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Drawing of the 30: Forwards
(Editor’s Note: This is the fourth part in a series on what the Rapids will do with an expanded roster in 2011.)
Who will be the sixth forward?
This is the key question for the Rapids attack as they start the 2011 season. The team has only five forwards on its roster, and one is coming off a major knee injury. Coach Gary Smith, however, appears to be comfortable with a limited supply of strikers.
With two slots left to fill out on an expanded 30-man roster, one of them will be a forward. Will it be both? That depends on whether the purse strings loosen and the Rapids try to lure a Designated Player into the Rockies.
Across the Front: Part of Smith’s comfort comes from the two-headed monster he can put on the field at forward. Conor Casey, 29, is big, strong and deadly in the air. Omar Cummings, 28, is blazingly quick and has the work rate of a fusion reactor. Both have deadly shots as evidenced by Casey’s 13 and Cummings’ 14 tallies in 2010. Both have stamina, as each started at least 26 games in 2010. Both are coming off championship seasons.
Outlook: Casey and Cummings will start as long as they are healthy and no one offers enough cash to pluck one of them away.
Quincy Amarikwa, 23, provides a lively spark off the bench, a role he is likely to continue. Andre Akpan, 23, got into one game as a rookie, and will benefit from the return of the reserve division.
Then there is Macoumba Kandji. Acquired from a midseason trade with New York, Kandji is tall, fast and selfish. These qualities do not endear him to teammates, but they provided the final goal in Colorado’s 2-1 over FC Dallas in the MLS Cup final.
The one experiment starting Kandji with Casey was a failure. Kandji and Cummings worked slightly better. A three forward lineup might be the only one where Kandji makes sense.
Likely Move: Kandji tore his ACL on the play that resulted in the game-winning goal in the final. His rehabilitation will determine who sits on the subs bench. Next to that player likely will be the team’s sixth forward.
Look for the Rapids to pick up someone with two to three years professional experience for the final forward spot. Smith might take a chance on speed. Or, if he has stuck with a youth movement at midfield, he may look for someone with 10-years or more of professional experience up front as a game killer.
Next Up: The Designated Player question.
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