The Rapids picked up young left back Anthony Wallace from FC Dallas.  We heard rumblings about a possible trade yesterday and I’m not surprised the Rapids ended up acquiring a defender. Here are Wallace’s vitals:

Anthony Wallace - Defender
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
DOB: January 26, 1989
Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
College: South Florida
Last Club: FC Dallas
Roster Status: Senior

During the World Cup break Coach Smith mentioned that the team needed defensive reinforcements. It seemed like Danish defender Ulrik Lindkvist was going to join the club but the Rapids have gone a different direction.

So is this a good trade?

Although the trade isn’t without some downsides, like the fact that this acquisition isn’t going to help the Rapids score more goals, I think it’s a positive acquisition for the Rapids. He is a young player with plenty of upside, he will add competition in the group, and he didn’t cost too much.

First, Anthony Wallace provides competition, and rest, for young Danny Earls. Earls has been excellent for the Rapids this season but a little competition should help him grow. Scott Palguta has played a few minutes at left back this season but Wallace is a more natural option.

Second, Wallace is a good player. His career stats might paint a different picture but the reality is that he is only 21 and needs regular minutes to develop. He wasn’t a regular player for Dallas and that has clearly hurt his development. Wallace has consistently performed well when representing the US at the U-17 and U-20 level so there is evidence that he has the “potential” to become a quality MLS left back.

No one expected 18 year old Anthony Wallace to start playing right away when he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 Superdraft. He was growing as a player throughout the 2007 and 2008 season, until he hit some setbacks in 2009, including a torn meniscus. This year, competition with Colombian international Jair Benitez and US international Heath Pearce meant very little opportunity for the young outside back.

Third, he doesn’t cost anything. We traded away a fourth round pick and a conditional pick in 2012. The Rapids didn’t have to move any players since Oscar Murillo’s departure last month opened up a roster spot. Not a big price to pay even if he doesn’t work out.

I do have one concern about the attitude that this trade represents.

Anyone who has watched the Rapids play this season knows that the Rapids create a ton of opportunities but can’t finish. When Coach Smith mentioned that the club would look for a player that can add six goals I got my hopes up a little. I think the Rapids need a quality playmaker or goal scorer but that won’t come without a price. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a major shake-up to bring in some offensive quality. I don’t think the club is willing to take that step during this transfer window. Nothing new here.

As always, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Rapids prove me wrong.

What do you think about this acquisition?

The full All Star Roster has just been announced and the Rapid’s very own Jeff Larentowicz has made the cut. The Ginga’ Ninja has been rock solid at defensive mid for the Rapids this season.  Larentowicz has helped the Rapids maintain an enviable defensive record this season by breaking up attacks in front of the back four. His game isn’t about finesse but of crunching tackles and simple distribution.

While these All Star games are meaningless, they are fun to watch.  These teams make me day dream of the day when the salary cap is lifted and teams can purchase rosters such as this one. The team looks like the American version of Chelsea. Despite the friendly nature of this match, I’m sure the players are excited about testing their abilities against Manchester United, one of the elite sides in Europe. This match is a few steps up from past All Star matches featuring Celtic or Fulham.

Here is the full All Star Roster:

Goalkeepers (2): Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders (7): Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire), Kevin Alston (New England Revolution)

Midfielders (9): Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards (5): Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)

I have no real arguments with the list. It would’ve been nice to see a few rookies like Michael Stephens, Danny Mwanga, or Andy Najar selected. I feel those players are more deserving than Brian Ching or Brad Davis at the moment.

The midfield has an international feel to it. On the bright side, it’s good to see that MLS is attracting talented international players. The down side, it’s a reminder that the US isn’t producing enough creative playmakers.

Only two DP’s made the All Star team this year, Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel. These two players are model DPs in my opinion. Both have the skill and production rate to warrant their high salaries, and both are invested in the growth and development of MLS.

Of the other DPs, Beckham is out this season with an Achilles injury. Theirry Henry, Blaise Nkufo, Mista, and Branko Boskovic have just arrived to their new clubs. Freddie Ljungberg and Julian de Guzman are the only two DPs in real contention for an All Star spot that failed to make the cut.

Per the CBA, the league must pick 9 more All Star players. These players will receive the All Star bonus but won’t dress on game day.

Here are my picks for the final 9 non-active All Star players:

Bobby Convey, Michael Stephens, Andy Najar, Conor Casey, Drew Moor, Matt Pickens, Alvaro Saborio, Jimmy Nielson, and Brek Shea.

Share your thoughts on the All Star roster.

The Rapids face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night without two key players. Pablo Mastroeni received a red card on Saturday night against the Columbus Crew and will serve his one game suspension. Julian Baudet came off the pitch in the second half of the Columbus match with a sore knee. While it is certain that Pablo won’t play, Julian is a game time decision.

Coach Smith doesn’t like to show his hand when it comes to lineups but did mention that this might be an opportunity for some reserve players to step in and prove themselves.

Two players that are ready to step up to the challenge are rookie midfielder Ross LaBauex, and center back Scott Palguta.

Ross LaBauex saw significant playing time in the Open Cup qualifiers. His combination of athleticism and skill has impressed the coaching staff. The young midfielder knows he is still a work in progress but is eager to get on the field and prove he is worthy of more minutes.

Ross seems like the ideal candidate to replace Pablo in that defensive midfield role. Although he doesn’t know if he’ll get the nod, Ross stated that “it’s looking good just cause Pablo got the red and I play defensive mid too. So we’ll see, I’m hoping, it’s always good to hope.”

Ross, a Chicago native, has extra motivation to get on the field tomorrow night . His “mom, grandma, uncle, aunt, two cousins, and a lot of friends” will be in attendance at tomorrow night’s game.

Although playing in front of his family is an added bonus, Ross believes that “getting a victory would be the best thing, regardless of what I do, as long as the team wins I’ll be happy.”

Another player that might get an opportunity is defender Scott Palguta. Scott struggled with tendinitis during preseason and has slowly worked his way back into the rotation. Scott was happy to get on the field on Saturday but isn’t getting his hopes too high about starting against Chicago.

“It was nice to get a few minutes on Saturday, but We’ll see about Chicago, there are a couple guys struggling with injury we’ll have to see how they feel tomorrow, we don’t know the lineup just yet.”

Despite the possibility of a few players missing neither Ross nor Scott believes the team will change anything.

Ross stated, ” I don’t think we’ll do much differently, we are on a good run right now, our tactics are working our formations are working. I think we are on the incline, I think we can only get better from here on as long as we work hard and play our game we can win it.”

Similarly, Scott doesn’t think the team will make major adjustments but believes their 2-2 tie earlier this season will motivate the team to look for the win.

“I don’t think so, [Chicago] I think, even though we are 10, 11, 12 games into the season, they are still trying to find themselves a little bit, they’ve been up and down a little bit form wise. The game here is going to be in the back of our mind, obviously that tie is a game we thought we should’ve won, so I think we’ll approach tomorrow night with a little bit of chip on our shoulder, that even though we are on the road we’ll be thinking 3 points the whole time.”

Coach Smith also stated that he was pleased with what he saw from Jamie Smith on Saturday.  Additionally, Coach Smith is entertaining the idea of giving Claudio a chance against Chicago.  He didn’t state if it was off the bench or starting.

The Rapids battled for a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night.  There were few chances between both teams and it took a fantastic header by Drew Moor in the 85th minute to earn the Rapids the victory.

Although the Rapids didn’t play at their best, their discipline and defensive fortitude was on clear display.  Earls and Wynne had the unenviable task of shutting down Gaven and Robbie Rogers, respectively. Something that most teams in the league have failed to do.  Drew Moor and Julian Baudet completely frustrated Steven Lenhart and limited Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Pablo and Jeff owned the midfield and kept the Crew from creating any chances. In the end, it was a defender, Drew Moor, that won the game for the Rapids.

The Rapids found a way to win on Saturday night.  Despite playing a man down, the Rapids organized themselves and made the most of the one chance the had late in the match.  Watching Drew Moor score the game winner and Colin Clark tackling in the defensive third to hold on to the win, shows that this team is willing to share responsibilities and find victories.

Player Ratings:

Pickens, 6: He came up with some big saves and kept the clean sheet

Wynne, 7: A solid performance by Wynne on both sides of the ball. Kept Rogers in check he whole match.

Baudet, 6: Still a few miscues but overall solid performance.

Moor, 9: Man of the match. Perfect defensively and the game winning goal.

Earls, 7: Another great game for Danny. He continues to impress with his quickness and ability to join the attack.

Larentowicz, 7: Won plenty of tackles in the midfield and showed strength on the ball to keep possession. Nothing spectacular from him tonight, but he did his job.

Mastroeni, 5: He made a few uncharacteristic bad passes, and a few terrible passes throughout the night. Besides that he kept the Crew’s offense under control. He loses a few points for not making contact with his two fisted shoalin worm fist.

Ballouchy, 7: Had a few moments of excellent play but Carroll and Moffat neutralized him for most of the game. He was forced the find the ball in deeper positions.

Cummings, 7: The Crew focused on neutralizing Omar, but he still found some space to run at their backline.  His finishing is still letting him down.

Clark, 6: Returned to the starting lineup and put in a solid shift. Not as dangerous as he used to be, but made some plays for the team. Made some big defensive plays at the end of the game.

Casey, 5: Andy Iro and Chad Marshall kept Conor in check most of the night, leading to second half substitution. He made a few good plays when the ball was played into his feet, but his touch fails him a little too often. Putting your elbow into the ref’s face isn’t a good idea either.

Subs:

Thompson, 6: He didn’t see much of the ball but made some good defensive contributions. Produced the Rapids best chance in the second half when he got to the endline and passed the ball back to an on rushing Omar, only to have the ball ricochet off the post.

Smith, 6: Didn’t see much of the ball when he came in but delivered the game winning assist.

Palguta, n/a: It was good to see Palguta get some time.

Post Match Quotes:

Columbus Crew, Asst. Coach Mike Lapper:

On the Crew’s the match:

“Our intention because of the altitude, maybe playing 3 games in such a short span, we wanted to drop off a little bit in first half get into the flow of the field, eliminate the space for Omar Cummings to run into so he would be limited on that side, let them build out the right, so that the couldn’t get on to a diagonal ball. I thought we did that for the most part. Second half we said, if you feel like we can go as a group, not individually, but if you feel like we can go, lets raise the tempo. we started getting a little bit more confident and I thought second half we played better.”

“It’s just frustrating, it comes down to individual duels and to lose it on a set piece, it’s hard.”

“I was pleased with everybody’s work ethic, attitude, and effort that they put forward, it was fantastic. unfortunately the game is beautiful and it can be cruel at times. I thought that was a 0-0 draw the whole time.”

On the goal:

“It was a great set piece, a good run, Drew moor gets his head on the ball. Like I said it comes down to individual battles, and he won that individual duel. The ball was there and he headed it home. Not a fluke goal at all, good service, good finish.”

On going into the break without a win in the last 3 games:

“If we were playing poorly and that was the case we’d discuss the issue, even the LA game I thought we played well. You go back to the three games, LA I thought we played well, just didn’t get it done, we battled well agains San Jose, and I thought we battled well tonight. You know just sometimes its a cruel game.”

On Colorado:

“My hats off to colorado, they are having a great season. Gary Smith has got them giong in the right direction, they are a tough team to break down, and they proved that again tonight.”

Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith:

On the match:

“We’ve played better than that, there is not doubt about it, we’ve played better, we played better against LA and lost. So at what point do you say the performance is everything or winning is everyting, tonight winning is everything, because we have played well for 5 weeks or 6 weeks we haven’t always gotten our reward.”

On subbing Conor Casey:

“I thought the two centerbacks tonight, did as good a job on him as I’ve seen all season, and i thought if we get a bit of pace through the middle, there might be those other opportunities, where we could slide down the side of them, some fresh legs out on the right, and you know that might be the difference. it didn’t end up that way, but that was the thought process behind it.”

On the team:

“The players have showed some qualities that I think have not always been at the forefront of their performances, some real character, some great determination, and the willingness to not lie down and die.”

“Tonight we proved that we are improving, we have a good squad, a good group, a very tenacious group of players, who I think will push most teams to the limit at this point.”

Rapids Defender, Drew Moor:

On the goal:

“I think it went right over Scotty’s head I think he had some of the bigger guys on him, I think I was left with one of their smaller guys, which benefited me obviously. Jaime just put it right in a dangerous spot, just kind of right at the top of the six yard box.”

On the teams reaction to the red card:

“Honestly at that point you are happy with a 0-0 draw, Just becuase you are a man down, 20 minutes to go, its been a relatively even game, but when we do have our opportunites, especially on set pieces, we’ve got to commit bodies forward and try to keep them on their heels. And who knows maybe you’ll sneak one in the net, like tonight.”

On the win:

“Three points is the most important thing, everybody conributed to the three points toinight, and I think that is what we are most excited about. Definitley what I’m most excited about.”

The group is feeling confident after the win against Seattle. After a tough lose on Wednesday, the Rapids were happy to get back to winning ways. They have 16 points at the moment (5-3-1), enough to put them in a 3 way tie for 3rd. Plus, the Rapids have a few games in hand. At the moment, the Rapids are on a good pace and looking to improve as the season progresses. Not much to report on today, but here are few things of note.

Training Observations:

• Julian Baudet, Ciaran O’Brien, and Jamie Smith participated in full training and the fitness session.

• A few players practiced freekicks. Mehdi Ballouchy and Jeff Larentowicz were the most impressive among them.

• Kimura was not at training and there is no set date for his return.

• Ciaran O’Brien is likely going on loan, but he doesn’t know when or where. He says he’s been healthy for a month and is waiting to get off the injury reserve list.

Notes:

• The Rapids host the Columbus Crew on Saturday June 5.

Final Thoughts:

I noticed that both Jaime Smith and Claudio Lopez were training at full stride with the group.  Both have struggled with fitness issues, Jaime had a hamstring injury and Claudio joined the group late. As of right now, both think they are ready to play but have to wait on Coach Smith and the staff to see if they get that chance.

Nevertheless, watching them train made me ask myself, “do the Rapids finally have depth in their attack?” Although there is a great deal of improvement in that particular area, my answer at the moment is “no”.  We have plenty of bodies but we don’t know enough about certain players to really say we have depth.

Here are the players available: Wells Thompson, Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark, Jamie Smith, Claudio Lopez, Andre Akpan, and Quincy Amarikwa.

This season; Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Mehdi Ballouchy, Wells Thompson, and Colin Clark have shown they are quality MLS players. The jury is still out on Jamie Smith, Claudio Lopez, Quincy Amarikwa, and Andre Akpan.

As of right now, the Rapids only have one quality attacking sub coming off the bench in Colin Clark. Quincy Amarikwa has contributed but, to some extent, has shown his limitations. Akpan has yet to feature in a league match and it might still be a little too early for the young striker to contribute.   That leaves Jaime Smith and Claudio Lopez holding the key to the Rapids depth.

I think we can reassess the Rapids depth when both Claudio and Jamie start playing significant minutes.  Both have impressive resumes and are highly regarded, but neither has had the opportunity to impress on the field.    When Jaime and Claudio are fit the Rapids would have cover for Mehdi (attacking center mid) and Omar (right wing) in the attack.

Until then, my answer to the depth question is “no”. That being said, their recent progress at training shows promise and we should have the opportunity to assess them soon.

Share your thoughts on the Rapids current depth in attack? What areas do you think the Rapids are solid and where would you like to see Coach Smith bring in new players or possibly a DP?

The Rapids had their final training session of the week this morning. The team will take several days off before they gear up for their Open Cup match against the New York Red Bulls and their league match against the Seattle Sounders next week. The group was in good spirits this morning. I also had the opportunity to get a few words with Rapids midfielder Ciaran O’Brien.

Training Observations:

• The Rapids worked on some offense v. defense. Decisions making on the wings seemed to be the focus.
• Mehdi Ballouchy has a little extra bounce in his step. He was making some great passes and taking some excellent shots at training. Coach Smith thinks the new formation has helped Mehdi’s play but more importantly, it’s helped Mehdi’s confidence.
• Ciaran O’Brien participated in training and is trying to regain fitness and form.
• Conor Casey and Claudio Lopez worked apart from the group on some crossing and finishing.
• Jaime Smith is still rehabbing his hamstring injury. The set back happened because he was a little bit too anxious and tried to play too soon. This time around he wants to take it slow and make sure he is 100%. He thinks the NY game might be too early, but has set his sights on the Seattle match.
• After some tough tactical work the group split into some finishing drills with an added bit of competition among the players. There was plenty of laughter and cheers to close out the session. I couldn’t tell who won but apparently Wells Thompson lost.
• The youngsters, Andre Akpan, Ross LaBauex, and Quincy Amarikwa, had a goal olympico contest. Each bet their salary to see who scored first. Quincy walked away the winner and is now the proud owner of Akpan’s salary for the next three seasons.

Notes:

• The Rapids don’t officially have a scout in Ghana as reported by Tribal Football. There is someone in Ghana that knows someone, that knows someone, that is somehow connected to the Rapids.
• The Rapids visit the NY Red Bulls on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 for a spot in the Open Cup.
• On Saturday May 29, the Rapids host the Seattle Sounders.
• The Rapids are going to post some World Cup related content on their website in the upcoming weeks.

Catching up with Ciaran O’Brien:

Ciaran O’Brien, the Rapids first round pick in the 2008 Superdraft, is finally working his way back into the group.

The talented midfielder was highly regarded coming out college. While at UC Santa Barbara, he was named the 2007 Big West Midfielder of the Year after leading the Conference in scoring. In 2006, while at the University of San Diego, Ciaran earned a spot on the NSCAA Freshman All-American team, the WCC second team, and as well as the WCC co-freshman of the year award.

Ciaran played 20 minutes in the Rapid’s 2008 season opener against the LA Galaxy. The Rapids won that match 4-0 thanks to a brilliant performance by former Rapid Terry Cooke. For Ciaran though, that match would be the last time he’d see field in a regular season match. Ciaran was given a red card in the 90th minute after a hard tackle from behind on Carlos Ruiz. The suspension and a series of injuries saw Ciaran fall out of the rotation.

Ciaran spent most of 2008 and 2009 on loan with USL sides Seattle Sounders, Austin Aztex, and Montreal Impact.  Ciaran believes his time on loan was a good step for him but is frustrated that injuries continue to plague his career.

“Going on loan last year helped me a lot. I felt good after it and then right when I came back my injury came back again and so it’s kind of been a bit of a bummer.”

Although a preseason injury left him on the injured reserve list he is now back in training and is slowly working his way back into the mix.

“Injuries have been a bit of nightmare this year for sure. I’m just getting back, I played in that PDL game last week, and its feeling alright. It’s still a little bit stiff but going well.”

A week ago, Ciaran played about 65 minutes in the Rapids reserve match against PDL side Colorado Foxes. The Rapids won that match 3-0 with goals from Akpan, Amarikwa, and a guest player.

In that match, Ciaran played as a center midfielder. A position currently occupied by Mehdi Ballouchy in the first team. Ciaran isn’t picky about his position but he’d love to play that creative attacking role.

“Hopefully, to me it really doesn’t matter, but that is my natural position that is where I’m most comfortable. At the end of the day I’d love to get a shot.”

Ciaran is setting his sights on the Open Cup match against NY.

“That is the hope, but obviously that is up to the manager. But I think I’m progressing well, that is the goal for me to get back at least a few minutes in that game. But hopefully this is my year to stay fit and hopefully make an impact.”

Ciaran has been around for a while now but is still only 22 years old. The young midfielder has plenty of time to turn his career around and hopefully he does so with the Rapids. At the moment Ciaran’s main goal is to stay healthy, get off the injury reserve list, and start earning some playing time. Unfortunately, Coach Smith doesn’t think Ciaran will be a part of the group that travels to NY.

The Rapids lost 1-0 to the LA Galaxy on Wednesday night.  The Rapids suffered their second loss in a row and their first home loss of the season.  The Rapids managed to outplay the highly regarded LA squad for about 60 minutes but failed to convert. The Galaxy had their fair share of possession and chances on goal, but the early goal on the road combined with the elevation, forced the LA club to play more conservatively in the second half.

This is the second time the Rapids out played their opponent and failed to come away with any points. Coach Smith believes there are plenty of positives to take away from this match and hopes his players will believe in their quality.

“I think we’ve seen a group for seven games now that have kept the ball well. Good possession, have a nice shape, we’ve evolved a little bit, but we’ve certainly got enough strength and enough quality to be reckoned with. Sadly we’ve lost two games on the spin, and you know our stock will go down somewhat, but as long as those guys keep the belief in that changing room, that they are a good team, which they are, I do believe we’ll get enough points to reach the achievements.”

“If we continue to play like that I have no fear that we will achieve something we haven’t’ done for the past 3 or 4 years. The challenge is obviously to continue to play like that, and be a tad more clinical in front of goal.”

The sentiment was echoed by Drew Moor in the changing room. He thought the group played extremely well but failed in that final third.  Drew thinks it is only a matter of time before the goals start pouring in.

“Obviously we need to score goals. We have some fantastic attacking players, some great goal scorers.  The goals will come, I have no doubt they will come. They’ve come from other sources lately, but they will start coming and we need to be patient.”

The Rapids will have a few days off before they resume training.  Their next match is on Saturday May 15, at DC United.

Player Ratings:

Pickens: 7, best game of the season so far. Looked solid and had some big saves.

Earls: 8, excellent on both sides of the ball, a real revelation this season.

Baudet: 7, not a perfect game but a fantastic performance by the big man.  Kept Buddle off the score sheet.

Moor: 6, much better when he moved into the middle, looked a little uncomfortable on the right.

Wynne: 6, earned man of the match, but needed to do more offensively in the second half.

Larentowicz: 7, moved the ball well for the Rapids and took control of the midfield.

Mastroeni: 6, not his most dominating performance, but helped control the midfield.

Ballouchy: 5, ineffective as an attacking midfielder but great at keeping possession.

Thompson: 5, invisible for most of the first half, mainly because the Rapids failed to use the left side of the field. Substituted at the half.

Cummings: 7, electric going forward and created plenty of opportunities. Drops a point for failing to put the ball on frame.

Casey: 6, won some important physical battles but wasn’t available to convert chances.

Subs:

Clark: 7, made an impact off the bench. Was able to get outside the defenders and deliver crosses.

Lopez: 6, first few touches were poor, but provided some very dangerous deliveries at the death of the match.

The fifth week is in the books and the league looks like it is divided into three groups.

The top teams are Los Angeles, New York, and Columbus. I don’t know if these teams will stay the elite come October but, for now, these are the top performers in the league.

The second group consists of teams working their way into the top 3. Kansas, Colorado, and Seattle have the talent to finish at the top of their respective conferences. In the first 5 weeks, they’ve been less consistent than the three teams above them. While Colorado is moving up, both Kansas and Seattle have staggered a bit and move down the rankings.

The third group, and the largest group, is composed of everyone else. Each team has a few issues to resolve before they can start moving towards the top of table.

Houston and New England are missing key players due to injury. Their combined injury list is comprised of All Star caliber players: Shalrie Joseph, Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, Geoff Cameron, and Brian Ching. Accordingly, both teams continue their dissent down the rankings.

The Chicago Fire, DC United, Toronto FC, and Chivas USA are going through the natural struggles associated with change. All four lost key players and brought in new coaches. Chicago and Chivas seem to be adapting a little bit more quickly than Toronto and DC, and are slowly moving up the rankings.

While DC has the talent to turn their season around, Toronto is a one man show at the moment. De Rosario is the only difference maker. The club needs DP de Guzman to prove his worth and the front office needs to look at bringing in some quality players. Even though Toronto earned another victory, I still think they are the worst team in the league. DC, probably the better team on paper, keeps the bottom spot and will stay there until they earn a win.

San Jose and Dallas are underachieving at the moment. San Jose had a promising preseason and some penciled them in as real contenders. Although they’ve put in some solid performances, they still aren’t living up to their promise. Dallas was on a tear at the end of last season. Most believed Dallas would carry their form into this season, but their lack of offseason acquisitions foretold their early struggles in the first 5 games. San Jose isn’t punished for their failure to win on the road, but Dallas drops a few spots after earning another tie at home.

The one team that I can’t figure out is Real Salt Lake. Although their surprisingly bad start to the season isn’t unprecedented, both Columbus and Houston struggled after winning their MLS Cup, RSL aren’t getting played off the park by anyone. It seems like they are just missing something at the moment. RSL stays 8th, and in the top half, despite another loss. The fact that they’ve come up short against the top teams in the league works in their favor.

Finally, the Union is suffering because they are an expansion team. Their inconsistent and, at times, inept performances will continue until the summer time. Hopefully Nowak has some veteran acquisitions in mind. Philly moves down to round out the bottom 3 for week 5.

MLS Power Rankings after Week 5:

1. - (1) Los Angeles Galaxy: Still undefeated.

2. - (2) New York Red Bulls: Another win, but still unconvincing.

3. ↑ (4) Columbus Crew: Beat RSL, still undefeated

4. ↑ (6) Colorado Rapids: Pablo and Mehdi scored . . . weird.

5. ↓ (3) Kansas City: Kei Kamara with the blooper of the year.

6. ↓ (5) Seattle: Result that makes you go hmmm

7. - (7) Houston: Attacking players are dropping like flies.

8. - (8) RSL: MLS Cup hangover.

9. - (9) San Jose: Out classed by Chivas.

10. - (10) NE Revolution: Lose at home without Joseph.

11. ↑ (13) Chicago: Finally turning things around.

12. ↑ (14) Chivas USA: Kljestan scores, Chivas win.

13. ↓ (11) FC Dallas: Dallas can’t get it together.

14. ↓ (12) Phil. Union: Orozco with the requisite F-up of the week.

15. - (15) Toronto FC: Win at home, but Seattle made it easy.

16. - (16) DC United: Bye week to sulk in their misery.

Wells Thompson joined the Colorado Rapids during the offseason in a four player swap involving his New England teammate Jeff Larentowicz, and Rapids players Preston Burpo and Cory Gibbs.  Wells welcomed the move and has made the most of the experience thus far.

Although he hasn’t earned a starting spot just yet, he’s definitely started to win over fans with his electric and aggressive style of play.  He scored two goals in the Rapids Open Cup match a little over a week ago, and earned the Rapids a game winning free kick this past Sunday.

On Saturday Wells returns to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Revolution, the club where he started his professional career.  This is the first time he faces his former club and admits there will be some emotions on game day.

“It’s going to be different for sure. I guess kind of a lot of emotions. It will be really good to see a lot of people, and my folks are flying up too, so it will be good to see them coming to the game. It should be good.”

Emotions aside, Wells won’t hold back against his former team.  He’s there to win and get the Rapids one step closer to the Supporters’ Shield.

“If we win that will be the best thing about it. I’m a Rapid now. I’ve come to terms with that. I think after the first few minutes, or however long I go on the field, those emotions will get over quickly.  I’ll just get down to business and play for the Rapids. We play for a win.”

The New England Revolution are 2-2-0 this season, good enough for 3rd in the East.  Most predicted the Revs to struggle this year but Steve Nicol is getting the most out of his players.  Wells knows the Revs shouldn’t be underestimated.

“I think all around, they are good team. Kehli Dube, I’m a big fan of his, he’s a hard worker, and he’s going to run 90 minutes for those guys. Zack Schilawski, I played at Wake with him, he’s the same type of player as Dube; he’s going to give you everything he has. Sainey Nyassi out wide is fast, we have to look out for that. Chris Tierney will whip a good ball in.  They have good backs with Kevin Alston, and the new rookie is a good player too. I don’t know if Shalrie Jospeh is playing, but you can’t talk about New England without talking about Shalrie. So yeah all around, they’re a good team. It should be a good game.”

The Colorado Rapids travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Revolution on Saturday at 5:30pm MT.

Coach Smith mentioned a possible formation change in the near future.

Against Toronto this past Sunday, Coach Smith inserted forward Quincy Amarikwa late in the game and pushed Omar Cummings out right.  Coach Smith was pleased with Omar’s play on the right and is considering a change in the forward’s position.

“There is a possibility that Omar can slide out wide. He’s got a lot of qualities that lend itself to a 4-3-3. He’s quick, he’s athletic. One-v-one he’s very good, his delivery is decent. So yeah there are some nice qualities in the future that might help us.  So it wouldn’t be a surprise if you saw that, but when, where, and how that is implemented is a completely different question.”

The addition of Claudio Lopez and the Rapids depth at center mid lend itself to a 4-3-3.  I’m curious to see if Coach Smith opts for a 4-3-3 late in the game this weekend, should Claudio make his debut.

For now it sounds like Coach Smith is going to stick with his usual formation and rotation.

“At this moment in time, I’m really pleased with how the group is moving forward. We’ve got some nice fluency in the group and there are also opportunities for rotation of players because we have nice depth.”

Do you think the Rapids should move to a 4-3-3?