and push for the win because the points really matter. I think overall if you consider the performance of the game, it seems like a point gained more than two points lost.”
Coach Robin Fraser would echo the sentiments of Collen. In the second half of his response to my question regarding consistency, Fraser said, “Tonight [against Orlando City] was not bad in that we didn’t give away a number of chances, and tonight was good in that we created a number of chances. The goal now is to finish those chances.”
Keegan Rosenberry’s mindset is the same as Fraser and Warner, and he said, “The underlying theme sometimes for us is that we don’t feel like teams are picking us apart, playing 30 passes and scoring great goals. It’s self-inflicted things that seem like easy fixes, but it’s concentration…it’s staying locked in.”
Another sign of hope is the seeming emergence of Gyasi Zardes in the last couple of matches, especially against Orlando City. In the match against Orlando City, Zardes would score his first open play goal in the 65th minute. It was one of the numerous chances Gyasi had in the game. In the first half, it was Sam Nicholson who continuously found Zardes, but the two were not able to have a successful connection. Michael Barrios would come on as a substitute in the second half and complete the successful connection with Gyasi to level the match.
Rosenberry, Fraser, and Warner all feel that the Zardes goal could open the proverbial flood gates for him and the team, which is the last sign of hope. Robin feels that the Rapids’ chances continue to increase in quantity and quality. The emphasis moving forward is on consistency for 90 minutes and completing the opportunities they have.
Colorado hosts the LA Galaxy on Saturday, and obtaining three points is the desired outcome of the match. I asked Coach Fraser if the similar attacks of Orlando City and the LA Galaxy are an advantage heading into the game plan for Saturday. Robin said, “I think LA is another team with very good players. They can hurt you in a number of different ways…Is it an advantage? It’s another very good team that we have to be prepared for and be clear in how we want to defend them and be clear in how we think we can exploit weaknesses.”
Nuts and Bolts Sports will be on location at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for the contest Saturday as we continue our growing coverage in the MLS world. Be sure to check out our coverage of Minnesota United FC and DC United!
