SB Nation - Nick LaBrocca

2013 MLS All-Star Fan Vote Open

Alicia Ratterree — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:41:42 -0000

This year, the MLS All-Stars will take on Italian club AS Roma July 31 in Kansas City. Today, the ballots were released for the fan vote, which makes up a component of the roster for the All-Star game. Who made the cut for Chivas USA?

Goalkeeper: Dan Kennedy (duh)

Defenders: Bobby Burling, Mario de Luna

Midfielders: Eric Avila, Edgar Mejia

Forwards: Tristan Bowen

So...uh, Kennedy for ASG again, right?

Regardless of which Chivas USA players you think are deserving of a selection, the full ballot is available here. Online and text voting will remain open until July 2. You get to pick a goalkeeper and 10 outfield players, so feel free to pick who you think should take on Roma at Sporting Park. If Chivas get a selection again this season, it will be for the third year running, following the honor for Kennedy in 2012 and Nick LaBrocca and Heath Pearce in 2011. Still, Kennedy was only a coach's choice last year, so if you want to make sure your boy gets in, you need to vote!

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

The Daily Wave: Grading The Rapids Front Office, Part 1

apetri — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:00:11 -0000

The Colorado Rapids players and coaches have performed well so far this season. How about the front office? It was a very busy offseason, with a lot of player turnover. It's hard to know what combination of Paul Bravo, Tim Hinchey, and Oscar Pareja is making personnel decisions, so I'll lump them together and review their collective results.

Player Acquisitions, Part 1:

Clint Irwin - Grade: A+

As the San Jose Earthquakes' television announcer said during their game on April 18^th, "[Irwin] has been spectacular since coming in for Troy Perkins." This comment is telling for two reasons. One, San Jose's announcers were unimpressive homers. Two, this undrafted free agent from Elon University (what?) has played well enough to not only be backstopping the Rapids to a very good start to the season, but he has made people forget Matt Pickens, the team's 2012 Most Valuable Player. Maybe the best part for the Rapids front office, this was a seemingly unnecessary pickup. They had the traditionally durable Matt Pickens entrenched at starter, a young backup with plenty of upside in Steward Ceus, and a veteran backup in Ian Joyce. They could easily have stood pat with those three goalkeepers and missed out on Irwin.

Nathan Sturgis - Grade: B

Perhaps no one on the roster personifies the team's depth better than Sturgis. He was traded to a team stacked at central midfield, and stayed professional until he got his chance, which he has taken very well. Whether he plays much the rest of the way or not, he has been a solid pickup and provides the team depth at several positions. Scores goals too!

Deshorn Brown - Grade: A

Brown could be leading the league in goals if his finishing were better, but he has been a thorn in the side of every defense he's played against. He works hard, plays defense, creates chances, and keeps opposing defenders honest with his speed and tenacity. For anyone who argues with this grade, let me remind you of the previous top 10 first round college draft picks in Rapids history: Mike Gentile (1996, pick #9 overall), Tahj Jakins (1997, #1), Andrew Mittendorf (1999, #8), Adin Brown (2000, #3), Wes Hart (2000, #7), Alan Woods (2000, #10), Hunter Freeman (2005, #7), Nico Colaluca (2007, #6), and Ciaran O'Brien (2008, #5). How Brown develops over the coming years will depend on a lot of factors, but for right now he has proven to be well worth the 6^th pick on the 2013 draft, and not just by Rapids standards.

Nick LaBrocca - Grade: B

Like Sturgis, LaBrocca is a great squad player who gives the Rapids quality depth. He can play a variety of positions well, has useful intangibles like leadership, and it's nice to have a fan favorite back on the Rapids. He may not be a regular starter, but he can help the team in many ways. Giving up Eric Avila to get LaBrocca seemed like a very good trade for the Rapids at the time. Especially considering their comparable salaries, it still seems like a great trade for the Rapids.

Diego Calderón - Grade: B

Calderón has only given us a small sample, but he appears to be a legitimate starter. Before he went down with a freak injury, he seemed to be adjusting quickly to MLS and was helping to solidify the defense. Whether he unseats Shane O'Neill when he gets healthy is to be determined, but at $50,000 a year, he's a cheap backup if that's his role. And with the quality he showed in his few games so far, there's every reason to think he will still play a part this season. He is a good find for the front office, assuming he gets and stays healthy.

I'll continue the grades next week with more player acquisitions. In the meantime, vote below on which of these five players is the biggest win for the front office.

Poll

Which of these five players was the best pickup by the Rapids front office?

The Daily Wave: The Shallow End

GMoss — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:02:14 -0000

Think of an interstate. Yes, this is going be my metaphor. It travels at high speeds with no lights and no stops to freely move about the country. We're forgetting about planes for now you clever readers. When driving the interstate, the mind goes into almost a trance, a groove we could call it. Cruising at high speeds with corn rows flashing in a backwards motion on either side of the automobile, the white strips on the road blinking in a rhythm more constant than a drummer as you pass them. It becomes more and more familiar as you travel, almost routine. Hours on the road fly by as you jam to your radio, the scene changes around you, but the road stays the same. Then... as we've all experienced, you see that orange sign. Road construction ahead. You sigh. "Damn", you say to yourself. You prepare to turn your cruise control off, but part of you hopes that the construction sign is a lie, and sometimes (especially in Nebraska), it is.

This is where the Rapids are at this point in the season. A squad, backups as a lot of them are, have found some sort of groove. They've begun to play actual soccer with one another. They've learned each others nuances and styles. They've begun bringing points home and moving up the ladder putting themselves back into playoff contention. These are backups we're talking about. The back four for example. The only constant has been an aged midfielder that has a motor like none another thrown into the defender position. Even the "Iron Man" Drew Moor has missed time. Now that he's back, the back four have found something we haven't seen in some time, and that's consistency. Chris Klute and Shane O'Neill have stepped into a defense that has been inconsistent and prone to counter attacks to make it one arguable one of the best parts of the Rapids game. Even Marvel Wynne has been thrown into different positions, at least when he's healthy. The Rapids striking core has found a groove when Edson Buddle is on the pitch, who has not lost a match when he has played. Stepping in for Hendry Thomas, Nathan Sturgis has played like a rock as the anchor of the midfield understanding how players like Nick LaBrocca and Dillon Powers move on the field. They've found some sort of understanding with each other, and it seems to be working.

Think about where the Rapids began this season, playing a 4-3-3 with Kevin Harbottle, DeShorn Brown, and Atiba Harris all up top. That has changed drastically. The midfield was Pablo Mastroeni, Hendry Thomas, and Dillon Powers. And the defense was Brian Mullan, Drew Moor, Diego Calderon, and Marvel Wynne. We aren't even close to that anymore, and we're winning. The Rapids began their 2013 season 0-3-2 in the first month. Then the backups stepped in for injuries and red cards. Since the beginning of April, and the backup infestation, the Rapids are 4-1-1. Just think about that.

Now the Rapids starters are returning from their injuries. Martin Rivero started his first game last week, and was fairly quiet. Edson Buddle has made significant impact in those matches the Rapids won. I admit he would normally be a starter, but didn't start the season. Kevin Harbottle has practice fully for the last week and a half, if not more, and Mastroeni is near full fitness and has been an available sub the last 3 or 4 games. Brown is returning from injury as well, as well as Marvel Wynne. Pickens is maybe a month out from being able to play, and Hendry Thomas will be back before the season's midpoint. And of course, Deshorn Brown is set to play in San Jose.

The depth that the Rapids have is maybe the best they've in a long while. The shallow water, as I call it is the part you can see and always have, the starters. The deep water is the part you can't see and don't exactly know what it looks like. Our pool seems to be deep, but who becomes the water on top in the upcoming weeks?

Do the Rapids play all of these starters when they are healthy? Or do they ride this "replacement" wave they're currently on? It seems to me that when these players return, the Rapids will have to find a new groove to continue their 2013 campaign. I'm not arguing either way, I'm simply asking questions, pondering possible outcomes.

I leave these questions to you, the readers, the fans to answer and discuss.

Examining Chivas USA's very recent trade history

Alicia Ratterree — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:00:05 -0000

With the shock trade of Juan Agudelo to the New England Revolution, in exchange for Allocation money this week, folks in Chivatown have been wondering what the team management is thinking. Could it be part of a long play to accumulate some money for a splash in the summer? Perhaps. Could it be a way for the team to get some assets out of a national team player? Entirely possible. Could it be a sign that the team doesn't really have a plan, and just heard "money" was coming back in a proposed deal, and therefore jumped at it? Maybe. Who knows?

Chivas USA has made several trades within the league so far this calendar year. I thought it might be useful to see if there were trends to these moves:

January 16, 2013: Chivas USA trade Nick LaBrocca's rights to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for Eric Avila's rights (team confirmed the trade January 22).

January 25, 2013: Chivas USA trade Casey Townsend to D.C. United for a second round 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick.

February 13, 2013: Chivas USA trade Ben Zemanski to the Portland Timbers in exchange for Allocation money and Jonathan Bornstein's MLS rights.

February 14, 2013: Chivas USA trade James Riley to D.C. United for a second round 2015 Supplemental Draft pick.

February 19, 2013: Chivas USA trade Shalrie Joseph and 2014 and 2015 second round MLS SuperDraft picks to the Seattle Sounders, in exchange for the 15th spot in the Allocation Order.

May 7, 2013: Chivas USA trade Juan Agudelo to the New England Revolution for Allocation money.

So, that makes six trades, with six Chivas USA players heading out, plus two draft picks, in exchange for Eric Avila, Jonathan Bornstein's rights, a Supplemental Draft pick, the 15th spot in the Allocation Order, and a couple of helpings of Allocation money.

Damn, that looks pretty bad. Those six players traded away played a combined 352 league games for Chivas USA. However, none of them (we have to exclude Agudelo from this group, since he has yet to even play for his new team) is a regular starter for their new teams, and have played a combined 20 league games this season. Eric Avila has done nearly half that by himself, with nine appearances this year for Chivas.

Still, weren't there better assets available for Chivas to obtain? Is the player pool so bad that getting pennies on the dollar was preferred?

A counterargument could come from the situation with Joseph. Chivas traded for him with New England, in exchange for Blair Gavin (who no longer plays in MLS). While Chivas may have nominally "won" the trade because they got a player with more experience who played more for his new team, the situation was clear the day the trade was made, that the deal was essentially a salary swap for the Revolution. Sure, Gavin didn't really impress them, but in the grand scheme of things, that wasn't the point for the Revs.

Flash forward to this preseason, when Chivas were desperate to get rid of Joseph. I've argued he was a disaster on the field for Chivas, although you have to figure it was his salary that was the problem for team management. In fact, not only did Chivas swap one of the draft picks they obtained in the spate of trades, they sent two draft picks to Seattle to sweeten the deal, and got the least significant return of all. On top of that, Chivas is reportedly paying a significant amount of Joseph's hefty salary this season, an amount that is technically more than any current Chivas USA player is making this season.

So there is a good argument that simply getting players in return is not always the preferred route, especially if it means getting much the worse bargain on two trades for the same player. Still, in general, I think Joseph's situation is not the norm in MLS overall, and the Goats certainly should have gotten more for what they gave up in the pack of trades.

And since Allocation money is the most mysterious asset in MLS, one has to wonder if it will be used to bring a player in, or if it will simply be used to pay down current salaries on the team (or maybe to pay. Given the overall lack of investment in the team this season, with a slashed payroll and no marketing budget to speak of, the latter option has to at least be in consideration, doesn't it? Then it makes these moves appear to be mostly done in the service of preventing further investment. Fair or not? I honestly don't know, but I'm just trying to come up with explanations for these trades, frankly.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

Colorado Rapids vs. Toronto FC - Player Ratings

UZ — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:00:03 -0000

To call Colorado's game against Toronto on Saturday 'beautiful football' would get you smacked, but it was still a Rapids victory in the end. How did the players do overall during the Smash N' Grab bonanza that Toronto helped to pull out, though?

DEFENSE:

Clint Irwin - 7
Pitched yet another shutout, though he had a bit less to do this time than some of the last few games. Still, the saves he made were solid and he kept the defense organized very well on an influx of set pieces late on in the match.

Drew Moor - 6
Solid as usual from the captain, especially on set pieces where he provided a header or two to knock danger away.

Brian Mullan - 4
Oof. Not one for the resume of Mullan, who seemed to give the ball to Toronto players on his distribution more often than Rapids players. Score is saved a bit by his defending, which was adequate going back.

Shane O'Neill - 5
O'Neill provides a steady presence next to Drew Moor, and that's all we can really ask of the homegrown hero. Nothing flashy, but he doesn't need to be.

Chris Klute - 4.5
He's good for a solid ball into the area every so often -- the one that Buddle put into the net was a pretty good one -- but inconsistency offensively keeps him from getting a higher score. Hopefully the playing time he's getting will help him continue to grow.

MIDFIELD:

Nathan Sturgis - 5
I scarcely heard his name all game, which is usually a good thing for a defensive midfielder. Tidy game in relief of Hendry Thomas.

Dillon Powers - 5
Not the best game Powers has put out for the Rapids, but not a bad performance either. Occasional turnovers, but I feel like sometimes he is put into bad positions by other players, giving him the ball in tough spots because he can usually get out of them. That's not a bad thing to see from your rookie, I suppose.

Kamani Hill - 3.5
If Kamani wants more playing time, that's not the way to earn it. Tentativeness on the ball, a lack of good shots and committing fouls is not what you want from an attacking midfielder.

Nick Labrocca - 4
Missing that easy shot right from the outset paced his game, which was rather unremarkable.

FORWARDS:

Atiba Harris - 4
Harris had a game like most games he's had this year. He had energy and fought hard, but didn't produce anything of any note. Missed one of his trademark sitters when he failed to get a good touch on an open chance.

Danny Mwanga - 3
Atiba's game may have been up and down, but Mwanga's was just down. Seems afraid to do anything with the ball at his feet, which is bad news for a forward.

SUBS:

Edson Buddle - 6.5
He wasn't fit, but he didn't need to be. Buddle was getting in the right positions, making smart flicks and providing a focal point to the attack that was missing in the first half after he came in. His goal was opportunistic, but how many times have we seen ~~Atiba Harris~~ someone on the team missing the 'easy ones' this year?

Martin Rivero - 5
Still getting back in the swing of things, and not taking the set pieces yet, but he performed smart moves on the ball and provided a settled passing game.

Deshorn Brown - N/A
Didn't really have the time to do anything special, especially with Buddle acting as the focal point in the attack,

Colorado Rapids 1-0 Toronto FC: How Do You Do, What You Do To Me (At The End of Each Game)?

John Leung — Sun, 05 May 2013 04:17:27 -0000

	1	2	Total	Goals
COLORADO RAPIDS	0	1	1	Buddle 86'
TORONTO FC	0	0	0

	COLORADO	TORONTO
Cautions	Powers 39'	Russell 90'+2
Red Cards
Substitutions	Buddle for Hill 45' Rivero for LaBrocca 58' Brown for Sturgis 79'	Russell for Ephraim 78' Osorio for Laba 87' Bostock for Emory 89'

It just never ends, does it?

It always somehow ends up being part of our game reports -- and rest assured, we here at Waking the Red are just as tired as you are of having to type it up week in and week out, as you are having to read it time and time again. We could cut and paste, but it seems each week it's just that one little different thing that causes that late game collapse.

Even the rosiest of analysis of this game would call this a dull affair; both sides were limp and rather lifeless, and that showed for over 85 minutes. But true to form, TFC would give up a late goal, courtesy of a missed clearance by Logan Emory in his first game back from injury, perfectly trapping the ball, then falling over, leaving it on a plate for former Red Edson Buddle (remember that guy?) to slam home the loose ball to secure three points for the home side...like an arrow, passing through our hearts.

But it could have ended so, so much differently for Toronto if Robert Earnshaw had cashed in on one of the many chances he got. Many in MLS have him pegged as a goal poacher, and in the past few weeks have defended him as such. And like a true goal poacher, he did find his way into advantageous positions; however, the whole finishing thing definitely leaves a lot to be desired. Earnshaw had a chance to knock the air out of the Colorado momentum early in the 12th minute, but hit his shot right at the goalie.

He had another chance later in the first half, a lovely move featuring a great pass from Jeremy Hall, a good cross from Ryan Richter and a delicious dummy form Luis Silva, but he knocked it over the bar. But the most egregious of his misses came in the 71st minute, when he received a beautiful pass from Luis Silva in the Rapids box, only for the Welshman to duff his shot. It was cringeworthy how bad it was, and showed how badly out of form Earnshaw is, after having lit the league on fire with five early goals.

The truth is, despite the inability to score, Toronto probably didn't deserve to lose (but they also didn't deserve to win either. In fact, neither side did; one journalist put this game as two dull objects cutting one another, the game was THAT dull). Sure, there were the usual defensive scares stemming from a complete inability to clear dangerous free kicks and/or corners that land in the box. Many of those instances were eventually dealt with, but as we've all seen before: too many of those usually leads to trouble. But probably because of the weakness of the opponent, the injury depleted Rapids were unable to make Toronto pay.

And what of young Matias Laba? Well, he's definitely not Julian de Guzman, but in the role he was signed to play (which is defensive mid), he came out looking rather okay. It's still early days mind you, but as long as Reds supporters remember that a) this was his first game and b) he was not signed to provide goals, he should turn out fine. Joe Bendik also turned in a relatively solid performance, the late Buddle goal he could do little about but some of the distribution -- including his now almost-trademark end-to-end-that-misses-everyone-hoof -- remains a bit suspect, and just makes for terrible viewing.

One question still remains though, and this one belongs to Ryan Nelsen: what is going on with the substitute situation? Yes, we know there is a game on Wednesday night in San Jose, but when nothing is going right (and with Colorado pretty much there for the taking) why wasn't the idea of substitutes floated, if not implemented when the metaphorical iron was hot? The team was looking tired, and the Rapids were pretty much playing on the same level. Some could argue that John Bostock could have come on much earlier along with Jonathan Osorio, but instead we saw Hogan Ephraim pulled in favour of Darel Russell, who was making his first appearance in five games.

Would Osorio have once again worked his super-sub magic if he had been given just ten extra minutes? And would Bostock have made a difference if he had come on BEFORE Colorado scored? Those answers will forever rest in the land of conjecture, something that we will never know (unless someone has a remote control that can turn back time? Call us if you do!) but the sheer idea that subs weren't engaged until deep into the second half is baffling to say the least.

Oh well, at least now the Reds will hope San Francisco can save them from their woes, as they take on the Earthquakes on Wednesday. If the mountain air didn't do it, maybe the salty Pacific sea air can ease their (and our) woes? I hear ocean air is therapeutic...

* * *

GOLDEN TROPHIES/KICKS TO THE GROIN

Kick to the Groin: Robert Earnshaw	The free ride is over, buddy.
Golden Trophy: Luis Silva	Providing the spark for a wet towel.
Golden Trophy: Matias Laba	As advertised.
Kick to the Groin: MLS PRO	Train the refs, or get better ones. It's not rocket science.
Kick to the Groin: Ryan Nelsen	Where were the subs!? (And I don't mean sandwiches)

STATISTICS

	COL	TFC
Shots	13	12
Shots off Target	6	5
Corners	3	7
Fouls	9	12
Offsides	1	1
Yellow Cards	1	1
Red Cards	0	0
Passes	414	274
Passing Accuracy (%)	78	66
Possession (%)	60	40

Stats: MLSSoccer.com

Colorado Scouting Report: Mountain Retreat

sidereal — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:16:01 -0000

This week the Seattle Sounders' search for their first win of the season takes them across the imposing peaks of the Rocky Mountains to Commerce City, Colorado. It's a trip that's been kind to Seattle recently, with two wins in two trips over the last two seasons. The first of those was the infamous match in which Brian Mullan broke Steve Zakuan's leg. That moment and the fallout from it has tended to overshadow all other aspects of the matchup recently, but with Zakuani back to playing regularly we're back to focusing mostly on the soccer when these teams meet.

Even more than their recent history, the major reason for optimism in this match is the injury situation. Seattle is in the rare position of wining the injury report minigame. This week the full team trained since. . well, I don't remember the last time the full team trained. Even at times when the regulars were fit, there was always someone — like Andrew Duran or Babayele Sodade — on the long term injury list. But for now we have everyone mobile. That's not to say everyone is ready to play — David Estrada is still out with an eye injury — but having everyone practicing is a heartening development and it means we might be able to finally see the team that Adrian Hanauer and Sigi Schmid had in mind when they made a flurry of moves in the early season.

In contrast, Colorado's situation is more traditionally Sounders-like. Jaime Castrillon and keeper Matt Pickens are regular starters who are definitely out. And the questionable list includes Edson Buddle, Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni, Mullan, and Martin Rivero — all major contributors. That list is a week old thanks to the new MLS non-policy about injury reports and have likely done some recovering in the bye week. But even if a couple of those players play, this won't be the Rapids first team.

Fortunately for them, the opportunity for playing time has allowed some young players to blossom, particularly Dillon Powers in midfield and Deshorn Brown at forward — both first round picks in the this year's SuperDuperDraft. Soccer by Ives awards an MLS rookie of the week title and the Rapids have won three in a row — Brown for his game winning goal over Chivas and Powers the previous two weeks for his play against Portland and Real Salt Lake, including a long goal against the Timbers. Brown is a fast, dynamic attacker who's always creating chances. He's now second in the league in shots behind Thierry Henry. The fact that he's only scored one run of play goal (his other was a penalty) on those shots is a bit disappointing, but if he keeps putting shots on frame at that rate he'll start scoring in bunches.

Here's the Rapids' APM from that win over RSL:

That's more or less a 4-3-3 or a 4-1-2-3. Brown, Buddle, and Atiba Harris is a pretty aggressive group of three forwards. Add in the positioning of Mullan, who's clearly more comfortable playing as a right midfielder as a right back, and it's a very offensive look. The area behind Mullan is covered by Marvell Wynne, which is a slightly odd decision given that Wynne's strongest trait is his recovery speed. It would seem to make more sense to put Wynne at fullback to run and recover on the line, but Oscar Pareja clearly has other ideas.

That creates an opportunity to attack through the Seattle left wing. Steve Zakuani has had his troubles finishing this season and his defensive effort hasn't been impressive, but one thing he's consistently done all year is create chances. He won't be able to run around Wynne like he's used to, but attacking the area with numbers will force Wynne to pay attention to him and open chances for Eddie Johnson, Obafemi Martins, or the Seattle midfield attacking the left side of the box. But there's an argument that Wynne's speed limits Zakuani's ability to be effective and instead we could play Mario Martinez or Lamar Neagle, who'd be more likely to create opportunities with passes rather than trying to break a defender down on the dribble.

It'll likely be a mirror image on the other side with the Colorado attack coming down their left flank as well. DeAndre Yedlin likes to get forward into the attack and Schmid generally likes him to do that, but it can open holes in the defense. Yedlin's recovery speed allows him to be more confident about getting forward and leaving that space, but if the Rapids can overload that side with numbers then even his speed won't help and it'll be up to Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Osvaldo Alonso, and Shalrie Joseph to shift over to cover.

The Seattle defense has been pretty good this season, with only the Galaxy allowing fewer goals in the conference, and I think their ability to get a shutout rests on their ability to shut down Powers. Historically Seattle has been able to hold off good opposing forwards until they get good service on the counterattack. None of Harris, Brown, or Buddle are known as particularly incisive playmakers, so it would be up to Powers (or LaBrocca) to find that cutting pass on the break. If Alonso and Joseph can hold down the central midfield, the odds of a zero go way up.

At the other end, Colorado's defense looks vulnerable, both from the open right back area I already pointed out and from its general inexperience. The other center back is 19-year-old HGP Shane O'Neill and next to him at left back they've been playing 23-year-old Chris Klute on loan from NASL-side Atlanta Silverbacks. Even if Johnson and Martins can't both play, just one of them will have the experience and ability to trouble that line all game.

Of course, we've already seen plenty of 'trouble'. We've seen plenty of chances. We just haven't seen finishing. Seattle could have 6 goals without feeling particularly lucky. Instead they have 2 and that's the major reason they also have 2 points. We said it last week and we said it the week before, but at some point those chances are going to go in instead of being a foot too high or hitting a goalkeeper's shin. If that happens this week, we will have a good chance of finally, mercifully picking up three points.

Player Ratings: Colorado Rapids vs. Chivas USA

tibs2007 — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:16:37 -0000

Apologies for no player rating the last few weeks, I think I may have caught the injury bug that the Rapids had!

The Colorado Rapids may have had more people watching Saturday nights’ game against Chivas USA at Backcountry Pizza in Boulder than fans who actually attended the game in California! And much to the delight of Rapids fans gathered at viewing parties all across the state, the Rapids were able to pull out a gritty 1-0 win off of Deshorn Brown’s first penalty kick!

Defense

Clint Irwin- 8

In my opinion, Irwin remains the best player on the field for the Rapids! Though he did not technically save the PK, he guessed right and was able to punch out the rebound that had a great chance of going in. I felt like he made a few lapses in the game, such as being out of position and he got lucky as Chivas was not able to convert these. The rest of his defense though needs to step it up.

Chris Klute- 4

I’m a big fan of Klute’s play. He is very aggressive and able to drive the ball up the wing and get some good shots off. That said, it seemed the whole defense was struggling to clear the ball at times. The Rapids were just lucky that Chivas could not create any chances from these.

Brian Mullan- 4

Mullan seemed to have a similar game to Klute. The defense struggled much of the night and was lobbing a lot of balls forward just to see what would happen.

Marvell Wynne – 6

Marvell had a good game, creating many turnovers and clearing the ball out of the box successfully. He seemed frustrated with the defense at times from some of the TV crew’s shots of him.

Shane O’Neil – 3

O’Neil’s game was particularly worse than any of the rest of the defense. After all, the Rapids did keep a clean sheet. But the foul he committed in the box, was uncalled for. The Rapids were lucky to get out of that PK without Chivas scoring. With this being the fourth game in a row that we have given up a PK, the defense really needs to step up.

Midfield

Hendry Thomas- 5

The captain let Deshorn Brown take the penalty kick and his decision did not disappoint! The play of the mid-field however seemed a bit shaky. They were unable to hold the ball, instead deciding to lob the ball forward as I mentioned before.

Atiba Harris – 5

I struggle with how to rate Harris! It felt that he spent most of his game on the ground, especially towards the end. And after the game he tweeted about having food poisoning…But he did have some great chances on goal (though, as usual, he did not convert them). I don’t think he’s a good addition to the mid-field and should be playing at a true forward position for the mid-field to be more solid at connecting passes.

Dillon Powers – 6

To me, Powers seemed to be the shining star of the mid-field. He created space and opportunities in the center and was responsible for getting the ball forward. I would like to see the rest of the mid-field connecting like Powers has been.

Nick LaBrocca – 5

LaBrocca had a really quiet game, as he appeared to still be dealing with an injury from earlier in the season. Overall not impressive, but not detrimental either!

Forwards

Edson Buddle – 7

The best part of Buddle’s game may have been the space and opportunities he created in the box. While he only had one attempt at goal, he moved the ball around so well that had other chances gone in he would be our leader in assists! Solid game from our new number 9.

DeShorn Brown – 8

This kid is the energizer bunny! He just keeps running hard and fast! When he was taken down in the box to create the PK you could tell he really wanted that goal as he convinced Thomas to let him take the kick. It was great to see him come through. The rest of the game he had some great chances that were just not quite enough. Especially one in the second half where had he not been falling down as he went to kick the opposite direction would have put the Rapids up 2-0. Love this kid.

Subs

Drew Moor- 5

Moor’s addition at the half for LaBrocca seemed to help improve things a bit from a defensive stand point. But I did not notice him much.

Anthony Wallace – 5

Great to see Wallace getting sometime and hopefully as he continues to get and stay healthy we will have some more depth for the defensive backs position!

Jamie Smith- N/A

Three Questions: Chivas USA Vs. Colorado Rapids

Alicia Ratterree — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:50:47 -0000

Chivas USA are indeed back to competitive matches starting this weekend, and the next opponent on the docket is the Colorado Rapids. Chivas' 3-0 win over the Rapids in the preseason in Las Vegas gave Goats' fans some hope that improvement was in the air, and so far, that has been the case in MLS. But now these teams play for reals, and Colorado is coming off a big win last season, over their bitter rivals Real Salt Lake, so they're feeling pretty good.

In order to get a sense of how it's going in the Rockies, I spoke with Bulldog Ben of SB Nation Rapids blog Burgundy Wave. Big thanks to Ben for taking the time to answer my questions!

The Goat Parade asks Burgundy Wave:

1. The Rapids got their first win of the season last week, but from all appearances, it appeared they have been playing better than their record would indicate. With a slew of key players going down because of injury and suspension, which players have emerged so far this year and taken advantage of the opportunity to play?

The RapKids have been playing better than their record would indicate: yes, that's a fair assessment. I think it's pretty clear who has really emerged this year and taken advantage of their opportunity to play: all of them, save for Steward Ceus. Not to single Stew out, but he's been the only backup guy who didn't acquit himself well this year (that howler at Dallas, for example). But everyone has been making the most of it this year. DeShorn Brown, Dillon Powers, Tony Cascio, Chris Klute, Shane O'Neill... all of them have been performing well beyond what I think Major League Soccer reasonably expects of rookies.

There hasn't been a single rookie or youngster that I haven't been impressed with. Not one. RapKids forever.

2. I have to ask about Clint Irwin. Chivas USA fans saw him last year in the U.S. Open Cup, playing for the Charlotte Eagles, and he looks like the real deal in MLS. How do Rapids fans feel about him? I could be way off in looking at the situation from a distance, but is it possible that he could replace Matt Pickens even after he recovers from his broken arm?

Rapids fans LOVE him. But that's not a surprise. Rapids fans generally love two kinds of players: guys who take other guys on one-v-one and good goalkeepers. Well, goalkeepers in general. Rapids love them some goalkeepers. Clint Irwin has also done something that Matt Pickens never did, which is save a PK. Yeah, I know, pretty stunning, right?

Clint is the real deal, and it's his attitude more than anything else that tells me this guy is ready for prime time. He works like a star, he has the mentality of a star goalkeeper, and that's going to take him places. As of right now, especially given Pickens' poor performance in the Union game earlier this year, I don't know if the #1 is still Matt Pickens' as soon as he comes back. Pareja is the kind of coach that says "look, I'm going to play who is best at the position right now, the one who works the hardest and proves himself, regardless of who you are to this club." And right now? That's Irwin.

3. How can Chivas possibly exploit Colorado's defense Saturday? Is there a style or component of the game that has been a particular weakness?

Chivas is using a high-pressure system right now, something similar to what San Jose and Seattle did last year. And if you'll remember, the Rapids did not do well against those teams (we lost to them every time). And if Preseason is prediction... Chivas USA could actually pull out a win here if they stick to this high-pressure intense game that they play.

Colorado has really only shown defensive weaknesses on set-pieces. That's pretty common though when you have a young team, or a team in transition: set pieces cause absolute chaos and if you can't pay attention to the small details you can die by them. And the Rapids have shown in the past two years that they lack that kind of concentration. What they did in the RSL game was try to manage the amount of set pieces that happened in their final third.

Our defense looks light-years improved from last year's, and that's not just due to Irwin stepping up, that's due to just having better depth and better personel. Drew Moor now has an able back-up in Shane O'Neill. At this point, I would not be surprised or shocked if they start Shane at CB regularly while Diego Calderon is out for the next few months. Marvell Wynne moving back to RB was a good move as well. The only guy I worry about is Brian Mullan at fullback. But then again, we've got a solid youngster in Chris Klute to step up if Mullan isn't the guy.

Offensively, Colorado has problems with things coming together for them in the final third. BUT they do score goals, and they score goals on good goalkeepers too. Putting two past Nick Rimando from the run of play is not easy. So I wouldn't count them out there even against a guy like Dan Kennedy. Chivas USA has to hope Edson Buddle can't hold the ball up as well as he does, and has to hope that a guy like DeShorn Brown doesn't suddenly start finding his scoring form. Atiba Harris also recently had his best game in a Colorado shirt, so watch out for him. He's an opportunist who wins every ball in the air that comes to him. No really, check that last game. He's huge.

Midfield-wise, I think Colorado is in good shape. Hendry Thomas is one of the best anchor men in the business, bar none. He's incredibly intelligent on both sides of the ball. Powers is also a bright boy. I expect Nick LaBrocca to get the start at Chivas, and he's an intelligent player as well. The midfield is really where Colorado puts its brains to work. Watch for Thomas' distribution. The Hendry Thomas long-ball is absolutely a threat every time because he's so good at picking out a guy in a dangerous position to make something happen. Watch our goal against RSL again. It all starts with Hendry.

The guy I'm most worried about with Chivas USA is Eric Avila. I've always liked his game and El Chelis just seems to get him in a way that other coaches haven't. I also like Carlos Alvarez and Juan Agudelo, but I'm not as worried about them as I am about Avila-- he seems like the creative fulcrum of the team, the idea man.

4. (Bonus) Prediction for Saturday?

Both Chivas and Colorado have played with a lot of heart and a lot of passion and they've just been great to watch this year. This should be a good game, I think. But I think Chivas, being at home and being in somewhat better form right now, I think Chivas can get this one done. I think this will be something like a 2-1 game, or 3-2 Chivas. I'm just hoping for a good entertaining game from two coaches that like to play "a muerte" relentless attacking football whenever they can.

You can find my answers to Ben's questions here.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!