There are only six defenders on the current roster, but there is probably no position in better health for the Rapids. There’s also no area that will tell more about the team’s long-term plans for captain Pablo Mastroeni, 34, than what Colorado does on defense.

Since winning the MLS cup in November, the Rapids have shed a veteran defender (Julien Baudet) and picked up a veteran defender (Tyrone Marshall). The club also swapped out a young defender in Danny Earls, but has yet to name a replacement.

While that spot is sure to be filled, the current roster needs seven more bodies to reach 30. Before we look at what players might be added, consider the four at the back.

Across the Back: Kosuke Kimura, 26, on the right turned into a weapon in 2010. Thanks in part to the solid tandem of Marvell Wynne, 24, and Drew Moor, 26, in the middle, Kimura was no longer using his speed to try and fill gaps at the back. Anthony Wallace, 21, could be on the left side for the next decade. His arrival from FC Dallas in July was the perfect reminder of the difference a natural left footer can make.

Beyond the starters, it gets thin quick. Marshall, 36, looked creaky last season, but should be serviceable in relief and as an spot starter. Scott Palguta, 28, is a step down in speed, but he can play anywhere across the back.

Outlook: Wynne will likely continue to develop in his second full season in central defense. After playing every minute in ’10, Moor will have to get a few breaks as the regular season is four games longer and the team has an additional competition (CONCACAF) to consider.

Colorado needs some bodies here as insurance and to field a reserve side.

Likely Move: Grab a couple of young defenders in the SuperDraft. Let the kids get some reserve time. Slot Mastroeni into central defense a few times this year. He has played that role capably for the U.S. National Team. With two years left on his contract, this could lengthen Mastroeni’s tenure with the club, add some veteran savvy in the back, and allow some tinkering in the midfield.

Next Up: Midfielders

The Rapids  selected defender Tyrone Marshall with the 16th pick in Stage 2 of the 2010 Major League Soccer Re-Entry Process.
 
By drafting Marshall, the Rapids are now required to make an offer to him within seven days. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached between Colorado and Marshall, the Rapids will hold the right of first refusal for him in MLS. Marshall last played for Seattle Sounders FC until his contract expired.

A 13-year MLS veteran, Marshall returns to Colorado where he began his professional career after being drafted by the Rapids in the first round (11th overall) of the 1998 MLS College Draft. He has played in 294 games, 260 as a starter, and scored 16 goals and added 20 assists during his tenure with Colorado, Miami, Los Angeles, Toronto and Seattle.
 
Marshall is a two-time MLS All-Star (2003, 2005), two-time MLS Cup champion (2003, 2005) and a three-time U.S. Open Cup champion (2005, 2009, 2010). A fixture on the Jamaican National Team, he has 70 caps for the Reggae Boyz and has scored five international goals.

Meanwhile: Midfielders Peter Vagenas, along with Claudio Lopez and Ciaran O’Brien, were not picked up in the re-entry draft. This makes all three free agents.

It also makes the trade of Julien Baudet and Danny Earls to Seattle Sounders for Vagenas after the season that much more perplexing. The team no longer has a defensive stalwart — Baudet — and a reliable sbustitute in Earls. In return, the team no longer has the aging Vagenas either.

A team strength two days ago became a vacuum as the Portland Timbers picked up Colorado left back Anthony Wallace in the MLS expansion draft on Wednesday.

The selection of Wallace came after Monday’s decision to ship fellow left back Danny Earls, along with center back Julien Baudet, to Seattle Sounders for midfielder Peter Vagenas.

So, in less than 48 hours, the team has lost three defenders — including two left backs.

Earls, the early season starter, had been pushed out of the lineup by the acquisition of Wallace from FC Dallas in July. Wallace had quickly made his mark with an ability to move forward in the attack and make precise crosses. His play down the stretch had made him the odds-on choice to develop at left back in the next several seasons.

However, the Rapids could only leave 11 players protected going into the expansion draft, and Wallace was not on that list. The Timbers, who picked first, took Wallace in the fourth round. Portland and the Vancouver Whitecaps used the 10 round draft as a means of filling out their rosters for 2011.

In Portland, Wallace will now be teammates with two foes from Real Salt Lake’s roster, David Horst and Robbie Findley, along with an opponent he faced Sunday in the MLS Cup in Toronto. FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty was the first pick of the Timbers.

Wallace’s departure leaves the team with no “natural” left back. Scott Palguta and Drew Moor are each capable of playing there, but Moor is a natural in the center, and Palguta has not shown the speed to move into attack for the Rapids.

Defender Kosuke Kimura, who scored the goal that put the Colorado Rapids in the final, hoists the MLS Cup on Tuesday in Denver's Skyline Park. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com.)

Coach Gary Smith, most of the coaching staff and nearly the entire roster gathered in downtown Denver for a Tuesday afternoon rally to celebrate Sunday’s MLS Cup victory in Toronto, Canada.

Several thousand Rapids supporters, some decked out in the green jerseys of vintage 1996 Rapids and many holding team scarves aloft, greeted the team that upset FC Dallas 2-1 in extra time to claim the championship.

Gov. Bill Ritter, in a light blue Rapids road shirt, proclaimed it “Colorado Rapids Day” and quickly handed off the proclamation to Jeff Plush, the Rapids managing director. Denver Mayor and Governor-elect John Hickenlooper, in a burgundy home jersey, led a few rounds of “Colorado — Rapids” cheers before commending the team. Commerce City’s mayor and mayor pro-tem also made an appearance sporting team colors.

Most of the cheers, however, were reserved for MLS Cup MVP and Denver South High School graduate Conor Casey, and team captain Pablo Mastroeni.

During the rally, Plush thanked original owner Philip Anschutz for supporting the team and league, corporate sponsors and ticketholders alike, and encouraged supporters to look forward to the title defense next year.

But what most people came for was a glimpse at the MLS Cup. And they got it. As Rapids players took turns posing with the cup, many took the opportunity to dangle it off the stage where waiting fingers brushed across the cup’s silvery surface.

And, for an hour on Tuesday, Denver was Soccer City.

Farewell Beast: In his final appearance with the Rapids, defender Julien Baudet drew chants of “Beast! Beast! Beast!” when he took the stage, and took time signing autographs and mugging with the cup.

It was, to this observer, a bittersweet appearance. Baudet, whose hard-nosed style has made him a fan favorite, was traded along with defender Danny Earls to Seattle Sounders on Monday for midfielder Peter Vagenas.

While the emergence of Marvell Wynne as a central defender had kept Baudet on the reserve list after a midseason hamstring injury had made the Frenchman expendable, it was hard to watch him go.

Baudet was nothing short of a class act. He will be missed. He will also be applauded every time he steps onto the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park pitch, regardless of uniform.

Thanks, Beast.

Defender Julien Baudet, in his likely final appearance with the Rapids, lifts the MLS Cup. Goodbye and good luck to the hard man from France. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com.)

Rapids man of the match Omar Cummings attacks the goal. His would-be cross produced the game's only goal. (Photo by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Jon Busch has had some fine games in goal, but Saturday night was not one of them.

The San Jose Earthquakes ‘keeper mishandled a cross/shot from Omar Cummings and dumped the ball into his own goal. That 26th minute gaffe proved to be the difference maker as the Colorado Rapids snapped a nasty winless streak and snuck past the ‘Quakes 1-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

It was disappointing that the scoreline didn’t better reflect the Rapids effort. The team controlled play for long stretches and looked dangerous from the opening whistle to the end. Cummings, Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark and sub Claudio Lopez each came close to adding to the margin.

Still, against an opponent that was just a point behind the Rapids, Colorado got the win and improved to 7-5-6 (27 points) with the team’s first win since June 5. San Jose dropped to 6-6-5 (23 points).

Blame the Ball: ‘Quakes coach Frank Yallop was quick after the game to blame the dreaded “Jubulani” ball for the goal. This rang hollow. First, Busch has been facing the ball all season. Second, his coach was simply looking to cover a mistake.

On the goal, Busch was cheating from the near post to his left when Cummings fired across from goal from that side. Busch went down on his left knee and had both hands in position to snare the ball. However, he glanced to his right and seemed to break his concentration an instant before the ball rolled into his hands.

It could have had eight panels, 18, 32, 64, but once he glanced, that was the end. Blaming the ball is just looking for an excuse.

Lineup Change: With forward Conor Casey out for a second game recovering from the effects of a collision at Seattle on July 25, coach Gary Smith junked the 4-5-1 in favor of the 4-4-2. Former ‘Quake Quincy Amarikwa got his first start of the season up top with Cummings. Neither scored, but their pace was frightening. A little time working together and these two may be deadly.

Clark’s Fall: The one dark moment on the evening was Clark hobbling off the field with his shirt covering his face. Clark made a cut and planted the left leg that he injured last season in the 56th minute. He went down without a touch.

Watching the action from behind, it looked like he hyperextended the knee. Knowing this was the same knee that suffered an ACL tear last July was doubly troubling. Ballouchy came on as Clark was carted to the lockerroom.

Rapids 11: Matt Pickens, Marvell Wynne, Julien Baudet, Drew Moor, Kosuke Kimura, Wells Thompson, Pablo Mastroeni, Jeff Larentowicz, Clark (Ballouchy 58), Amarikwa (Lopez 66), Cummings.

San Jose 11: Busch, Jason Hernandez, Brandon McDonald, Bobby Burling (Tim Ward 41), Ramiro Corrales (Scott Sealy 80), Arturo Alvarez, Joey Gjertsen (Cornell Glen 64), Sam Cronin, Bobby Convey, Ryan Johnson, Chris Wondolowski.

Bravo Baudet: Baudet, who looked out of place and off pace against Dallas, was a rock in the middle of defense. He effectively eliminated attacks all night. His headers were off on offense, but you can’t have everything.

Casey, the leading scorer for an otherwise anemic attack, is expected to miss his second game since going out with a head injury late in a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders on July 25. Casey was out of action during last Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against F.C. Dallas.

Now the Rapids, 6-5-6 (24 points), face the ‘Quakes, 6-5-5 (23 points), with each team scrambling for a playoff spot.

Earlier: This is the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. In the tight confines of San Jose, the Rapids fell 1-0 on May 1 to a 33rd minute laser from Chris Wondolowski.

Swoon: The Rapids went 0-2-3 during the month of July. The team has not won since beating Columbus Crew 1-0 on June 5. The game featured a great headed goal from defender Drew Moor off a free kick from midfielder Jamie Smith.

Likely Look: The Rapids started last week in a 4-5-1 with Omar Cummings as the lone striker. As the game wore on, the insertion of substitutes led to a change in shape in the final minutes as Quincy Amarikwa came on as a second forward and Carlos Lopez made a late appearance in midfield. Neither provided the winning score, but the team looked more dangerous in a 4-4-2.

Coach Gary Smith is unlikely to change shape to start, but it will be interesting to see if he calls on the 4-4-2 for a late burst.

Probable Starters: Expect to see Cummings soloing up top with Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Mehdi Ballouchy, Jamie Smith and Colin Clark in the middle. Matt Pickens will be in the goal, with Kosuke Kimura, Julien Buadet, Moor and Marvell Wynne across the back.

Mehdi Ballouchy jumps the fences to celebrate with the fans when he scores his third goal of the season, tying the game against FC Dallas, Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the image above took less than 35 words to describe; an apt statement on the amount of joy found in Commerce City on Saturday afternoon.

Mehdi Ballouchy’s exuberant celebration was the high point in an otherwise dismal slog against FC Dallas. Ballouchy’s penalty kick negated a 22nd minute own goal by Julien Baudet, but was the final score of the afternoon as the two teams noted 1-1.

With the tie, the Rapids completed an abysmal month, going 0-2-3 during July. The swoon leaves the team at 6-5-6 (24 points) and clinging to the sixth playoff spot in the league. Dallas inched to 6-2-9 (27 points), good for third in the Western Conference.

Except for Ballouchy’s score, it was a difficult day for fans and players. Everyone was sweating, and no one seemed seemed to be having much fun.

Baudet had the worst of it. Not only did he put the ball into his own net, the central defender was frequently getting turned by forwards and struggling to keep pace. Baudet and captain Pablo Mastroeni appeared to be fashioning a new language, complete with hand signals, to describe their dismay with one another.

Baudet got a final shot at redemption in the closing moments of the game as he moved forward for a corner kick. The ball was delivered squarely to his head and he missed over the bar. He lay on the turf for a few moments after the miss, head down, in the fitting statement for his day and much of the match for the team around him.

With Conor Casey missing after a head injuring in last Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders, Colorado stuck with the 4-5-1 and moved Omar Cummings to the sole striker role. For most of the day, it proved ineffective. The team would get chances, but Cummings rarely had the room he seeks.

Despite not getting the needed goal, the Rapids found new life late in the game. The insertion of Quincy Amarikwa for Ballouchy in the 73rd and Claudio Lopez for Colin Clarke in the 84th led to a switch in tactics. Playing in a 4-4-2, the team was nearly rescued as Lopez delivered deft passes and Amarikwa played with the speed and abandon of a forward looking for a chance. Neither was able to provide the winner, but both improved the team.

Next: The Rapids return to evening games with a 7 p.m., Aug. 7 clash at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Come blow your vuvuzela! It's time to get on the horn as the Rapids stumble into midseason following a promising start. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

I feel like the old announcer in “Bull Durham” when he proclaims that it is time to call it like it is.

While he rails on it being the worst Bulls team in a half-century, my concern is on a Colorado Rapids squad that is stumbling toward the All Star game after starting the season with such promise.

Something is wrong in Commerce City. The Rapids are mired in a five-game winless streak and foundering under Gary Smith’s tactical experiment.

Looking at recent results is not encouraging.

The Start: After 10 games, the Rapids were 6-3-1. They had just beaten the Columbus Crew 1-0, and the team had allowed just six goals. They weren’t scoring much, but 10 goals had been enough. They were looking up at the Los Angeles Galaxy, but in control of their destiny. It was June 5, and the team hasn’t won since then.

In the subsequent five games, the Rapids are 0-1-4. They have scored six and given up seven. They have slumped to fourth in the Western Conference. They have seen the best start in club history turn into a middling, muddling mess.

And they have looked bad doing it.

Now it’s time to see what the Rapids can piece together to make a run for the promised land of the playoffs in the season’s second half.

Junk the 4-5-1: Notice that Jeff Larentowicz has gone from crucial to ineffective. Watch Omar Cummings chafe as a sorta-midfielder. See the pressure put on Conor Casey to set up and finish attacks. Worry that a team supposedly trying to clog the midfield and then convert to a 4-3-3 on attack is having little success doing either.

I admired Smith for making this tactical change to take advantage of the team’s strength in midfield. However, it’s time to acknowledge that the experiment is not working. The team has become less creative in the attack, relying on airballs at midfield to Casey’s head to start scoring chances.

This team has to get the ball wide to score. Jamie Smith proves that every time he is on the field. Fettering Cummings with the defensive responsibilities of a midfielder is taking away his killer prowess at forward.

This seemed to be confirmed Saturday night when Claudio Lopez and Smith came on. The team reverted to a 4-4-2 in the second half, found the equalizer and nearly had the winner. The team knows the 4-4-2 and needs it.

Lumbering Backs: Big central defenders can be useful for breaking up anything in the air. They can be a liability when facing darting runners. Colorado seems to have an overreliance on big, slow men in the back, and the rest of the league is exposing that fact.

Scott Palguta faces nothing but frustration as an outside back. Experimenting with him there is a mistake. Danny Earls, Kosuke Kimura and Marvell Wynne have the speed and positioning to fill either wing spot. Palguta and Julien Buadet are interchangeable in the middle and should be left there.

Drew Moor has been the one revelation in the back. He has handled the center with aplomb, and made the trade for him with FC Dallas make sense.

Lopez-Ballouchy Conundrum: Mehdi Ballouchy and Caludio Lopez haven’t fit on the pitch at the same time. While the team could benefit from either one, I think it is time to sit Ballouchy and let Lopez pull the strings.

The Argentinian may not be able to go for 90 minutes over the second half of the season, but I would rather have him for 60-70 a night than on the bench for weeks. His touch and passing broke open KC. Sure, he knows his former teammates well, but he knows the game better. It’s time to get the most out of this veteran’s savvy.

Ballouchy has played well, but look at his passing choices against Houston, New York and KC. He has reverted to the back passes and square balls of old. He’s not looking to make the probing pass, in part because he has usually had only one option in front — Casey — and that option had two men marking him. Ballouchy’s old passivity is getting the worst of him and the 4-5-1 doesn’t help.

Forward Conor Casey rounds goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen before clanking a shot off the near post. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Forward Help?: Who comes on when Casey has a bad night? Who comes on if he gets a knock? There is no obvious answer.

The guy has been remarkably healthy and has scored seven of the team’s 16 goals. He’s crucial. He’s also not getting pushed by anyone on the bench.

The lack of SuperLiga, U.S. Open Cup or any other competition means the Rapids can’t complain about wearing out over the season. It also means that there is little room for experimenting. However, why not get Quincy Amarikwa some playing time? I can’t fathom an opposing coach who would look forward to seeing Amarikwa and Cummings on the same front line.

Beat Bad Teams: Kansas City has 16 points on the season and four of them have come against the Rapids. They are a mediocre squad that has gotten the best of Colorado. This can’t continue.

Colorado faces a bad D.C. United team at home and gets two games against the expansion Philadelphia Union in the second half of the season. There’s nine points. Next up is a fading Seattle Sounders squad and a Sept. 4 home date against an adrift Chivas USA. There’s six more points.

Bag all 15, and you’re going to the playoffs. Whatever you don’t get will have to come in matches against Los Angeles, Dallas and archrivals Real Salt Lake. Make the job easier and beat bad teams.

Mid-Term Grade: After Saturday night, this looks like a C+ team. The strength of the first 10 games, and the promise of getting to play the Union twice, gives me hope. For that, I’m putting a B- on the page and a “needs improvement” for this report card.

That’s what happened in Toronto, where the mayor there felt the need to air his worries about the club after the Canadian side dropped the first two games by a combined 6-1 margin. Thursday night the club bought a measure of relief as Toronto FC eeked out a 2-1 win over the expansion Philadelphia Union.

“Eeked” is a loaded term — after all, even a lousy win is still worth three points in the standings — but considering that Toronto played a first-year team that lost its captain to a first-half red card at BMO Field in Toronto and needed a goalkeeping error for the first score and a penalty kick for the second, eeked seems about right.

Watching that game, the most surprising elements were how Philadelphia kept finding room to attack and how Dwayne De Rosario could provide just enough spark to get his team by a lesser side. De Rosario scored both goals, one on a restart and the other from the penalty spot. He also slotted back into more of a midfield position in the second half, where he provided distribution that the club otherwise lacked.

For Sunday, it means the Rapids (1-1-1)  may get the chance to expose some of the same flatness in the back with the strike tandem of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings. It also means that Rapids fans had better watch out if De Rosario is distributing the ball instead of waiting for service.

Homecoming: Sunday afternoon (game time at 3 p.m.) will represent the first time Nick LaBrocca, Ty Harden and Jacob Peterson will have appeared in Colorado since being traded to Toronto during separate transactions in the off-season. LaBrocca, a bulwark in the Rapids midfield the past two seasons, has brought his bull terrier nature to the field for Toronto and is likely to start. Peterson came off the bench on Thursday night, and seems to be the right-foot option on the midfield wing and in defense for the Reds. Harden has also been sitting on the subs bench.

Wynne’s World: Marvell Wynne also gets to face his former teammates on Sunday. Converted to a central back by Colorado, Wynne was a standout on the defensive wings for Toronto. Sent packing by new coach Preki, Wynne has been a revelation in the back for the Rapids, showing speed and strength that can negate many an attack while learning the center back position. For some reason, I suspect he will try to get forward on deadballs Sunday with the intent of poking something on goal in payback for his departure.

Against Toronto: While Toronto has drawn exceptional fan support in its first three seasons, the team has struggled on the field. One of the few clubs it has handled well has been the Rapids. Toronto owns a 4-2-0 mark against Colorado. However, the Rapids are 2-1-0 against the Reds at home.

Last Meeting: On Sept. 12 in Toronto, FC slipped by the Rapids 3-2.

Out Sunday: Defender Julien Baudet won’t be on the field for the Rapids on Sunday after being ejected from the game against Kansas City. While Baudet serves a one-game suspension, the only other Rapids out of action are midfielder Ciaran O’Brien, recovering from a hip strain, and forward Ross Schunk, who is out with a torn ACL in his right leg.

The Wizards beat the Rapids 1-0 on a goal that highlighted not only the importance of set pieces, but also their crucial nature in the tight confines of CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The converted minor league baseball park sometimes makes the 11 men on the field look like 13.

Even two extra defenders would have been necessary to have stopped the lone goal. Kei Kamara timed his jump perfectly to send a looping ball over Matt Pickens in the 47th minute. The ‘keeper was a few paces off his line, but the ball was perfectly struck.

From there, neither side was able to find the back of the net, and the Rapids (1-1-1) finished with 10 men.  However, the lack of an 11th player didn’t seem to effect the Rapids on a field with so little available space. In fact, for the sake of game play, it might be better to play 9-on-9 in KC.

All night, the Rapids seemed to have trouble adjusting to the smaller field. Passes weighted for the altitude and size of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park sailed out of bounds. The Wizards (2-0-0) made the most of what the field gave the team.

However, in the 59th minute, it looked like Colin Clark would open his account as he found himself alone inside the penalty area. His blazing shot was cleanly handled by KC ‘keeper Jimmy Nielsen.

There weren’t many opportunities for either side in the first half, but the Rapids got the best of those few. Omar Cummings strength and speed got him free on the right wing in the third minute of first half stoppage time. Cummings pinched in toward the goal with Conor Casey crashing the far post. Looking up, Cummings fed the ball to a trailing Mehdi Ballouchy, who proceeded to chip the sphere into the parking lot. Everyone knew he could have done better.

 And, by the end of the game, every Rapids fan was wishing he had.

Streak Intact: The win preserved KC’s dominance of the Rapids at home. The Rapids have not won in Kansas City since Sept. 14, 2002. In the 10 games since, the Wizards are 7-0-3. With the league’s balanced schedule, the Rapids won’t get a chance to break that streak until 2011.

Seeing Red: Julien Baudet received a straight red card in the 71st minute. The central defender, already carrying a yellow card from the first half, will miss the next game, when Toronto FC visits Colorado on Sunday, April 18.

Yellow Flurry: The first half ended in a chippy mess with a flurry of yellow cards. Kamara and Ryan Smith for KC, and Baudet and Pablo Mastroeni for the Rapids each picked up yellow cards. 

Smith and Smith: For about 15 minutes in the second half, Jamie Smith for the Rapids and Ryan Smith of the Wizards faced off in midfield. Jamie Smith’s touch still looked a little rusty as he continues to make his way back from a hamstring injury. Ryan Smith came off in the 76th minute for Teal Bunbury.

Open Cup: Does the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup now take on added importance? The Rapids face KC at the University of Missouri Kansas City field in an Open Cup play-in game on Tuesday night. A win would allow the Rapids to move on to the next round, plus ease the distaste of Saturday’s loss. Also, the UMKC field is larger than CommunityAmerica, a possible advantage for Colorado.

Rapids Starters: Pickens, Kimura (Amarikwa, 82), Wynne, Baudet, Moor, Ballouchy (Smith, 61), Mastroeni, Larentowicz, Clark (Thompson, 69), Cummings, Casey.

Wizards Starters: Nielsen, Espinoza, Conrad, Besler, Harrington, Kamara, Arnaud, Auvray, Jewsbury (Rocastle, 82), Smith (Bunbury, 76), Wolff (Myers, 70).