It's been really long offseason, but I don't have to tell you that. For the defending cup champs, the anticipation of getting back on our natural grass to defend the trophy has surely been itching at them for these last three months. If there's anyone who has wanted the season to start more, it's probably Portland fans. A team less expanded and more promoted, the Timbers rabid fanbase has surely been anticipating this day more than anyone.
Colorado will more than likely come into this game sporting the same starting lineup that it used against
in the MLS Cup Final back in November. Through a series of shrewd and sometimes genius looking moves, coach Gary Smith kept the squad together brilliantly and although a slow draft – which wound up yielding nothing as first rounder
was released yesterday – kept them down a bit they still managed to get a bit of depth all over the pitch, most notably at striker with new signing
, who may in fact play today.The lineup of Pickens-Kimura-Moor-Wynne-Wallace-Mullan-Mastroeni-Larentowicz-Smith-Cummings-Casey has worked beautifully in the past for the Rapids and we'll hope to see the same sort of production that the squad put out last year near the end of the season as opposed to a typical Rapids slow start to the season. This is certainly a different squad than you saw snag the summer doldrums all those years in a row.
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Matt Pollard 