MLS Season Preview: Colorado Rapids

We are counting down the seconds to the start of the 2007 MLS season. Today we take a gander at Arsenal Colorado or as traditionalists like to call them the Colorado Rapids. Penning the words that shed the light on the season ahead for the Rapids is the one and only Clint. You can read his collection of thoughts regularly on the Colorado Rapids Offside blog and probably on a bathroom wall near you too. His season preview is found after the jump.

Nuts and Bolts

Coached by Fernando Clavijo (credentials: played indoor soccer throughout the 80s; coached the Haitian national team; assisted Bora Milutinovic with the MetroStars in 1999 which was “the worst season for any team in league history”) and with 24 players going in/out of the team since last season, it’s hard to see a bright future for the Rapids. The Rapids have ne’er won a thing in MLS, although they did make some ballsy financial moves this year including a partnership with Arsenal and moving into a new state o’ the art stadium. As one of the founding teams in MLS, you’d think 11 seasons would be enough time to show improvement, but the Rapids have never finished above 3rd place in the west (which I think only has/d 5 teams). Despite finishing worse than 60% of the teams in the league, they make the playoffs nearly every year. What a country!

The stars

While they have no actual stars, the Rapids do have a few solid players, including the last of the Mohicans (Clint Mathis) [Edit: They had him until I posted this preview], the guy who foresook the Rapids in Valencia to be at his wife’s childbirth (Pablo Mastroeni – and really, given that name shouldn’t this guy be a world-class star? that name was MADE for footballing dominance), and of course, Stephen Keel. I’m hoping for Herculez Gomez to continue to rise in MLS stature since he is ridiculously good by U.S. standards and he has a fantastic name. Kyle Beckerman is the star of team photographs/advertising but that HAS to be a result of his hair.

The newcomers

GK Zach Thornton, 74, joins the Rapids after 40 years with the Chicago Fire. Herculez Gomez came over from the LA Galaxy and will probably be the Rapids MVP this season. Notable new internationals are Roberto Brown (from Uruguay), Yherland McDonald (Costa Rica via Norway), and Kosuke Kimura (FA from Japan).

Keep an eye on

Since this is my first year living in Colorado, I’m not going to pretend I know enough about the Rapids to gauge who their best players will be. Ok, I take it back, I’ll pretend. I wear my ignorance on my sleeve and I’m SURE that Las Vegas native Herculez Gomez will be top scorer for the team, Jovan Kirovski will be the best all-around player and team leader (I kept waiting for him to make the Man U. first team but sadly that never happened), and Stephen Keel will bust out with 4 goals this season – all off of corner kicks!

We’ll win the league if…..

Arsenal decides to loan half its first team to the Rapids for the entire MLS season.

We’ll be in trouble if….

The players decide not to strike and the season is played out.

The Beckham Factor

Galaxy games in Commerce City (home of the Rapids!) sold out in 90 mins. BeckERman considered getting a mohawk. My wife decides she is now a soccer fan. And the nation’s blatant pro-L.A. Galaxy, anti-Rapids agenda continues unabated.

You might not know

1) Five current Rapids players used to play for the L.A. Galaxy. They had to leave after being told there’s no more money left for their salaries (I wonder why!!).

2) The Rapids play in Commerce City (in the northeast portion of the Denver metro area) which traditionally looked like it sounded – a bunch of dirt lots and half-abandoned warehouses on the way out towards the airport. Due to some minor gentrification and the new Rapids complex some citizens are pining for a more attractive name for their town.

3) One half of the brilliant soccer bopper broadcast team of O’Brien and Balboa (you guess which one) spent the bulk of his career (where he was one of the top players in the fledgling league, btw) whipping his mane against the wind for the Rapids. 151 games strong after joining from Mexican team, Leon. Leon also sported US star (and FAR better commentator) Eric Wynalda, as well as a guy whose nickname is “Dumbo”.

Follow the thrills and spills of the Colorado Rapids all season long on the Colorado Rapids Offside.

Look cooler than anyone else in the neighborhood with your Colorado Rapids soccer gear.

Tomorrow’s preview: Red Bull New York

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Category: MLS, World Football