God, Country, Soccer

On Goals Scored

2012-01-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

I just found the website/blog "On Goals Scored". It is loaded with infographics on soccer stuff. I've already spent way too much time on there. I really like the "What does a football look like" post.

Enjoy!

Guest Opinion: Nueva Temporada

2012-01-23T16:12:00.002-07:00

By: Kevberto (@Kevberto)

(Here's another guest article. I haven't found the time to do one myself, but here's hoping that Kevberto can keep you occupied while I am out - CdeA)

Esta semana los jugadores que pertenecen a los Rapids de Colorado se han presentado para los examenes fisicos antes de la pre-temporada. Muchas preguntas salen a la luz ya que hay “nueva” direccion para el equipo, diferente enfoque de lo que fue en los años pasados, y un jugador nuevo. Referente a los jugadores son mis preguntas y como se dice “pues a ver que pasa.”

El estilo que se espera departe de el entrenador (D.T. ) Oscar Pareja es el siguiente: ataque, audaz, pases cortos, rapido, usando las bandas, un jugador que creé jugadas. Existe una base de jugadores fuertes, talentosos, rapidos y audacez, de los que Pareja tiene conocimiento, pero que jugadores se quedaran? Que jugadores usara? Como los usara? Usara jugadores fuera de posicion?

Esta es mi forma de pensar sobre lo que podriamos esperar:

Porteros: Matt Pickens (titular) Stew Ceus (suplente) Richard Sanchez??? (tercer portero)

Defensa: Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, Hunter Freeman

Mediocampistas: Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan, Mediocampista Creativo que podria ser Macoumba Kandji aunque es delantero?? U otro jugador, y un Volante Izquiero Jamie Smith?? quiza

Delantera: Conor Casey y Omar Cummings (como puntas)

De acuerdo a los suplentes creo que no hay seguridad, ya que todos los jugadores fueron elegidos de acuerdo el estilo de Gary Smith. Quien si creo que no tendria mucha participacion o quiza quede de baja seria: Quincy Amarikwa, Caleb Folan, Andre Akpan, Joseph Nane, Tyrone Marshall, Scott Palgutta, Anthony Wallace. Estos son los jugadores que mas tienen accion en la banca de suplentes del equipo durante los juegos, no menciono a el equipo de reserva, ya que obviamente se necesita. Mis razones por las cuales tengo idea sobre lo que pasara son porque creo que se ajustaran mas facil a el estilo de juego que implementara Oscar Pareja. Hay que tener en cuenta que llega el nuevo jugador Tony Cascio que podra jugar tambien de mediocampista creativo, pero sigue siendo muy verde aun, pero tengamos en mente que Pareja estuvo acargo de las fuerzas basicas de el FC Dallas e hizo un exelente trabajo, no dudo en que este muchacho fue una buena eleccion. Recordemos tambien, que este es el primer trabajo como Director Tecnico de Oscar Pareja en un equipo mayor en la MLS.

El cambio que quiere el equipo, siendo realistas, llevara un proceso, Gary Smith estuvo unos años con la mayoria de los jugadores ya en la lista, y cambios de este tipo son frecuentes con los atletas, pero se espera que esta temporada sea solidificar un fundamento con los 11 titulares, junto con los suplentes y la aficion. La aficion espera otro campeonato, si se da esta temporada, todos estariamos sorprendidos, pero solo seria el comienzo de un reino y fortaleza de los Rapids de Colorado. Suena fantasia, pero por lo que se dice y se ve antes de ver los frutos en la cancha de juego, es lo que se espera.

Los jugadores desde el primer dia de entrenamiento estaran jugando por su permanencia en el equipo y por su puesto en el 11 titular. Que sorpresas nos daran para el 10 de Marzo? Quien se ira? Todo esta por verse en los proximos meses, pero la aficion y el Estado de Colorado esta muy pendiente.

Guest Opinion: Campeon Sin Rumbo

2012-01-04T17:05:00.002-07:00

By Kevberto (@kevberto)

Muchos sabemos que sin un lider o direccion, nada funciona con exito. Es este el caso de los Rapids de Colorado? Que no este fue el Campeon de la Copa MLS 2010? Porque questionar un equipo que ya logro exito en esta liga?

Kroenke Sports Enterprises cuyo dueño es Stanley Kronke, es el propietario de este equipo ya campeon. Pero como que no tiene un lider o direccion el Rapids de Colorado, si tiene un dueño multi-millonario? tiene que tener una buena directiva al frente de este equipo no?

Como testigo de lo sucedido en este equipo y en la misma pagina (se puede decir) con los aficionados se dice que es el equipo peor dirigido, menos importante, con rumbo a nada, y desesperante para los fanaticos.

A finales de el año 2011 se despidio a el Entrenador Gary Smith quien habia llevado a el equipo a su primer campeonato en los 15 años de existencia por problemas con el Director Tecnico (en este caso, no el entrenador) Paul Bravo. Unas semanas despues se despidio a el presidente de el equipo Jeff Plush dejandolo sin timonel y solo quedo el “Director Tecnico” Paul Bravo quien se puede decir se salio con la suya. Una pregunta que ha quedado en la mente de varias personas podria ser “Queria qudarse como presidente de el equipo?”

Esa pregunta solo se quedo como tal. Casi al final de el año 2011 se anuncio que se pondria en este puesto a Tim Hinchey quien fue el director de mercadotecnia de los Rapids de Colorado que habia funcionado como tal en la misma posicion con el Derby County F.C. de la liga Inglesa de futbol profesional, conocida como la EPL/Football League Championship, de quien se esperan cosas buenas para este equipo de Colorado.

Ese caso ya resulto lleva a lo siguiente. Quien sera el proximo director tecnico de los Rapids de Colorado? Se han mencionado varios nombres, desconocidos, rumores incluso de jugadores retirados, y de otros que ya tienen experiencia en otras ligas y en diferentes categorias. Pero con el Superdraft de la MLS 2012 ya a la vuelta de la esquina, quien tomara decisiones sobre los jugadores que se van a usar, si aun no tienen idea de como se jugara nisiquiera tienen entrenador?

Se espera la contratacion oficial de Oscar Pareja, quien estuvo acargo de las fuerzas basicas de el FC Dallas e hizo un trabajo exelente, varios jugadores que encontro estan comenzando su carrera profesional. Su buen trabajo lo llevo a ser el asistente de Wilmer Cabrera en la Sub-17 de los Estados Unidos que termino recientemente su funcion como tal con varias especulaciones de su partida. Antes de su partida, Jeff Plush habia mencionado que el equipo queria un sabor latino en su estilo de juego, y con la llegada de Pareja se implementaria la idea, pero Plush ya no esta. Que quiere Hinchey cuando se piensa en el estilo de juego? Recordemos que Hinchey viene de un estilo Europeo y no fue un cambio para el mientras Gary Smith estaba al mando de las tacticas de los Rapids. Teniendo eso en mente y hablando de la necesidad de una direccion/liderazgo. Como podra Pareja ser un lider con el presupuesto mas bajo de la MLS? que es la mitad de el penultimo presupuesto de la liga? Siendo Latino, y sabiendo que el orgullo tiene mucho que ver. El “no dejarse” tarde o temprano, sabiendo como opera la directiva de los Rapids de Colorado sera un factor importante. Y como sobresaldra con los jugadores que tiene ya el equipo? Se dice que trabaja exelente con la juventud futbolera, pero como confrontara las personalidades fuertes de Conor Casey, Pablo Mastroeni, por ejemplo? Son hombres “maduros” futbolisticamente, no los jovenes con los que ya esta acostumbrado a trabajar.

Los fanaticos de los Rapids de Colorado son mas de lo que el publico se imagina o tiene idea. Y las decisiones hechas por la cabeza de la organizacion, hemos vistono que no han sido las correctas “por sus frutos os conocereis.” Pero si existe un poco de luz al final de el tunel. Es incognita que se se puede atravezar o que saltara antes de llegar a ella con el nuevo rumbo de el equipo con la incorporacion de Pareja y Hinchey. Pero cuando le pondra atencion el dueño de KSE y Rapids de Colorado Stanley Kroenke para asegurar no solo a los fanaticos si no a el resto de la liga que el Rapids de Colorado no solo es un nombre en las formas de impuestos? “Si un reino dividido existe, no permanecera.” Y aunque permanezca, porque ser causa de risa para la liga, pensamiento de mediocridad a el mundo y frustracion para los fanaticos?

Si no importa la direccion de el equipo, vendelo ya porfavor

Well Hello There

2012-01-03T14:08:00.003-07:00

Life Happens. Life has made this blog dormant over the past year, but I have plans for it to come back.

When I started this blog, it was based on the premise that it would be a place for me to just rant and rave about anything and everything that came across my mind in the soccer sphere. I will continue that mission and try to get some other people who I appreciate their opinions to contribute now and then too. But for the most part, it's just going to be me, giving you my opinions that can't be given in less than 140 characters.

Thanks for reading, thanks for coming back, and I look forward to this journey.

End of #MLS Season Stuff

2010-10-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

Best 11 – (442) G – Hartman D – Olave, Gonzalez, Wynne, Pierce M – Donovan, LeToux, Morales, Ferreira F – Cummings, Wondolowski

Awards

MVP: Omar Cummings
Defender: Jamison Olave
Coach: Schellas Hyndman

Playoffs

RBNY vs. SJ – RBNY wins 4-2 agg.
Colorado vs. Columbus –Rapids win 5-3 agg.
FSL vs. FCD – FSL wins 6-1 agg.
LA Gals vs. Seattle – Seattle wins 5-5 agg. (Advances on Penalties)

If I were to start a new team...

2010-10-07T11:38:00.003-06:00

I was asking myself in the shower, "If I were to make a team, picking one, and only one, player from each MLS club..who would I take and how would my team look?"

I know, I know, I really gotta start daydreaming about other, more normal, stuff...like winning the lottery.

So, here's my picks from each team and how my team would shape up.

Chicago Fire - Patrick Nyarko (F/W)
C.D. Chivas USA - Jonathan Bornstein (D)
Colorado Rapids - Conor Casey (F)
Columbus Crew - Andy Iro (D)
D.C. United - Andy Najar (W)
FC Dallas - David Ferreira (MF)
Houston Dynamo - Geoff Cameron (D/M)
Kansas City Wizards - Ryan Smith (W/MF)
Los Angeles Galaxy - Landon Donovan (M/F)
New England Revolution - Marko Perović (MF)
New York Red Bulls – Thierry Henry (F)
Philadelphia Union - Jordan Harvey (D)
Real Salt Lake - Kyle Beckerman (MF)
San Jose Earthquakes - Ike Opara (D)
Seattle Sounders FC - Kasey Keller (G)
Toronto FC - Stefan Frei (G)

-----------Casey------Henry---------
---------------Donovan---------------
Najar----------------------------Smith
--------------Beckerman--------------
Bornstein-------------------Cameron
-------------Iro-------Opara----------
----------------Keller-----------------

Bench:
Frei
Nyarko
Perović
Harvey
Ferreira

I thought about using only non-dp players, but thought about it some more and figured, they are on the rosters, why not? So, what do you think of my team? Tell me how this club wouldn't win MLS Cup.

USA Soccer's Logo

2010-09-09T14:34:00.010-06:00

There's been an interesting discussion going on over on The Shin Guardian regarding the USA's soccer logo. The one now is bad, real bad. I've been talking about that for a while now with friends. The colors are wrong. The use of "US" instead of "USA" is wrong. The clipart looking soccer ball is wrong. It's just bad.

So, I decided to come up with some alternative ideas and using my limited graphics knowledge, put some of them together. So here it goes.

Version 1:

I made minor changes to this, using the correct colors and the correct nomenclature and eliminating the soccer ball. I like it, kinda plain though.

Version 2:

This version is based on Nike's Don't Tread campaign badge. It has a snake on it which I don't like so I took it off. I also corrected the colors and added "USA Soccer" to it.

Version 3:

For this I was looking at other USA symbols and came across this and loved it. I added the badge to it and gave it more of the heraldic look.

Version 4:

I like version 2 but its kind of plain, so I added an eagle to it and love the way it turned out. This is my favorite of all of them.

What do you think? Which do you like better? Do you have any suggestions or ideas for a different style? Let me know, Thanks.

(By The Way; I'm changing the labels for post pertaining to the USA Soccer team from "USMNT" to "USAMNT". I was duped into using that moniker when I first started things, but we really need to start calling our squad the USA Men's National team. And on this blog, we will champion the cause)

2/3rd Season Grades

2010-08-23T09:35:00.014-06:00

This Rapids season feels just like the past few Rapids seasons. Off to a great start and then crawl to the finish. If you break it down into 3 ten game segments, the Rapids started off great with a 6-3-1 (W-L-T) record and 19 points. If you look at the second 10 game segment, it hasn't been very good. The Rapids were 1-3-6 (W-L-T) with 9 points in the last ten games they've played, including the 3-1 loss in Columbus over the weekend. Let's take a look at who's been on the field and how I grade them.

(In order of minutes played)

G - Matt Pickens (1800 mins) B+
He's been pretty good in goal, he's started every game thus far. He and the defense have had good communication. I would say has been one of the top keepers in MLS this year.

D - Drew Moor (1800 mins) B+
I don't think that Rapids fans, myself included, knew just how good this guy was when the Rapids traded for him. He's been a rock in the back line, whether it be in central defense or on the wing, he's been a great addition to this club. Only thing keeping him from getting an A is the recent wave of goals being let in by the backline.

D - Marvell Wynne (1800 mins) B+
If anyone deserves an A, it's Marvell Wynne. I just couldn't give it to him becuase of the recent lack of success from the back line as a whole. That being said, Marvell Wynne has been great. I didn't think that anyone could be faster than Omar Cummings, but I think Wynne has him beat. Wynne never is fully beat on a play, if his man gets past you can always count on him to chase the guy down. He has been a joy to watch all season.

F - Omar Cummings (1769 mins) C+
The grade may seem a bit harsh, but the expectations of Omar this year were set higher and he hasn't reached them. He was moved to the wing which has shown to not work. He still has punishing speed and what seems to be more moves on the ball this year to get free, but his finishing is still as bad as it's ever been. He's had 2 stellar goals this year and should have had at least 4 or 5 more "easy" ones if his touch wouldn't have let him down. His assist totals are down this year too.

M - Jeff Larentowicz (1,717 mins) B
Larentowitz' game is similar to Pablo Mastroeni's with a tad more dangerous right foot. He's a bruiser, a destroyer and passes better than I thought he would. My first thought when he was brought in was that it signed the end of the Pablo era, but they have played on the field together most of the year. While I don't agree with the strategy, Larentowitz can't be knocked for doing the job he was put on the field to do.

M - Pablo Mastroeni (1,673 mins) C+
He still has a temper (see the Columbus home game) but he's been better about taking cards this year. With Larentowitz in the holding midfield role along side him, Pablo's offensive game has had much more room to be spotlighted, which I don't know if you would consider a good thing. He had 4 career goals before this year, but has scored 2 real nice goals this season. However, I'm not sure if he's doing enough as the leader and captain of this club to warrant a higher grade.

F - Conor Casey (1,533 mins) B-
He's got 7 goals and 3 assists so far this season, but hasn't scored since July 17th vs. KC, partly becuase of injury. He's played in the lone striker role most of the season with basically nothing, as far as service goes, from the midfield. He's missed quite a few chances with his head this year. At times he looks aloof and disinterested on the field, but without him the offense is completely lost. If he were to get injured again and have to miss any of the last 10 games, I think it would be hard to see how this club makes the playoffs.

M - Mehdi Ballouchy (1,328 mins) D+
You probably clicked on this article just to read my comments about Mehdi Ballouchy didn't you? Well here goes. Mehdi is an enigma. He must be the best practice player ever. I don't know how else to explain it. My frustration with Mehdi's game is that the role he's being put in is one that he obviously cannot do. In the 4-5-1 role as the central creative type midfielder he should be expected to create the offense, to be the facilitator of the forward motion. I can't tell you how many times he gets the ball deep into the midfield, drops it back to either Pablo, Jeff or a defender, turns his head and runs up field. It happens most ever time he touches the ball. Please Mehdi, take control, show some aggressiveness, look to create and pass into space! The worst part is that there is someone on the bench who he could be learning from that does all those things when he is on the field...but we'll get to that later. Mehdi's low grade is a reflection of his great potential not turning into great ability.

D - Danny Earls (1,208 mins) C
He started out so well. We all sang his praises after the first few weeks, saying "Jordan Harvey who?", but he's young, and has made some mistakes. He's lost the confidence of his manager and the club even made a trade to try to shore up that spot. I didn't think his errors were to that extent, or that he was the sole problem for their struggles. It feels like he's been made out to be a scapegoat somewhat. I just think he's a young player who went through some growing pains adjusting to the competitiveness of this league. I think he'll be a good player in the future.

D - Kosuke Kimura (1,031 mins) C
Everyone loves his willingness to do whatever it takes in whatever position he's put in. He's a true pro, a nice guy and a tireless worker. All that being said, he's not really a starter type player. He's a good glue guy and a good guy to have on the team. With Wynne coming to the club, Kimura moved more into the fill in role but has been called upon more frequently with the struggles of the left back position. When he is on the field, you can expect him to get beaten a time or two, but you can also expect him to show up in the offensive zone trying to make plays.

D - Julien Baudet (920 mins) B
The Beast as he's affectionately known is as he's called on the field. He's an intimidating force but not without his faults. He's had a few bone headed plays that have cost the club. He's always being targeted on free kicks and corners but hasn't scored any of them. However, it seems he and Drew Moor have a good feel for each other and he's been a cornerstone for the defense that has been pretty sold this year. I also like the accent, the allure, the beastliness...

M - Wells Thompson (885 mins) C
At the beginning of the season I thought Wells was a huge upgrade over Jacob Peterson. As the season has progressed, he's shown to be pretty much the exact same player as Peterson, with a bit more more of a temper. He has an affinity for finding physical challenges. One thing he does that I think Gary Smith really likes and what keeps him on the field is that he runs all day. He runs forward, he runs back to defend, he runs all day long. For a wing player, he doesn't have much in the way of crossing the ball. He needs to improve that part of his game quickly with Colin Clark being down for the season.

M - Colin Clark (866 mins) C-
Speaking of Colin Clark, I feel bad for the guy, two years in a row tearing your knee up has to suck. If we're just looking at his performance on the field, he struggled this year. Actually in the last game he played, it was his best game of the year up to that point. He had been timid, looked scared to go into challenges, and rusty. It's too bad that we won't get to see this year if he was able to come back from his injury and be productive again. Our wing play last year suffered without him and probably will continue to struggle again this year too.

M - Jamie Smith (620 mins) C
Has never really been fit enough to contribute. He gets injured very easily and has yet to see consistent time on the playing field. When he is on the field he has shown some skill on the ball and an ability to make things happen from set pieces. However, all that doesn't matter if he can't stay on the field.

D - Scott Palguta (415 mins) C-
After a very nice season last year he was bumped out of the starting role by a healthy Julien Baudet and the acquisition of Drew Moor. When he has played it's been shakey at best. He was pulled in the first half of the KC game for not being able to keep up with Kamara and Burnbury. He's filled in here and there at LB and CB, and has played better as of late, but not nearly as good as he was last year.

F - Quincy Amarikwa (201 mins) C
The Rapids traded for him earlier this season and he's played more than I thought he would. He's very athletic and a bull dog on the field but lacks a finishing touch. I wouldn't want to have to count on him if Casey or Omar get hurt.

F - Claudio Lopez (143 mins) B
El Piojo, the legend. I have been your biggest ally, you biggest supporter, your biggest fan. I'm not sure why you can't get on the field to start a game. You told me personally that you can play more than you are, and when you are on the field, the entire team looks dangerous. I know you're getting up there in age, and I know that with you inserted into the lineup that the problems of this team won't all magically disappear. But I know what my eyes tell me, and that's that you are the most skilled player on the ball this team has had in a long time. I want you on that field, I need you on that field, the Rapids need you on that field if they're going to make the playoffs this year.

M - Ross LaBauex (59 mins) INC
Hasn't had enough time on the field to be able to grade him accurately. I do like saying his name though.

Coach Gary Smith C
While I don't agree with some of the tactical decisions that Gary Smith has made, I look at some of the player personnel decisions as more egregious. His insistence on using Mehdi Ballouchy in the creative central midfielder role in the 4-5-1 formation is questionable at best. His use of Omar Cummings on the wing has proven to be unsuccessful. There were some decisions that worked, for the most part the back line have been solid..ignoring the LB slot, Larentowitz has worked, even thought I would start him in place of Pablo and not along side him. What started out to be the best start in Rapid history is turning into another mediocre year, straight on the path of another 10-10-10 year.

Conclusion and Predicion
The Rapids have 10 games left, 6 at home 4 on the road. They have Chicago and Toronto breathing down their necks for the last playoff spot. Can they hold on and make the playoffs? At this point, I say no. I see them going 3-5-2 with the schedule they have left. That would give them 11 more points for a total of 39 points. I think that Chicago will end up with more points and make the playoffs instead. What do you think, please feel free to leave a comment here, or let me know via twitter.

New Sponsor

2010-08-13T10:06:00.004-06:00

Did you know that soccer existed in the USA before MLS? Of course you did...hopefully. Well my friends over at Pot Hunting specialize pre-MLS American club apparel. They sent me a shirt of the Fall River Marksmen and the first time I wore it, I got a compliment on it.

So please, give them a visit, check out their wares and tell them God, Country, Soccer sent you. Thanks.

If you or your company are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact GodCountrySoccer[at]gmail[dot]com

Rapids Formation and Personnel

2010-07-28T12:05:00.005-06:00

Brwosing around the internet, looking at forums and the like, I came across a site that lets you make your own formation graphics. It's pretty cool, I spent way to much time messing with it. Well this is what I came up with. My desired formation and personnel for the Rapids.

I know the biggest thing off the bat is that Pablo Mastroeni is not out there. I just don't see the need for 2 destroyer type midfielders on the pitch at the same time. At this point in their respective careers, Jeff Larentowitz is better at that position than Pablo is. Another thing is that Mehdi Ballouchy isn't in the middle, he's replaced by Claudio Lopez. This seems like it should be an automatic, but for some reason, Gary Smith likes Mehdi more than Lopez. In this formation Omar Cummings moves back up top to partner with Conor Casey. Putting them on the wing as they have this year just isn't working. He's scored 2 stunning goals, but the rest of the time hasn't performed up to par with what he did last year.

Make sure to check out footballuser.com and make your team. Let me know what you think of mine and all the changes I made.

Appearances Over the Past Week

2010-07-21T12:39:00.003-06:00

It's been a busy week for me, check out some of my latest appearances.

VI Questions with Class VI - 07/20/10 Claudio Lopez

Bleeding Burgundy Podcast - 07/15/10 from Class VI

Around the League - 07/21/10 from CSRN

If you want to contact me about being on your show/podcast, feel free to me an email to GodCountrySoccer[at]gmail[dot]com

Interview with the Enemy

2010-07-15T14:50:00.006-06:00

This week, blogger Andy Edwards from the upstart website "The Daily Wiz" interviewed me for an article called "Five Questions With An Opposing Blogger". Check it out.

Remembering USA vs. Algeria

2010-07-15T08:31:00.013-06:00

I know this is a bit tardy to be posting about, but I'm mainly posting this as a bookmark for easy access to the following videos. I know down the road I'm going to want to go back and watch these, and heck, you may too.

First off is the ESPN call of Landon Donovan's amazing 90+ minute goal vs. Algeria to push the USA into the knockout round. "Go Go USA!"

Second, let's get the crowd reaction as they were watching this goal all around the globe.

I saved the best for last. Legendary voice Andres Cantor on the Futbol de Primera Radio Network with the call.

What a great moment for the USA, what a great moment for the National Team. I will always remember this and get goosebumps every time I do.

Thierry Henry and the Future of MLS

2010-07-14T08:08:00.005-06:00

Red Bull New York have officially announced the signing of French Star Thierry Henry.

This move comes as no surprise, it had been rumored for over a year. Being a Rapids fan, you would think that I would be upset, or anxious that this hurts the Rapids chances of a title. That is not my emotion this morning. I think this is a great move. Much better than that of David Beckham. I really hope this works. I hope that it pays off for them in the form of multiple championships...even at the expense of our Rapids.

Am I off my rocker? Yes, but still, this move can mean so much to the future of soccer here in the USA. Say RBNY wins 2 maybe 3 championships with Henry and Juan Pablo Angel, and another DP whom they're rumored to be bringing in this summer. How is that good? Well, my hope is that it will create an elite in the league and other owners will have to be more proactive about their clubs in order to survive. Competitive balance sounds great, but really it creates reason for management to stand firm and continue toward mediocrity, knowing that maybe next year will be "our turn" to win and make it to the playoffs. With Henry signing, the league continuing to expand, playoff spots becoming more of an achievement, the owners who choose to sit on their hands will be left behind. As well they should.

So I tell this to you Rapids fans, continue to cheer for our boys. I hope for a win every game. But also know that if you want the Rapids to make significant changes, and maybe one day actually sign a Designated Player, the success of the Thierry Henry move has more of an impact than you may think.

La Roja, Los Campeones del Mundo!

2010-07-14T08:05:00.003-06:00

I don't really have anything better to say than what's already been said. What a great World Cup. What a great performance from Spain. South Africa 2010, I will always remember you.

Around the League

2010-05-10T10:37:00.002-06:00

Do you ever listen to the "Around the League" show? If you don't, you should. It's quality entertainment from correspondents, well...around the league. Last week (05/05/10) I was asked to be a part of the show as a correspondent for Colorado. Of course i said yes! If you want to hear it, check it out here.

I have to say thank you to Brian Rants for recommending me to them, and also to the folks at "Around the League" for having me on. I look forward to doing it again.

The Golden Herculez

2010-04-22T09:55:00.005-06:00

Herculez Gomez has found great success playing for Puebla in Mexico's Primera Division. So much so that over the weekend he found himself in contention for the scoring title. That was until the referee remembered that Herculez, although being Latino of Mexican descent, is also an internationally capped American.

Now, most people when they hear the words conspiracy curl their nose and stop reading. But conspiracy, corruption and collusion are all in play in Mexico, especially when it comes to soccer.

Here's where the conspiracy theory comes in. In the second to last game of the season, Herculez scored his second goal of the game against Cruz Azul in the 37th minute bringing him into a tie for the "Golden Boot" with Chivas de Guadalajara's Javier "El Chicharito" Hernandez. Chicharito as you remember was sold a couple of weeks ago to Manchester United and left immediately, leaving his goal scoring lead at 10. When Herculez scored his tenth on the season and looked like he could score at least 1 more during the game, the referee's had to act.

As some may understand, Chivas has probably the biggest following in Mexico, they've won the most titles in Mexican history, they are the storied franchise, along with Club America. El Chicharito a youngster with amazing promise being sold directly to Manchester United brought them great pride and hopefullness, not just for followers of Chivas, but for followers of Mexico soccer. Mexico is looking for it's next wave of great players to take the torch. Nery Castillo was thought to be one, but that hasn't worked out, Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos are the next 2 to be tapped, but the promise still hasn't been fulfilled by them either. So the hope falls to Chicharito.

Knowing all this, the goal scoring title would be a good way to send Chicharito off to England. Mexican fans would even be OK with having Johan Fano, a Peruvian, playing for Atlante taking the lead away from Chicharito, they wouldn't like it, but they would be OK with it. Foreigners have won the scoring title before, it's not a big deal. Except if you're an American.

An American succeeding in Mexico is such a foreign concept that no I never really thought about an Amercian win a scoring title there, it's never been done. By giving Herculez his second yellow card for "diving" the ref not only took Herculez out of the match, but from the last match of the season, ending his season tied for the goal scoring lead, leaving that thought as just that, a thought and nothing more.

Herculez and Puebla are attempting to appeal the red card, but I'm sure nothing will come of that. The same people who "handed" out the red card are the people that are handling the appeal. So Herculez Gomez story this season ends with great success and surprise, but it's bittersweet knowing what could have been.

Strike Averted

2010-03-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

MLS Players and Owners finally agreed to terms on a new CBA merely a day before the strike deadline was about to hit. Free Agency wasn't quite accomplished, but the minimum salary was raised from 21,000 to 40,000 and players have greater rights to movement once their contracts expire. Overall I'd say it was a pretty fair compromise between the two. If anyone got the better of it, I would say the players set themselves up pretty nice to make even more headway in 5 years when the two sides go at it again. Players have never really garnered any kind of control over anything, this is the first sign that things are starting to balance out.

Class VI Interview with Gary Smith

2010-03-06T13:43:00.003-07:00

Here's the link to my first Class VI interview of the season.
There should be plenty more to come this season, along with another project we're working on too. If you want Rapids coverage from the fans prospective, stay with NoFanAlone.com and GCSblog.

Off Season Movement

2010-02-19T09:34:00.005-07:00

The Rapids in recent days have been busy. They have announced the signings of Colombian defender Oscar Murillo and Irish defender/midfielder Danny Earls from Rochester Rhinos.

Also it seems they are on the verge of signing two other players. Jamaican striker Devon Hodges, which has been in the news for a little while now, and more recently Eire, PA native Andy Lorei from Rochester Rhinos. Lorei seems to fit a need for flanker depth with the injuries to Jamie Smith and Colin Clark last year and the loss of Jacob Peterson to Toronto FC earlier in the off season.

All 4 of these recent additions look pretty good, especially Devon Hodges who once scored 10 goals in a professional game. It also seems that the most important signing that Gary Smith has ever made was to bring in Steve Guppy. In Guppy's short tenure with the Rapids so far he's had influence in bringing at least 3 players to the fold, Scott Palguta, Danny Earls and Andy Lorei. All spent time with Guppy during their time with Rochester Rhinos. If the other 2 pan out like Scott Palguta has, this off season will have been a success.

MLS Schedule Released

2010-02-03T16:58:00.003-07:00

Major League Soccer has unveiled it's 2010 schedule today. Looking deeper at the Rapids' portion of that schedule, there are some interesting notes.

- Finally a schedule that looks like an actual soccer schedule. Philadelphia joins MLS this year and makes the total number of teams 16, which means if you play everyone twice, home and away, you end up with 30 games total. Perfection!

- With it being a World Cup year the schedule got crunched up a little bit with 6 games scheduled in July, including trips to opposite ends of the landscape, one to Seattle and one to Toronto.

- David Beckham won't be making an appearance at DSGP this year, he will still be with AC Milan when the Galaxy come to Denver on 5 de Mayo.

- The two games against rival Real Salt Lake are spaced a month a part at the end of the season, with the final game of the season being at home against them.

- The Rapids first look at the 2 new stadiums entering the league this year are 8/14 in Philly and 9/11 in New York.

- The Rapids play New York on two important days in American history, on Independence Day at DSGP and on September 11th in New York at Red Bull Arena.

- There are no more than 2 consecutive games scheduled at home or on the road.

Rob Valentino Loaned Out

2010-02-02T15:58:00.004-07:00

Defender Rob Valentino who has yet to see the field for the Rapids in an MLS game is being loaned out to Løv-Ham of the Norwegian First Division (Second Level). Norway's domestic league is a summer league so he could be gone all season. If he wasn't going to play for the Rapids, loaning him out isn't a bad deal for him or the team. Let's hope he gets playing time over there to make it worth it. The only caution is that with this move the Rapids have sent away 3 defenders (Cory Gibbs, Jordan Harvey, Rob Valentino) this off season without replacing any. Depth going forward on the back line could be an issue.

What do to with Pablo?

2010-02-01T10:25:00.004-07:00

Is it time the Rapids got rid of Pablo?

I know this may come off as heresy or disloyalty to some, and others may be thinking "it's about time someone else has said it!", but is it time for the Rapids to move on without Pablo Mastroeni?

With the recent trades the Rapids made it looks like the Rapids may be thinking that too. Bringing Jeff Larentowitz in to the fold along with the emergence of LaBrocca as a consistent contributor to the defensive midfield has left the fans with the question, what do we do with Pablo? At this point in their careers Larentowitz, 26,is a better player at the position that Pablo, 33, currently occupies.

Pablo has always been a tweener type of player, not really big enough to play defense, not really much of a passer to link with the attack when playing d-mid. That's not to say he hasn't played both of those positions, and played them well, he very much has. Not only that, but he has also become an icon for this club, and it wouldn't surprise me someday to see his name and number join the Rapids' "Gallery of Honor".

In Pablo's younger years he was able to make up for his disadvantages with heart, fury, will power and leadership, all qualities that even earned him a well deserved place with the US National Team too. Now, another year older, and perhaps a step slower, maybe now is the time to make a move with him, hand the reigns off while his reputation is still at it's height. Would a defensive midfield of Larentowitz and LaBrocca be worse off? I think it would be better actually.

This is all difficult to say, I have enjoyed all that Pablo has brought to the Rapids throughout the years and continue to be a fan of his to this day. However, as much of a fan as I am of his, I think it would make Colorado a better team to move him on. Whatever or wherever Pablo's future is, it has been a good ride for him and I wish him the best.

Burpo and Gibbs Out Too

2010-01-28T11:10:00.005-07:00

Last week the Rapids confirmed the long rumored trade of Preston Burpo and Cory Gibbs to New England for Jeff Larentowitz and Wells Thompson. I don't really have a problem with the trade, both Burpo and Larentowitz are out of contract. If Larentowitz doesn't resign with MLS then the trade becomes lopsided. All signs point to him coming back however. With that trade happening, let's take a look what a potential line up on opening day might look like for the Rapids.

----Cummings--------Casey--------

Clark-------LaBrocca--------Smith

----Larentowitz-----Mastroeni----

Kimura----Baudet----Palguta---Moor

Right now there isn't any real left back on the team. You might be able to put Harden over there, but his pace would hurt you. Kimura has shown flexibility in his play and I think could transition to a speedy left flank that would make overlapping runs with Colin Clark. The other option would be to put Pablo in the defensive line and move LaBrocca to D-Mid and Ballouchy to A-Mid, but I think that would be more used out of necessity if one of the defenders gets hurt. In no way do I actually think this will be the starting 11 come opening day, I think they'll be more changes and we'll revisit this later.

Jacob Peterson Traded

2010-01-21T11:08:00.004-07:00

It had been speculated over the past few days that Peterson had been traded, but getting any information out of the Rapids about player movement is always a dead end. So, today we get conformation via Toronto FC's website.

So who gets the best of this trade? Well it's easy to say that TFC does because they get a player and the Rapids just get allocation money out of the deal. However, Jacob Peterson has never turned the corner and turned his potential into results. If it was up to me I wouldn't necessarily have given up on him, I still think he can be an effective player. But considering he shredded his knee towards the end of the season last year, and his game is mostly based upon speed, I can see why Colorado did what they did. I've interviewed/talked to Jacob a few times and he's always been nice and accommodating, and seems to be a nice guy, so I wish him luck and success in Canadia.

UPDATE: The Rapids have released a video explaining the trade and why it happened. This access and video is a step in the right direction Rapids. Congrats.

Rapids Draft Class 2010

2010-01-15T10:09:00.004-07:00

The Rapids went into the SuperDraft 2010 without a first round pick but came out with first round talent. The man pictured above is Andre Akpan. He is a forward from Harvard University. He was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy (College Soccer's Best Player). He scored 47 goals and 33 assists in college. He was projected as a first round pick. He had a poor combine. He fell to 6th pick of the second round (22nd overall) to the Rapids. He's no young project. He's 23 years old and ready to play. If and when Conor Casey gets called to the World Cup, Akpan could be ready to step in and play. I mean he couldn't be any worse than Pat Noonan right? Oh yeah, if you were wondering why the Rapids didn't have a first round pick, in a draft that was supposedly the deepest talent pool MLS has ever seen, it's because of the Pat Noonan trade. Here are the rest of the Rapids picks.

Conor Casey Shoots for the Record Book

2009-09-23T14:23:00.004-06:00

Conor Casey shoot for the record book tonight as Colorado takes on San Jose tonight (Altitude 7:30pm). He is tied for goals scored in a season with John Spencer at 14. With the Earthquakes coming to town it looks promising that Casey score that 15th goal this evening. Check out The Undercurrent for more details.

Interview with Gary Smith

2009-03-27T14:01:00.001-06:00

I did an interview for Class VI with Coach Gary Smith. Check it out!

Keel Waived

2009-03-16T11:19:00.002-06:00

Colorado has waived Stephen Keel. With the rosters being downsized this year, poor Keel got caught in a numbers game. The Rapids signed their draft pick Ross Schunk and are seemingly making way for Scott Palguta.

MLS Salaries Announced

2009-03-10T16:52:00.005-06:00

It's that time again, time to play Arm Chair GM. The MLS Players Union has realeased the player's salaries for 2009. If you care, the Rapids salaries are listed below.
Team / Name / Position / Base Salary / Guaranteed Salary
COL Ballouchy Mehdi M $ 100,000.00 $ 118,000.00
COL Burpo Preston GK $ 57,871.99 $ 57,871.99
COL Casey Conor F $ 200,000.00 $ 200,000.00
COL Ceus Steward GK $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00
COL Clark Colin M $ 85,000.00 $ 90,000.00
COL Colaluca Nico M $ 75,000.00 $ 108,000.00
COL Cooke Terry M $ 187,500.00 $ 192,500.00
COL Cummings Omar F $ 65,000.00 $ 73,750.00
COL Dalby Greg M $ 34,650.00 $ 34,650.00
COL DiRaimondo John M $ 20,100.00 $ 20,100.00
COL Gibbs Cory D $ 110,000.00 $ 117,142.86
COL Guerrero Ivan M $ 154,000.00 $ 161,000.00
COL Harden Ty D $ 34,008.00 $ 34,008.00
COL Harvey Jordan D $ 50,000.00 $ 51,250.00
COL Ihemelu Ugo D $ 140,000.00 $ 140,000.00
COL Keel Stephen D $ 34,000.00 $ 34,000.00
COL Kimura Kosuke D $ 52,500.00 $ 52,500.00
COL LaBrocca Nick M $ 70,000.00 $ 72,500.00
COL Mastroeni Pablo M $ 255,000.00 $ 300,500.00
COL O'Brien Ciaran M $ 70,000.00 $ 103,750.00
COL Peterson Jacob F $ 100,000.00 $ 118,750.00
COL Pickens Matt GK $ 125,000.00 $ 127,500.00

Who do you think is Overpaid/Underpaid? What do you think?

Rapids 2009 Jerseys

2009-03-02T11:29:00.004-07:00

The Rapids unveiled their jerseys for 2009. Something is missing...hmmm...it's really subtle. The "Colorado" and "Rapids" wordmarks have been removed for this year. We saw this last year when D.C. United started the year with a blank jersey, only to have a sponsor added later in the year. Could something be in the works for Colorado? Could Wal-Mart be the next thing added to the jerseys? Or is not printing the letters on the jersey just a cost cutting measure?

Rapids Get Forward Help

2009-02-26T10:32:00.003-07:00

Soccer by Ives is reporting that Colorado has made a trade with Toronto FC for the rights of Forward Gregory Richardson. Richardson is a Guyanese Forward who is/was on trial with Toronto FC coming from Joe Public FC in Trinidad & Tobago. You might remember him from scoring a hat trick against New England in the Champions League.

If the report is correct, what a deal for the Rapids. Only giving up what looks like a second round pick for a player who the Rapids desperately need. He's a bit of an unknown quantity, which has bitten Colorado before, however only having 2 proven forwards on the roster, the addition of depth in Richardson can't hurt. I'll make this guarantee right now, he'll be better than Thiago Martins.

Rapids eyeing Euell

2009-02-18T09:38:00.005-07:00

The Colorado Rapids have their eyes on 32 year old Southampton Forward/Midfielder Jason Euell. Euell has been capped 3 times for Jamaica and has spent time with clubs, Wimbledon, Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough. Not only that, but from his Wikipedia page, he appears to be quite the philanthropist, spending time with charities that help and encourage the deaf and hard of hearing. He himself is deaf in one ear.

Where'd ya Go?

2009-02-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, what can I say, the Mexico vs. USA game had me speechless! What a win, 2-0 again, how fitting.

As for what's next for GCS, I have a story in the works that you'll definitely want to read. Stay tuned for that, as I work out the details.

Game Day!!!

2009-02-11T11:49:00.007-07:00

I'm so excited, I cannot even tell you. USA vs. Mexico. 5pm on ESPN2. As far as predictions go, here's mine. It will start slow, the weather is going to be crappy, so it'll take a while for the guys to warm up. Look for Beasley to work the left flank and use his speed to set up Donovan. I see a first have strike from Dempsey, cleaning up a rebound from Landon Donovan. Second half, Mexico comes on strong, putting pressure on Tim Howard. But the defense will hold, Gooch will get a yellow, just becuase he's so big, the refs pick on him. Look for the nail in the coffin to come from second half sub Jose Francisco Torres. For the final score, USA 2, Mexico 0.

What's your prediction? Feel free to post yours on the comments section. Also, where you will be watching?

Here's a funny video for you that I first saw on The Offside Rules:

Re-United

2009-02-09T15:17:00.002-07:00

It's Official. Christian Gomez has been traded back to D.C. United.

Gomez Gonzo?

2009-02-09T13:45:00.004-07:00

It appears that the Christian Gomez trade situation is coming to a climax. Washington Post Soccer Insider is reporting that Gomez and D.C. are to be re-United as early as today. As a part of the deal, the Rapids would get back their Designated Player slot, which means absolutely nothing. The Rapids weren't going to use it anyway, which is why they traded it away in the first place. I just hope the Rapids don't have to pay him most of his salary to play for another team.

Is Nico Colaluca a Rapid?

2009-02-04T10:38:00.006-07:00

The Rapids first round draft pick of 2007, Nico Colaluca has been in New York training with the Red Bulls the past week or so. Word comes today that he played in a pre-season game yesterday for New York against the US U-17 team. Huh? Why is this so? What's the story? Is he a Rapid or not? He's only played 4 games in 2 years with the Rapids, but with Cooke getting older, his shot may be coming soon. Why isn't he in training camp with Colorado? I'll try to find out what I can, stay posted.

Edit: Here's photographic evidence from Red Bull New York's website. (Click image to enlarge)

Gary Smith isn't playing around!

2009-02-02T10:31:00.002-07:00

The Denver Post reports "Of the 34 players currently in camp, Smith said only captain Pablo Mastroeni has a guaranteed spot."

Another DP hits the dust.

2009-01-30T14:46:00.007-07:00

Boom...outta here Marcelo Gallardo. Washington Post Soccer Insider Steven Goff is reporting that D.C. United has gone the way of Denilson (ie. parted ways) with the injury prone forward.

If you had your money on David Beckham being the next DP to leave MLS, I hope you didn't bet the mortgage.

Rapids Lineup Version 1.0

2009-01-29T15:45:00.004-07:00

I posted the list of players invited to camp yesterday. Here's how I see things shaking out, at the end of training camp. This is a little bit of what I'd like to see, and also what I think will happen mixed together. You get to keep 20 senior team players and 4 developmental contract players, noted with a DV.

-------------------------Casey-----------------Cummings---------------------

----------------------------------Gomez/Ballouchy----------------------------

-------Clark--------------------------------------------------------Cooke------

----------------------LaBrocca--------------Mastoeni-------------------------

--------Harvey------------------Gibbs----------------------Ihemelu----------

-----------------------------------Pickens----------------------------------------

Jordan Seabrook (FWD) DV
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (FWD) DV
*Mehdi Ballouchy (MID)
Nico Colaluca (MID)
Greg Dalby (MID)
John DiRaimondo (MID)
Ciaran O’Brien (MID)
Jacob Peterson (MID)
Ty Harden (DEF)
Stephen Keel (DEF)
Kosuke Kimura (DEF)
Henry Kalungi (DEF) DV
Preston Burpo (GK)
Steward Ceus (GK) DV

John DiRaimondo (MID)

I would run a 3-5-2. Nick LaBrocca and Pablo Mastroeni cover enough ground and are stout enough at defenders to help the back three. If you wanted to start 4 in the back, I'd take out LaBrocca and bring in Kosuke Kimura on the right side.

I have Gomez or Ballouchy as the attacking mid, if the Rapids keep Gomez, I think he'll start and John DiRaimondo is gone. If they get rid of Gomez somehow, I think Ballouchy starts and DiRaimondo makes the team.

There isn't a lot of forward depth, with two rookies as the only back ups to Conor Casey and Omar Cummings, I definitely see the Rapids bringing in someone with MLS experience to back those two up. But with what is in camp now, I'd say the two rookies make it, with Jacob Peterson able to play the forward position too. This is a make or break year for Peterson.

As for 'keepers, Matt Pickens gets the start with Preston Burpo backing him up. I say they keep the rookie Steward Ceus and part ways with Justin Hughes. The only way I see them keeping Hughes is if he is on a developmental contract also. But if he is, he'll be battling for a roster spot with the rookie.

What do you think of my line up? Do you think that's good enough to make the playoffs? What would you change? Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments section.

MLS Schedule Announced

2009-01-28T13:25:00.003-07:00

The MLS has unveiled this years complete schedule. The Rapids schedule is as follows.

3/21 - Sat - 8:30pm at Chivas USA (FSC)
3/28 - Sat - 7:30pm Kansas City
4/4 - Sat - 8:30pm at Los Angeles
4/11 - Sat - 5:30pm at Columbus
4/19 - Sun - 1:00pm at Houston (Telefutura)
4/25 - Sat - 7:30pm Los Angeles
5/2 - Sat - 7:30pm Real Salt Lake
5/16 - Sat - 5:30pm at New England
5/23 - Sat - 7:30pm Seattle
5/30 - Sat - 5:30pm at New York
6/6 - Sat - 8:00pm at Real Salt Lake (FSC)
6/20 - Sat - 7:30pm D.C. United
6/24 - Wed - 7:30pm FC Dallas
6/28 - Sun - 2:00pm at Seattle
7/4 - Sat - 7:00pm Chicago
7/11 - Sat - 7:30pm FC Dallas
7/18 - Sat - 6:00pm at D.C. United
7/25 - Sat - 7:30pm New York
8/1 - Sat - 7:30pm Columbus
8/8 - Sat - 7:30pm Chivas USA
8/23 - Sun - 4:00pm at Chicago
8/30 - Sun - 1:00pm Houston (Telefutura)
9/5 - Sat - 8:00pm Toronto FC (FSC)
9/12 - Sat - 1:30pm at Toronto FC
9/18 - Fri - 9:00pm at San Jose (ESPN2)
9/23 - Wed - 7:30pm San Jose
9/26 - Sat - 6:30pm at Kansas City
10/3 - Sat - 7:00pm New England
10/17 - Sat - 6:30pm at FC Dallas
10/24 - Sat - 7:00pm at Real Salt Lake (FSC)

Some games of interest are; 2 of the Rocky Mountain Cup games are on National TV. Including the last game of the year. I think that's going to be a staple of every schedule for years to come. Especially the way things turned out last year. Also, the beginning of September, the Rapids will play 2 home and away series, the first with Toronto FC and the second with San Jose. I can't say I ever remember the schedule makers ever doing that. The First San Jose game being the Rapids only ESPN game this year. Oh yeah, and don't forget, July 4th, a game that's sold out every year anyway, this year tickets will be even more in demand with Cuautehmoc Blanco, Brian McBride and the Chicago Fire coming into town. What do you think of the games? Which ones are you circling? What one do you want to go to most?

2009 Is Officially Here

2009-01-28T10:30:00.003-07:00

Today is the first day of training on the pitch for the 2009 Colorado Rapids Season. The Rapids have announced their roster for training camp, which contains 34 players. Out of the following group, 20 will be kept to the senior team with 4 being singed to developmental contracts. So, who do you think is in? Who's out? What line up do you see using? Surprised that Tam McManus, Jose Luis Burciaga Jr., Facundo Erpen and Bouna Coundoul are gone? I'll be back with more later and tell you how I see it all breaking down.

Forwards (6)
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (FWD) DV
Conor Casey (FWD)
Omar Cummings (FWD)
Kevin Forrest (FWD) DV
Ross Schunk (FWD) DV
Jordan Seabrook (FWD) DV

Midfielders (12)
Mehdi Ballouchy (MID)
Colin Clark (MID)
Nico Colaluca (MID)
Terry Cooke (MID)
Greg Dalby (MID)
John DiRaimondo (MID)
Christian Gomez (MID)
Brian Grazier (MID)
Nick LaBrocca (MID)
Pablo Mastroeni (MID)
Ciaran O’Brien (MID)
Jacob Peterson (MID)

Defenders (10)
Kwame Sarkodie (DEF)
Cesar Zambrano (DEF)
Cory Gibbs (DEF)
Ty Harden (DEF)
Jordan Harvey (DEF)
Mike Holody (DEF)
Ugo Ihemelu (DEF)
Henry Kalungi (DEF)
Stephen Keel (DEF)
Kosuke Kimura (DEF)

Goalkeepers (6)
Preston Burpo (GK)
Steward Ceus (GK)
Chris Sharpe (GK)
Matt Pickens (GK)
Mike Graczyk (GK)
Justin Hughes (GK)

What’s the deal with Christian Gomez?

2009-01-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

Is he a Rapid, or isn’t he? Is he a part of the future plans on the field or not? What are Gary Smith’s plans for him? Those are all questions that Rapids fans want answers to.
There have been reports of him being traded to New England, Dallas and now DC United, but nothing has surfaced. I talked to him at the end of last season and he said that he’s not happy with not being on the field. If Gary Smith isn’t going to use him, shouldn’t the Rapids try to get some value out of the $400,000 they are spending on him, not to mention the DP slot they used as trade bait? The MLS isn’t a league where you can have dead weight on your roster; especially now with the rosters sizes slimmed down. I’m not saying that I want Christian gone; I think he does have something left, but he has to be in a very specific role. He has to be the playmaker. Is there enough room on the same field for him and Mehdi Ballouchy to be productive? That’s to be seen, but whether he’s going to be a Rapid or not, training camp starts tomorrow; it would be nice if the fans knew who we are going to be cheering for, and if the players knew who they were going to battle with.

USA 3 - Sweden 2

2009-01-26T11:09:00.004-07:00

What a great 2009 debut for the US Men's National Team. Stellar performances by Brian Ching and Sacha Kljestan give US fan's that this year will be a great one. Kljestan showed why he'll be the next youngster to leave the MLS in scoring a hat trick. Ching showed why he keeps getting called up, becuase he's solid. Watch the highlights of the second goal scored, Ching's skill to possess and control the long pass surrounded by two Swede defenders was outstanding, not to mention the little pass that set up Kljestan for the goal. Excellent work.

R.I.P. MLS Primetime Thursday

2009-01-19T15:45:00.003-07:00

MLS Primetime Thurday has gone the way of the Tampa Bay Mutiny, an is no more. ESPN has dropped MLS Primetime Thursday from regular line up. Instead, they will rotate days playing games on 4 different days. It's too bad, I loved MLS Primtime Thurdays, I tried to make it a big deal, I even came up with a song for it.

"It's MLS Primetime Thurdsay, MLS Primetime Thursday, MLS Primetime Thursday with a baseball bat!"

I'm sure my wife will enjoy the news that I won't get to sing that anymore. C'est la vie

Trade?!

2009-01-15T15:31:00.003-07:00

The Rapids have dealt their pick at number 20 to the Chicago Fire for their second round pick, #28 and also, GK Matt Pickens. Matt Pickens will step right in for the exiting Bouna Coundoul. Sad to see Bouna go, but this deal basically tells us that he's gone. The Rapids selected Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (F/M 5-8 155 George Mason)with the pick they acquired from Chicago.

MLS SuperDraft Day

2009-01-15T13:07:00.004-07:00

The SuperDraft is under way in St. Louis and as the first round comes to a close one guy is still in the draft pool that would look very good in the Burgundy and Sky Blue. Forward Baggio Husidic from the University of Illinois - Chicago. I'm hoping first of all that he'll be there at pick number 20, and also that the Rapids will help the offense out and take him.

Rapids and the SuperDraft

2009-01-14T11:19:00.005-07:00

SuperDraft 2008 is a very deep draft with a lot of talent coming out of college (ESPN2 @ Noon). However, the Rapids don't pick until the 20th selection. Don't look for the Rapids to come out of this draft looking any different than they went into it based upon draft selections. With the roster sizes being cut and developmental contracts at a minimum, if you can't snag a Generation Adidas player, why even bother with the draft? Is the player that gets picked by the Rapids at number 20 even going to make the team? If you are the Rapids, are you going to cut a guy you've had a year or two to work with, like Kosuke Kimura, in favor of a guy who is a prospect? Or do you let them go to the USL, prove themselves, get some game action in and try to build your team that way? I expect the Rapids to maybe try to make some deals, try to see if anyone will take Christian Gomez from them, and possibly try to deal to get a higher pick. Don't get me wrong, the draft is exciting, and a fun way to burn an hour while at work. But don't get your hopes up for the Rapids to land an impact player in this year's draft.

Bravo named Rapids T.D.

2009-01-13T10:56:00.004-07:00

Paul Bravo has been announced as the Colorado Rapids technical director. The all time leading scorer for the Rapids comes back to town after spending the past few years in the LA Galaxy organization. We'll see if this makes a difference. Hopefully he has a good eye for talent.

John Murphy Out

2009-01-08T10:30:00.003-07:00

John Murphy and the Colorado Rapids have parted ways. Murphy was the Director of Player Development for the Rapids for the past 4 years. He is moving on to pursue other interests. The Rapids have always touted his credentials of having a US Soccer "A" License and also a UEFA "A" License, so maybe now he'll be using them. Details were not made available about where he is going or who will replace him. I'll post more when I find out.

Ugo Ihemelu Called into USMNT Camp

2009-01-07T14:38:00.004-07:00

Ugo Ihemelu has been called into this months US Men's National Team's camp as a replacement for fellow Colorado Rapid Cory Gibbs. With all the confusion in '08 about which team he was going to play for (Canada/US), it's good that he gets a chance with the USA. Congratulations to you Ugo!

SuperDraft

2009-01-07T10:11:00.003-07:00

It's that time again, MLS Superdraft time. This year's version will take place on Thursday January 15th at noon. The Generation Adidas players have been finalized and announced, and if you remember last year, 6 of the top 8 draft picks were Generation Adidas players, so take a look.

Welcome Back

2009-01-05T12:12:00.002-07:00

I'm back from Holiday and ready to talk some more soccer. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. I look forward to a great 2009 and hope to share it with you.

Strike 2!

2008-12-04T15:38:00.005-07:00

FC Dallas has parted ways with Duilio Davino. He becomes FC Dallas second failed attempt in the last two years at signing a marquis foreign player. Denilson is now back in Brazil, while Davino is looking for a job in Mexico.

Snow Day!!!

2008-12-04T14:48:00.002-07:00

It's a snow day here at GCS headquarters, but I'll be watching the second semi final of the Mexican league playoffs tonight at 8pm between Santos and Toluca.

Last nights game was great, an entertaining 3-1 victory for Cruz Azul over Atlante. A weak penalty call in the 7th minute really set the tone for a back and forth game. Atlante will have to score 2 goals at home in Cancun on Saturday.

Primera Division Semi-Finals

2008-12-03T12:32:00.010-07:00

The MLS season is over, but there still is good soccer going on. Tonight is the first leg of the semifinals in Mexico's First Division. With some good match ups, these games should be fun to watch.

First you have is Atlante making the trip to Mexico City to take on Cruz Azul at 8pm. The "Cementeros" of Cruz Azul made it to the finals last season and are looking to make another run this year. Meanwhile Atlante won the whole thing two seasons ago and are looking to rebound from disappointing 15th place in last years table.

The second of the two semifinals defending champions Santos Laguna hosting Toluca in Torreon tomorrow 6pm. Santos are coming off a less than stellar regular season, but posted an impressive series upset over the Superlideres San Luis. They face another tough round against Toluca, who tallied the second most points in league play this year. Don't forget, Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco is on loan at Santos and will be playing in this game.

Will you be watching? Who do you think will win? Make your predictions in the comments.

US National Team (What if?)

2008-12-02T13:48:00.008-07:00

Question of the day...If all of the USA's best athletes were to play soccer, who would comprise the US National Team's Roster? Would it be mostly basketball players with their size and footwork? Would it be football players for their strength and agility? Would any baseball players or hockey players make the team? Would any current US National Team players be on the team? What formation would you use? Who would captain the team?

Here's how I would see it (I chose each player based upon how good I think they would have been if they had played soccer their entire lives instead of their respective sports.)...

-------------Kobe Bryant-----------Jozy Altidore------------------

-------------------------Chris Drury(C)-------------------------------

-Champ Bailey--------------------------------------Allen Iverson--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-------Troy Tulowitzki-----------------LeBron James---------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

--Julius Peppers--------Antonio Gates---------Amare Stoudemire--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------Dwight Howard--------------------------

Here's the breakdown of my team:

5 Current Basketball Players
3 Current Football Players
1 Current Soccer Player, Baseball Player and Hockey Player

They average 26.8 years old, 223.4 pounds, and 6 feet 4 inches tall.

What do you think of my team? Would they ever lose a game? Do you have a problem with any one player? Who would you change? Post your team in the comments.

Expansion Draft (UPDATE)

2008-11-26T13:06:00.003-07:00

No Rapids were chosen!

Here's the list of players taken by Seattle.

1. Nate Jaqua (Houston Dynamo)
2. Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake)
3. Jeff Parke (New York Red Bulls)
4. Jarrod Smith (Toronto FC)
5. Khano Smith (New England Revolution)
6. Peter Vagenas (Los Angeles Galaxy)
7. Tyson Wahl (Kansas City Wizards)
8. James Riley (San Jose Earthquakes)
9. Stephen King (Chicago Fire)
10. Brad Evans (Columbus Crew)

I like the Jaqua pick, he'll be a good target for Freddy Ljungberg. By the way, Jaqua is available to play tonight for Houston in their CONCACAF Champions League match.

Expansion Draft

2008-11-26T09:58:00.003-07:00

Today is the Seattle Sounders day to raid the other 14 teams in MLS' rosters. Lets hope they don't take any Rapids, especially my boy Kosuke!

Welcome

2008-11-20T11:41:00.002-07:00

Welcome to God, Country, Soccer. This is the place for soccer news, opinion and reporting along with the occasional interjection of God and/or Country. Here at GCS we follow soccer leagues all over the world, but are passionate about Major League Soccer and the Colorado Rapids. Be sure to check back here often, and send me an email with stories you'd like me to cover. Thank you for stopping by and thank you for reading God, Country, Soccer.