NFL
By Keith Richards
The Colorado Rapids are back on the pitch once again! For its third match in seven days, the Rapids head north of the wall for Matchday 10 to face the Vancouver Whitecaps. It’s a pivotal Western Conference battle. The Whitecaps are currently two points ahead of Colorado in the standings. The Rapids will look to continue their unbeaten streak where they haven’t seen a defeat for six consecutive matches across all competitions. So, how does Colorado stay out of the loss column on Matchday 10?
The Rapids will also be looking for their fourth consecutive result on the road when they visit Vancouver. It will not be an easy task. While the Whitecaps are not what you would offensive juggernauts, they are a defensively stout squad. Heading into Matchday 10, Vancouver has only scored 11 goals (1.4 per match) but they’ve only allowed seven goals (0.9 per match).
Conversely, Colorado has scored six goals (0.7 per match) but has allowed 11 goals (1.2 per match). For much of the season, it’s been equally imperative for the Rapids to be excellent on both the defensive and offensive sides of the pitch. The Colorado defense will still need to be stout on Matchday 10, but the attack must continue to grow in this road match. Breaking the Whitecaps’ defense will not be easy, but they have to find a way.
In their 3-1 win over Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Wednesday, Jonathan Lewis scored the opening goal in the fifth minute, which put Colorado out to an early lead. After equalizing right before the half, the Rapids held Hailstorm FC largely in check throughout the second half. It was a great attacking game for the Rapids. 11 of their 16 shots came from inside of the box. Lewis himself had a brace and an assist.
I asked Lewis if there was anything they could take from the Open Cup match moving forward as the attack continues to get better. Jonathan stated, “Just stepping on the team’s throat from the minute one, you know. We’re gonna go to Vancouver this weekend. You know, this opportunity, we got to come out there flying from the gate. You know, the difference in St. Louis, we played St. Louis on the weekend [and] we came flying in from the gate but we didn’t punish them…. We have to step on teams throats with all the momentum that we have, especially in the first half.”
I asked Coach Robin Fraser if there was something in particular that could take away from the three-goal match or if it was a continuation of how the team has been over the past few weeks. Fraser stated, “Well, I think it’s both. I think it is a continuation. It’s one of the big emphases going into that game was that our mentality has been good…. A lot of that starts with our mentality and our clarity in our roles and things like that.” What Lewis and Fraser said will be a part of whether or not the team can gain a result on Matchday 10.
The Player Availability Report for the Rapids is much the same on Matchday 10 as it has been the past few weeks. Bassett (hamstring), Galvan (groin), and Beitashour (left foot) all appear to be game-time decisions. While Beitashour would be missed, having Maxso back for the past couple of matches has kept the defense in great form. Even accounting for the match that Andreas missed, Colorado has still only allowed three goals in the past five matches.
Offensively, Bassett will be missed if he can’t go, but the Rapids are still in good hands. Diego Rubio has a goal and an assist in the past three matches. Max, who Fraser and other players have been really high on, has two goals and one assist in the past three matches. Both Barrios and Lewis have been active off the bench and Cabral has been promising starting in the last two matches. Does that mean a victory on Matchday 10 though?
I think it does. As stated above, Vancouver is a very good squad defensively. The Rapids have looked much better on the road as of late. In their last matchup in Vancouver, Colorado lost 2-1 but they were the better squad overall. I will take that same result, 2-1, but I think the Rapids win on Matchday 10. Look for Rubio and Max to score on this Matchday 10 victory.
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