On a team with Conor Casey, Omar Cummings and Caleb Folan, it should have been that one of them would win the title as the team’s top scorer.

Surprises: However, it was not to be. Casey, twice the team’s top goal scorer, managed six strikes in 11 matches before losing the rest of the year to injury. Folan chipped in six tallies, too, but endured long stretches without a strike. Cummings, the 2010 leading scorer, managed only three goals in 18 regular season matches.

With the regular season over and a playoff match coming on Thursday, The Tuesday List takes a look back at the team’s top scorers by season and adds an unlikely name to the list in the form of central midfielder Jeff Larentowicz.

1996 – Jean Harbor (11)
1997 – Paul Bravo (8)
1998 – Wolde Harris (13)
1999 – Jorge Dely Valdez (10)
2000 – Junior Agogo (10)
2001 – John Spencer (14)
2002 – Mark Chung, Chris Henderson, Chris Carrieri (11)
2003 – John Spencer (14)
2004 – Jean Philippe Peguero (7)
2005 – Jeff Cunningham (12)
2006 – Nicolas Hernandez, Kyle Beckerman (7)
2007 – Jovan Kirovski (6)
2008 – Conor Casey (11)
2009 – Conor Casey (16)
2010 – Omar Cummings (14)
2011 – Jeff Larentowicz (7)

Now What?: The Rapids have been tepid in attack most of the year. The 4-1 romp over the New York Red Bulls on July 20 stands out as the last time the team looked deadly.

Not forgotten from that game was the hat trick for Sanna Nyassi, who dabbled at the forward spot after Casey’s injury. He only had two goals for the rest of the season as he spent most of his time on the midfield wings.

Next Up: Thursday should be entertaining as the defending MLS Cup champions have to find a way to score.

Teams that can’t score can hope to make it to penalty kicks for a win, but that’s not much to look forward to for any fan.

Colorado Rapids Andre Akpan (center) is surrounded by Isidro Metapan Jorge Luis Moran (left), and Alfredo Pacheco during the CCL opener Aug. 17. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

With a Rapids squad in Honduras for CONCACAF Champions League play tonight, The Tuesday List takes a look at travel distances for the Rapids, and what the team faces in some away games that are truly far away.

Below are the longest trips in the MLS season and the CCL group stage play.

15. Houston, Texas (Dynamo) 1,018 miles
14. Carson, Calif. (LA Galaxy and Chivas USA) 1,038 miles
13. Torreon, Mexico (Santos Laguna) 1,244 miles
12. Portland, Ore. (Timbers) 1,255 miles
11. Columbus, Ohio (Crew) 1,257 miles
10. San Jose, Calif. (Earthquakes) 1,296 miles
9. Seattle, Wash. (Sounders FC) 1,329 miles
8. Vancouver, B.C. (Whitecaps) 1,463 miles
7. Toronto, On. (Toronto FC) 1,501 miles
6. Washington, D.C. (DC United) 1,683 miles
5. Philadelphia, Pa. (Union) 1,742 miles
4. Harrison, N.J. (NY Red Bulls) 1,763 miles
3. San Pedro Sula, Honduras (Real Espana) 1,962 miles
2. Foxboro, Mass. (N.E. Revolution) 1,965 miles
1. Metapan, El Salvador (Isidro Metapan) 2,036 miles

CCL locations are in italics.

After looking at the list, it’s obvious that the Rapids will be spending a lot of time in transit in the coming weeks. After visiting Real Espana, the Rapids will have trips to Torreon, Mexico, and a 2,000 mile-plus journey to El Salvador.

Even if the team doesn’t run down on the road, all the players may grow a bit tired of spending some much time in the respective crafts of Boeing and Airbus in the next two months.

Of course, advancing to the next round of CCL play and the MLS playoffs somehow soothes aching travel muscles.

No teams have played more than the 26 games of the Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC. No team has played fewer MLS games than Real Salt Lake’s 22.

Despite this disparity, the teams are ranked for the playoffs by total points accumulated and the team’s standing in each conference. The top three teams in each conference and the teams with the next four highest point totals qualify for the MLS postseason.

Based on the league standard, the Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders would get the top three spots in the Western Conference, with the Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls getting the top spots in the Eastern Conference. The next four spots would go to Colorado, Salt Lake, Houston and Kansas City (on the strength of its tiebreaker over Chivas USA and D.C. United).

The standings, however, start to look a bit silly as four Western teams have more points than the best team in the East (Columbus at 37 points). And the fifth team in the West, Salt Lake, would be second in the East with 36 points.

Trying to make some sense of this has prompted observers to look at the points accumulated per game as a method to determine who is leading the league. For The Tuesday List, we took a look at average goal differential.

Team Games GD AGD
LA Galaxy* 25 15 0.60
Real Salt Lake* 22 13 0.59
Seattle Sounders* 25 8 0.32
Philadelphia* 23 7 0.30
FC Dallas* 25 7 0.28
Colorado Rapids* 26 5 0.19
Chivas USA 24 4 0.167
Columbus Crew* 24 4 0.167
NY Red Bulls* 25 4 0.16
Sporting KC* 23 2 0.08
Houston Dynamo* 24 1 0.04
D.C. United 22 0 0
San Jose 24 -6 -0.25
Chicago Fire 23 -7 -0.30
Portland Timbers 23 -8 -0.34
New England 24 -13 -0.54
Vancouver 24 -15 -0.625
Toronto FC 26 -21 -0.81

* In playoff position.

What does this tell us? First, we are playing with averages, and those are easily influenced by one big win or loss. Second, there are some teams (LA and RSL) that look like they should be running away with the league.

Finally, there is a lot of fluidity on this list. Except for the three things at the bottom and the two at the top of the list, any of the others could be booking postseason trips or planning time on the couch. In particular, it will be interesting to see if Chivas USA gets on a run of form in the coming weeks that unseats any of the Eastern pretenders.

Your thoughts?

Looking at the 2011 roster, we go back in time to who was here in each of the previous seasons. We looked at who was on the roster at the end of the season and remains today.

2007 Roster: Conor Casey*, Omar Cummings, Pablo Mastroeni, Kosuke Kimura

2008 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura

2009 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura, Drew Moor*, Jamie Smith, Scott Palguta, Matt Pickens, Steward Ceus

2010 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura, Moor, Smith, Palguta, Pickens, Ceus, Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan*, Wells Thompson, Macomba Kandji*, Quincy Amarikwa*, Anthony Wallace*, Andre Akpan, Danny Earls, Ian Joyce, Ross LaBauex, Marvell Wynne, Davy Armstrong

*Joined the team during the season.

So, what does this list tell us? Soccer is a volatile sport, especially when you aren’t winning. Only three current players –Cummings, Mastroeni and Kimura — were on the roster when DSG Park opened 4 1/2 years ago. Only Mastroeni was a regular on the field, with Cummings making 11 appearances as a substitute and Kimura starting four games for an erratic defense that season. Add Casey from Toronto FC during 2007, and those four are the quartet of Rapids that started the DSG era.

It also tells us that while the team was missing the playoffs in ’07, ’08 and ’09, it was only in that 2009 season that the side started to come together. Looking at the players who came and went, ’08 was as dismal as it seemed. Fernando Clavijo departed as coach two-thirds of the way through the season and Gary Smith took over. Only the Casey-Cummings-Mastroeni-Kimura quartet continued from the depths of ’08 to the heights of the 2010 MLS Cup and beyond.

In ’09, the team added two starters — Pickens and Moor — and a third, Smith, who would start if not for nagging injuries. In ’10, the team added starters in Larentowicz, Mullan and Wynne, with Thompson, Earls and Wallace all seeing significant minutes.

Just in the way that a season is fleeting, so is time on the field for Rapids players. Now, Kimura is a constant at right back, Cummings is flourishing after early season injuries, Casey is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Mastroeni continues to turn back time as he approaches his 35th birthday on Aug. 29.

So, The Tuesday List wants you to remember these names because you never know how many more times you’ll see them on the field.

A native near the top of the Twin Sisters trail. (Photograph by Shaun Schafer/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

This opens up a rare opportunity for the local soccer fan to get out of the house and head to the hills this weekend.

So, for The Tuesday List, we are taking it in a different direction this week. Rather than looking at statistics, upcoming opponents or outstanding performances, we at ColoradoSoccerNow.com are gearing up for at least one weekend foray in the colorful countryside.

In no particular order, here are some hikes to consider after the lone match on the schedule on Friday. Bring water and sunscreen, watch for storms, and have some fun.

1. Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls. Rocky Mountain National Park, near Allenspark. 6.2 miles roundtrip. This is a great day hike in the RMNP with few challenges but plenty of scenery.

2. Rattlesnake Gulch. Eldorado Canyon State Park, Boulder County. 5.3 mile loop. Great views of Denver, Boulder and the mountains are the reward for this hike. Plus, you can go cool your feet in South Boulder Creek afterward.

3. Canyon Loop Trail. Betasso Preserve, Boulder County. 3.2 mile loop. Most years this would rate higher, however, none of us have visited since the Four Mile Canyon fire in 2010. Fire damaged views are rarely charming, but they are a reality.

4. Blue Lake. Indian Peaks Wilderness. 5 miles roundtrip. This short hike to an Alpine cirque has a lot of up (1,000 feet over 2.5 miles), but the lake is beautiful. Plus, the more adventurous can start at the same trailhead and tackle Mt. Audubon (13,223 feet) instead.

5. Bald Mountain. Bald Mountain Scenic Area, Boulder County. 1.5 mile loop. Here’s the trail the kids can conquer. A 3-year-old ColoradoSoccerNow.com’er covered this trail with his folks and sextuagenarian aunt. You can see the Four Mile fire damage, but you also see tall peaks to the West and high prairie to the East.

6. Deer Creek Canyon. Deer Creek Canyon Park, Jefferson County. 5.6 miles roundtrip. Get ready for some sun. This is an exposed trail with a satisfying summit at Plymouth Mountain (7,295 feet).

The view from atop Torreys Peak. (Photograph by Shaun Schafer/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

7. Grays and Torreys Peaks. Clear Creek Ranger District, near Georgetown. 4.2 miles to Grays summit. Why not bag one of Colorado’s 14ers over the weekend? Why not bag two? Start early (very early!) and you can mark Grays (14,270) and Torreys (14,267) off the list of the 54 peaks at or above 14,000 feet in the state.

8. Twin Sisters. Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park. 7.4 miles roundtrip. The summit is at 11,423 and the hike is a continual up as you gain 2,400 feet over 3.7 miles. You spend a good deal of time on the lower portions in lodgepole pine forest. The top section is exposed. Regardless, this is a classic hike with wonderful views of Estes Park and the mountains beyond.

Enjoy the weekend!

The match will be telecast live on ESPN2, Galavision, and TSN at 6:30 p.m.

While the 25,000-seat, state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., readies to host the first marquee MLS event at the $200 million venue, the Tuesday List takes a look at current Rapids on the all-star ballot and those who appeared in past all-star games.

2011: Matt Pickens, Pablo Mastroeni, Drew Moor, Jeff Larentowicz, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings are all on the ballot. Vote for whom you choose, but if Moor doesn’t go, this game is a mockery.

Past Appearances
2010: Larentowicz, Casey
2009: Casey
2008: Christian Gomez, Mastroeni
2007: Mastroeni
2006: Joe Cannon, Mastroeni
2005: Cannon, Jeff Cunningham, Mastroeni, Mike Petke
2004: Mastroeni
2003: Mark Chung, Mastroeni, John Spencer
2002: Chung, Chris Henderson, Mastroeni, Carlos Valderrama
2001: Marcelo Balboa, Spencer
2000: Balboa, Anders Limpar
1999: Balboa, Paul Bravo, Ross Paule, Glenn Myernick (coach)
1998: Balboa, Bravo, Paule, Adrian Paz
1997: Balboa, Henderson
1996: Balboa

Not all of them saw the field, but most of them were deserving selections. The notable exception would be Gomez, who was on the team for his play at D.C. United the year before.

So, let’s see who gets added to the list for next year.

Since his tackle broke Steve Zakuani’s leg on Friday night, discussion has centered around how Mullan has played the game. In the outpouring of sympathy for Zakuani, there has also been a spate of comment about Mullan’s aggressive play. Fans have suggested that Mullan’s suspension, which will be a minimum one game for this 3rd minute red card, should be equal to Zakuani’s recovery time. The Seattle player has no timetable for his return.

Here’s what the numbers over his career and in the league show on Mullan and fouls.

49 — players ejected from MLS games in 2010.

0 — ejections for Mullan in 2010.

3 — red cards Davy Arnaud saw, the most ejections by any MLS player in 2010.

4 — times Mullan has been shown a red card in his career, the same as Arnaud.

6 — career ejections for Danny O’Rourke, who was second in the MLS with two red cards in 2010.

296 – games Mullan has played in the MLS.

235 — games Arnaud has played in the MLS.

146 — games O’Rourke has played in the MLS.

74:1 — ratio of ejections to games played for Mullan.

59:1 — ratio of ejections to games played for Arnaud.

24:1 — ratio of ejections to games played for O’Rourke.

52 — fouls committed by Conor Casey in 2010, the most in the league.

29 — fouls committed by Mullan in 2010, the same as the number of fouls he suffered.

438 — fouls committed by Mullan in his career.

498 — fouls suffered by Mullan in his career.

Ultimately, what does this sampling of numbers say about Mullan? Not much. He has fewer career ejections than other players. He gets ejected less frequently than those with tough reputations. He gets fouled slightly more than he fouls.

What will all of this mean when the disciplinary committee meets? We’ll know soon enough.

Instead, the two rivals get a Wednesday night showdown in Salt Lake City. The Rapids, 3-1-0, and Real, 3-0-0, top the Western Conference and Major League Soccer. Now the two get to renew their animosity in the first of two games this season.

As they ready for the first game of the Rocky Mountain Cup series, The Tuesday List takes a look at Colorado’s record over the years against the team from Utah.

Year                  Rapids record against Salt Lake
2005                                      3-1-0
2006                                      2-1-1
2007                                      1-2-1
2008                                      1-1-1
2009                                      1-1-1
2010                                      0-0-2

This stacks up to an all-time Rapids of 8-6-6 versus Salt Lake. However, the Rapids record after Real’s first two seasons is a pedestrian 3-4-5. Several of those losses have been heartbreakers. A 2009 loss to Real kept the Rapids out of the playoffs. A last-second tie did the same in 2008.

But the most intriguing number may not be the head-to-head comparison, but in what they have done against the rest of the league. These two teams are the most recent winners of the MLS Cup, with Salt Lake winning in 2009 and Colorado winning in 2010.

Add it all up, and Wednesday night could be an entertaining time.

Mastroeni’s decision making and offensive cunning continues a career second act that has seen the central midfielder go from defensive stalwart to offensive threat.

For The Tuesday List, we take a look at Mastroeni’s offensive production as a professional.

Year      Team      Games      Goals   Assists
1998      Miami      23                0            4
1999      Miami      23                0             3
2000     Miami      29                0             1
2001      Miami      25                2             2
2002     Rapids      15                0             3
2003     Rapids      18                0             2
2004     Rapids      17                0             0
2005     Rapids      14                1              0
2006     Rapids      20               0              0
2007     Rapids      23                0             1
2008     Rapids      25                0             0
2009     Rapids      25                1              3
2010     Rapids      29                 2             3
2011      Rapids       3                  0             1

No, he’s not an offensive dynamo, nor is he expected to be. However, Mastroeni is proving a bigger attacking threat now than at any time in his career. He had no goals and seven assists in his first 55 MLS games. In the past 55 games he has three goals and seven assists.

For a man rapidly approaching 25,000 minutes of MLS playing time, Mastroeni merits several lists of his own.

While the Rapids are off to a 2-0-0 start for the first time in the club’s 16-year history, it pales in comparison to how Colorado has performed when meeting D.C. for the first time in the season. The Tuesday List takes a glance back at how the two teams have played upon the first meeting of the season.

2010: Rapids 1, United 0

2009: Rapids 3, United 0

2008: Rapids 2, United 0

2007: Rapids 2, United 1

2006: Rapids 2, United 1

2005: Rapids 1, United 0

2004: Rapids 2, United 1

2003: Rapids 1, United 1

2002: Rapids 2, United 0

2001: Rapids 1, United 1

2000: United 5, Rapids 2

1999: Rapids 2, United 1

1998: United 3, Rapids 3 (shootout loss)

1997: United 5, Rapids 2

1996: United 2, Rapids 2 (shootout loss)

Add it all up, and with the shootout losses, Colorado owns a 9-4-2 record against D.C. when the two teams meet for the first time in a season. Since last losing to United in an initial meeting in 2000, the Rapids are 8-0-2 with five shutouts.

Of course, these victories came with wildly different lineups for both sides. In fact, the most interesting number is the number one, because that’s how many of the current Rapids have been on the roster to face D.C. for that first time each season in the past six seasons. Captain Pablo Mastroeni is the only one who was on the Rapids roster prior to 2007. Teams with him on the roster have gone 8-0-1 against D.C. since he joined the side in 2002.