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Hopes and Fears for the Season
The Rapids will take the field for the first game of the season in less than 24 hours. While eagerness is the operative word for how I feel about the start of the pending season, I have my share of anxiousness, too.
From this mix of emotions comes my hopes and fears for the Colorado Rapids in 2010.
Hope: Conor Casey and Omar Cummings remain healthy. Yes, there will be nicks and scrapes, but the past season and a half have been a lesson in how good Casey can be when healthy. He is a beast in the air and fearless in front of goal. A little better service in ’09 and he would have led the league in scoring. Cummings in lightning fast, works harder than almost anyone, and provides an ideal complement to Casey. Together, they are a great strike partnership. Healthy, and anything is possible.
Fear: One or both of the aforementioned forwards will spend time on the training table. Their continued good health is critical to the attack. The team is thin and/or untested behind these two attackers.
Hope: The defense remains solid. Injuries to midfielders produced some odd lineups late in the past campaign and placed additional pressure on the backline. While goalkeeping remains strong, keeping those shots from ever happening remains a priority.
Fear: The center of the midfield and defense proves to be too slow. Julien Baudet makes up for a lack of speed with game acumen. Ditto, most of the time, for Pablo Mastroeni. None of that, however, compensates for the loss of Ugo Ihemelu’s pace. There is no speed in the heart of the defense, a fact that often meant wing defenders were either stranded or racing out of position to cover a speedy attack in the middle.
Hope: A long Rapids run in the U.S. Open Cup. The trophy case needs some silverware. The Lamar Hunt cup would look great there. Again, the Rapids have the opportunity to make a run at this title, the nation’s oldest soccer trophy. Crashing out in qualifying is unacceptable.
Fear: An early exit for the Rapids. Colorado is not burdened with CONCACAF, SuperLiga or other outside tournaments during the season. It has only a couple of players (Mastroeni and Casey) likely to be called away for World Cup duty. The Rapids could field a strong side for each match. Still, it’s easier to play the subs and treat this trophy like it doesn’t matter. Trophies do matter, and 15 years is a long time to go without one. Fear of failure is likely to come true here, but that doesn’t make it any more satisfying.
Hope: Playoffs. The swoon in the final third of the season was a fluke.
Fear: No playoffs. The swoon was not a fluke.
That’s where I stand as the season starts. How about you?
Leave your response!