NFL
By Keith Richards
Matchday two for the Colorado Rapids is upon us! The understatement of the year would be to say the optimism going into matchday one has quickly faded. The Rapids received an old-fashioned butt-whooping from the Seattle Sounders in their season opener. It was not pretty and the Rapids fans here in Colorado are not happy. Matchday two, though, is a New Day (wink, wink) for the Colorado Rapids. I will quickly discuss the debacle that was matchday one and then move on to how the Rapids can get their first victory of the season on matchday two.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I bought into the matchday one optimism. So much so that I picked the Rapids to win the match. The match started well, but then it all fell apart. In the first twenty minutes of the match, the back four held well and Colorado was progressing in their attack. Darren Yapi even put a shot off the crossbar, which almost had me out of my seat. That’s when the misery started.
The Sounders’ first goal by Roldan was just a result of great build-up and play. The next three goals, however, were all preventable. Though the attack of Seattle was, for lack of a better term, still sound, poor clearances and miscommunication led to the Sounders getting opportunities to put the ball away again. Also, while Yapi looked promising when he had opportunities, those opportunities were few. The Rapids will have to be better in both areas on matchday two if they seek to bounce back from their dreadful matchday one performance.
As for matchday two, let’s start with the bad news: The Player Availability Report. I say bad news but there’s a healthy mix of bad and good news. Both Jonathan Lewis and Jack Price are listed as questionable. Lewis continues to work back from an injury suffered in training. Price, however, was listed last week with back issues. This week, it’s the left ankle.
Though not ideal, the idea that Jack’s back is better is good. Weather and field conditions will play their roles in whether Lewis and Price play. Earlier in the forecast, there was a chance of snow in Commerce City, but that’s not a concern anymore. So, it’s likely that Jack and Jonathan will have decent opportunities to see the pitch on matchday two.
As it goes for good news on matchday two, Sporting Kansas City has not been very good at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for some time now. Including a 2-0 defeat last season, Kansas City is 0-5-4 in Commerce City since 2015. While past performances don’t always dictate the future, they should still give the Rapids hope for matchday two. It could give Colorado the mental edge over Sporting Kansas City. There are a few other keys to victory that the Rapids will need to adhere to for matchday two.
First, and arguably most importantly, the back four of the Rapids has to be better. As stated above, the initial form and effort when the match began were solid. In fact, the formation throughout the match was often solid as well. However, when the back line fell, it fell hard. Rosenberry and Gersbach were often beaten on runs by the Seattle wings and Lalas had several poor clearances.
The one bright spot was Maxso, who had a stellar game. Though he was not perfect, his effort never faltered. On matchday two, the left and right backs have to provide more cover for Maxo and Yarbrough. Clearances have to improve drastically and the left and right backs simply cannot get beaten so easily on runs by the opposing wings. If the back line plays even 30% better than they did against Seattle, the Rapids will be well on their way to a matchday two victory.
Second, the midfield has to improve. Connor Ronan was great in midfield. He completed 90% of his passes, won 85.7% of his duels, and didn’t foul once (suffering two fouls instead). Priso and Bassett were not as good. Priso’s passing percentage was not bad (80.6%) but he did not often make the right pass. Also, he only won 50% of duels. Same for Bassett. He completed 88.6% of his passes, but also often passed on better opportunities. Bassett was better in duels at 55.6% won, but not much better.
The midfield could look different on matchday two. If Price is fit to play, he likely gets the start. While he may start, his playing a full 90 minutes is unlikely. So, Colorado will need to take advantage of the time Jack is on the pitch on matchday two. The passing percentage has to remain the same, but the passes have to be better. In addition, the percentage of duels won for all midfielders has to be closer to the 85.7% managed by Ronan. If they can manage that, it gives way to better opportunities in the final third on matchday two.
Finally, as you can probably guess, the forwards need to capitalize on every opportunity in the final third. Barrios only won 11.1% of his 12 duels. He was far too easily dispossessed throughout the match. Nicholson only won 16.7% of his duel and only had six. While Darren Yapi only won 37.5% of duels, he had more than Barrios and Nicholson combined.
It starts with the passing from midfield. When those passes do come in clean, the forwards have to be able to keep possession of the ball on matchday two. Longer possession in the final third leads to better opportunities for supporting runs. Then, supporting runs, with proper passing to those supporting runners, lead to better shots on goal. These items are a must for a potential matchday two victory.
I think the Starting XI for matchday two should be as follows: Yarbrough, Rosenberry, Wilson, Maxso, Gersbach, Price (if healthy), Ronan, Bassett, Cabral, Nicholson, and Yapi. With Rubio out, Yapi will continue to be the leading forward. Barrios should give way to Cabral as Barrios in the attack was not effective last week. Time to give Cabral a shot. The 4-3-3 shape was not always horrible. They just need to execute. I’m calling for a 2-0 Rapids win on matchday two.
I’ll be onsite at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Saturday for the match. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as I live-tweet the action! Don’t forget our other futbol coverage with Team NBS Media as well!
