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 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.

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.

The Designated Player Rule received an upgrade that allows every team a 2nd DP slot with the option of purchasing a 3rd.  As an added incentive, teams can also bring in a player mid-season for half the salary cap hit.

While teams like LA and NY are considering a 2nd and 3rd DP player, many teams, including the Colorado Rapids, have yet to take advantage of the DP rule.

If Coach Smith had his way, he’d sign one as soon as possible. The problem is that the front office needs to consider a laundry list of factors, most of which are out of the coaches hands.  The Rapids need a player that will produce on the field and have that unique appeal that will attract Colorado soccer fans.

Coach Smith stated, “To find those players, it’s extremely difficult, everyone is looking for them. If we can find one, then hopefully we can convince the owners to allow him to come into the group.”

But where on the field would the Rapids fit a DP?

A defensive DP would be a huge risk unless the club brings in a guy like Mexico and Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez.

In the midfield, Coach Smith doesn’t play with a typical attacking center midfielder and it is very unlikely that the club can find a defensive center mid that will sell tickets.  A wide midfielder? Possibly, if the DP still had the legs to run the line and play some defense.

Up top, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings are arguably they best forward tandem in the league.  Would Coach Smith split them up to bring in a DP?

The simple answer is, yes.

“Why would I not want a DP forward if I could get one? If there was the right fit, a DP forward would fit our group more comfortably than any other area.”

Coach Smith would like to get a DP forward in the club but has to analyze the type of player that better fits the group.

“I think the right fit is important.” Coach Smith is looking to see if the team needs “a forward who is good with his back to goal, a Juan Pablo [Angel], or a DP who’s explosive who’s quick, like Thierry Henry.” Coach Smith might also look for something different, a “DP forward who is extremely talented, might not be the biggest physically or the quickest but wonderful movement, great at bringing players into the game; a penalty area center forward, a good finisher. There are three very different types of players there.”

In addition, Coach Smith wants a leader.

“Not only on the field, you certainly don’t want an individual on a lot of money who is poor in the changing room, you want a good leader, you want a good professional.”

Coach Smith is keeping his eye out for the right player.  The international transfer window closed last week, so Coach Smith has to wait until the summer to make a move. When asked if he would look to bring someone in during the summer, Coach Smith replied, “As a DP? It would be fabulous.”

Who do you think the Rapids should look at as a possible DP signing?

The Rapids next home game is fast approaching and there are a handful of attacking players hoping they caught the coach’s eye during the week. While most of the focus has been on midfielder Wells Thompson after his two goals on Tuesday, young forwards Andre Akpan and Quincy Amarikwa have quietly caught the coach’s attention.

Both played well against Kansas in the Open Cup match and gave the coaching staff a better idea of how to use the two players.  Neither is ready to take the starting spot away from Omar Cummings or Conor Casey but they can play an important role should they get the call off the bench.

Coach Smith views the two newcomers as “two very different players.”

“Quincy is an explosive player with good pace and likes to play on the shoulder of defenders. Andre likes to come in and link up, his techniques are tighter. [Akpan's] movements are just a little bit more refined at the moment. If we need some pace, need someone to get in behind, then it’s Quincy. If we need somebody who is going to be a better pivot for us to play into and work off of, then Andre.

Coach Smith can’t reward everyone with playing time, but he’ll need those players he does call on to jump in and bring energy late in the match this Sunday.

“I think this weekend the bench will need to be as aggressive as possible. It’s an important game to be bright and purposeful, and to have as many players that can keep that energetic edge for the team.”

One attacking player that fans probably won’t get to see is new Argentinean signing Claudio Lopez.  Lopez played 10 minutes in the Rapid’s Open Cup match on Tuesday, but Coach Smith doesn’t think he is ready just yet.

“I’m not sure, at this point, if Claudio is ready to be part of that 18 man group.  We had a conversation during the week and we both felt that next weekend would probably be the first time he’s considered for the 18.”

Coach Smith is eager to get Lopez into the mix but wants to do things properly.  Giving Lopez more time to prepare physically and get comfortable with the group is the best course of action.

The Rapids host Toronto FC on Sunday April 18 at 3pm.  Make sure to get your tickets!

In the last seven days the Rapids signed two new attacking players.  The first was Claudio “El Piojo” Lopez a veteran forward/winger that represented Argentina in two World Cups.   The second is Quincy Amarikwa, a young and athletic striker looking to further his professional career.

Both bring different qualities to the team. Lopez is a savvy vet, who has played at the highest level in Europe and internationally.  He will be a leader on the field as well as in the locker room.  Amarikwa is a dynamic young striker with a ton of enthusiasm and potential.  He’ll step in to push some of the regulars and add a spark off the bench.

It is still unclear when either player will be ready to step in and help the Rapids. Lopez, formerly with the Kansas City Wizards, has maintained a good level of fitness since parting ways with Kansas City in February but he isn’t match fit at the moment.  Amarikwa, formerly with the San Jose Earthquakes, has a full preseason under his belt but will need time to find his spot on the team.

Although Lopez has been training with the team Coach Smith doesn’t think he is ready for the match on Saturday.

“I’m hoping that Claudio will join us on Sunday.  He’s trained well this week, he looks in very reasonable shape, and, with a bit of fortune, we can get maybe 30 minutes out of Claudio in the Open Cup game.”

Coach Smith sees Lopez getting 30 minutes in the Open Cup as a positive step considering how long it’s been since Lopez has played a match.  Coach has a fairly good idea of “when” of Claudio will play, but “where” he will play is a question that doesn’t have quite as clear of an answer.

The talented Argentinean has plenty of experience in multiple positions but played primarily as left midfielder/winger for Kansas City. Coach Smith is still considering all the possibilities but believes Lopez might play as a forward to start.

“I’m not quite sure how we’ll fit him in on Tuesday, I’ve been pretty open minded about what he gives us. It may be as a second striker. I think it might suit him slightly better on Tuesday in the opening exchanges, in terms of area to cover and his role and job description. That left hand side can tend to be a little bit open and maybe lends itself to bit more athleticism, so it might not be quite ready for him yet. Either way, I think it will be great just to get him out there, get him in the group and working, and build the relationships.”

While Lopez is battling to get fit, Quincy Amarikwa has a different challenge ahead of him.  Quincy is probably a little further along in his fitness but still needs to get involved with the group before he can start seeing minutes.

Although Quincy was considered surplus at San Jose, there is no denying the fact that the young forward brings some great qualities. Quincy is entering his second year in MLS and Coach Smith thinks he can play an important role with the club.

Smith sees potential in Quincy and believes “he might just be that difference maker off the bench when we need it, and, of course, if form is good enough and he plays well enough, he’ll put pressure on our front two.”

“He’s got blistering pace and he’s an extremely passionate and enthusiastic player. He’s a bullish character, he roughs people up, and he unsettles defenders.”

Smith sees Quincy as a possible sub for Omar Cummings.  The Jamaican forward is in good form at the moment, but Smith wants the ability to give him a rest from time to time.

“Omar has plenty of fatigue around his game because of the amount of work he puts into each match.  So being able to, every now and then, bring in Quincy is a good thing.”

Coach Smith recognizes that “Quincy is quite an inexperienced guy at the moment” but believes the kid’s attitude and style of play is something the club is missing up top.

Rapids rookie midfielder Ross LaBauex made his professional debut in the Rapids season opener against Chivas USA.  The second round draft pick replaced outside mid Colin Clark in the 77th minute to help the Rapids hold their 1-0 lead.

Throughout preseason LaBauex slowly worked his way into the Rapids lineup.  His combination of skill and athleticism has seen him move up the center mid pecking order.  LaBauex knows that he has plenty of work to do but sees his professional debut as another step forward.

“It’s great, it’s a step closer.  It’s about getting minutes, then playing even more minutes, then becoming a starter. It’s all little steps, a process to further my career.”

LaBauex had a feeling he’d get minutes against Chivas but admits he was still nervous when is name was called.

“I was nervous, just because you hear all the people. Then it was a corner kick or a throw in when I got in, so I ran back and Pickens started yelling some directions at me, and I can’t hear. I didn’t know it was going to be like this, so I marked a guy and tried to add some intensity. It’s just great to see the coaches have confidence in me.”

The nerves passed quickly and the rookie put in a solid 15 minutes. His teammates and his experience at the University of Virginia helped him handle the speed and intensity of the match.

“The speed and intensity, it’s high but I think Virginia prepared me well.  I played in all the big games in college, so now I’m just going to play all these games like they are my national championship.”

“At first you might miss a pass, but you just got to keep going, keep playing. My teammates helped. Drew Moor just said ‘make sure you enjoy it’, and then he said something and got me to laugh so I was alright.  They’ve been great, the older guys.”

LaBauex, a Chicago native, is excited to play against his hometown team this weekend in the home opener.  Ross grew up in Chicago and played with youth soccer powerhouse Chicago Magic and the Chicago Fire’s U20 setup.

“It’ll be fun, just because it’s going to be the Chicago Fire my hometown team, so it will be fun. Everyone is excited. It’ll be a good game. Hopefully we’ll get a good crowd and hopefully I can get into the first home game too.”

LaBauex knows it will be a tough game and believes the team will need to focus for 90 minutes if they want to win.

“I watched the game against New York.  New coach, a few new players, but they move the ball well.  They have McBride, who is one of the best goal scorers in US history. We can’t fall asleep, one little inch and he can hurt us. As long as we prepare and work as a team, we are going to win.”

Success seems to follow the young midfielder. He won a national championship with the University of Virginia last season and believes the Rapids can do great things this year.

“I think this team can accomplish as much as we put our hearts and minds to.”

Drew Moor joined the Colorado Rapids towards the end of last season. He spent four and a half seasons with FC Dallas holding down their backline. It was a tough move for the Dallas native but he’s warming up to Denver.

“Denver is a great place to be, it was a tough transition to have to leave home, … I ‘m really close to my family back home, but having been here and living here for a little bit and being involved with the team I can’t think of a better place to be. As far as the city and the people, it’s been a great place.”

Drew left Dallas at a time when FC Dallas was a long-shot to make the playoffs. Although the move came as a surprise, he was happy to join a club that had a realistic chance of making the post season. Unfortunately, the season didn’t turn out as expected.

“I didn’t come till the end of last season, unfortunately, when I did get here we won the first game, which was nice, and we didn’t win again for the rest of the season.  We had some draws in there. We always had the opportunity to make the playoffs and we just missed it.”

Drew acknowledges the injury situation but doesn’t use it as an excuse.  For Drew it’s very simple, “bottom line we didn’t get the job done.”

Everyone associated with club was disappointed with the way things ended last season. Things got a little heated between the coaching staff and some of the players, but Drew believes that is just a testimony to their passion.

“I think everybody was disappointed with the way we finished the season and that’s normal. If you have a coach that isn’t disappointed missing the playoffs, maybe you’re in the wrong spot. Coach, he’s a passionate guy, he wants the best for these players, just as much as we want the best for ourselves and this team. Maybe some things were said but it’s all from the passion on the inside of these players. We want to do well, we want to succeed.”

Missing the playoffs was tough but that’s the past. The memory of missing the playoffs has done nothing but make the team hungrier and, so far, the preseason has been very intense.

“It’s tough how we ended last year, missing the playoffs like we did, we were all disappointed but I think it’s put a little bit of hunger in us, and motivation to come out and get off to a good start. Preseason has gone really well. We’ve been pretty much living at this stadium. We’ve been going at it since day one; two a days, scrimmages, and inter-squad scrimmages. It’s been very focused and very intense, which is a good sign I think.”

This season presents all new challenges for Drew. The first, is figuring out his role on the team.

“It’s tough to tell right now, I think my versatility has been an advantage in the past, I’ve played under some coaches that have played me at different positions and I’ve played all four spots in the back. I’ve even played a little bit of defensive midfield.” In the end it’s probably going to come down to a few factors, “it depends on injuries and where other guys might be playing.”

But Drew isn’t too concerned about his position as long as he’s on the field, “honestly, I’ve told coach put me wherever, I’m not going to be picky where I want to play or feel more natural. I’ve played probably, in my five season, the exact same amount of time outside back as inside back.”

The backline is starting to come together and Drew feels lucky to be playing with such talented players. The trick to good defending is communication and, according to Drew, the Rapids have one of the best communicators in the league.

“It starts with Julien Baudet and his communication, he keeps everybody on the same page, and you know he talks for 90 minutes, I almost get sick of his voice, which is a good thing. It filters through the rest of the team.”

This preseason the coaches have really focused on the defensive side of the ball. They want to make sure everyone is on the same page and getting themselves into the right spots defensively. For Drew, defending is simple. It’s all about stopping your man and keeping the clean sheet.

“I’ve been a defender since I was 16 or 17 years old. I take a lot of pride in keeping clean sheets and keeping goal scorers from scoring goals. At the end of the day, it’s a unit of eleven working defensively; it doesn’t just start with the back. It starts with the two forwards.”

Speaking of the two forwards, Drew has the opportunity to play with two of the best in Omar Cummings and Conor Casey.

As a defender, “they cause you headaches. They are two different players but they feed off each other so well, their differences are an advantage. Conor is big, strong and I don’t think he gets credit for how good his feet are or how good he is with the ball. He’s deceptively quick, he’s just a handful. With Omar and his speed and skill, he gets himself into dangerous spots, he runs off of Conor well.” Drew admits that having them as teammates is more fun than playing against them, “I actually love playing defense for this team. When I have the ball, I look up and have one of those two to choose from to pass to. It’s definitely an advantage.”

The season is just around the corner (hopefully) and the Rapids are making their final adjustments to start the season off right. Drew Moor and the rest of the Rapids will host the Seattle Sounders in a preseason Charity match tomorrow (Friday, March 19) at 7pm. It’s the last tune up game before the season kicks off on March 26, when the Rapids travel to Los Angeles to face Chivas USA.

Wells Thompson is probably one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.  It kind of makes you wonder why he was one of the most hated players in the ACC.

I had the opportunity to catch Wells Thompson for a few minutes after training on Saturday and we talked a little bit about his Colorado experience so far.

The former Wake Forest standout and New England Revolution midfielder grew up playing ice hockey in North Carolina. It’s no surprise he plays with such tenacity.

“I spent most of my time in the penalty box, I have a little bit of the ice hockey mentality in my game.”

The coaches and staff like Wells’ aggressive play. But Wells admits he hasn’t always used it positively.  He’s accumulated 18 yellow cards and one ejection in his three MLS seasons.

“I’ve been at fault for losing my head, and not being mature or controlled enough, that is one part of my game I’m working on.”

So far though, things have been looking up for Wells in the Mile High City.  The move from New England is a welcome challenge for a player that is always looking for new opportunities.

At the end of 2009, Wells approached Coach Nicols about his desire to move away from New England.  It’s not that he was unhappy, but he “doesn’t want to be one of those guys that is just happy to be in the league.”  He wanted a new challenge and asked the coaching staff to consider his request.

A week before training camp Wells got the call about the trade to Colorado.  He said “it was an answer to a prayer.”

Wells immediately felt welcomed in Denver and having Ex-Revs Pat Noonan and Jeff Larentowicz around made things easier.

“I can’t say anything but good things about the experience.”

He did admit though, that there are some differences between Smith’s training camp and Nicol’s.

“Preseasons are a lot, lot different. New England starts at a crawl. We start at a sprint here, we had the beep test on the second day.” Wells is enjoying it though, “I love it, I enjoy it . . . I’d rather do more than less.”

The Rapids are a couple weeks into camp and he says that he is finally getting the kinks out and getting back into shape.  He is looking forward to the season and has already set some high goals.

“I want to contribute, play as much as I can . . . get the team to the playoffs. We have a great squad, there’s no reason we shouldn’t win the championship.” He added, “we are going to do big things this year, and I’m excited to put on a new Rapids jersey.”

Wells also expressed his thoughts on his former New England teammate, Jeff Larentowicz, who made his way to Colorado with Wells in the same trade.

“Jeff is tough, Jeff is really tough. That is what I like about him. He will leave it all on the field for you . . . I think he has a winning mentality and the effort he puts on the field, it’s hard not to commend that. He’s in the middle of the field and he’ll battle for you all day.”

Off the field, Wells is looking to get more involved and plugged into the community. He found other players on the Rapids that share his beliefs and started attending local services. Overall, he just feels blessed to be here.

His closing thoughts on Denver summed things up nicely, “I love it, I’ll take Colorado over Massachusetts any day.”