Jordan Harvey, Scott Palguta and Preston Burpo (above, from left) are among the Rapids players available to be selected by the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday in the Major League Soccer expansion draft. Other Rapids left unprotected included Mehdi Ballouchy and Jacob Peterson. (photos, from left, by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com, Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com, Prost Amerika Soccer, Seattle)

Former University of Denver and Colorado Rapids defender and Colorado Soccer Now favorite Nat Borchers will be playing in MLS Cup 2009 today in Seattle as his Real Salt Lake squad takes on the Los Angeles Galaxy. Borchers was the only member of Real Salt Lake to start all 30 games this season, playing 2,679 of the team’s 2,700 minutes. He scored one goal and was named the team’s MVP. (photo courtesy of Major League Soccer)

Three separate lists of the best 11 players in Major League Soccer each list one Rapids player. But it’s not Conor Casey, above, on all three lists. Intrigued? Check out the lists of the league’s best players as determined by MLS, the du Nord soccer blog and yours truly. … (photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Major League Soccer released the finalists for the league’s 2009 awards today, and Galaxy striker Landon Donovan certainly was among them. Inside, I list all the finalists and whom I voted for in the process. Donovan, left, was among the finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, and I think he’s the likely winner. All of the award finalists earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media, including yours truly. Check out all of the finalists inside.
(photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has fined D.C. United President Kevin Payne $5,000 for public comments about the Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake and New England Revolution.

Jeff Larentowicz scored his first goal of 2009 in the last game of the regular season as the New England Revolution beat the team with the most points in the league, Columbus, on Sunday, eliminating the Colorado Rapids from Major League Soccer’s playoffs.

Real Salt Lake retained possession of the Rocky Mountain Cup with a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Robbie Findley scored two first-half goals, Yura Movsisyan again stuck the dagger in Colorado’s side late in the match, and the Rapids had no punch. Inside, we break down the game using a few keen comments from the Fox Soccer Channel crew. …

After Saturday’s loss 2-1 road loss to FC Dallas, the Rapids have put all of their playoff hopes into one match … against Real Salt Lake on Saturday in Utah.

Jeff Nelson battles Colorado Rapids defender Rob Valentino for a ball during a scrimmage this season. Nelson, a forward for the Colorado School of Mines, was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference offensive player of the week. Read all about that and much more in this package of Colorado soccer notes. (photo by George Tanner/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Conor Casey scored on a penalty, his third in the past four matches, as the Colorado Rapids tied the New England Revolution 1-1 on Saturday night in Commerce City. Emmanuel Osei’s foul on Omar Cummings in the penalty area set up Colorado’s tying score. Above, New England goalkeeper Matt Reis keeps an eye on Rapids midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy. (photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)